Helping Hands

We had gone to Tegucigalpa to pick up our friend Summer Millican from the airport. Summer had served with us for 4 weeks last fall through the Wingate School of Pharmacy in Charlotte NC. We were so excited for her to visit again.

After we picked up Summer and were heading back through the north end of the city, we were driving in a bad part of town through an area of constuction. There was a lot of traffic congestion where the traffic was narrowing from three cars wide to a single lane. Drivers here will continually try to nose in front of you, so you have to stay within a foot or two of the car in front of you, or else the whole world will pass you by. I was following the car in front so close that I could not see the pavement in front of my car.

Then it happened. The right front tire fell into an uncovered manhole that I had not seen. (People steal the man hole covers to sell for scrap metal.) I accelerated forward and in reverse but all I did was squeal the rear wheels. We were stuck. It was a little bit scary being in the middle of heavy traffic in a dangerous part of town, stuck and not knowing anyone to get us out.

Dawn and I were trying to decide what we could do when all of a sudden 3 men from a nearby tire store came over to our car. Then they waved to some friends and 6-7 more men came to our car. They proceeded to lift the right front of our van and I was able to gently accelerate out of the hole.

I thank God once again for his provision and protection on the mission field. And I prayed and asked God to bless the kind men who helped us get out.