One more day of traveling!

We hopped up to head out.  I had a few granola bars in my carry-on.  We enjoyed that and a cup of coffee at the Guest House.  I couldn't wait to get on the road.  Joe was having trouble with the brakes on his vehicle.  He had them worked on and paid for new brakes, but that didn't happen.  He was not sure what the mechanic had done to the brakes.  They were making an awful racket.  Joe would stop put the car in reverse and the brakes would go back into place so we could go further. 

It was not as hot as we had expected.  The air conditioning was out again on Joe's car, so we enjoyed the smells and sounds as we traveled. 

It does smell different in Africa.  The sewers are open.  Little ditches are running on both sides of the road.  The people have shops next to the ditches.  They do put boards over the ditches so you can step to their shop.

The road construction took the front part of this building.  They just
continued using what was left and added their shops to the front. 

 While we were going through Accra there was quite a bit of road construction.  There is supposed to be a divided highway with three lanes on each side.  The roads aren't finished yet so they go both ways on both sides of the road.  If you meet road construction in your lane just hop over to another.  Can you tell where we should be?  Joe is used to this kind of driving.  In fact, the traffic was very light for this day. 

Dan was a preacher boy for the missionary before Joe.  His father had saved money to send his youngest son, Dan, to college to be a pharmacist.  The missionary had said to go ahead and go to Bible College and after he graduated perhaps God would open the door for him to go to Pensicola Baptist College.  But, that didn't happen.  So, in utter frustration, he ran from the church and from God.  He wanted to go to America more than he wanted to serve God.  He ran right into the welcoming arms of some men on a ship that told him they would take him to America if he would sign onto their crew.  At sea he found out that he was on a pirate ship that had no intention of going to America.  Dan was devastated.  This was not the place for a child of God.  It took awhile for him to escape the ship and get back to Takoradi, Ghana.  Dan came back to the church.  He realized that God had a place for him right there.  Everyone told Joe to be very wary of Dan, but Dan had listened carefully to him and prayed with him.  Now, Dan is Joe's right hand man.  They visit together, they have Bible clubs, they even are preaching together.  Dan interprets into Fante for Joe.  We teased him that he should change his name to Jonah.  God prepared this young man to come back just when Joe needed help at the church. 

Dan and Joe preaching.  Oh, you should hear him sing!

It only took four hours to get to Joe's house.  Joe said that was the fastest trip he had ever taken to get back home.  The traffic was light, and construction was not working that day.  What a blessing for us!

Now we have been on our trip for 47 hours.  It is a rugged trip, but we did get a good night's sleep last night.  When we started down the hill to where Joe lives the entire atmosphere was different.  It looked like an oasis in a tropical Paradise. 

A path leading up to a house on the hill.

Where Joe lives.  See the guard house on the right?

Greeting our kids.  We sure did get some hugs. 

This picture was after we hugged each child several times.  Gilbert came running down the stairs and jumped right up into my arms just like he said he would.  We were so glad to see them.  I think they were glad to see us too.  Can you believe it is 47 hours since we left home?  I'm very glad I didn't tell Buster our trip would take that long before we left!

Thank you, Lord, for a safe trip and a happy ending to this trip.  Psalm 135:1  "Praise ye the LORD.  Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD."