"David´s Gbarnga Story" - or: David and "the car"!

Hello, this is your friend David who wants to tell you more about our trip to Gbarnga just recently!

Do you want to know what I want to become when I am big?
I always thought I want to be a doctor like my daddy, but I am not so sure anymore... the ship just had a long weekend for (almost) all crew and there was a group that I and Amy and Mommy joined to spend some days in the house of our friends in Gbarnga (who are in Switzerland at the moment) - but doctors don´t seem to get long weekends very much, so daddy could not come. We were a great group, and we missed him!


I might think of becoming a mechanic for cars now - for this weekend taught me alot about cars - and about how many things can actually go wrong in a car. Our rented car looked quite decent from the outside - but it really turned our trip into an adventure, and I let you be part of it!

Don´t freak out - this is NOT our car! But it is the car another group of Mercyships had rented for a long-weekend trip, and unfortunately got involved in an accident on the way. We passed them and stopped, spend time with them for they had to wait for ages till something happened, and prayed together. Just two weeks ago we learned a verse from the bible in kindergarten that Mommy mentioned when we prayed with our friends who had the accident:
"For we know that all things (even the bad things that unfortunately do happen) work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8, 28). No one was seriously injured, but even though it was not their fault, they still got blamed for the accident. So where is God´s justice? I don´t understand it all, but Mommy told me that the group experienced miracles in this - random people suddenly donating money to two of the group and the money added to the EXACT amount that they had to pay. Or good conversations with policemen that were touched by the way and the love the mercyships people dealt with it all. And everyone in the group said they learned so much through all of this. Mommy says that some things we will only understand in the future - but we always have to put our hope and trust in God who wants to use all situations in our life for our best - if we let him do it!

So... what about us?

Shortly after where the accident took place we had a flat tire! Our guys said "no problem" and wanted to change the wheel with our spare wheel in the back.I wanted to watch, for I want to learn how you do that! But.... first problem: the tools needed for that were missing! We stopped 4 cars until we finally had someone there who could help us out. Then the second problem: The spare wheel was a wrong one - not one for our car! It didn´t fit - even I could see that! So what now? Israel from our group took the wheel - jumped into a passing car that took him to the next village - it was about 9 pm, would he find ANYONE that could help him and fix the hole? We were left behind in the pitch dark, no lights on our road, and the cars that came every now and then drove in a crazy speed.


We didn´t know how long we would have to wait - so we tried to save power and turned the emergency lights on only when we heard a car approaching. One time we were almost too late and the car missed only by inches! Even though I was already tired, that really woke me up again!
In the beginning I was scared - it was a scary situation: No light around us, strange noises from the bush around us, no idea how long we will have to stay there. But everyone else started to sing worship songs and we prayed together - and suddenly all my fear was gone! I think Jesus just took it away, for the situation had not changed a bit!
So we waited ... and created a nice decoration on the street close to the car - 7 different ones! Smile.... (no one was too eager to go into the bush for that....)

A few hours later Israel came back - sitting on a motorbike with a driver that didn´t seem to know how to slow down - holding on to dear life , and a repaired wheel!
So some time after midnight we reached our destination, our supposedly 4 hour trip had turned into 9 hours, but at least we were there! As we drove the last meters uphill to the house the car started to smoke - we all needed rest!

The next morning we enjoyed it so much to be here in Gbarnga - the nice big house...


.... the beautiful green nature (here you can see two people harvesting rice - I was surprised that rice looks like that! For me it is the white kernels we get to eat almost every day on the ship!)...


...and a walk to a giant tree that unfortunately was not giant anymore - they had just cut it down (anywhere else in the world this tree would have been protected) but you can still see from the remainings what a big tree it must have been! For me it was a great climbing opportunity - but I am sad the tree is gone!


In the afternoon the went to the market to buy some bread and fruit. I enjoyed it! Here a picture for you of one of the stands so you get an idea....


Our car seemed to work again, so we drove to a nearby river and I pretended to fish for our dinner together with my Gbarnga-friend George.....


.... but only until George discovered a watersnake right next to us! We had Spaghetti for Dinner - fish another time!



The next day we dared to challenge our car and drive the one-and-a-half hour distance to a waterfall - one of the touristic highlights of Liberia (if there would be any tourists! Smile)
We took a wrong turn and ended on a really bad road - and our car started to produce smoke... and then hot boiling cooling liquid splashed around our heads and burned Israels arm a little bit. The overheating motor happened to us twice again on our way back to Monrovia, so I know now where the motor and the cooling liquid is! Do you want me to show you?


The "right road" was alot better than the one we accidently took, still bumpy at times, but...


...we managed to get to the waterfalls, and it was beautiful!



We had a great time there, playing around and having a nice little personal Sunday service with our star guitarist Anne-Josien playing worship songs and Israel speaking about Psalm 23 - what a great place to worship God! I think I always want it like that now!


I took a bath in the river aswell (Daddy was not too excited when he heard about it) but enjoyed the nice bath tub in "our" house even more - for we don´t have a bath tub on the ship!
I am sure this will be one of the silly pictures my Mom will safe to show at my wedding... oh no!


I mentioned my friend George already, didn´t I?



He gave me a very special gift - his very own catapult! (I only had a ball as an exchange gift, but he liked it too!)
Mommy says I am too young to use it, for it can be a true weapon - but I am very proud to have it and feel like my hero David in the bible who killed the lion and Goliath with such a thing!
I promise I will never aim on people - but IF a lion shows up, I will protect my family! :-)


The following day we had to drive back to Monrovia - and we left early, just to make sure we have enough time in case our car gives us more trouble....
... and that was a wise decision!
We had to stop a few times because of our overheating motor... but about one-and-a-half hours away from our ship there was this sound that didn´t sound good at all - the gear box broke! So what now? We were experts in waiting - and luckily a friend from the ship eventually was able to come with a Mercy Ships Landrover an tow us back home!


We are very thankful to God for protecting us on the way, bringing us home safely - and for a great weekend! Also "thank you so much" to Family Elser who allowed us to stay in their house even they were gone - (but I missed my friends Salome, Rebekkah and Joshua!)



So much from me, David! Thank you for your interest! It was fun sharing this adventure with you!