Providential Happenings

The volunteer librarian at Kauma Adventist High School had emailed the mission that we were coming to Tarawa to get supplies and that we would need a car to get around to the various villages for shopping.  When we arrived at the mission to deliver letters from the school we were advised we could pick up the car in the morning and use if for the day--we just needed to put petrol in it. How nice, I thought! I didn't really know where the stores were, but I figured it would be a good way to learn.   When we arrived the next morning, we were advised the car had a bad battery, but they had arranged for a truck and driver to take us shopping. The price would be A$30.00 for a half day.  I am so glad that car had a battery problem!!

The young man that was our driver was SO helpful! He went into every store with us and translated.  Joy saw Mrs. Geno, a recent widow from Kauma, and invited her to ride along. At first I thought, "That poor lady--what if she doesn't want to come bounce around in the back of a hot, dusty truck for four hours?  What if her culture would not let her say 'no'?!"  She decided to come and that turned out to be providential.

We had good success looking for what we needed at the first stop. I found the actual half inch PVC parts that I needed, though it took a long time. Then we went to a grocery store and found canned tomato paste, canned pears and fresh carrots, apples and an avocado! Never mind the price--your imagination will do just fine. Then we went to look for the deep cycle batteries and discovered they were sold out and would not be getting anymore for 3 months. There went my idea of getting a 12V water and light system going....

We bought a tabletop two burner cook stove to replace the one burner kerosene one back at 'base camp'.  Then we went to try to order some propane as there is currently none available on Abemama. We were assured they would be sending out ten, 30 gallon tanks to Abemama "soon" and we could get five of them if we wanted. (We currently have five empty 30 gallon tanks in our storage room.)  No matter what I said, I could not seem to make them understand that I only wanted one tankful of Propane.  We also bought 18 Liters (almost 5 gallons) of motor oil for "Sugar Blues", the Search for One boat.

Time was flying by and I realized it would be very unlikely we could make it out to the airport before the freight office closed. If you leave your excess baggage at least a day before you travel you pay $1.30 per pound instead of $2.60 per pound at flight check-in time.  I was thinking we would just have to leave most of our acquisitions at the mission and hope someone could help us get it shipped to Abemama at a later time. But it was also too late to discuss that option with anyone at the mission as the offices were closed. What to do?! I was really praying for help and thankful for many Prayer Warriors back at home. Then, just at the right moment--the answer!

While I was talking with the propane/motor oil dealer, Mrs Geno noticed some students she knew walking toward the wharf and discovered that they were going to Abemama via a small ship that was now loading! They were a group of Seventh-day Adventist singers that had placed "first" in a government sponsored singing competition. Now the Kiribati government was sending them to the Outer Islands to conduct some programs. They were very able, and willing, to securely take all of purchases. And they will be at the Kauma school when we arrive Sunday PM. So, the Lord provided a personal escort for our freight at a total cost A$11.50--JUST when we needed it!!