Back in Togo

I can hardly believe I’m back in Togo…of all the trips I’ve been involved in and countries I’ve visited this is the first time I’ve done a return visit.

It’s great to be back…vaguely recognizing buildings, streets and of course faces.

The 5 of us made the journey from Accra yesterday morning where Gerard Atohoun the director of development of the Methodist Church in Togo had met us with a minibus. The journey wasn’t too bad taking us just over 3 hours to get to the border (including another interesting toilet stop!!) but it was here that the fun began. First of all we had to leave Ghana officially, then in no mans land we were told we were not allowed to cross the border in our vehicle because it had been hired in Ghana and the driver was not allowed to cross…so we were set to walk dragging all our luggage behind us, but very generously the border guards allowed the vehicle which was picking us up on the Togolese side to come across and get packed up.
Glenn and Oliver squished in to the back of the 2nd vehicle with all our luggage!!!

At this point we still had to get our Togolese visa’s arranged – well the other 4 did as I had thankfully got mine sorted in Accra. This meant more form filling and more waiting but it went generally quite smoothly!! And there we were back in Togo a year later.

When they had arrived Pauline had stated how she thought Accra had been so different to Lomé but I hadn’t really noticed. So as we drove along the road getting closer and closer to the border I found it very strange as I noticed subtle differences and changes along the way and when we crossed the border there was definitely a different atmosphere to that in Ghana and Lomé is certainly very different to Accra. There is the same hustle and bustle, traffic etc but it certainly doesn’t seem just as developed.

Already we have had some great craic with visions of Glenn jumping up and down in his shower with his flip flops on (I’ll let you ask him about that!!), Oliver getting his ‘drugs’ mixed up and taking Tamazipan instead of paracetamol…we wondered why he was just so sleepy!!...then he found someone called Annette in his room…or was that somewhere to hang a net??!! No doubt there will be more tales to tell!

Today we are fully rested and are settling in to our wee room in the Methodist Headquarters. For me I knew I was back when I seen the wee sign above the door “Eglise Methodiste Du Togo Bloc Administratif”…it’s strange how wee markers like that can mean so much. That was the last building we were in last year before we left so I guess it holds a lot of meaning for me.

Our morning has been spent looking through and sorting out the huge mountain of equipment which came in the container via Willie Carson and the container ministry and thankfully arrived without problem.

Part of the huge mountain!!!
Aqua boxes which were in the container

There have now been 2 rooms set up with 15 computers each which will be used to train people who will then in turn be able to train others on the ECDL programme (European Computer Driving Licence) which Pauline and Oliver have been able to arrange and have even had translated in to French.
Helping to set up the computers

There is also a huge amount of clothes and blankets which will be distributed in villages in the north when Pauline and Oliver visit that region amongst other things such as hospital beds – particularly a birthing bed which we believe the Lomé hospital doesn’t even have.
It’s wonderful to see Gerard’s and others reactions when they see what’s coming out of the box next. It was commented on how his face just lit up when he seen a data projector, something they don’t have but will be able to make great use of. Gerard working at his desk

This afternoon we also got to meet the new president of the Methodist Church, Reverend Pasteur Charles Klagba. The 5 of us with the President

He has been in the position for only a month and professes to still be learning his new role but certainly seems to have great vision for taking the Togolese church forward.

So already we have been made to feel so welcome and as if it was only last month we were here not last year.

So as you continue to pray for me please remember the other 4 here with me in Togo, Gerard our host, Charles Klagba and the work of the Methodist church here.

Continue to give thanks that the Seymour Street team has returned home safely and for all the experiences they have had and how they relate that to people at home as well as trying to settle back in to ‘normality’.

Also continue to pray for the work of the clinic and for the workers who are still on site working on the expansion.