July 11

11 Jul 2009 – Day 31

How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news! Dirty and pierced for us. Akpe na Mawu!

Hello to all of you. We hope all of you are well. And your family as well. We’ve been reading through “Don’t waste your life.” One of the last chapters is a call to be a missionary. Not just overseas but also at home. And to be thinking about the partnership between senders and goers, as both are critical to the sharing of the gospel. He comments how important it is that sending churches and sending believers have hearts and minds excited about missions, active missionary mindsets at work, with family and community, with finances, time and property -- so that those who are sent have an authentic message. We want them to love the same Jesus we love, the radical life-surrendering Son of God…….We don’t want the Togolese to love America.

July 8th. Wednesday. Melody Ebersole is away. Have I mentioned before how much she and Cari are alike? Her last week was filled with ministry. Despite her numerous exclamations about how much packing she had left to do, she put it off to the last night so she could spend one last time of fellowship with so many of the Togolese kids she’s pouring her heart into. Yao – the amputee that gets around on crutches who she’s leading through the book of John; the 60 kids that come over three times a week for praise and worship and Bible teaching; even a party for all the kids who made decisions for Christ this past year (how could she NOT do these things!). Last minute packing kept her up the entire night so Russ was worried she would fall asleep in Paris and miss her connection. When I stopped by to say goodbye she was lamenting all the non-people tasks left unfinished, like writing some thank you notes. I encouragingly said she could write those on the 3 hour drive to Lome. She said, “Oh no, I’m going to spend that precious time talking with my boys. I’m hoping to get them written on the plane.” “Melody, you won’t write them on the plane, either, you’ll end up sitting next to someone and talking the whole flight!” She smiled and groaned, “Oh I will, won’t I. Please, God, let me sit next to someone who doesn’t want to talk.” We got a good laugh out of that one. I don’t know what happened on the flights, but Russ said she made her connection – she spent her whole layover in Paris talking to a nice gentleman and sharing the gospel with him!

July 9th. Thursday. John and Betty Teusink invited us for dinner. It was nice. They have been here a LONG time, raising their kids here. Two years ago they were wanting to return from furlough but struggled with fund-raising. We’re glad they’re back. He’s the maintenance guy and jack-of-all-trades handyman. He even fixed the ice maker in the guesthouse to the boys’ delight. The place wouldn’t go without him – I think I’ve mentioned before how the hospital can’t function without hot water. All it takes is a faulty boiler to shut down our entire ministry. So again, we’re definitely glad they’re back. Which reminds me, THANK YOU again to everyone who is supporting our trip here and praying for us. We wouldn’t be here without you, either!
Betty saw a cobra in her yard – they still visit from time to time although it is much less often since the wall was built around the compound. I guess it was a small one, but still big enough to stick its head up out of the grass and hiss at her (poor thing, it was probably lost and scared and just looking for its mommy…...). Cari took advantage of Betty’s library to borrow the Janette Oke books and videos, apparently this is considered a real treat? She is enjoying them so much (How much is she enjoying them?) just minutes ago she flatly refused a back rub to keep reading one!

July 10th. Friday. Lively discussions at the guest house! Our newest arrivals here are Barb and Bob Adolf from Cincinnati. They retired from 45 years of full-time missions in Bangladesh not long ago but still manage to come to Togo – they’re here for 4 months. He’s helping fix old and install new lab equipment. They have great stories and love conversation. They also brought their 16 year old grandson.
They came in through Ghana and had quite the journey. Apparently President Obama is visiting Ghana this week? (Nobody knew this….we don’t get much news here) The Adolfs had funny stories about the newly painted airport and signs about not touching anything! His visit happens to coincide with a nationwide gas shortage – not a single gas station in Ghana was open. They made it back on fumes, I guess the car has just enough gas to make a roundtrip from the Togo border. Theories abounded, conspiracy ones included, because none of us knew the real reason. I guess when you’re the dictator you really don’t need a reason to shut off gas nationwide. The most popular theory was crowd control – it’s hard to mobilize for protests and rebellions when there’s no gas. President Obama will think Accra is a nice, quiet city (with a beautiful new paint job, as well!)
And Hillary Harris (the anesthesiologist from South Africa) was supposed to leave this morning for Benin - 3 weeks volunteering on the Mercy Ship. But hot off the email presses was a warning from the US Embassy to stay off the streets of Lome this weekend (her route goes right through the capital). Apparently the main opposition party in Togo scheduled demonstrations this weekend – usually peaceful but always with the potential to turn ugly and violent (the missionaries that were here in 2003 still vividly remember the shootings, stabbings and injuries that followed the national elections – HBB was overwhelmed with patients and refugees). So she elected to stay here until Monday.
With Melody Ebersole gone to the States, Cari has taken on her role as HBB “child life therapist” (child visitation and general amusement). The four of us visited the pediatric ward, sang a couple songs in Eve and English, handed out some toys and candy, then Cari walked around and read Bible stories to the kids (while Andy quickly cancelled NPO orders on two boys so they could eat their chocolate kisses). (Speaking of Cari being like Melody, she’s still debating whether or not to continue having kids club at our house – it would only be about 60 kids three days a week…….in French……..)

July 11th. Saturday. Interesting day, not too busy. Saw a 20 year old French mademoiselle for abdominal pain and dysentery – positive Entoemeba in the stool = amebiasis. Nasty little critter (yet another reminder how blessed we are in the States for such an incredibly clean public water supply). How odd it was to go up to the outpatient clinic and see a white face!
This morning we said goodbye to the other Harrises (David and the boys Steven and Robert) who will return to South Africa without their mom. Drew will certainly miss his Settler’s/pingpong/card game buddies who’ve been so good about including him in things.

For those who were interested in the chalk story, I counted again and found 23 pieces. And the “hand towel” at the nurses’ station sink was an old hospital gown, which they pull out when the 2 ratty old towels get too wet. To clarify, though, the towel shortage may be the result of thievery more than finances -- good towels tend to “walk away” (just like nice pens always walking away from the OB floor back home). In fact, one of the missionaries saw one of our really nice OB towels on the back of a moto at the market one time and she chased the guy down and wrestled it back from him!

Ps. A note from Cari – Apologies to the Peterson family. It was Rebecca Peterson, not Laura, who was at Black Forest – Andy had a momentary memory lapse as he wrote the last email

Mawu ne no kpuli wo (May God go with you)

Yours in the service of our LORD,

CADT (The Robertsons)