We left Kisii Town at 6pm last night, which is just barely enough time to make it back up to the village before dark.  While still in town, the sky opened up and the rains were falling hard.  As we traveled the outskirts of this storm,, weaving in and out as the road twists… We quickly realized it would be a long drive with great need for caution, even greater need for God’s protection.

I’m not allowed to watch the road on good days… I knew now not to even glance out the side window.  So, I literally prayed.  “Jesus, take the wheel!”  That made me laugh until I was thrown back into thought with a weave of the car!  Eiyamasina!

We made it to the village road, took a deep breath, turned off the Tarmac, switched into 4 WD and began to slip and slide.  A very short distance we came upon several stuck cars, all piled up, two cars and a truck.  We sat for a bit but soon realized they were long off getting out.  For good reason, we want to be in the house by dark.  Dark was fast approaching.    There was no passing so Randy carefully turned the car and headed back to the Tarmac to enter the mountain from Kenyena, a town about 5 mile further.

This is NOT a preferred route on dry days.  The road is wide… IF it were laid out flat… but… its not.  It is driving on a maybe 6 ft wide ridge with steep shoulders.  Now add the slickness and crazy slippery layer of new mud.  <inhale deep breath…. and hold>

I tried not to watch…. but I decided I needed the visual… for my prayers.  We past another pile up, this time with a bus.  How and why would a bus EVER come up these roads??  I could feel the wheels slip beneath us as we kept moving.  Finally we came to Kenyena town.  This town is crazy and the rain only made it crazier.  We made the muddy turn around the market and I thanked God.

As soon as we made the turn maybe 50 yards… a large truck… The back having slipped off the shoulder and the front wheels suspended in air.  Ah man… This is not good.  I saw Randy’s mind turning.  NO WAY Randy!  We can’t make it.  He did not even reply – but got out of the car and walked over to assess the situation.

Assess the situation?????  I’ll assess it for you… NO WAY!

He gets back in the car and promptly says “I can do this”.  I immediately looked down… And start praying.  By now its dark.  “This is not the town we want to be stranded in.  Who will we call?  Oh Lord, please guide him!  God, do You  see that drop off?  Do You see the truck hanging there?  Oh God, please drive this car!!”

I wasn’t looking… but shortly after I felt the car begin to move, I felt the tilt as the car drove into the ravine, on an angle I’ve only seen on those commercials of rugged trucks and the terrain they were made to drive on.  I don’t think our car was in that commercial.

Suddenly, Rand made that never-grow-out-of-boyish grunt/laugh/hoot that no woman can duplicate.  Similar to the Tim Allen grunt. The car drove beneath the wheels of the overturn truck which only increased the volume of the (at the moment) very annoying  – victorious man-cry.

I felt the car level out and then Randy proclaims… Arghgh… I am a KENYAN DRIVER!!!  I have unmatched skills!!

First… Why does this man continue to think being a Kenyan driver is anything to be proud of, strive for or even boast in???

Second….  I turned to him and said, you didn’t do it!  He replied, come on, admit it, I’m the man!

???????

I simply told him, “you had NOTHING to do with it and you better be praising God.  Don’t touch HIS GLORY!!!!   Randy, you better be careful…. Pride comes before the fall!”

So, he “said” praise God, but I knew that pride was speeding his adrenaline.

The road into our village was so slippery… We slid all over the place.  We finally made it to our lane, made the turn and saw all those tiny arms waving like mad.. In the rain!!!  Our sweet little friends.  “Umerudi, umerudi!!!”  You have returned!  You are late tonight, they told us!  Oh I love these children and their illuminating white smiles!

Well, my normally humble husband continue to boast of his skilled, unmatched driving. As Abraham stood in the rain, now just a drizzle, holding open the gate, Randy STOPS and proceeds to tell of his “skillful’ journey.  He went on and on and on – I just thought to myself, Abraham probably understands about 10% of what you are saying and that 10% wants out of the rain!

We got in the house and he promptly says… You need to blog about that trip… That was crazy!

Mmm hmmm… Well I want to write about my day.

“Well, you will need to write it tomorrow.”

So… Tomorrow came… New day, new mercies!  A beautiful day after the hard rains!  Our friends Derrick and Faith knocked on the door at 7:30 with flowers hand!  They know I love flowers and they bless me often.

We had just a short time before we had to leave to travel back to Kisii for our Saturday class.  Randy sat and had chai with the kids and I snuck out the back to load up the car.  About the third trip out, I saw it….

Ohhhhhhh Raaaandddddyyyyy…..  (aka – The Man)