While Tracy and I were refitting our clothesline poles today we got the call from SDV that our container had reached Lusaka and was on its way to Makeni. With another phone call we lined up the crane operator. Totally a God-thing, the crane had been broken earlier this week and it was uncertain if it would be available. Timing the arrival of the "box" and a crane could have been tricky but God moved on our behalf.
The crane, stationed just down the road, arrived first. By the time
the crane was in place it had taken out a fourth of our garden hedge. Finally, the long-awaited container entered the gates of MEC. Several months ago Tracy and I had chopped off some overhanging limbs on the road in anticipation of the container's arrival. I was concerned they would grow back in the meantime!This week Tracy made some poles out of bamboo to lift the electrical wires. Here you see Mr. Kabwe directing the truck with our container.When the crane began lifting the "box" off the truck bed we prayed earnestly as a number of things can go wrong. Thankfully the cable remained attached to the container. During this whole operation children in Makeni watched in amazement as the heavy equipment maneuvered.
Finally, the orange container we had packed in December on Illinois soil, had come to rest on African soil. It was not hard to be moved to tears when thinking of the long journey. It was also not
hard to praise God for His faithfulness and for His orchestrating the last leg of this trip.
The Hiltys were as anxious as we to open the container and see how it fared. Immediately we began unscrewing the carefully-built crates, made possible with the help of so many friends. And, look here~a ladder! We knew there was a reason for putting it close to the end!
Although we'll wait until tomorrow morning to unload the heavy furniture, we carried as many boxes and totes as we could into the house. One of my favorite totes was the one marked "Safari Supply Kit", a gift from Audrey and Keith. In it are our favorite toiletries and goodies. One of the last things thrown onto the container at the last minute in Illinois was Tracy's hiking hat, #213 on the inventory. Was it still there? It sure was! Tracy also pulled out his old friend, his favorite walking stick. Aside from a broken tote lid and a cracked detergent bottle, everything seems to have arrived in one piece. While unloading the container and at supper we sang the Doxology, a fitting close to a wonderful, tiring day. We thank you for your prayers in getting our possessions here. Praise God with us!
