DUSTED DUSTY PUFF

The dusty puff virtually reach dust storm proportions on the road in Chin State.  Our medical team gathered in two twenty year old 12 passenger vans loaded with medicine and luggage.  Even though traveling the roads on the right usually place the driver on the left our van's driver sat behind the wheel on the right facing a majorly cracked windshield.  Having looked up the distance on an internet map I determined the trip was about 90 miles through the mountains.  However, most report about the time indicated the trip took about 6 hours.  We began the trip on a reasonably paved road.  On previous visits we traveled a very short distance on the road to look over the city standing by several monuments thanking God for a safe trip and invoking God's blessing on the ensuing trip.  No other place have been in the world where the vehicles stop allow the road at the beginning and end of a journey raising the expectation of an arduous journey.  A couple hours down the road the pavement gave way to an earthened road on which each vehicle generated several pounds of dust and dirt which was flung into the air creating a dust storm.  You can imagine where the dust settled.  As we traveled to about 7000 feet we stopped and a giant cross inscripted with Matthew 11:28.  Then we continued on the up and down switch back road for another several hours with no evidence of fueling stations.  So when the announcement came for a fuel stop I got out to take pictures of two young ladies holding a fuel topped with a filter into which they poured fuel from a two gallon bucket.  Upon our return we spent two hours waiting for a truck stalled in the middle of the road with a broken axle.  The road was narrow so that no other vehicles could pass.

We stayed in a barebones cabin with a flush toilet with nightly freezing weather without heat.  Daytime warmed to temperatures allowing  one to dress in fairly light clothes. 

At the church the congregation joyfully greeted us, since in time past they would travel on foot and bus up to 2 or three days to visit us.  We felt encouraged by our acceptance and they express appreciation by honoring  us with two chickens and several pounds of rice.  We are grateful to God for the gifts that he gives us to encourage the church in Myanmar