Perfect Timing

(Photos: Tom & Grace with a good friend who would have been normally gone to university; Reunited with teammates in the capital)
Timing can drastically change events and circumstances. Timing was one of the pleasant surprises of our trip back to Chad. In many ways we didn’t have much choice in the dates, we wanted to do it as soon as possible and with our month-long road trip it had to wait until September.

This meant going to Chad at the end of the rainy season, a time when roads are still bad and mosquitoes rife. It also meant going during Ramadan, when shopping during the day is hard and generally people are more irritable because they aren’t eating. By many people’s standards this wasn’t ideal, but it actually ended up being perfect.

By going during rainy season and Ramadan another coup attempt was very unlikely. Our timing meant we got to catch our Chadian team members while they were in the capital. It meant we were able to spend time with both the old Chad leadership with whom we had gone through the evacuation with and the new leadership about whom we had heard so much.

Despite our timing, the roads and the mosquitoes weren’t that bad. Plus by coming during Ramadan we didn’t have to worry about keeping our kitchen stocked for the entertaining of guests (our guests weren’t eating). It also meant we weren’t asked to eat strange things as much (less chance of eating something that would make us sick). Also, one of the nicest things, because of our timing we got to see and say goodbye to everyone.

Our final day in our town was the celebration day after a month after fasting. Everyone comes home for this day and spends the time eating with family. So as we went around to say goodbyes, everyone was there. No one was gone to market, or off at school. No one was missed.

Plus by leaving on the celebration day, no one was irritable and the soldiers who would normally give us a hard time at the road checkpoints instead happily waved us on or even offered us food.

And finally God’s timing was perfect for Grace too. She was a great traveler. She was unable to move around on her own yet so she was content to be held through long plane and train rides. But she was also happy to be passed around and held by random strangers. A perfect age for this trip.

So what started doubtful (do we really want to go then?) turned out to be a blessing.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We had safe travels up to Vermont today. TOM TURNED 30 TODAY!!! Thank God for his life. The family on a whole is feeling better. Grace has started sleeping much better at night, almost back to normal.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for our week in Vermont, reconnecting and sharing with friends and churches. Continue to pray for our scheduling and preparations for the islands