"Oh my God, I don't want to stay the night here." (Agnieszka, Poland)
Paulina and me nod and we clench our teeth. It is windy and cold.
We are standing on a little parking lot with all our heavy baggage, surrounded by a never ending lunar landscape. No house, no car. No human being far and wide.
Will we be frozen to death tomorrow? Wil we die on a lava field?
Now the reader will probably ask how the two lodies and the gentleman got to this lost spot.
The backstory
The answer is quite simple: On the day before I have been to Akureyri, the 2nd biggest town in Iceland, where I spent a day with my French friend Samuel. He is now on his way to the international airport in Kevflavik, while I am heading eastwards to Seydisfjördur to catch my ferry the next day.
In the surroundings of Akureyri traffic is not really dense, but there are a few cars and I am lucky: After a short while a car stops for me, driven by a friendly older guy who is heading to a construction site. He works in the road construction and supervises a few road workers. In a little village close to Myvatten, a cosy lake amidst the infinite cratered landscape, we pass by two hitchhikers, before my driver stops to see a friend and give him some papers I use the chance to jump out of the car to ask the two hitchhikers where they want to go, Angnieszka and Paulina from Wroclaw, what I will found out later, "Oh, to Seydisfjördur as well? Well, then feel free to jump in. But better ask my driver before."
A few moments later we four are sitting in the car and enjoying the ride. Our driver pumps up the volume of the country music and smiles: "Better than the sound of the wind outside!" So time really flies - soon we have reached the junction where we have to go separate ways and th girls and me are "abandoned" in the wilderness.
In the middle of nowhere
"Hmm, I think it will start raining in a few minutes.", I tell my company. "That's the last thing we need. Anyway, it is bloody cold.", Paulina complains. as Agnieszka offers us a toast with ketchup and cheese - for me, that is a completely new as well as delicious combination that I would like to recommend to our readers at this point. 
After about 30 minutes we haven't sighted a single car. "Maybe we should say a prayer!?", I think out loud.
Just in that moment close to the horizon somethings leaps into our view. we breathe a sigh of relief and run to the road. As the vehicle is coming closer, we notice that it is a double-decker coach. "I don't think he will take us.", Angnieszka sighs.
As the bus is coming closer we can read the label. "Oh my god, it is the Jesus bus, he is really following us. We saw him yesterday as well, near the guest house where Agnieszka and me work! I prefer to pitch a tent here.", Paulina shouts out.
"Live life to the fullest, follow Jesus." and "Jesus is alive, he will return" - written on the bus in white letters, it sounds almost like a threat.
At the wheel an older guy with a red jacket.
We don't believe our eyes, when the bus driver starts indicating that he is turning right and rolls on our lost parking lot. "What he hell does this man do here alone with a bus in the wilderness? Is he waiting for some pilgrims coming over the mountains in the next few minutes?" - I am looking at my mates in a very confused way, but they don't know an answer either.
"Should we run over and ask him if he can give us a lift?", the girls suggest. "Well, I don't know...Go and ask. I will stay here near the main road and watch out for cars."
"This is a church."
Brother Clifford Edwards beckons us over into his bus. "This is a church.", he tells us randomly - holding a glass with a screwtop in his hands. "Fresh blueberry jam. I made it yesterday.", he continues proudly.
After we have strengthened us with hot coffee and toast with blueberry jam, Clifford places himself at the wheel, lights a cigarette, pulls out a dusty tape, puts it in the player, and the onboard sound system serves us with music. "Well, that's me singing on the tape. Ages ago, I was a popular singer.", he tells us and he starts smiling whimsicaly.
"You can move freely aboard the bus. Just enjoy the ride, I cannot drive very fast with this rickety banger. But when we will approach the dangerous road over the mountains you have to sit down until I allow you to move again. Don't worry, I am not doing this for the first time."
If he often takes hitchhikers, I want to know. "Well, yes, that happens every now and then. You know, you should simply BE christian instead of talking about that all the time."
He originally comes from Manchester, he tells us further. The bus has been his sweet home for twelve years now. Some years ago he was very ill, could hardly move his body, not being able to read or write. His days were numbered. And he started praying to Jesus - and he survived.
Clifford's story and ways to contact him
Impressions
