Tour 2014- Wednesday, August 6

Someone has already said that the eleventh commandment, if there were one, would be, “Be thou flexible.” While it is necessary for any group to have a schedule, circumstances often arise, altering the best of plans. Yesterday, we as a group had a chance to be flexible. How did this happen and what does it mean to be flexible? Read on.

Flexibility: capable of being bent, usually without breaking; susceptible of modification or adaptation, adaptable; willing or disposed to yield

After experiencing a warm and hospitable evening by our host church in Lubsko, we assembled at 6:00AM for an expected eleven hour drive back to Minsk. We were soon under way. An hour and a half later, we were beside the road. Most of us were sleeping at the time and groggily came back to the realm of consciousness. My seatmate and I attempted to continue in the blissful realm of snooze. However the chattering of those around us was the source for one or two dark looks. After about ten minutes we were moving again and sleep overcame us. About an hour later we found ourselves beside the road again. By now groggy prayers from the newly awakened were being sent heavenward: either healing for the bus so that our journey could be resumed or healing of the loose tongues which again broke all around us. Even with ear plugs inserted in my ears, the chatter was significant. By now different diagnoses were voiced, all curing the bus of its ailment. Me, I was offering a different sort of diagnosis; one which guessing by his look, was similar to the one being offered by my seatmate. Mentally our mutual mental chorus was this: “Just shush people, the bus will be fixed or we will be told what to do. Until then exaggerated exertions of attempted diagnoses are overrated.” Ten minutes later we were again moving. By now a public announcement was made telling us in more detail what we were beginning to suspect. The bus was not fit for further travel and we were getting another bus. Pulling off at a fuel station, we disembarked and waited…..and waited……and waited.

After an hour and a half, our bus appeared! Yay! We loaded in a flash and settled in for the ride. I, being in a pursuit of sleep, drifted into the realm of unconsciousness once again. It was not to be. A short while later, someone shook me awake. I heard Lloyd making another public announcement informing us of the need to change to a different bus. This time, there was some error message which made the driver uneasy about taking us further. So we pulled off into another fuel station. After a ten minute wait, our third bus arrived. Wow! We had the best for last. This bus was newer and made better time. By this time a significant part of our pre-concert rehearsal time had slipped away and we thought that we were arriving at the venue about the time that the concert was supposed to begin. And yet, after a tumultuous morning, we settled into a relaxing (lazy) day of travel. We even arrived at the concert in time, praise Jesus!

Post-concert, we ate a hearty supper at the English school and unloaded at our base here at Gustavs. Tomorrow promises to be a relaxing day after the mountain of laundry is conquered; however, that is for another person to tell about.

After the events of today, I had to think of a quote by Robert Burns. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”  So be FLEXIBLE!

EJ