Yet another trip has been interrupted by a breakdown and Brother Stephen asks that we pray particularly about the persistent vehicle trouble that has beset the work for some time now. This has resulted in a lot of stress and much wasted time.

Stephen had been having problems with his Isuzu truck vehicle for a couple of years, but 3 years ago, it overheated and had been in the workshop since. It has had a replacement block and cylinder head, but it’s still overheating and unable to be used.

A second hand Toyota Land Cruiser which we bought at the time, knowing that repairs to the Isuzu could take time, has also given trouble, and is the vehicle that has just let us down. Thankfully previous repairs to the braking system have been successful, but a worn crankshaft pulley is causing a serious oil leak which could create major problems if unresolved.

The problem is threefold:

• Poor workmanship – it’s extremely difficult to find reliable competent mechanics.
• Spare parts – it’s equally difficult to source affordable spares. If available, spares are often poor quality imitations.
• Exorbitant cost of vehicle – knowing that most purchasers of new vehicles are Non-Governmental Organisations, the government imposes eye-watering rates of tax and duty on already-expensive new vehicle costs. This means that for us to buy new is really out of the question, and we are forced to buy second-hand. Unfortunately, reliable used vehicles are rare for the reasons above, and are also considerably more expensive than in UK or N. America.

Please pray for a solution to this problem, which is very debilitating for the work.