Botswana Border Crossing

A big thank you to all those of you who were praying that the
border crossing into Botswana would go well! Those prayers were
definitely needed and felt! My Uncle drove a Zambian friend and me up
to the border patrol office, and we took our passports up to the right
window along with my extension papers, where we were told that I
couldn’t leave the country because my papers didn’t have a seal on
them from the Polokwane home affairs office, even though it had the
official stamp. They told me if I wanted to cross I had to pay them
R1,000( about $300). This whole time I was praying inside thinking,
“Lord, I only have R20 with me that I was saving as a souvenir from
SA, and we don’t have the airtime on the phone to call my parents to
have them transfer money into my account, if they would even take a
debit card here…. But we can’t just turn around and go back to
Polokwane…”

So, we showed the woman at the desk the receipt for the money I’d
paid in the Polokwane office, and even that didn’t change her mind
(she said we needed to pay it at HER desk). She said the only other
thing we could do was to wait for her superior to arrive, so we went
back to the truck to wait – and pray! Less than fifteen minutes later,
the superior arrived and patiently listened to us explain that we did
exactly what the home affairs officer told us to do and had already
paid the extension money. He then stamped our passports and without a
word let us though. Praise God!

I am having a great time in Botswana, and am looking forward to
participating in their church’s music area, as well as their
children’s class. Mrs. Clark and I are going to be getting some
special things ready for Mother’s Day including a craft for the
children to make and give to their mom.

It was so tough to say goodbye to my family in SA – we’d become
close during the three and a half months I was staying with them, and
I’m going to miss them SO MUCH!!! Their family was such a huge
blessing to me, and the things that I learned and the experiences I
had there, I won’t soon forget.