Toto, I don't think we're in kansas anymore.

Wow, I will try to blog tonight. 2 days after a very terrifying experience.

Tuesday morning at about 9:30 I set out from our office in Ntuzuma. Prince was out taking people to the clinic and I took two of the girls working with us Hilary and Pretty (Hilary is receptionist and really a personal assistant to Prince, and Pretty is the facilitator for our home based care workers) and her job is to visit the patients of our caregivers to verify they are having the services done and being seen by our caregivers. This was the second day of us doing this.

Day one, we visite 3 orphan girls the youngest being 7 and HIV+, then a young lady with a 5 year old daughter who has AIDS and something on her face I think cancer or shingles. And two brothers in their 50's with TB+ as they call it TB + HIV. we were drained.

Day two, was Tuesday morning. We visited one patient, and the car was parked on the street so I stayed in the car while the ladies went out to check up the caregiver's work. I was reading my word, 1Corinthians 13...one of my favorites. Then we went to a second home and it was on a side street not so good, then from that patient we went up to Lindewe (I shared about her during our outreach time, I thought she was close to death, we kept visiting and praying with her and today she is walking around again, cleaning her home and raising her son). She was so bad she went to her sisters, but now she is great. Then we quickly went to our last patient's house. We were running late to take the oldest orphan girl to the hospital to get the 7 year old's ARV's...I said lets just finish this caregiver's patients. One more and we would get the girl and meet up with prince.

We pulled out on a road that is kind of main, for those of you have been to Ntuzuma it was the main road going toward Hillary's neighborhood, G Section. One lane going down and two lanes coming up. I dropped them off and decided I should turn the car around because I was waiting in the one lane on a curve going down hill. So I pulled around and pulled up in front of the patients house. A block home with two old parked cars on the side yard. I pulled with two wheels off the road and waited, we were going to hurry. Well....I got out of the car (not a person on this street (busy street). I rearranged the wheelchair in my hatchback so I could put the back seat upright so we could pick up the girl. Then I climbed back in the drivers seat. Opened my bible again to finish reading Corinthians, with some worship music playing and waited I think I locked the door. Suddenly someone came up beside the car (drivers side) and I turned thinking it was the girls and I needed to unlock, instead it was a man, who flashed me a pistol and said, get out I am taking the car,...at first I couldn't believe it, but as I opened the door (of course i was going to give him whatever, he stood between me and the door, with the pistol at his side (below the window so nobody could see it, and said get out now, I said "okay, I will...with my small bible in one hand I was "clutching it hard", and then I reached for my cell phone instinctively as it sits in the cup holder and I usually grab it when I get out of the car. He said "leave the phone", the cocked the pistol.....I dropped the phone on the seat and said, of course take it whatever just don't shoot. (IT WAS the biggest pistol I have ever seen, very long barrel and kind of had to slide it to cock it like a rifle). I moved past him, expecting a shot and moved toward the back of the car, he jumped in, and then I dashed over behind the junk cars, wanting metal or something between myself and his bullets. He slammed shut the door, and gunned it, my tires where in a dirt pile and my hand brake was on, so he spun out and it really squealled as he took off. The ladies in the house, pulled back the curtains and I dashed and I heard them screaming, what is it...My God, and I ran to the door, saying help he took my car, he pointed a gun at me, I was shaking so bad, Pretty just held me and kept her arm around me as we walked to the door. I said call Prince....nobody had airtime.

The patient jumped out of bed (a healing??? I wish), but he ran out with us, as did his mom who came out, then she ran house to house looking for someone with a phone with minutes (couldn't find one). Pretty was able to text Prince, who thank God called right back. He was near lindelani as he was getting a patient from Lindelani Clinic, which happens to be near the police station. He went right up and told the police, called the car rental place and got the tag number, sending a friend "blessing" down to get us ladies. WE went to the offices dropped off the ladies and gave Brooke Mike's number and told her to call and have him cancel the atm cards and credit cards. I was then driven to the police station. We called the lady again and told her the car had been stolen, she said the had Netstar a tracking service to recover stolen cars. I told the police it was pretty identifiable because it had a red wheel chair in the hatchback part. Prince and blessing took me back to the office and they were going to drive around to see if they could see the car. When I reached the office everyone was praying, I joined them we asked we could find everything. 2 hours from the time of highjacking the car rental place called saying they had recovered the car in Kwamashu the township next to ntuzuma between some hostels. i was to go to the station and wait for it.

I gave a report, the car came and didn't have a scratch on it!!! Inside, my purse was gone, but the wheelchair was in there, my box of paperwork was still on the back seat and cd's still on visor (he didn't want all my worship cd's and wayne's book on CD He loves me. (darn I wish he'd have taken that.) The car hire place had her driver escorted in with a spare key for me.

I have been rejoicing ever since that I am alive and well and able to communicate this all to you. You sure appreciate life after an experience like that. I don't think I noticed his face, only his shaking hand after he cocked the gun and the gun, my eyes probably fixated on it.

I think God got testified too quite a bit that day, I really think he was told to kill me, but he didn't. Honestly at that point he seemed as scared as I was. I have been able to pray for him already.

Apparently what happens with a carjacking is they just grab stuff out of it, and park it for several days to make sure there is no tracker on it, then return to strip it. The poor robber. CD's didn't take, Wheelchair, didn't take, box of receipts didn't take. Broken flipflops and tennis shoes, didn't take.

What did he get??
My purse from India with my wallet from there as well, with 3 ATM cards that were already stopped. checks already stopped.
Cash (I had paid some funds out my wallet and had NO cash only a few coins... NO RANDS NOT ONE.
Usually, I have airtime vouchers in my wallet....nope, I was out and in need of buying more.
Make up (for a mulungo (that is a white person) probably wouldn't look good on his girlfriend.
My bifocals are probably the biggest ticket item as well as my brand new cell phone.

I was shaken but not turning back.
I know I am where God wants me.
I know He is able to take care of me.
I won't be travelling around without Prince though.
I will be more alert and as my friend Alan advised, probably not the best time to have a quiet time in the word, should be all eyes and ears. This is true.

Yesterday was spent sorting out things, turned in my car and found out have to pay R3800 in excess (like a deductible) to have the locks rekeyed since the robber now has a key. about $500 US
I got a new sim card which enables me to keep my same cell phone number. (011-27-72-226-2774).
Got my local bank details so we could wire money into this account (no debit cards now).
Called Emprise Bank, my wonderful International local bank (tee-hee) and had them wire money.
My cell to replace will be about $l50.00 and the excess in $500, and my glasses value about $400.

Praise God my passport was at home along with other things I normally have in my purse.

I have been thanking Him for Life and Life abundantly!!!! The sky seems bluer, the flowers prettier, and you my friends and family more precious than ever. I am blessed and protected, and very very thankful.

Pray for the team, here and there, Pray I can recoup what the locust have eaten. Pray for our project to continue to move forward. Today we resumed business as usual. We were blessed to take the orphan boys shopping for school uniforms and shoes, and street clothes (each got a pair of dress pants, jeans, 2=3 pair of shorts and about 4 shirts, tekkies (tennis shoes), and socks, underwear, and flip flops for the two youngest. I believe they were so blessed. Thank you Mr. S. for giving to them so generously (it was fun for Brooke and I to help them shop, after being robbed.

Well dear friends..it has been an exciting few days....to quote a phrase...."Toto, I don't think we're in kansas anymore".[
I have had two nights where I didn't go to bed til 2:00 AM. I will sign off now with my grateful heart, and exhausted body. I say thank you those who pray for us, I believe it makes such a difference and those who support me to do what I do...I think this shows we must be being Ukukhanya (Zulu for "light in the darkness")to the people of Ntuzuma. Bless you all. Penny

P.S. take time to make ammends with those you have ought with, forgive those who have wronged you, tell your family and loved ones how much you appreciate and love thim. We never know what can happen. And all the little stuff....falls away after a moment like this. Live Loved and Love Life.
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