Each month of the World Race we are given a list of ministry contacts to pray over as a team. We ask the Lord which of the options He would have us serve with for the following month. This past month our team was stretched even further and it was truly an ATL (Ask the Lord) month.
In March when our team was in Ghana we were asked to pray about which West African country the Lord wanted us to go to in April. After praying about it our team felt that we were being called to Togo. Unlike the other months of the Race, we weren’t given a list of ministry contacts. One of the other teams knew of a pastor in Togo that could host 3 out of the 5 teams that were being called to Togo. Matthew contacted the pastor and it sounded like a great place to serve with a variety of ministry for us to do. However, the Lord had different plans for our teams. Three days before leaving Ghana the ministry contact fell through and was no longer able to host any of our teams.
We began praying that the Lord would direct us where to serve. After arriving in Togo we split up in to groups of 4 and had a day of ATL in Lome, Togo. We prayerfully went around the city in search of ministry contacts. It’s so awesome to see where the Lord leads when you ask Him! He led us to the Seaman’s Club hotel that was near the port. We ended up meeting the owner’s wife, Julia, who is a missionary from Germany. She and her husband moved to Togo 5 years ago and have been running this hotel and ministering to the seamen that come in and out of the nearby port. They were able to offer us rooms to stay at the hotel for a discounted price that was within our budget because we were missionaries. We also found out that the Africa Mercy Ship was docked at the port, so that was a possible ministry contact.
Matthew and his group found an orphanage contact during their ATL day. DJ also emailed several ministries that were in Togo to see if they needed any help for the month.
After a few phone calls and visits with the owner of the orphanage it was decided that our team, team Logos, and team Rev 217, would be serving at the orphanage for the month. We were excited to have a ministry contact for the month; however, I was praying that the Lord would give me a better attitude because something just wasn’t settling right for me. I was willing and wanted to be obedient to the Lord if this was where He was directing us.
The next day when the taxis arrived to take our teams to the village it was decided by leadership that our team would be staying back. The orphanage only had 16 boys that were currently staying there and most of them went to school during the day. With 3 teams going we would have outnumbered them and there also was enough space to accommodate all 3 teams. I was excited because I saw this as God’s way of directing us and pointing us in a different direction. Back to prayer!
The other 2 teams in Togo were going to be staying at the Seaman’s Club and serving on the Mercy Ship for the month. They helped out in the kitchen, with repairs on the ship, stocking items, and in the coffee shop. We ended up being the only team that was still looking for ministry. There was a possibility that Mercy Ship would be able to find spots for us to serve, so we also moved to the Seaman’s Club to stay. I was excited about this possibility because I had 2 friends from back home that were serving on the ship! While we were waiting to hear back from Mercy Ship, we continued to e-mail ministries that were in Lome, Togo. A man from the International Missions Board (IMB), Kevin, contacted us and said that there may be some opportunities to help out at the Baptist Seminary. Yay, an open door! We met with Kevin the next day and visited the seminary. The director of the seminary was very kind and excited that we wanted to serve at the seminary. He had 6 dorm rooms and many pillars that needed to be painted so that students could move in. He said that the seminary would purchase the paint and the supplies. We told him that we would contact him the next day with our decision because we were still waiting to hear back from the Mercy Ship. I was still hoping that the Mercy Ship would work out, mostly for comfort reasons…good food, spend time with my friends from home, and they even had a Starbucks on board! I knew though that I would find the most joy and fulfillment in the ministry that the Lord had for us, so I surrendered my desires to Him.
We found out the next day that Mercy Ship did not have projects or spots available for our team. I was disappointed, but felt at peace knowing that the seminary was the Lord’s best for us.
We started painting the following day. DJ was such a big help! He did a lot of painting before the Race and definitely knew what he was doing. The Lord was faithful in directing us and placing us just where we were supposed to be. It was nice to be able to start a project as a team and see it come to completion. A couple of coats of paint can really transform a room!
My time in Togo deepened my faith and trust in God. He reminded me that He is the source of my joy and comfort. He is the One thing that never changes.
