Gas at $9.00 a gallon in 1990

That was the price that Lee and I paid for gas in the Ivory Coast when we arrived there in 1990. Believe me, it did make us think real hard before taking the car out – we had to use a number of creative solutions. We were also fortunate enough to have a number of public transportation options - bus, taxis and mini buses. Taking public transportation provided a great opportunity to get to know the culture as well as to interact with average people going to and from work. But since there were few cars at that time so that my providing transportation for our church leaders with our car was a great service. My driving to a meeting could enable church leaders to hold a critical meeting and to be able to return after public transportation options are closed. It also provided opportunities for fellowship. We just had to trust that our needs would be met – and they were!

We can so easily forget that we depend on the Lord for our daily sustenance, whether it is to provide our food, our house payments or fuel for our transportation. May we look to Him to meet our needs in these challenging times. Remember that many missionaries still have much higher gas prices than what we are now paying! Let’s remember them.