Driving with Daddy

These days, we are forced to work as though we are commemorating the Passover – with great haste! Frequent and long power cuts have severely interrupted our normal work routines, sometimes causing work to pile up, simply because we can’t work on our drained laptops or print any documents. It’s also affected our physical rest, as we struggle to fall asleep in the stifling heat at night.

In the midst of these challenges, there is a distinct sense that the work has shifted to a higher gear. Young people in our neighbourhood who previously weren’t interested in learning English are asking sheepishly if they can still join the course. Yesterday, one young man who works as a security guard at night asked if he could sign up for the course.

“Yes, you can. Just come on Monday. We’re starting a new class,” I told him.

“We’re shy to come to class teacher! But we see so many people from other places attending the course and we’re jealous that we’re missing out!” he grinned sheepishly as he squatted on a fence.

It’s somewhat instructive to note that it’s taken some people this long to finally desire to learn. We have been offering the course since November 2007 but it’s only after two years that some people are provoked into taking a small step towards learning. This is why having a short-term mentality can be detrimental to missions work. If we had been in a hurry to see quick results, the logical thing would have been to pack up and leave, after experiencing the many teething problems and cross-cultural trauma we did when we first started teaching.

Apart from interest from previously disengaged youth, we’re also seeing a group of special people coming to the library - young children.

There is this group of children who come to the library everyday without fail, sometimes waiting at the gate for us even before we arrive to open up! Having got past their initial shyness, they are now completely at home in the library, helping themselves to books and games, and sitting in classes meant for older children. They’ve transformed the library into a place of fun and joy, often making the adults laugh just by being their goofy selves.

As I contemplate these encouraging developments, I sense keenly that God is the One shifting the gears and determining the speed of the work. I was thinking about this a few nights ago, as I sat in the darkness on yet another blackout night. I saw God sitting in the driver’s seat, with His hand on the gear stick and His feet on the pedals. He was the One adjusting the speed of the vehicle – while I sat on His lap, with my hands on the wheel, trying my best to find the correct roads and steer the vehicle to the intended destination.

Sometimes, it feels as though the vehicle is moving too fast, and I'm gripping the steering wheel with all my might, trying to navigate each turn and bend, while throwing my eyes far ahead to chart the course, all without taking the car off the road! I think this is going to be quite a ride!