Day 1

We started off the day a little concerned how it would end.  We were very
concerned about a couple of things.  First, we really needed to get a Ghana visa
today even though we had not applied for it ahead of time.  We understand that
it normally takes two days to get a visa.  This would not be a problem except
for the fact that we were not planning on being back in Togo until the day we
leave and need the visa.  If anything would happen and we could not get it we
would have no way home as our flight leaves form Accra, Ghana.  We cut it a bit
close but, we actually applied for the visa at 9:30am and, with God's provision
and a lot of kind words, got our visa at 2:00!  We have another story about
getting our visa that was far more dramatic than it will sound here, but we were
told that the visa would be ready at 2pm so we ran several errands and went back
to the conference center.   As things happen often with me, I got to chatting
with a couple of the locals and didn't leave here until 1:40 which I thought was
no problem.  After looking at the receipt they gave us when we dropped of our
passports, it said the office CLOSED at 2pm.  It took us 30 minutes to get there
the first time and Lary and I showed a great deal of concern(panic) to our
driver.  Let me just say that we made it the second time in 18 minutes and Lary
and I had our eyes closed most of the trip!  I could describe it by saying this:
think nascar in downtown NYC.  I normally am ok with driving through Lome, but
this was a totally new experience!
Today we met Happy.  Yes that is his name.  He is an older gentleman that I
really like.  He is somewhat of a scholar and writer.  He is now working on a
book and he also produces Christian television shows here in Lome.  He keeps up
with his Greek and Hebrew and is a champion of discipleship(surprising, huh). 
He was very interested in the training program we have put together and gave me
some good information regarding the way to teach in this culture.  He has a good
understanding of the differences in how Westerners and Africans use language.  I
won't bore you with it now, but it was fascinating to me.  He proofread my
French documents and made a few changes for me.   We had a great time talking
this evening.  It is always encouraging to meet people like him here.  We are
finding those we can trust and those we cannot, but the more people we find that
we can trust, the more they introduce us to others we can trust.    
Tomorrow we head to Mission Tove to spend two days there.  We will go to Pastor
Daniel's church on Sunday and then Sunday evening we will head to Keve.   Here
is our schedule:  Saturday- Mission Tove with Daniel to visit his farm and work
along side of him for a day, Sunday- go to church with Daniel and head to Keve,
Monday – training all day with the pastors, Tuesday – hang out with a business
owner and watch him work and teach us something(not sure what this is yet) and
head back to Lome in the evening, Wedneday – meetings at the seminary and then
head to Accra for the trip home. 

I can receive texts here for free so please send me messages.  It is costly to
reply but I do on occasion.  I can also receive phone calls if there is an
emergency(for $3.50 per minute).  I am very pleased that my new US phone works
here.  It makes it seem like we are connected a bit more. 

Since we will be out in the rural areas, we will not have access to email, no
electricity, no fresh water, or good food, or…… Thanks for praying!