We left the house a few minutes before 6 this morning. We had to stop by Timothy’s house on our way to Tamale to pick up the papers for his motorcycle. We needed to be able to prove we had not stolen the motorcycle when we passed through the police barricades. They look for a reason to stop us.
We dropped off the motorcycle at Japan Motors and purchased a couple additional parts for the new clutch. Then we headed to the air conditioner repair shop. We knew that the truck air conditioning system had a leak we just needed someone to find and fix it. We did not have anything we could do in Tamale without a vehicle so we just sat and sat. It sounds like that “Cat in the Hat” story doesn’t it? We actually sat there for 3 hours while they did the repair. They actually made a new hose for the system. They cut the tubing to the correct length and then crimped on the metal ends.
When they finished we had lots of cold air! We stopped to check on Timothy’s motorcycle before we went to SWAD, a little outdoor restaurant, to get our lunch. They said that there were a couple other things that needed to be fixed; a cable, oil pump and kicker. Steve gave them the go ahead to fix them but they did not have the parts in stock and had to order them from Kumasi. We had to leave the motorcycle. We are supposed to pick it up on Friday. What another trip to Tamale?
We were about a third of the way back to Yendi when the truck just died. Steve eased it off the road before it stopped rolling. The engine would turn over but it would not start. The engine was not hot and it was not out of oil. We had no idea what was wrong with it so Steve called Gomda the mechanic. He said that he would go to the mission house and get a vehicle and come get us. Steve then called Red, he said he would come with Gomda; he would drive. It sure is nice to have friends! We knew it would take them over an hour to get to us so I made myself comfortable. I got the floor mats out of the truck; a couple pieces of cloth and a large plastic feed sack. I crossed over a small ditch of water and found a small shade tree. I checked for snakes and creepy crawlies then made a bed under the tree. I thought about reading but decided to take a nap. We had bug repellent in the truck so we sprayed ourselves to keep the mosquitoes at bay. We had a cooler so we had cold water and cokes. We never travel far without a basket of snacks so we had no complaints. Steve sat in the truck, paced and made a few phone calls. We were between villages and were happy to have cell phone service. Now that is amazing!
It did not take Gomda long to hotwire the truck and get us going again. While he was working on the truck he said, “Sister Kandie, when I get your call; it is like, I mean it is like my heart start jumping, and I just don’t feel comfortable!” Red joined in, “Me too, Me too!” Now how sweet is that; I guess they really do worry about us!
When we passed through the village of Sang we stopped and bought the guys fried chicken and cokes. It was past supper time and they had been working all day. They were happy with the treat. We made it back to Yendi without any further problems. Gomda will come in the morning and get the truck. He said that is a problem with the “kicker” I think that is the fuel solenoid.
Thank you for all your prayers, love and support.
In His Service,
Steve and Kandie
