Nothing tests a friendship quite like packing nine people, a week's worth of safari gear, and zero legroom into a single nine-seater van. During my time as a missionary in Botswana, my best friend brought her Sunday School class from Texas for a mission trip and safari. After a week of running children’s camps, our eager crew set off for Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls.
Discovering our nine-seater rental van lacked a trailer hitch, we crammed all nine people and our oversized supplies inside. Three squeezed into the front, four into the middle, and two volunteers crouched in the tiny space between the luggage and the roof. (Those two heroes ended up marrying each other and have been together for over 20 years!)
With me behind the wheel, we embarked on the 13-hour drive. We happily journeyed northward through Francistown and Nata, heading into 200 miles of unbroken bush toward Kasane. Isolated and carefree, we looked for elephants and giraffes along the way, empowered by youth, ambition, and total ignorance of the dangers around us.
Then, two hours from our destination and deep in the empty bush, the fuel light came on. I had forgotten to fill the tank. With 45 minutes of petrol left for a two-hour drive, my best friend and I exchanged anxious looks and started praying silently.
We ran on empty for an hour, convinced we were driving on pure faith. Just as the town appeared and a petrol station came into view 300 meters ahead, the engine sputtered and stopped at the foot of an incline.We were out of petrol.
“Alright, everybody out!” I said, and told them the story of how far we’d come on no petrol. Undaunted, the team jumped out and pushed the heavily loaded van up the hill and directly into the station. We had made it, but only just.
I had failed to prepare and respect the risks of the bush. Just as petrol is essential for a journey, prayer is the fuel of mission. The apostle Paul frequently asked churches to pray for him, knowing he could not sustain his work without it.
Missionaries face spiritual battles, illness, burnout, and logistical hazards. When we fail to pray for those on the field, we send them out without the fuel they need, forcing them to push their ministries uphill in harsh conditions—or risk getting stranded entirely.
God was gracious to us in Botswana, but it could have ended far worse. Let’s commit to faithful prayer so our missionaries have the fuel to flourish even in the most barren places.
Photo: Glynn Denys