Research Permits Part II

So the Lord definitely likes to give me opportunities to trust Him. After that post yesterday about finally obtaining the research permits we woke up this morning to walk to the Main Mall and make photocopies. We got ready to go...and couldn't find the permits anywhere. I carried them in my hand all last night as we traveled around and had dinner and headed back to our place, but this morning neither of us could find them, though we tore the room apart. I was freaking out. In the bustle of paying for the taxi back to our place and getting a receipt, I must have forgotten to grab the brown envelope off the floor in the dark. I called the taxi driver but he said he didn't have the permits. I planned to wait a little bit of time in case we remembered and found them and then call Dr. Taolo to see if we could get a new copy of the permit tomorrow.

As Chels and I were having lunch however, the waitress commented that tomorrow is a holiday. At the same moment Chels and I both came to the same realization...that means no one at DWNP will be working tomorrow! We had to get it today or else. We hurried around the mall, trying to find a taxi that could take us to the wildlife office but for once there was none in sight. We started back to our lodge and called a lady who had a taxi company and had given us rides before. She said she could get us in 20 minutes. We made it back to the lodge and searched once more for the permits...nothing! I called Dr. Taolo, feeling very embarrased about losing the permit the day I got it, he was very gracious and said that he understood that these things happened, however there was a problem...the whole area around the DWNP offices had been in a power outage all day so they couldn't make a copy for us. I asked if I could take the copy they had and make my own copy elsewhere. He said that it was against the rules...but then decided that because of the circumstances he would let me do it.

The taxi arrived and we were off! Traffic was terrible, probably because of the holiday tomorrow, but we finally made it. He gave us their hard copy of the permit and we set off for Game City...praying that the power would turn on (it had been out there too). We made it to Game City...and there were lights on and music and TVs in a store we passed. The power was back! We found a shop that makes photocopies and I got 5 copies made, just to be safe. Then it was back to the wildlife office to give back their hard copy. I made it back and noticed that the permit I had been given yesterday had a stamp on it but the one I made copies from didn't. Dr. Taolo said he didn't have the stamp but told me to sit down while he went and got it stamped. I waited and finally he came back, only to tell me that the secretary who has the stamp had gone somewhere and he couldn't find her. He told me to wait and that he'd look again. I waited another while and he finally came back with them stamped! Praise the Lord they are ready and I have copies. I have some in my pocket and some in our little backpack now and plan to put other copies in other places when we return to the lodge.

So all in all, things worked out well but I was definitely nervous and feeling terrible about losing the permits for a while. Thank the Lord that we were able to get them and to have everything together.
~Tim