Philippans 4:13

"I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency.]" Philippians 4:13 AMP

This is the verse I am clinging too as I attempt new things all the time since I arrived in Swaziland.
My first day here I drove on the left side of the road using the stick shift with my left hand.
By the end of my first week I drove home from the office all by myself without getting lost!
That first full weekend I learned to do things the "Swazi" way. My electricity to the water pump and washer were out so I did laundry by using an extention cord to run the washer and a bucket to add water to fill it up so it would agitate and then to rinse so it could spin.
Last Thursday I went to the "mall", I use that term lightly, all by myself and got lost in the maze of shops and found my way back to my car.
Last Friday I drove "down the mountain" to Manzini (man-see-nee). This is an interesting steep adventure that I will be doing regularly now that I am venturing out of Mbabane and I even get to do it at up to 120 kmh.
Yesterday, I have tackled a feat that I hear few brand new female missionaries have accomplished. I was a "kombi" (comb-bee) driver!!!
A kombi is like a rugged maxi (not mini) van taxi. That is the mode of transportation for many Swazi's. Children's cup has a few kombis for transporting people related to the CarePoints. I had my first official meeting where I had to lead devotion in Manzini for about 10 teachers & staff. There was no driver available to do the transport. I was told "you can do it", "it's not hard". For those of you at the Oasis, you think, driving the church bus (the kombi sits more like the bus than the vans) isn't hard; Sandra can do that no problem. Now picture me not only driving on the left side of the road and making right turns (those are the most confusing for us Americans to remember to look the right way) but driving down the mountain. Okay, the main highway down the mountain is paved and has two lanes, slow drivers stay to the left (not the right), not so bad (I was only honked at a couple of times). Now picture me going up and down dirt roads with pot holes, mud puddles and rain water ruts so wide your teeth keep clattering as you bounce along. Oh the adventure!!!
I got everyone there in just about 1 1/2 hours. (Straight to Manzini is only 32 km or a 20 minute drive -- I wasn't going straight more of a zig-zag & weave). One of the other Children's Cup staff, Lauren who is the counselor for the children, was at the CarePoint that I ended up at and she could not stop laughing as I drove up. She said that I better be getting a picture of this and blogging it. So, here is my photo. I led my devotion and had my meeting and then had to take everyone back! People standing by the road would try to flag down the kombi, even though we were not for public transportation, until they saw it was an old white lady driving it (this is usually a man's job or so I'm told). I was so mentally exhausted when I got home!
Someone asked why I don't panic when I do these things. I said if I panic I can't concentrate. Besides then you miss out on the laughing through it. By the way, I forgot to mention that on the way home I had to turn this big kombie around on a narrow road where the back side was a steep hill. Go ahead and laugh as you picture me making a "K" turn plus some extra back & forths. I turned around safely but have to laugh at the squeals coming from those sitting in the back as I came close to the edge each time and who weren't as confident in my ability and also at the children and adults out on the street laughing at the crazy white lady as she tried to turn around.
I pray that once you stop laughing at my adventures, that you will be encouraged to take on whatever task the Lord lays out in front of you today.
Have a blessed week!