After 8 hours of bus, border crossing by foot, and very
small taxis, we made it safely to Lome, Togo. I have to say that I am not yet
in love w/ Africa.
Just at the Ghana/Togo border, we were asked to pay 5000CFAs
(about $10) if we didn’t want to go through the trouble of going through a
customs luggage check. We were told this AFTER we loaded everything into 7
taxis. I said we’ll see.
Sure enough, the “customs” official tells us the same thing.
I politely (and with a fake smile) explained that if we can save 5000CFAs by
having 60+ large packs checked by that one guy, so be it. We’re poor
missionaries and can’t afford to spend more money than we need to, especially
since Togo is ridiculously expensive, considering where/how the country is. Why
should we pay him to NOT do his job of checking luggage?
After a couple of back and forth questions, and “checking
with his boss,” he let us go. The mentality, the corruption and greed in West
Africa so far, really sucks. It’s really hard not to make a bad comment on this.
The only thing I love about Ghana is where my team was, and our host family,
Emmanuel, Marianne and the children. My goodness, they’re like a family of
angels.
We are currently working our buns off (which there isn’t
much of for me) in finding ministries. We originally had 2 ministries, but two
days before we left Ghana, we were informed that neither could actually use our
teams. As of today, we have an orphanage lined up, while some of other people
will be helping out on Mercy Ship, a fully functional Christian hospital ship-with
over 450 crew-that sails to different countries and provide free medical aide.
I think had I heard of Mercy Ship before the World Race, I would’ve considered
it.
Please continue to pray for our ministry options and for
doors to open, and new relationships to form! I apologize for the lack of photos in my blogs lately. Internet in West Africa’s kinda slow, and when you’re with 30 other people that eat up the bandwith, it’s a very long process!
