Our Mango Adventure

We have returned safe and sound from our trip up north – and with quite a collection of good Africa stories to tell! We are in such a comfy environment down here in Tsiko (though that word is relative I guess – some may not call it that). Our trip up to Mango was our first real “rustic” African experience, and it was kind of fun!

So Mango is... hot and ugly. It is the hottest place in Togo (think 120-130 F). The town is mostly brown mud huts with either corrugated tin or thatched roofs (not sure which is better), with a spattering of concrete buildings in various stages of decay – all with a liberal supply of trash and garbage surrounding them for decoration. The people there come from a number of different tribes such as the Filane, Tsikose, and Housa (yeah, totally guessing on the spelling there). These tribes are considered the lowest and most despised in this area, and most of them are some sort of Muslim, or Muslim/fetish combo. Mango is one of the largest cities in northern Togo, yet it has been completely ignored by the government and even most mission organizations. There is virtually no medical care available there. Though the town is Muslim, they begged ABWE to start a hospital in their town like the one in Tsiko, even knowing that it will be an evangelistic Christian hospital. The need there is tremendous, and the people are beautiful and just as sweet and friendly as they are down south. So a team of church planters has moved up to Mango to prepare the way for the hospital (named Hospital of Hope), and construction is underway on the site which should open in 2014. Stephen and I are really excited about what they are doing there, and are praying about whether it is a place that the Lord would have us come back to.

I know I made Mango sound like it's all awful, but it's not. The town is surrounded by savannah-type plains, and during the rainy season (which I think is from May-November ish) there is actually green grass and a spattering of trees – nothing like the stunning tropical jungle down in Tsiko, but beautiful in its own way. I believe the land is brown the rest of the year. Just outside of Mango there is a river and a dam, which has formed a large lake where hippos now live. So of course we went to see the hippos and happened to get some amazing views and pictures. Those things are enormous! It seemed like they were as big as a bus with their front teeth about the size of my entire body. They were so cool – as long as they were in the water and I was safely on the bank! =-) Oh yes, and on the ride up to Mango the people we were riding with stopped at a small wildlife preserve. It wasn't big enough to have large game like lions and elephants, but we did get to see things like zebras, antelope, crocodiles, wildebeasts, water buffalo... it was beautiful!

Ok, so a few good Africa stories. I grew to dread the bathroom up there... yes, the bathroom. The first night I went marching in there and flipped the light on to find a dead somewhat-smashed lizard (which I know had not been there an hour before) right by my bare foot, which I think I might have just stepped on. And there were about 70 ants (giant ants!!!!) crawling around all over it and the bathroom floor. Our hostess was on the phone with her grandmother in the US, so I determined I'd have to clean it up myself. Gulp. Well, almost by myself. My hero (Stephen) came in to take care of the lizard. I then scrub the lizard blood off the floor and begin to smash ants and chase them around with a broom I found, trying to sweep them down the shower drain (the shower was just a drain and a faucet in the corner of the bathroom anyway). Well, that seemed like a good idea until they started to come up the drain! Oh, did I mention I had shoes on at this point? I don't think I took those things off the rest of my time there. That was just the beginning of that shower experience – by the time it was over I had knocked the faucet off at least twice and completely tore the towel rack off the wall. I really don't know how I managed that. Also, I was told they had no hot water. That was a joke, because really they had no cold water – the water was whatever temperature it felt like being, and that was always hot! I was usually sweating just as much after the shower as before. Anyways... I admit I wasn't sorry to see our little simple, mostly clean, mostly vermin-free bathroom when we got back down here!

We had a few other fun adventures – like piercing a baby's ears and taking stitches out of a man's face. Like I said – no medical care there! The ear piercing would also make a good story, but maybe another post as this one is already too long. The trip back was also kind of an adventure. It went quite smoothly, but taking an enormous bus on crumbling African mountain roads with people who can't speak English can possibly present some challenges. I had two concerns, and therefore two prayers – that I would not have to go to the bathroom on the 8hr trip (squatting by the side of the bus like the African women just wasn't going to cut it for me) and that we would get off at the right stop. I am pleased to announce God graciously answered both! In all, it was a very exciting trip. It was exciting to see and hear and imagine what God is doing and will be doing in Mango. Please pray for this town, that God would use this new hospital to spread His gospel in a place where it has never been before.

P.S. - We will eventually post pictures, probably as a web album, but the internet is too slow here so we will have to do it when we get home!