A "Hot" Date with Billy Coppedge

When we reach transition points in life, it is natural to reflect on all of God's goodnesses to us in the past and plan and dream for the future He has for us! This has been a week of reflection and thanksgiving as we prepare to go to America for HMA (Homeland Ministry Assignment) for the next few months.
Our days have been full and Billy and I haven't been together much...unless it is with a lot of great friends, so we decided to make lemonade from our lemons and go together to Nebbi today. It wasn't the typical date...one of our pastors, Kisa Patrick has been praying for his father for the past month. He has been sick with what we understand to be throat cancer. Two weeks ago he met JESUS! And yesterday he saw Him face to face for the first time. So today, as our "hot date" we went to our first African funeral together.
We talked in the car on the way down about the past three years..."What were your highlights?" "What was the hardest day?" "What were your top three times you saw Jesus work?" Fun date, get to know your spouse better questions. Then, we went through the town of Uleppi and stopped at their market to get a gift for the mourning family. This is the town that Jeannie Banter was working in to disciple a group of farmers...so there was more reminiscing as we bartered for beans and charcoal.
Then...as Billy was getting a rope from the back of the car to tie the charcoal bag on top of the car...he saw a...RAT! In the car!!! Lucy was being amazing and just sleeping the back seat. At this point I shriek and pull her out of the car. This isn't our typical date...but it gets more exciting!! :(
A crowd gathers instantly to look at the white lady and her baby and figure out why she screamed. Lucy and I spent the next half hour getting to know some sweet ladies and kids and we got to share Jesus with the mom of a baby named Winn. That was the HIGHLIGHT of the whole date!
Billy and some neighborhood guys tried to find the rat. They see it in the car a couple of other times, but never see it leave the car. At this point we are late for the burial, so we decide to just trust we won't see it again and go. Lucy and I get back in... :(
We drive the rest of the way to Nebbi with no rat interaction...not so much laid back talking either. Now I am sitting in the back of the car with Lucy to guard her from getting her little toes nibbled by a rat and I'm a bit more tense!
We pick up six friends in Nebbi town and then proceed out to the village where our friend Kisa's family is from. This is two o'clock. We left Elsie Jayne with a friend in Arua, because for some reason we believed the people who told us the burial and funeral would be only two hours beginning at two o'clock.
Let me skip the details of the service...I'll share that another time I hope, as it really was a neat learning experience and I'm really glad we went (now that I am safely at home).
At six thirty!!! we finally got in the rat infested car to come home. Along with now eight friends! :) It gets dark here at seven and it's really not safe to drive after dark as it is difficult to see the many people who walk or ride bicycles along the road. Also, seven is Elsie Jayne's bedtime!! So, there is a bit of stress in the car as we finally leave Nebbi town and all of our passengers at seven exactly. But, I really want to make the most of this date as Billy is to leave in the morning for a wedding and will be gone the next two days. So, I sit in the front with him, praying Jesus covers Lucy and keeps the rat away.
We talk about the day and pray for the girls and the transitions ahead and then...I felt him. THE RAT! It crawled across my foot! I had sandles on and I just couldn't handle it. Billy stopped the car and searched for the evil critter again, but couldn't find him. Back to Lucy I moved and still...the rat is in the car, but we got Elsie Jayne from my friend's house and now both girls are sleeping peacefully.
The rat is still in the car. :(
Billy is such a love gift to me from Jesus and where he takes me on dates really isn't that important, but we did decide one GREAT thing we are looking forward to in America is taking a HOT shower and feeling clean (still no hot water here!) and then wearing clothes I feel pretty in (it is fashionable here to be fat...meaning you have enough money to eat well, so "nice" clothes are big frumpy missionary dresses!!!), and go somewhere in a clean-rat-free-car and eat food we actually choose and enjoy and talk about something other than the bubonic plague and malaria!
Dreaming...