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Dream switches Departure Plans All week I had an uneasy feeling. I could not understand the reason for feeling this way. I was looking forward to getting home. We would soon begin the long journey home by train then airplane. It would take many days. We had tickets to leave on the train on Friday morning. We were going to rest over the Sabbath in Hyderabad then get on the plane 3 hours after the Sabbath ended at sundown. I got on my knees and asked Jesus if something was wrong with my plans. The uneasy feeling did not leave. I asked Jesus to instruct me on this matter. I wanted to do His will in all things. At 4AM Wednesday I dreamed I was to be ready to leave at the close of that evenings meeting for Hyderabad by bus. I quickly got up and packed up everything for departure. I understood that I was to keep quiet about plans. Things were cooked up for eating during the long journey. We were to travel in the cooler time. Daytime temperatures were hotter than 135-145F out on the road in full sun on pavement. There had been a total of 3 meetings scheduled in that little village. The road was so rough to this village that my injured leg received such a painful beating. The large swollen left leg was at high risk of giving me a clot to the lung resulting in a pulmonary embolism which could cause chest pain, shortness of breath and possible complications of death. God put His hand on me and helped me through this trouble also. He healed my leg over 3 weeks time. I tried to rest quietly with it elevated at every opportunity. I wondered about this village. No series of meetings had ever been held there. It seemed they did not want to come till they saw the video. They only came for the Mathew DVD and got up and rushed off like the Bapatla village people had done. This third night, the power did not even come on in response to our prayer request. God usually always provided the power when we asked. I had seen Him do it 6 times in other villages over our time in India. I knew He could do it. There was nothing that I knew of that would block His answer and favor. Since God did not provide power, I took it as a sign that God wanted me to hurry on to the bus station as in the dream He had given me. It was another evidence I was to depart as He had shown me in a dream that morning. We were all packed up when the power came on. We went ahead and left quickly at 8:30 from the little village. While bouncing along, suddenly we ran out of fuel in the rickshaw. The driver disappeared into the darkness. God provided a ride for him in to town and another ride back with the fuel. I was surprised to see him back so quickly. If God had turned on our power at the meeting we would not have had the time for this fuel shortage delay. God knew there would be no fuel. He had it all planned. We had enough time to gather bags and board the bus. The heat of the day time had caused 29 deaths, as reported in the news. The heat inside the bus was terrible in the day. The night breezes helped us yet we were still sweating all the way there. Our clothing was able to stand up on its own with the salt we lost. The seats in the bus were nice and padded. We were in the very back and perched on bags with projector tucked in with us along with lap top. During the night, the bus slowed to a stop and crept around a wreck in the road. There was a bus cross wise in the road that had collided head on with a big truck. Survivors were standing along the road looking droopy. Drunk driving accidents are common in India. By early 6AM we arrived and crowded into a tiny rickshaw and went looking for the Adventist School in Secunderabad. God had work for me to do in Hyderabad of which I did not know anything about. I realized while sharing my testimony and speaking at the meetings, that God had so many opportunities for me. If I would allow Him to help me even schedule my journey home, He could pack it with surprises. Later I learned by email that there were rumors that a death threat was on me. Several knew of my scheduled train departure and only God knows what had been planned for me. Someday I will learn the whole reason for this trip departure change. God will keep His workers in His hands. He is always willing to guide those who look to Him for His counsel. Isaiah 30:20 And [though] the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
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In the dark we each told the children there a Bible story. It was
translated and we could not see how many were listening in the dark.
We found the principal’s home and
they gave us a little room where we could put our things. They welcomed us
in as part of their family and cared for us. Sara was very sick from heat
exhaustion yet she did so many kind things for us. God will bless her as
though she had taken Jesus Himself in and cooked for Him. He will bless
her daughter for carrying water for us.