Arrival in Kara / Nov. 15, 2008

Corban and Caden -- Two reasons To Travel To Togo!

The road to Kara was the roughest we encountered so far. Words are inadequate to describe them. Even the "national highway" that runs north and south between Kara and Lome is marked by frequest, large potholes (more like craters!). Again, many Africans walking or on scooters -- many others offering goods for purchase. Brett bought freshly picked oranges and grapefruit as well as straw mats to cover his house roof. We were piled almost as high as a Togo taxi!

Finally arrived in Kara. Had a very pleasant afternoon and evening. Brett gave us a tour of their house, the grounds, and the plantings he has done. Clearly he is proud of their home and rightly so. It is very warm (no pun intended) and welcoming. Evening meal with Caden and Corban in bed allowed for some adult conversation. We learned more about their work, their goals and their future plans. Of course Corban is just as lovable and smiley as Caden. They are two of the many good reasons for us to go to Togo.

Good night

Like father, like son!

Purchasing fruit at a roadside stand. For health reasons, they only eat fruit with thick skins that can be peeled.

These straw mats will be placed on the flat, cement roof of their house to help keep it cooler.

Brett's truck is stacked up like a Togo taxi!

Brett seals the deal with a handshake.

Brett and April's house and grounds.

The Road to Togo / Friday, Nov. 14

6:30 am -- Good morning! Caden comes by to visit. He loves the sticker book Gamma brought him.

8:30 am -- Departure. Driving around Accra, we saw the stereotypical scenes of roadside produce sales with women carrying baskets on their heads ..... wait, it's not a stereotype -- it's real!

Noon -- Picnic lunch at Akosombo Dam (see photos) and Volta Hotel . (Still in Ghana)

Afternoon -- Really rural! We passsed hundred of Ghanians and Togolese walking or ridiing scooters in places where it appeared that no one lived. But, Brett says that out in the bush are little communities.

Arrival in Togo. It requried three different stops in Togo before we were "legal." At each stop Brett gave an official a loaf of fresh bread he had purchased at a roadside stand. The last stop involved Joy and I getting Togo visas. (We were very thankful Brett is fluent in French!) The official made a 4-H project out of it. He certainly was not in a rush. In fact, throughout the day it seemed that few people seemed rushed and stressed. They just went about their business, apparently believing they would accomplish their task in due time. Maybe we stressed out Americans could take a lesson. If we didn't have so much "stuff," we might not feel the pressure to protect it or add to it.

That's not to say what we experienced was calm. In fact, while the people are low key, the sheer numbers made it feel very chaotic. Still, there were no instances of "road rage" all day long.

PM -- Stayed over night at the Baptist Hospital Guest House where Joy saw her first live gecko! He was on the wall, so she moved her bed into the middle of the room, I guess thinking geckos wouldn't find her there.

Friday reflections -- After two days here, the grinding poverty still seems to be the norm. Brett says that Ghana has a large middle class, but they are surely outnumbered by theh poor. What does the poverty look like?

1. Cities that have grown into huge metropolises with little or no planning. (Accra is a city of 2-3 million)

2. The third largest city in Togo had ONE paved road. Deeply rutted dirt roads were the norm.

These two glimpses illustrate a major problem: the lack of government resources to insure an adequate infrastructure. More illustrations later.

Brett hopes to get an early start tomorrow. He's anxious to be home -- single parenting is hard work!

Photo captions: TOP TO BOTTOM: A Togolese taxi / children in school uniforms / Very rural! / Joy and Brett enjoying lunch / the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River

PS I would like to post the photos at the end, but I haven't figured it out yet. Can anyone help me out?

Arrival / Thursday, Nov. 13

Below: Accra is the capital of Ghana. It's a
very congested city of about 2-3 million.

Today we got our first glimpses of Africa -- a continent with vast fields to harvest spiritually. My first impression is that at least some Africans are desperately poor. We landed in Accra, Ghana, and many attempts to "help" us with luggage, etc. were made by persistent men seeking some small financial reward. As Brett drove us to the Baptist Guest House, we saw a one-legged beggar approaching cars at a red light. Brett said he had been similarly approached perhaps 50 times that day. (Of course, homeless beggars can be encountered in downtown Nashville too, but not in such staggering numbers.) The poverty here seems more pervasive -- but I am drawing a conclusion based on being here about six hours. So, I should re-visit this topic later.





Tonight we sleep in Accra; tomorrow night in Tsiko, Togo. Then Saturday we arrive in Kara -- woo hoo!!! It was great to see little Caden tonight! Soon we get to see Corban also -- as well as April. Can't wait!





Good night.

The Sweetness Comes Later

In November 2008 my wife, Joy, and I travelled to Togo in West Africa to visit our son and his family. They live in Kara in northern Togo but work as missionaries in the villages around Kara. What we saw was eye opening and life changing.

I kept a daily journal during our 2+ weeks there. This blog is an electronic version of my journal. I will attempt to make posts every day or two, with each blog entry corresponding with one of my journal entries. However, be patient -- I am new at this and may miss occasionally.

Some introductions: Besides Joy and I, appearing regularly are my son Brett, his wife April, and their two sons -- Caden and Corban.

Oh yes, the title of today's entry is found on the wall of the building where the Christians at N'Djei worship. (See first photo.) The second photo is of us with the Christians at the Lassa Tchou church.