A PROBLEM SOLVED

The printed Word in the language of the people is vital, and delivering it from press to reader can be accomplished in many ways. Today as I browsed through a scrapbook of our monthly newsletters of the time, I came across two with drawings of our Bible van. I had forgotten that we gave it the nick name of "turtle" as it was comparatively slow, and especially so if there was a head-wind, as there seemed always to be on a long trip. But it had wonderful blessings to bestow as well. In another blog you saw a picture of the first trailer that we used to carry all our supplies. We now move forward several years to 1989 and see the how very differently we handled the books and Bibles distribution. This was practically a traveling billboard. People saw it, on the highways, and they responded positively. It was truck mounted, with had a side serving hatch, and absolutely no one sat on top of this one like they did with the small luggage trailer! I did walk about on it when I mounted the sign for our first Bible Shop. At first there was terrific wind resistance, but after I designed and built the bunk over the truck cab, the air flow was much better. That was another problem solved. As the original box had been mounted on a trailer, and was designed to be a traveling Hot Dog Stand, I occasionally got a ribbing that someone wanted ice cream or a hot dog with mustard and pickles. I used it at the preaching conference, and at the minister's week. At the Barkly West adult camp out I was able to park it in a space absolutely adjacent to the covered outside walkway around the main kitchen, lunch hall, and assembly building. The walls facing it, were made of folding doors that were pushed open all day every day we were there in order to catch the breeze. When I visited African churches to preach, I drove it by choice, as I could carry lots of materials in the language that church normally used, and everything was always visible, while no set-up time was necessary. Not only that, but my lodgings were right there with me, so I could eat with the congregation and could park it anyhere.

Back in Johannesburg later, a Flea Market opened on the big show grounds near Soweto. I drove the van there every Saturday. It was like being at the State Fair and on the main drag. The management gave me free parking and a reserved spot. Unfortunately that venue closed after they went bankrupt. Those were troubled days and too many people were afraid to be that near to Soweto and to leave their cars in the open parking lot outside the fence, even though there were armed horseback guards there, and probably half or more of the people in attendance were carrying weapons. I understood why, as I had been issued a permit to park in down town Johannesburg, adjacent to the African railway station terminal. That would have been a prime spot just outside the police station, but was still near to the European terminal. That station was a target for bombers, and thr whole area was definitely "high crime" rated. I am afraid I felt my face was the wrong color, and considering the times, that was not the place to park all day long. Instead I hired an office in a building across the street for a while, and set up a publisher's show room there, and travelled in by bus. A building next to the station and across the street from our office was bombed and for a while it was thought that it was damaged beyond repair and would have to be torn down.

Now that I am in Texas, every time I see a huge "Horse" Trailer being towed by a pick up truck, I think, "Under the right circumstances, I would love to have had something like that available in South Africa to adapt with fluorescent lighting, greeting card type displays on both the very long sides and a dropdown tail-gate with an awning over it. I wouldn't need a shop at all! People could come right in. Some of these vans I have seen are actually already fitted with factory installed sleeping quarters over the truck bed. The Scripture says something about old men, "dreaming dreams." At my age, that is all it can be and particularly as South Africa is even more troubled today in many ways than it was before. The country is going through the "carpet bag" period after the turmoil.