[i]
Exodus 14:14
Good News Translation
(GNT)
14 The Lord will
fight for you, and all you have to do is keep still.”
By May 1967 we had been staying with my parents near Monze,
Zambia, for 9 weeks awaiting our visas to get into Tanzania. Finally, they had
arrived—in Livingston, 180 miles away. I took the train down there from Rusangu,
and first thing in the morning I stepped into the immigration office. The
office was huge with one small tidy desk. The officer behind it was brisk. He
took my passports and said, “Come back at 4:00, and I’ll have them for you.” Four
o’clock was closing time.
At 3:30 I returned. The officer was still brisk. “Sorry, I
couldn’t get your numbers today. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.” I told him
I didn’t have any more money to stay there and still catch the train back to
Rusangu. He understood, but I’d have to come back tomorrow. Looking around, I
saw one straight-backed chair over against the wall on one side of the office.
I quietly went to it, sat down, and prayed—silently.
About five minutes before closing, a man walked in and asked
for clearance for his truck load of building materials. The officer was brisk.
He leafed through a neat pile of papers on one side of his desk, pulled one
out, and looked at it briefly. “Sorry, it’s not ready. Come back tomorrow.”
“But sir, I’ve been coming back for 13 days now.” The driver
tried to explain.
The officer was abrupt: “You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
He looked away; the interview was over.
I sat there quietly. It was obvious that the officer was
awaiting a bribe. Even if I wanted to give him one, I certainly didn’t have the
money to do so. For another 45 minutes I sat—and prayed. I had no idea what
else I could do. Even though the office was closed, the officer sat there
equally quiet, ignoring me. Finally, he picked up the phone and dialed a
number. “What’s the number on Clarke?” he asked. “Thank you!” He picked up my
passports, opened and stamped them, writing in a number. Then he looked at me.
“They are finished now! You can take them.” He held them out to me.
“Thank you very much!” I stood up briskly, took them, and
walked out the door.
Thank You, Lord, for fulfilling Your promise to fight for
me while I am forced to be still.
[i] https://cpl.org/services/travel/passports/
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