Zambian Bus Ministry

There is a saying among missionaries in Zambia regarding capacity when transporting Zambians. “There’s always room for one more.” That thought reminds me of our philosophy while in the bus ministry during Bible College. I still remember as a bus captain putting 85 people on a 65-passenger bus. Also I will never forget the strange look on the bus driver’s face when he told me (in all seriousness) that we would have to shift some of the people from the left side to the right side of the bus because he could feel it swaying underneath him. We were fortunate to be able to unload the excess passengers on another passing bus not long after.

Since the LORD has used many of the experiences of Bible College to equip for future ministry, it is little surprise that those days in the bus ministry were part of the preparation. Nearly every Sunday, lately, in Zambia I have felt the unnerving swaying of my vehicle beneath me. We typically cram 25 – 30 people on to my pick-up truck in addition to filling up a rented minivan with 25 + people. The rest of our attendees form our “walk-in” crowd. This week, on my vehicle, we needed to sit a couple of people on the roof rack among the benches and other church materials we carry with us each week. Preetika and I commented that we had finally disproven the saying “There’s always room for one more” as it appeared there wasn’t. Though this may seem like a headache to many, these types of “adventures” are a blessing to us and certainly keep the LORD’S work from being dull. We do, however, hope to alleviate some of the stress on both the vehicle and the angels guarding the safety of the “bus riders” by finding a somewhat larger vehicle to add to our fleet.

Please pray for God’s provision of a more suitable “bus”. I can’t tell you how much I miss those 65-passenger buses! But since those are not to be found around here, we will settle for some kind of open-bed truck which, Lord-willing, we will again test the limits of there always being room for one more!