Hardened

"Pastor, we are going to die!" That was the words from the neighbor lady this hot afternoon. "We have no water." I said to Rob, order a tanker truck of water to fill your cistern and give her water. He told her what we would do, and she came running over to give him a hug. She said "Pastor, you can never leave our neighborhood, we will lay down at the end of the street and you will have to kill us to leave!" Such a little thing, but maybe you can see how big the water issue has gotten. There are lines of people all over the city, people have started businesses selling buckets of water. They had to go after a crowd of people today with tear gas and baton's. It's turning into a little war for some. The government is focused on the upcoming election, so there is little they are going to do to resolve this right now. But on the brighter side we delivered a hand pump to some very grateful Americans who are going to hopefully have it set up by tonight or tomorrow so a team of Americans coming down can hand pump their water instead of bucketing it for their uses! My teams can take heart at the fact they have never had to bucket their water, and they thought they had it tough!! I shared a lot of knowledge with them, and they were so grateful as they drove away, not sure I've met happier Americans down here than them. One couple has been here for 7 years bucketing all their water! How's that for a perspective setter. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to hear another complaint from a team member again! Get out the iron britches to come here, or you better just stay home. This will change your life, but get ready, because you just don't know how much!
I held several meetings today, good meetings, a little painful, but good all the same. I spoke of vision, and direction, and warnings to leaders and staff alike. All listened and thanked me, but then again what are they going to do, I have them strapped over the proverbial barrel. But without vision the people perish, and this is a very perishing place. Yesterday a man perished digging a well by hand, he was 75' down in the ground and ran out of oxygen and died. Pastor Isa's dad fell from a banana tree a couple weeks ago and died a week later. It's a hard country, and these are hardened people to take the brutality of it all, but they are just people, and they do die. Pray protection over our leaders, they live on a very ragged edge, they are wary and savvy in the ways of the country, but they too are human!
Tonight is my last night here for this trip, I am grateful for what I was able to accomplish, we met the mechanic tonight and the head for the Toyota engine is at the machine shop in Port. They are trying to have it done by Wednesday, and the mechanic said he would go early Thursday, come back with it and hopefully have it running by Thursday evening or Friday. Lord willing that happens. I would like it done by the weekend. It turned out to be a much bigger project than we expected, but it is getting fixed, we know what the problem was, and that can be the biggest mystery to solve. I showed the truck to another American today who was interested in the work we were having done, he was really impressed with the vehicle! We are blessed to have such a great mode of transportation in service here, and soon it will be even better than it was. It will give us a solid time of service going forward.
Time to sign off and hit the bed-sack, or bed tent should I say. Tomorrow will bring another wave of travel, spinning me through timezones and warping me back into my other world. It will be good to be home, but I am already making plans for my next trip back. I don't feel my work here is yet done, so onward and forward we go. Thanks for all the kind words in the comments, for the texts that were able to slip through and the occasional email as well. There are a few technical bugs we are resolving, and next trip in should see smoother outgoing communication again, we will be served up 4G speed next time!! Oh yeah baby! Over and out for tonight, sweeping toward morning I go. Homeward bound! Blessings again from St. Marc! Sequels to follow, stay tuned!