Today we leave Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and head south to Ghana. I am excited. I am as far away from home as I will be on this trip, and now I am over the hump and I am heading back towards the airport, back towards home.
Iâm also feeling pretty good, so that helps. How can I help it though? Iâm heading home! Yes, I have a few stops left and five days or so to go, but the journey back has begun.
Bro Aristede is driving us to the border. The pastor from Paga is picking us up there, with the car from the pastor of Tamale church, who left the car with the Paga pastor after the convention so that we would have a way to get to Tamale after the trip to Ouaga. The logistics are getting complex. Such is the way when there are few cars that people own.
Bro Jeffrey confesses to me the finances are getting low, he is not sure how to pay for the fuel we need for the trip to Tamale. No problem, I tell him, Bro Gilbert gave me a love offering. I told him not to, they needed the money to build their new church, but he wanted me to have it. We just need to exchange the Burkina Faso money into Ghana Cedis, and then look at how the Lord provided the means for the fuel. I had some US dollars with me too, just in case this sort of thing happened, but never got them exchanged, so they were essentially worthless. So anyhow, praise God for providing!
We leave around 5:30AM. By the time we are through the border, and have stopped in Paga to see Bro Jeffreyâs family and drop off the donated clothes for the believers in the village it is almost 10AM. We pull off by the Paga Alligator farm.
âDo you want to see the alligators Bro Trevor? You can sit on one and take a picture.â (Hope that link is ok, haven’t fully screened it)
I donât care how tame they are, and how many have done that before me, this is not something I am going to do unless the American Medical system is nearby.
âAre we still planning on going to Jawani?â
âYes, we need to get there.â
âJawani is 2 hours left to go? Service starts at 10:30?â
âYes, the road is so badâŚâ
âWe do not have time for Alligators, please, let us goâ I am making calculations in my head, noon before we get there, two oâclock before we leave, back track to the main road, on to Tamale, preach again at sevenâŚoh God help me to be strong!
Ultimately, we decided that we just would not make the Jawani. I was relieved. It seemed like such a long way out of the way, and the extra preaching with the extra travelling, I felt I would be so worn out. Bro Aruna isnât pleased. American ministers never come to the village. He thought I was going to. I feel badâŚbut He must understand this is a difficult trip for an Americanâs first time to Africa as it is. The schedule is a bit too intense. Another week here and we could make it happen.
There is no way Iâm spending another week. We are headed south toward Accra, the airport, and home!
We fuel up the car and press on towards Tamale. The Paga pastor is driving like crazy. The poor little Toyota Corolla, I feel sorry for how he is driving it, avoiding potholes, all the bajillion speed bumps he barely slows enough for, etcâŚbut secretly I am happy.
Let it fly brother! Drive like the wind!
We arrived quickly enough to a guest house in Tamale. There is no internet though. I cannot call my wife. <big sigh> I enjoy being able to speak with her a little before service, this is the first time this trip we cannot.
After a short rest in the hotel, the brothers come and get me for lunch. I am happily snacking on bread and cheese, I really donât want lunch. âLetâs go Bro Trevor, itâs included in the price of the hotel.â
I order the fish, it wasnât very good. Bro Jeffrey and Paga pastor had Banku, the other brother had rice and pepper sauce. The Tamale pastor pays for the cokes and such that we drink, the rest is âcoveredâ
Included in price of the hotel means billed to room. This is two different things. Bro Jeffrey as we have noted is basically out of moneyâŚSO I paid for a meal I didnât even want in the first place. <sigh> At least the fish settled well.
After lunch we went to drop off Paga pastor at the bus stop so he can get back to Paga. Then we go to see the land and early structure of the church they are building in Tamale. Actually, they are building a church in a few towns simultaneously. They have been renting rooms at a school, but the government has ceased letting that happen, they have until June to be out. So the poor saints of Northern Ghana are all trying to build their local churches prior to June. Pray for them. We stopped at the land and I prayed and asked God to bless the land, and their work and ministry.
For service I preached on Beholding Christ again. This time it was quite different. I brought out the joy of the Lord is our strength! Beholding Him brings you to repentance, beholding him continually brings you to Joy. The same act of Beholding Christ not only helps us to see and acknowledge our sins, but continually beholding him and his vast awesome presence, character, and qualities puts us in a place of wonderful joy of dwelling in him. That joy keeps us from future sin. What kind of sin can compare to the joy that is found when we truly see Him.
The Tamale church is just a little old school room, but I enjoyed preaching to the believers. Some of the young people in particular were very animated and engaged. It made for a fun time.
We returned to the hotel and itâs time for writing and bed.
Next Ghana Post: Day 10 – Back to Accra, Wake Up – Travel – Preach – Repeat
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