Our dear brother Pierre visited us from Pretoria with his mother, Trudy, also a dear sister in the Lord. Deon, one of her other sons, came with Stephanus two weeks earlier when he fetched 'Old Buddy' our other Land Cruiser. Their schools were closed for holidays and he did not want to sit in the city all the time. Deon would also go back with them when they go back to Pretoria.
First they came for a week but it got stretched out to two weeks. First by what seemed a tragedy but later we saw it turned out to be a blessing. God's ways are not our ways. We met them in town to take them out to where we live because it would be difficult for them to find the place again. Brother Pierre came with a small Volkswagon Polo which is very low to the ground. We were hoping for the best to get back to where we stay because it is usually only pickups(bakkies) driving these roads. Right outside of town they had a new roadworks on the first stretch from a bridge. Here the car got stuck in the sand and we had to pull it back onto hard ground. One of the roadworks people who drove a Bomack roller offered to drive his car through the sand to the other side where Pierre could go on. It seemed like the man had some experience so Pierre allowed him. The man ended up making an accident driving the vehicle into one of the bridge concrete side. What a fiasco!
The tire on the side that got hit would not turn so we first feared that something is bent terribly. But after inspection we saw that it might only be the rim that was badly bent that was making it get stuck and not turn. We put the spare tire on and then it was fine. It did not look like anything else was badly bent so we thanked the Lord.
Then we tried another road to our place but still got stuck. The sand was just too deep and the front fender and bumper got pulled off by the sand. And the vehicle overheated. Then we decided to leave the car in town with friends of the Dutch Reformed Mission. Over the next days we worked on fixing the front bumper and fender and checked into why the vehicle overheats. We found a pipe on the thermostat assembly that was brittle and had a leak. If it wasn't for the accident and other trouble we would probably not have looked for a leaking pipe and they might of had lots of problems and possibly even have seized the engine on their way back to Pretoria 700 km away. After a week and a half we finally got the part we needed to fix the vehicle. We were thankful for all God's leading in the matter and finally had the vehicle all fixed up. But they ended up staying a whole extra week while we were waiting for the part. Being so far in the boondies it can be difficult to find and get car parts because it is so far away from bigger places where parts are more available. We can really thank the Lord for all His undertaking and pointing a problem out on the vehicle that we otherwise would've never picked up.
By the time we got home that first night it was already late at night so we did not pitch up their tent. So Pierre slept with his brother in his little tent and Trudy slept in another little tent that our children sometimes sleep in.
The next day we prepared a place for their tent and pitched it up.
First we had to level a place out.
Stephanus on the left, then Peter, then Deon and Pierre working on the tent.
We had many days of great fellowship and time with the LORD.
But not without a good amount of vehicle trouble.
First with Pierre's car, then our Land Cruiser
started acting up with a fuel problem and because of all the starting attempts the battery started giving in.
We attempted going to the ocean a few times but could not
because of getting stuck beside the road with this fuel problem. What a time of vehicle problems!
Alas, a week after they were gone back to Pretoria we found the problem. It ended up being a very tiny tear in the manual fuel pump that cause it to suck in air and slowly becoming bigger. We feared that it might be the high pressure diesel pump which would cost very very much to repair so we were very thankful it wasn't that.
Here's Pierre sitting with the children next to the road while we work on the Cruiser.
Finally we did get to the beach after a friend helped us and I got the other Land Cruiser as a back up on the way. we enjoyed the beach at Dog Point incredibly much. We had a delicious rest and a picnic breakfast on the beach between the trees, having bacon, eggs, fried onions, fried banana, fried tomato, toast over the fire, coffee, soda, chips... a real feast!
Brother Peter making coffee for us all.
Here we all enjoyed that stuff Peter made. The children especially appreciated to warm them up after coming out of the ocean.
Frying the bacon and onions and other nice goodies for the beach feast.
We still think back of that awesome time we had at the beach. We very seldom get to the beach, usually only when there's friends visiting.
Pierre making the fire to toast the bread.
Joshua sure enjoyed the sand!
The children also enjoyed some snorkeling.
And Daddy and Mommy enjoyed a relaxing walk along the shore.
Just before leaving the beach we took a group photo. Only Stephanus is not on the picture because he was behind the camera! :-)
This picture we took the morning our dear friends departed for Pretoria. If we don't see each other on this planet again, it sure will be on the shores of heaven. To God be the glory great things He has done for such worms as us who believe in His name.
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