We really had a very good week and we literally spent no money. Our small needs like shampoo and razor blades for shaving or tooth paste was all there for the asking. We just had to witness to people about our spiritual journey through life with Jesus Christ and how He was and is the answer to everything and just like that promise in the Bible in St Paul's letter to the Philippians chapter 4 verse 19, My God shall supply all your needs through His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
I am not a wino but I really enjoy a glass of wine in the evening or even at lunch and we always had wine offered to us with meals which of course were all provided free of charge. Many people are prepared to help on a one time basis and sometimes regularly like once a month. We did not have to make such arrangements as we were always in a new place every day almost. Do you remember the dream about keeping moving would be our key to getting our needs met for free?
Sadly our departure date approached and on the morning that the large passenger ferry docked we were there to meet it very early in the morning long before any other passengers. As soon as the Gangway was lowered we were climbing up it and asking to speak to the Captain. He was once again a very nice person and listened with great interest to our story. He even offered us a whiskey which we declined as it was rather early to drink and then we dropped the bomb question.
Would he take us to Cyprus for free? He shook his head and said "Definitely not." He was not a believer in God but rather the opposite and I think he got some pleasure to being responsible for not helping us. There was a rather triumphant glee on his face as he shook his head as if to say "Your Lord has failed you and I am responsible for that." It would have cost him nothing to give us a free passage.
Well we had enough cash and so we decided that on this occasion we would use our hard earned donations to pay for the passage. I was bitterly disappointed because it kind of meant that the free part had not really worked out this time. So reluctantly we joined the growing queue of passengers waiting to pay at the ticket booth and then climb on board. So are you expecting a miracle from our miracle working God or are you like we were resigned to being just normal people just throwing in our lot like everyone else?
Then Joanna looked across the queue at a young lady of about 25 to 30 years old and recognized someone that had been in our missionary movement and had then left some year or so before. They both immediately greeted each other. Irmgard told S about our trip and about our near miss with the Captain and she said for us not to worry as her husband was a very wealthy Arab sheik from Saudi and of course he would buy us both our tickets.
I began to break out in a triumphant smile and shot an arrow prayer of gratitude in an upward direction. Just try and imagine what an incredible coincidence this was! What would be the chances of such an occurrence happening at such an opportune and important moment? We never met anyone else on this trip that we had seen before except for Irmgard's parents and Aunt and Brother.
The Captain was standing at the top of the gangway welcoming the passengers on board and then he poignantly asked us if we had bought our tickets? Of course he was expecting us to say yes but when we told him in a few short sentences what had happened, he was visibly taken aback. To give him his due, he then offered us a free cabin so that we would not have to sleep on deck. Thank You Jesus! Another example of the Lord doing something totally unusual and all at the last moment showing us that He was still very much involved and mercifully traveling with us. It was also a great witness to the Captain.
The Arab Sheik was a super rich businessman and when we arrived at Nicosia took us to stay overnight with him in his personal apartment. I remember he gave us very nice watches and after dining us to a very expensive dinner we went to bed in anticipation of what the Lord was going to do for us the next morning.
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