A trip to Church

Last Sunday, we were able to go to the Tsiko church. We don't have a vehicle, so we got to walk! John and the 2 little ones walked there the first Sunday we were here, but Eliza and I were sick and had to stay home. So this was the first time for us all to walk together.

Aiden and John headed to church.

The kids were great and really didn't complain about the heat or the distance.  The Togolese are accustomed to walking everywhere in the hot sun, but we Yovo's (white people) definitely are NOT use to it!!

Aiden sitting with his good friend Kokou who worked with us the last term we were here.        Aiden calls Kokou his "favorite friend".

The Tskio church is a sweet church that was planted here many years ago.  It is well established and led by a Pastor Tgobe.  This Sunday was a special Christmas service where the women of the church brought gifts for the pastor and the church. This is Florence.  It is a little hard to see, but she is bringing a live chicken for a gift!

This is Elizabeth.  She brought a gift of charcoal.

Most all of the women of the church participated and brought gifts of chickens, bananas, tomatoes, rice, charcoal, corn, manioc, pineapples and more!  It was quite the fanfare!

On the walk back home, the "Fan Man" ( a guy on a bicycle with a cooler) was out selling different ice creams.  So we stopped and bought the kids a little orange icee for about 30 cents.  It was a nice treat to help cool them down a little bit.

The walk home was a little tougher since it was closer to noon and much hotter!  We were thankful for the little patches of shade along  one side of the road.

Aiden got a blister on his foot from walking so John wound up carrying him on his shoulders.  Then Eliza followed.  Little Livi with the short legs and prego me brought up the rear!!!  We walked very carefully in a sinlge file line on the very edge of the road.  You don't want to walk in the grass because of snakes, but you also have to be careful to stay out of the way of the cars and motos that fly by you!

Resting in the shade and watching a little family of chickens in the bushes.

Olivia had to show me her dirty feet once we got home.  I couldn't help but think we needed to have a good ole fashioned Free Will Baptist feet washing service!! The verse in Romans also came to mind, "...How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace, and bring glad tidings of good things".

It is always a blessing to visit the Togolese churhces. It makes me think about what Heaven will be like....singing, worshiping!! "Every tribe, every tongue, every people, every land. Singing glory. Singing honor. Singing praises to the Lamb of GOD!"