The road stretched for days. Dust trailed behind the vehicle as it wound through Ethiopia, passing villages and checkpoints. It was a tense time in the country's history, marked by conflict and unrest.
For Rob Casey, this trip became something else entirely — a vivid picture of God's love.
They passed through nearly 25 checkpoints. Some were routine. Others were anything but.
At one stop, a guard stood rigid in front of him, an AK-47 in hand, her expression hard. The air felt heavy, and suspicion wasn't subtle. It was direct.
In that moment, something unexpected happened.
"It was like the Holy Spirit just reminded me, 'You're right where you're supposed to be.'" Rob Casey
Instead of fear, a strange peace settled in. He smiled. The guard noticed.
"Why are you smiling?" she asked.
"Because I'm right where I'm supposed to be," Rob said. "God loves you, and He loves me, and I'd love to tell you more about Him."
Something shifted, and her posture softened and told them they were OK.
"In moments like those, you aren't thinking about, 'Did that last support check clear?'" Rob said. "You're thinking about your prayer team, and knowing that I'm backed by people who are praying for me is huge."
Moments like that were not isolated. At another checkpoint, a guard leaned into the window and asked Mekebib, Rob's friend and a partner of GoSendMe, if he was American.
"He's from the West," Mekebib replied quickly and the guard waved them through.
"I don't know why I said that!" Mekebib said. "It just came out!"
Rob and Mekebib laughed for 30 minutes as they drove down the road. They both knew it was the Lord at work again.
As Rob and Mekebib neared their destination, they arrived at one of the last checkpoints near a village known for hostility toward Americans. The stop felt different, quieter, and heavier. The guard looked inside the vehicle and paused.
He then asked Rob if he was Chinese and without hesitation, the guard waved them on saying, "Oh, we love you guys! Go ahead."
They drove off in silence down the road before Mekebib said what they were both thinking: "The Lord just protected you."
By the time they reached their destination, the journey itself had already spoken.
"It felt sacred. Like there was resistance to getting there, and God cleared a path." Rob Casey
What followed only confirmed it.
Eighty men gathered, on their faces before God, praying, repenting and seeking renewal.
"It was a beautiful move of the Holy Spirit," Rob said.
And on the way back, the road told a different story. There were fewer stops and less resistance.
For Rob, the experience wasn't just about what happened along the road. It was about why he was there in the first place.
"You don't want to be where the Lord hasn't sent you. But when you are, there's a confidence that speaks louder than our circumstances, a peace that surpasses understanding." Rob Casey
Even in uncertainty. Even in moments that feel unsafe.
Because sometimes, the clearest evidence of God at work isn't just what He does around you, but the peace He gives you in the middle of it.