Before I start, please know that I have tried and tried and tried to get a video and two blogs up, but TIA (This is Africa) and the internet here apparently doesn’t like me. The pictures were meant for a different blog, but these two are all that I could get loaded. With that said…
Approximately once a continent we get to partake in an ATL
month in which we Ask The Lord where we should go and serve that month. Due to logistical issues and financial
stewardship, how the month realistically plays out is not as mysterious as it
might sound, but it still requires prayer and an active step into the
unknown.
This ATL, five of the seven teams felt led to come to
Togo. Out of good discernment, the teams
traveled together into Lome, Togo. After
a few days of establishing a home base to work out of, we spread out all over
the city to see what ministries we could find to partner with for the
month. The following is the account of
how this season of faith panned out for myself, Team Logos and Team REV217.
“Please take us to a busy part of the city. 3000?
Too much. 1000. Ok, 2000.
Let’s go.”
“Excuse me. Is there
a church nearby? You’ll take us? Merci.”
“Two missions for us to look into? Both about five minute ride. Merci.”
“Stop here. Bonjour,
we are a group of Americans showing up on your doorstep to help you. No, we do not speak French. He’ll be back next week? Ok, merci.”
“Before you take us there, do you know of any orphanages
around here? How far? 40 kilometers out of the city, you say. How much for all four of us? Round trip with an hour wait, right? Make it 12,000. Let’s go.”
“Man, good thing our taxi driver speaks at least some
English.”
“Bonjour Alex. Where
are the kids? Under construction? Where are they now? Let’s go.”
“Nice to meet you Daniel.
Your English is better than my French.
Can you translate for us?”
“We are a group of missionaries from America come to help at
your orphanage. How can we help? Oh, well.
We can teach English, play games, share the gospel, build relationships,
and love on the kids.”
“Love on? I mean,
become friends with them. *Yes, even
more than Facebook.”
“Sixteen boys. No
girls? Do they play soccer, err,
futbol? We’re in.”
“Wonderful, but where can we stay? Really, a house to rent that’s only about a
five minute walk away?”
(Five minute walk later.)
“Kitchen.
Couches. Table. Ocean breeze.
Western toilet. Only four people
would sleep on the floor. It’s a deal.”
Needless to say, we have been provided for. Our basic needs have been met, and then
some. Daniel, the friend of the
orphanage director we randomly met, has borrowed cars to drive us when getting
groceries, introduced us to restaurant owners, aided with taxis, and helped in many
ways to get our home and ministry established.
Also, the owner of the first hotel we stayed at in Togo has a cousin
with a ministry that one of my teammates looked into. Capitalizing on the “chance” relationship, we
met some absolutely amazing people and got involved with their ministry to the
“forgotten” villages of Togo and painted walls at their orphanage. Our desire is that this ministry will be
visited by future World Race teams.
Here’s the point.
Were all these coincidences?
That’s not rhetorical. Sometimes
life works out well because our cost/benefit analysis prioritizing sufficient
over deficient pays off. But there’s
other times when I’ve stepped out and trusted that needs would be provided for
and they are. Is that coincidence?
After more and more prayers are answered, I have to continually
stop and wonder, “If the God of the universe loves me, can a greater hope exist
than the gospel?” One more
question: Is it coincidence that you are
reading this? What if it wasn’t? (That was two questions, I realize.)
*Added for comedic relief.
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