Prayer works!

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us.

Mid last week, when we sent our regular monthly CMS prayerpoints (chuck us an email to tcwalker@cms.org.au if you’re not on the list and would like to be) life was feeling pretty tough. Our house still looked like not being ready for 2 weeks or so, as it had looked for about 2 months. Our car was impounded in customs in Kigali, with no license plates and little realistic prospect of getting some anytime soon. My dad had just got out of hospital, and was still looking very ill (via Skype) and facing the prospect of more tests and maybe surgery. Even our plans to get our things to Rwanda were looking a bit shakey, as we discovered we need to have them here inside of a couple of months, and our previous shipping plans would not work. And finally, our financial support from Australia was less than half of what it had been the previous month.

We were in culture shock, had had 95 days in one room together and were getting sick of all the stress, bureaucracy and bother. I wasn’t sleeping, waking at 4am each morning with my head churning from all of the above. Catherine was understandably sick and tired of spending 24/7 in a guesthouse room with 2 small children. Only our language lessons were going well, but with 9.30pm finishes every weeknight, even those were draining.

We were praying, but feeling very low. Sending our monthly prayer points seemed one more job to do, in the midst of many. We did it, an act of discipline but not a joy.

Of course, if we’d been a little more perceptive, we might have remembered that the same thing happened last month, and many things fell into place the following week. We might have remembered that our heavenly Father delights in giving us what we need . We might have counted that task a privilege.

Within three days, my dad had had a scan showing great improvement in his illness. The newly appointed Minister of Infrastructure looked favourably upon our letter regarding the car (he may approve it on Wednesday). A Belgian company with a Rwandan office has given us a good quote to move our things here by air (they weigh half what we thought they might) and finally, WE ARE IN OUR HOUSE. I’m sitting here writing this at our new desk, in our new bedroom, with the lights on, as our kids are asleep in ANOTHER room.

So thankyou for your prayers, all you pray-ers. We are being blessed God’s (and your!) love and faithfulness.

 

Will and Hannah enjoy their new room