The first is the cooperation of the weather and the expansion of the field. The tiller went out yesterday and we used it until we ran out of gas (we had 10 liters, put 3 in the machine, and the other 7 disappeared). We got the field ready to plant, which we did this morning. Now, as I speak, we have more gas and the two guys working with me are out there now, tilling up the rest of the land that was broken with the hoes. There are way more cabbages ready in the nursery than we have space for now (and more than I think we will even know what to do with) and the tiller is doing a wonderful job of getting the space ready for planting. It is so exciting to see these two guys working with the tillers, unclogging the tines when they have to, and in general, just doing a really good job. It's also interesting to see the people who walk past the school to get water from a spring stop and stare at the machine like they usually stop and stare at the muzungu working in the field. Maybe red is the new white?
In other agriculture news, yesterday we bought all the materials we will need for the rabbit houses so that is exciting. Now if the weather doesn't cooperate, we can work on those.
The other tremendous gift from God was the dedication of the UCBC bus this morning. There is no public transport in Beni (except motorcycles which are more expensive than busses) so the university has been praying for and waiting for a bus for a long time. Last year, one of the students was severely injured in an accident while she was walking home, and there have been several less severe accidents as well. Provided for by many small donations, and one large one, the bus arrived in Beni a couple weeks ago and as exams finished up last Friday and we head into the new semester, they commissioned the bus this morning. To pay for it's operation, the students will pay round trip fare every day, enough to cover the gas, driver, and put some aside for repairs. For students that cannot pay, that might be something that will come under a student sponsorship program soon. Either way though, it was a wonderful dedication.
They had all the students assemble for chapel outside today, on the large "porch" of the building and the singing was louder and there were more shouts than I have ever seen at chapel at UCBC. The director's brother, a retired and well respected pastor, gave a message of hope and joy and thanks to God, and then the staff and students surrounded the bus and prayed for it. Then started about 10 minutes of picture taking. First with everyone, then with the staff, then just the teachers, then just the administration, then the director and his wife, then the drivers, etc... Everyone was so excited! There was also renewed hope as well since God provided one bus, He will faithfully provide for the building materials and money needed, and as the director put it, 7 more busses so they will have a fleet of busses and they will need them because of the students that will be at UCBC in the future. Praise God for providing good weather, and also for providing for this huge need of UCBC, a bus, so the students will be safer, and have more time to work on homework instead of walking an hour and a half to and from school every day (that is what these fine young men and women will be doing with their time now right?).
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