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Togo Mission 2007with Kipuke Ministries
Day 2 – Saturday
Today has been exciting indeed and really must be experienced to understand and we have not left the city yet.
Esahu let us sleep and rest this morning, but I had a difficult time doing so .It is somewhat hot in the house, not so much outside. There is no ac and even if there was, electricity is a problem with frequent brownouts. When we arrived early this AM from the airport. The house had not electricity and was using kerosene lanterns to light. As you can imagine they add warmth to the room...
I get ahead of myself. We arrived Lome Togo (pronounced Lomaa, long a sound) about 0130 in a just ending rain, everything was wet and humid... as we entered the customs area, and we had to fill out some cards with our personal info and passport info, just as we did in Casablanca. We could do this ourselves, but a small man came over and took over filling out any area we had questions about, correcting our dates (not June 19, 1955, but 19 Jun 1955) and asking and filling in info that was not yet completed.
By the way it is 0230 here Sunday morning as I write this, I was run off the roof where I was sleeping peacefully by some misty rain and now cannot sleep. Mary is asleep on the tile floor, not handling the heat in the house well. Tomorrow will be better though..
Back to my story, I thanked him in French (everyone speaks French) and shook hands with him and he stood there and after some time said, “you need to give me something”.
I finally realized he was asking for a tip and then further asked for 10 dollars ( usa ) . I explained that I had no money (not exactly true, I had $100 bills, but was not about to tip him that and offered him some DH from morocco which he declined wanting US. I explained that I needed to exchange some currency and this started another chain of events, expediting us thru the customs portal into the baggage area involving someone else who wanted a tip. Let me explain, I as an American am used to tipping for good service.
But apparently I was getting into something that should not have been for a missionary.
Now a third person becomes involved, a baggage man or porter, he is very good and efficient, our bags are very heavy (5 at 70 pounds each). The little man who first helped now takes me thru customs to get my money exchanged, probably someone else who will want a tip, and there is Esahu among others awaiting their loved ones. We hugged and he asked where I was going, and I briefly told him “this man is expecting a tip, rushed us thru customs and I am now going to exchange some currency so I can tip “,
“NO!”
Esahu is very animated with the man and they speak loudly in French, “apparently telling him “you are in trouble man, go on NOW, leave us”. African’s seem to speak loudly, just an observation, when trying to make a point. When in a language you don’t understand it can be intimidating. We as Americans need to remember this in our country when around those that don’t speak the language.
The man knows Esahu as most of the airport workers do, and apparently fears for his job and leaves us alone as does the others and the porter continues to look for our 5th bag which was one of the last off the plane. The govt. knows Esahu and Kipuke ministries and what they do for the people and have given him this concession of not bothering baggage brought thru customs.
Now remember Esahu is a huge man, at least 6-6 and >300 lbs. and is quite intimidating just in size. But this was a side I had not seen in the USA. He is always mild spoken and only raises his voice when preaching the word. This was Esahu, the African, the Missionary, who knows Africa.. There seems to be almost a pecking order or cast with some very humble and insisting on there place as servant or whatever job they have, this extends to women.
As the porter loaded/forced our overstuffed luggage into a now overstuffed VW Golf, with Esau’s direction, still leaving room for driver and 2 passengers and himself, remember we also had carry-on’s . He tipped the porter some change after speaking to him at length in French. Esahu then explained the chain of events and how potentially we could have been robbed.
We drive from a lighted airport area onto darkened streets a 0330 and he explains about the power shortage in Lome and you only get power a few hours a day. As we drive there are still people walking the streets, an occasional motor cycle (moped). Paved street turned into bumpy brick street, turning into a dirt road before we arrived home at the mission house. Esahu calls ahead and huge wooded garage doors are opened, by Lewis and we pull into the garage, the doors swing shut and we are greeted by his grown daughter from Nigeria (adopted as a child).
She cares for the house and is here when Esahu is here. Lewis who is like a caretaker for the house, calls Esahu, Poppa – out of respect and love and has been with Esahu since 2004.
Just like in Morocco the houses are a walled compound. Large high ceilings, many windows, tile floors. I sleep very little, had slept very little on the plane from morocco and am unbearably hot; I had to wrap my head to prevent sweat from pooling in my eyes. My head sweats profusely even at work and now I see a problem, remedied by an old fashion Dew-rag made from a tee shirt, which a continue to where most of the time.
Anyway I awaked that morning to light, a raking sound outside and children next-door.
We let Mary sleep awhile and when she awakened we had a breakfast of French bread, butter and Nescafe, of a hot milk drink from powdered milk and sugar.
We toured the house. This house is a blessing to the ministry, built by a former Muslim exec of Air France. He converted to Christianity over time after meeting Esahu and becoming friends. Esahu used to meet him daily for lunch and they would pray and read scripture. He had the house built and decided to move back to France. Kipuke ministries is the first occupant of this House/compound and he leases it them for $400 monthly when he could easily get $900. He said consider $500 a month an offering to your ministry.
Besides having a wall and wooden garage doors, you have a huge LR DR combination with barred windows, probably 13-15 foot Trayed ceilings, ceramic tile floors. The only furniture is a PVC table and 4 chairs. A hallway leads to stairs and the roof, a tiled kitchen, Esau’s bedroom with another room, all can be locked. This interior room is almost hidden. This is one of the places where they store supplies before taking it to the bush. This way if someone breaks in when we are away, they find a vacant house with large wooden doors inside and each room and closet locked. And nothing to steal.
Another hall leads to 3 more bedrooms and bathrooms. Upstairs on the flat roof, meant to be a patio atmosphere with a 4 foot high cement rail around it the breeze constantly blows as we are a mile from the Gulf of Benign. This is where I awoke tonight to a mist.
After rest he took us to the Korean Methodist Church Compound. I cannot tell you how nice this is. Esahu teaches here when in Togo and they gave a great relationship. We met many Togolese who work there and the Teenage choir and their Togolese preacher. We also met some Korean teens on mission there.
This is in the middle of the city, but nothing like you can imagine unless you have been here. Outside the opulence of the compound is dirt, like red clay dirt, but sandy. Each house is rundown, cement block, holes in the roads, trash and pieces of plastic bags everywhere. Children playing in the streets or outside their homes, Women walking with baskets on their heads carrying everything from Water to items for sale, stools to sit on, everything. This is something they learn to do at a very young age.
At the Korean compound the we and the men help bring more overstuffed suitcase down to the car, some weighing over 80 pounds which I watched a small skinny man carry down two flights of stairs on his head. We got out 2 bicycles and a motorcycle to take to the north. The motorcycle is new as are the bicycles and will be used by local missionaries in the north. We will borrow the Korean’s Van and pack 2 cars as full as we can get them. Believe me these people know how to pack.
The motorcycle is Chinese and is basically a new 1973-1980 model Honda 125 which the Chinese bought the rights to. As the men worked on the bikes and MC we walked thru the neighborhood, I previously described and ended up at one of Esau’s Planted Church’s. It is an outdoor tabernacle (Pole barn no sides, dirt floor) wooden pews benches.
The preacher there is very kind and gracious and we sit and talk. I wish I had my video camera with me because the discussion was such I cannot truly convey it from memory and the expressions and intonations of speech are missing from my writing.
A description
Of this church and the Korean Church are miles apart and this is a big difference in Esau’s ministry and theirs. Esahu raises up preachers to be self-sufficient and to survive on their own with help. When the Koreans leave they lock the doors to everything. Works well when they are there, but locked when they are not. They also worship separately from the Africans in a separate sanctuary. Rings kind of separate but equal.
Must end now. Battery low and no electricity. Maybe God wants me to try and sleep, it is 0400.
Meeting the pastor of the planted church just down the road was very informative and enjoyable. I wish I had my video camera at the time to record the conversation.
He talked of how witchcraft and magic is steeped into the villages just a small ways away and he could take us there. We would have nothing to worry about because we are filled and protected by the Holy Spirit and should not fear these things.
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