February 13, 2018
Since arriving back in Madagascar from our meeting and vacation, we have been eager to get back out to the bush. That eagerness has been intensified by the fact that, now twice, we have been delayed getting out there.
Once, it was paperwork: one of the seven pieces of stamped pieces of paper that says we can drive our car was out of date, given the new year. We’re still waiting for the government office that reissues this paper in the capital to issue a new one. This would not be huge deal (the paper basically just states the number of people we are allowed to carry as a non-taxi). However, it is a big deal when police and military officers are stopping people left and right and looking for any kind of leverage for a “gift.” So our last attempt to head to the bush ended in getting pulled over, and being unable to proceed without this paper we can’t fix.
Then, after discovering there is nothing we can do but wait for the expired paper, both Tessa and I got sick. It has been a fitting welcome home! We really aren’t discouraged by this: this is part and parcel of living here. But we have wondered why it has been so hard to get out there. And we are ready to try again. We are sure there is a divine purpose behind the delays . . . even one we may never know.
So please pray for us as we prepare to try and head down south to the bush again, reconnect with our friends, and get ready all together for the next stages ahead.