In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon speaks of there being a time for every purpose under heaven. This month seems to be the time for our family to change our vehicle.
Since arriving in Mali in 2008, we have been driving a red, slightly dented 1995 Nissan Patrol that had been used by the Curry family, the AFM missionaries who were in Mali before us. When we arrived, it was still in fairly good shape. The air conditioning didn’t work, but all four windows rolled up and down, and the engine seemed pretty sound. We even had four-wheel drive, which came in handy on the muddy roads around Kangaba. It had an electrical short that would drain the battery, but Neil got used to disconnecting the battery whenever we parked. The cargo space was fantastic! It even had a roof rack, so there wasn’t much we couldn’t carry, which made our 2009 move from Bamako back to Kangaba easy.
The Patrol has seen a lot of mission history here in Mali and has been driven all over this vast country. It has been to Kadiolo with Homer and Debbie Curry and to Kankan, Guinea with us. It has made multiple trips to Bamako and has carried a variety of cargo including a motorcycle, a washing machine and even several brides. It has been driven to villages where huge rainstorms turned the roads into rivers. During dry season, it has chugged down dirt roads where billows of dust changed the paint from red to brown (and caused the occupants huge coughing fits!). Truly, the Patrol has been a valuable vehicle to us and to those who came before us.
Today, however, our dear Patrol is showing signs of wear. It has reached the point where Neil doesn’t trust the engine to make it 56 miles to Bamako and back. It is time for
a change.
In God’s perfect timing, we recently heard of a vehicle for sale by missionaries with another organization that seems like it would fit our needs perfectly. It is another Nissan, but a pick-up this time and several years newer than our Patrol. We have known the man who is handling the sale for several years, and we trust him. The pickup is mechanically sound, and the price is very reasonable for Mali. Neil and I have prayed about the purchase, and God seems to be opening the door.
Thanks for your prayers for our project, and thanks for your donations that make this purchase possible.
