Thursday, June 6, 2013

Protector & Strength

Last night I had quite the adventure. My night started out like a normal night here. I got out of work at the foster home around 5 and decided to head straight to the store to do some grocery shopping, pick up some dinner on the way home, and then have a relaxing night in. I debated walking to the store (it's about a mile away) but decided I wasn't feeling up for the walk since a light rain was falling. The bus stop right outside my gate has two buses. Or so I thought. One looks like a tour bus and the other (bus #3) like a typical city bus. Both of them would take me to the store so I was planning to hop on whichever one came first. After waiting for about 10 minutes, the bus that "looked" exactly like bus #3 came up and so I waved it down and climbed on. As we started going, I realized that we turned which is NOT the way this bus normally goes. As I look towards the front of the bus, I see that I am not on bus #3 after all... I'm on bus #73. Apparently since being gone, a new bus line started in my part of town. After over a year of the buses never changing, who would have thought? We kept going and going and going. In fact, we were not headed towards the store (I thought perhaps it would loop around) at all but into an area that I have never seen before. We went through village after village and eventually stopped in a shopping district that I have never been too. At this point I was getting a bit nervous since I was not recognizing anything, but knew enough of the city that where there is a bus stop going one direction, there usually is a stop going the opposite direction. So I got off searching for the stop on the "other side" of the road and would simply wait for the return bus #73. Of course I was on a one way street so I had to walk a block to find the opposite street. I soon found the bus stop but bus #73 was not listed. I thought maybe it was a new line and therefore wasn't on the sign yet (a common occurrence in China). I waited and waited and then decided that maybe I was not at the correct stop after all. I decided to walk down the street a little to see if there was another. Keep in mind, I still knew where my initial stop was and could get back to it if I wanted (thankfully I do have a good sense of direction!). I ran into some Americans on my way to the second bus stop and asked them if they knew where the bus stop for #73 was to get back to Kaiyin (the area I live in). They said that they were not familiar with this area but after asking their Chinese friend, he said that the stop was just ahead. I thanked them and went on my way. Found the stop and waited. And waited. And Waited. Once again bus #73 was not listed on this sign but since the Chinese man said it was here, I believed him that it was indeed here.  Bad decision. I'm not quite sure how long I waited but it felt like hours. It was drizzling and starting to get dark. Wherever I go in China I am stared at. Normally it doesn't bother me too much but being in an unfamiliar area and uneasy as it was, it made me even more nervous. Yes, I sent them a few glares to STOP LOOKING (not that it helped of cours. Bus after bus stopped but none of them were #73. I was beginning to wonder if there WAS a bus #73 that stopped here. As darkness was approaching quickly and I had absolutely no idea where I was, I decided that if the next bus was not the right one, I would bite the bullet and just take a taxi home (a taxi is about 35 RMB compared to the bus of 2 RMB). Another bus came and went and I hailed a taxi.  THANKFULLY I know how to tell the taxi driver where I live and about $5 later, I was home. Of course I was back to my original destination and still had not been to the store and was also starved. I quickly grabbed some noodles from my favorite noodle restaurant and then finally took the CORRECT bus to the store. A total of 3 hours later, I made it home. 

The whole time I was "lost," I was praying. Praying for guidance and direction (literally!). I was a female, by myself, in an area I didn't know. Plus it was getting dark. I have never been nervous in China, but this situation made me very nervous. I just kept looking to Him to remain calm and knew that He would get me home. Thankfully I did take the taxi home because I learned today that bus #73 would have never come to that stop as it makes a "loop." Therefore if I had stayed on the bus originally, I would have eventually made it home. 

What lesson did I learn? To pay attention to the bus number and not just assume that you are on the right bus. And that He was my Protector and my Strength. 

All the time.


8 comments:

  1. Oh me! I know that was scary! So glad you are safe!

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  2. wow, Anneli, I'm glad that turned out okay!! and that the taxi was able to take you home for not too much $$!
    floral & fudge

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  3. Oh my Anneli!!!! You made quite a memory! :)
    I am glad you have a great sense of direction! I would've ended up at New Day in Beijing, probably....I have NO sense of direction!
    So thankful God led you home!

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    1. A memory I'll remember for sure! And you are correct, I will not be taking bus #73 anytime soon... :)

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  4. oh buses. . . I just figure every time I get lost on a bus is a little bit more of the city I know and a little bit more confidence gained that even if/when I make a mistake and take the wrong bus, I'll find my way home again. :)

    I'm glad you were fine, sorry it took SUCH a long time!

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    1. Annie, that's a good way to look at it! I'll maybe try it again when I purposefully get on it to see where else it goes.

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