What a Week!

So... everyone is okay... but this week has been one for the books. 

Last Wednesday, my roommate and I were taking our teammate's daughters to our house so that they could go look at apartments. They met us at school and we were going to walk the 5 minutes to our apartment. We got about 50 meters from school and the oldest girl was hit by a motorbike! So we had to call her parents to come meet us and then we met them at the expat hospital. She is ok, just some scraps and bruises but it was so scary! We have ran it through our minds so many times and we can't explain how it happened. It just doesn't make sense!

Then on Friday, my roommate and I bought motorbikes! Yes! We bought motorbikes! Something that was the next step in the process of living here. They are both used but in good condition (or so we were told). Then we found out on Saturday that my roommate's bike wasn't working correctly. It would turn off while driving after 5 minutes. NOT GOOD! Mine did well until Monday. On Monday, my bike wouldn't start. COME ON! So we called the guy who sold them to us and he came and fixed them and now they are working great! Praying that they continue to work great!

Also on Monday, my roommate fell on her bike trying to get away from one of our guards at our apartment. There is this one guard, we call him "debt collector", who always stops us and makes us pay him to leave our apartment. Also he smiles really creepily at us and laughs. It is really annoying and uncomfortable. So she scraped her knee a little bit when she turned to fast and the bike fell over. Then I was trying to pick up our motorbike parking tickets so we didn't have to deal with the debt collector guard. The building manager told me I needed to pay the water bill as well as our parking tickets. So I went to the apartment to get money. When I went back he was printing the parking tickets, but he wouldn't let me pay for them. So I stood in the office for 45 minutes before he would let me pay. While I was waiting he would say something and I didn't understand so he would just say it louder and faster (which is not helpful!). So I called one of the translators at school so that he would just take my money and let me go! 

After I paid our water bill and parking, we had maintenance come to the apartment to look at the air conditioner that is leaking water. So he comes up and looks at and then says he will come back Friday. UMMM NOOO! He then said he would come on Wednesday. By this time, I was done with the day! I didn't want to be here anymore. I wanted to leave but I know God has me here for a reason! I can say that as I was walking to my room to cry I could just feel the presence of God surround me and hold me. He never said it would be easy, but He did say He would never forsake me!

So Tuesday was a new day! My motorbike started and I made it safely to school and to pick up my friend and do some work. At lunch I was taking my friend home and I had a small accident. A boy on a bicycle stopped right in the middle of the road, so I slammed on the brakes but my bike is so big and with a friend on the back it was too heavy and I couldn't keep it up so we fell and slid on the ground. I scraped up my knee (now my roommate and I have matching scrapes). Thankfully, I didn't hit the boy on the bicycle and my friend was ok! The boy on the bicycle felt so bad, but no one was hurt. Except for the blood running down my leg. My friend bandaged me up at her house and I went back to work, so it couldn't have been that bad!

I swear it felt like those 5 days were 3 months. I didn't think so many bad things could happen in such a small amount of time. Good things happened as well. We went to the waterpark with some of the young adult ladies. We had a cookout dinner at our friend's house by the lake. We went to Pizza Company for some of the best pizza in town. We picked up one of my favorite people from the airport! We had Indian food :). Our full time English staff is finally in the country! 

If this week has taught me anything, it is that I should continue to trust God and not lose faith even in the midst of the storm. Bad things happen. Becoming a Christian doesn't give you a pass to a problem free life. The devil doesn't like you. So he is on a mission to steal, kill, and destroy. Our language nurturer came over on Monday and we read Luke 8:22-25, the disciples thought the storm was going to kill them and Jesus was sleeping. They wake Jesus up and He rebuked the storm and everything ceased. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given (Ephesians 1:20-21). Even in the midst of the crazy storm of things God still reigns above it all. He is still the provider, protector, the loving Father. 

Please be praying for me and my roommate and our entire English team at school. The evil one is present and on a mission. But so are we! We are on a mission from God to reach the people of this country. I will leave you with something our pastor (who is also our principal) said on Sunday, Satan goes about like a roaring lion, but he's a mortally wounded one! He has already been defeated! 

Drive like the Locals!

Today was the day! Today was the day that I drove a motorbike here. I have rode on the back of friends' bikes but I haven't attempted to drive myself. But today that changed!  

Driving our motorbike!!! Super exciting! 

My roommate and I decided to rent a motorbike for 2 months to get used to it and decide if we each want our own bike. it's pretty cheap to rent a motorbike here and we split it so it's even cheaper. This whole week I have been excited and nervous about attempting to drive here. I mean the traffic is crazy! That alone could deter anyone from driving. However, there is a piece of me that is excited about learning and driving here. 

Having a motorbike is really the best mode of transportation here. There are many taxis that seem cheap at the beginning but when you are paying 100,000 to go to a friends house that is only 7km and you find out that gas is 50,000 a tank you realize you are paying a lot of money in taxis. Also there are some streets that do not allow taxis or any cars. So motorbike is really the only way to truly get around. It's also very freeing. I now have the opportunity to go wherever I want, when I want. There is no having to find a cab and telling them where you want to go. I am so excited for the freedom this motorbike brings.  

At 4 o'clock our bike was delivered to our apartment from the rental place and our team leader met us to teach us some of the basics. Our security guard even came out to help. I think since we are the only foreign girls living in our apartment building they know who we are and we are always nice to them so they are nice to us. Awesome how that works :). While our team leader was taking one person out to drive around and tell them about how the traffic works the other stayed and drove on the sidewalk in front of the building. I practiced making turns so I did a lot of figure eights. Also I tried to practice using the horn because unlike in the States, the horn is just used as a signal to let others know you are there or you are about to make a turn. It is rarely used to express anger or annoyance. 

Say what? Xe máy! The view I have driving the motorbike. 

Some other things I learned about the traffic... 

1. You are responsible for in front of you. You don't really worry about what's going on behind you.  

2. It's best to drive on the white dotted line. You're not too close to the edge or too close to the middle.  

3. Pay attention to what's going on in front of you. Watch for other cars/bikes and anticipate their move.  

4. Don't talk on your phone while driving :)  

After learning these tips and practicing in front of the apartment we took to the open (and crowded) road. We didn't go far but we practiced making right turns and left turns. I practiced turning left at a stoplight and making my way into a roundabout. I made it back alive which is what counts.  

All-in-all today was great! God kept us safe on motorbikes and in traffic. I had so much fun. I can't wait to drive around the city :). 

​**update** Saturday I drove my roommate and I to school and to the post office. It was a successful outing. School is only 1km away from our apartment and the post office is 2km away. But you have to start somewhere! 

The world has opened up so much with the freedom to travel whenever I want!