"Unbroken Threads: A Woman's Journey Through Hardship and Purpose"

The Detour

Days turn into today. It's time for us to leave this base and move on to our next destination, Johannesburg. Martha and I have been in tears all day so, instead of saying goodbye, we say "Until we meet again!"

As the days blend into today, it's time for us to leave this base and head to our next destination in Johannesburg. Martha and I have been in tears all day, so instead of saying goodbye, we choose to say, "Until we meet again!"

After breakfast, we meet our transportation driver, Davie. The journey from Durban to Johannesburg is over seven hours—longer than I had anticipated, but I try to stay optimistic. However, just 60 minutes into our drive, the air conditioning fails. We find ourselves drinking so much water that we have to stop every 30 minutes for restroom breaks.

We finally hit the halfway point about an hour later than expected. As soon as we were done celebrating this triumph, we hit a bump in the road. A literal bump in the road. The van nearly blew up. After spending the next two hours attempting to find a remedy for our situation we decided that we were close enough to a city called Harrismith to walk and get help but, with the day quickly turning to night, there appeared to be no choice but to spend the night in the van and walk into the city in the morning.

As everyone else is exhausted, hungry, and in desperate need of a restroom, it's surprising that Archie and I are the only two who can't seem to sleep. I'm not sure if it's fear or excitement keeping me awake, but I'm wide awake. On a side note, I hadn't realized just how attractive Archie is.

Here's what I've observed about Archie so far: He is a true gentleman, radiating charisma and confidence that draws people in with his magnetic presence. Archie is well-versed in the Bible and applies its teachings to his life, often taking on a role in guiding others in their faith journey. He carries himself with a sense of self-assuredness and elegance, making a lasting impression on everyone he meets. 

Standing tall at 6 feet 5 inches, Archie commands attention and has a commanding presence. His mixed African and Caucasian heritage gives him a fair complexion that sometimes tans beautifully with sun exposure. His hair is a striking silver that contrasts elegantly with his fair skin, and his well-groomed beard matches his hair, adding to his distinguished look. His eyes are a captivating shade of blue.

Archie is also a widower; it's been four years since he lost his spouse. He has two adult sons living in Scotland, both married. One son has two daughters, while the other has a son and a daughter. We've talked about the challenges of widowhood and single parenting, even with adult children, as they still look to us for direction and support. Perhaps this unexpected twist in our journey isn't so bad after all. Our conversation lasted through the night, covering everything from our pasts and presents to our love for God and our hopes for the future and what He has planned for us in ministry and life.

As dawn arrived, so did everyone else. Unfortunately, it was also time for us to embark on a five-mile trek to the city of Harrismith. I wished I could stay in the van while the guys went for help, but instead, I found myself out here, looking and smelling less than ideal. I couldn't shake the thought that I might be an easy target for any lurking lions or hyenas, eagerly eyeing a bite of Afra.

In Durban, over 49% of the people speak English. In Harrismith over 49% of the people speak Zulu. Thankfully our driver speaks both and was able to locate a mechanic rather quickly. While the driver handled getting our transportation back on the road, the rest of us were in search of a place to wash up and get a meal. After the van was towed into town for repair, the mechanic received nothing but bad news. It may take days to fix. As missionaries, we had limited funds and food. Thankfully, God provided for us once again. Pastor Reverend Micha M'Bala a.k.a. Pastor Mike, from one of the local churches invited us to camp out in their sanctuary until the repairs were done. Thank you, Jesus!

The church stands humble but, beautiful. It is made of local stone, which gives it a rustic and timeless appearance. The church is surrounded by a lush garden filled with colorful indigenous flowers, which adds to its serene and welcoming atmosphere. In addition to the church, there is a large structure that they call the "house." 

The "house" acts as a home to the staff of 4 and an orphanage for 12 young children ranging in age from 2 months to 5 years old. Their adoptive parents reside with them until the adoption is final. Pastor Mike and his wife Josse' are older but spry. They are Bantu but speak Swahili, Zulu, and English. Marty and Anna are a young missionary couple originally from the United States who did their discipleship training in Argentina with Pastor Mike. Afterward, they decided to join him and his wife in Harrismith for a while but decided to stay.

They introduce us to the children and families who are the current residents in the orphanage. Most of the adoptive parents are either from within the continent of Africa or Europe, and the United States. The children and families are awaiting finalization, visas, and/or passports. This is a common practice as the adoptive parent or parents remain with them here until they can go home as a family. Usually, less than a month.

As a thank you to our gracious hosts for their hospitality, Archie, Felesha, Irene and I volunteered to assist with the church's daily activities where needed. Reef and our driver Davie decide to assist the mechanic with the repairs to shorten our wait time. Our first task will be painting the exterior of the house. 

As an artist, my first thought is to add some color and vibrancy to the structure, maybe even some patterns and geometric shapes. Archie seconds that emotion. Once Pastor Mike agreed he proceeded to direct Archie and me to the basement in search of whatever variations of leftover paint were available for us to use. Meanwhile, Felesha and Irene begin painting the house using white as a base coat. Later, after we locate the paint and I sketch out my designs; I will go back and add the accents.

I've got to admit, I haven't laughed this hard in years. In our search for paint, Archie also located a family of large spiders and one recently deceased rodent. Somehow between screaming and laughing, we managed to find the paint and supplies we needed. By the end of the day, we'd only managed to complete the base coat of white on a small portion of the house but planned to go at it again first thing in the morning.

By lunchtime the next day with the help of Reef and our driver; the van was repaired and ready to hit the road. Felesha and Irene were exhausted from the day before and Archie and I had only completed the basecoat on half of the house. Pastor Mike asked permission for Archie and I to stay behind to complete the project we had started. We reached out to our leaders for approval to stay, which we received. Reef, Felesha, and Irene left the next morning to complete their journey to Johannesburg.

I had no idea what was in store for me. My destination had changed but my purpose remained.