Tip of the Week-- November 20, 2014

Last weekend, I visited my friend in the village.  The plan was to arrive before sundown, spend the night and do church with him the next morning.  I know the road extremely well and my motorcycle is in good shape, so the drive didn't elicit even the slightest concern for me.

Unfortunately, I got a late start and so I found myself with several miles to go in the pitch black.  Even this wasn't too problematic, though it did slow my driving.  Then, in the worst possible place on the whole drive, in the middle of the bush, equidistant (and far) from the villages on either end of the drive, my tire popped.  This is my first flat in 4 years and over 10,000 miles of riding. So I ended up pushing the motorcycle for an hour before getting to a village where someone could repair the tire, which at night in a village without electricity takes a very long time.

So I offer you this Tip of the Week on everything I've learned about driving my motorcycle into the bush:

1. Clothes comfortable enough to walk in are a must. Your previous record of seamless arrivals is meaningless.
2.  I wear sandals everywhere, including in the operating room, but for long trips, close-toed shoes are a must.  I scoffed at my friends that told me this at first, then I had my accident, and let me tell you, road rash on the top of your feet and toes is a bear!
3. Buying gas in the bush is a bit like playing Russian roulette.  Sometimes you walk away unscathed, sometimes you end up dead in the water.
4. Sand is the enemy.  Deep sand is a mortal foe.
5. In the deep bush, the only difference between the real road and a deviation that is sure to get you lost is that the real road leads you to where you want to go and the deviation...well... doesn't.
6. Never underestimate the carrying capacity of a motorcycle.  Where there is a will, there is usually some crazy way.  You'll find yourself carrying amounts you never dreamed of.
7.  Watch out for goats, they are real jaw-busters... need I say more?

Prayer Requests

1. Continue to pray for the Ebola situation here in West Africa.  Just to put everyone at ease, there are not currently any cases of Ebola in our city.  We are screening every patient that comes into the hospital, with the goal of early detection and prevention of contact with us or our staff.  For the moment, though there are cases in the capital city, the situation seems stable.  Our heightened vigilance and your fervent prayers are still necessary, though!

2. Pray for all of our hospital staff, both American and national.  The added screening, and all the preparations, have added a lot to everyone's plates and has made staffing tighter.  Pray that we'd all be refreshed and encouraged by the Lord.

3. Pray for a young man named Bakary with whom I had the joy of sharing the Gospel.  Pray for him as he reflects on what this means for him.

4. We had a rather heavy rain today.  This late in the season, heavy rain is a bad thing as it damages the cotton crop and can cause the grain to mold.  Pray that this would not be the case, and that people would be able to get the harvest in without problem.

5.  Continue to pray for our outreach activities, to the prison, surrounding villages, and perhaps soon the army camp.  Our plans have changed dramatically because of the Ebola epidemic (which has caused several teams to cancel), but this also allows us to explore some creative outreach ideas.