Togo 8/13/07

8/13/07

Today was the first clinic day. We were to begin at 8am, but due to some complications the doctors did not begin to see patients until 10. there was a big opening ceremony complete with a visit from a representative of the ministry of health. He, John, and Nancy cut the ribbon and we were finally set to go.
Things seem to be going quite well. There have been some language differences and some complications in the pharmacy. Contrary to expectations there are five doctors, not two and three pharmacists, not none. However, the local pharmacists were unfamiliar with the powdered form of amoxicillin. They were dispensing it dry, but it needs to be mixed with 88ml of water. I'm not sure how any of these people are going to measure 88ml of water.
This afternoon I found out why I have been being introduced as Pastor David. Pastor Guidi took John and Nancy to do an interview on a live radio show. Nancy and John agreed that I should be the one to speak for the group and to be "in charge" in their absence. Though I have only today to call clinic experience the locals approached me with the utmost respect since I am seen as 3rd in command. So, I can say that for at least a few hours, I was running a medical clinic in Togo. But in reality, I was more of a figure head and all the decisions that needed to be made were made as a group.
One of the most amazing things to watch at the clinic is the prayer station. The local leaders of the congregation have selected about seven "prayer warriors." It is their job to pray all day - for the clinic, for the doctors, for the patients, just to pray. And pray they did - in a very animated, pentecostal sort of way. I have spent a good bit of time today in prayer as well. But I have been much quieter, playing guitar and praying the daily office from the book of common prayer.
I also had a chance today to meet Francis, the assistant to Bishop Legay, in Ghana. We spoke for a while about the similarities and differences between our cultures. In hopes of finding some answers regarding the questions that the group had raised about the comparative wealth of pastors in Togo, I began to ask him some questions. I told him about my time at David Lutheran where I was expected to wear a sports coat to worship on Sundays, but how I would never do something like that in Adamsville because I would not have been trusted dressed like that. He explained that pastors in Africa get dressed up for special events. Since receiving visitors like us is so special to them, everyone we met has been dressed nicely. When they go out into the poorer regions, they dress more simply, in a way that would not be out of place in that village. Here, in the captial, among the richest and most successful people in the country a pastor must maintain a certain public image in order to be taken seriously. I plan on sharing this info with our group tonight. I expect that it will help to ease their tensions.
While we were still speaking I decided to continue Dr. Powell's experiment regarding the parable of the prodigal son. He told our class once that in Africa, people more closely identify with the person in the ditch, the one who needs help. Where as western Christians tend to think of themselves as the Samaritan, the one who is offering help. However, this particular African understood the story in the "western" way.
This afternoon, while John and Nancy were away, a woman came into the clinic with a very ill child. A nurse saw the woman n the reception area and wanted to take her immediately but could not for fear of cultural ramifications. She suggester, however, that I, as a pastor, could skip this woman to the head of the line and that would be acceptable. So, i took her to the head of the line and the baby was seen a short time later. When she was done with the doctor, several people from the team gathered to pray over the baby. By th end of the prayer there was an observable difference in the child.
Today I also had a chance to learn a little ewe (pronounced "AY-way"). "Ay-fwa" means "Have you awoken well?" to which the affirmative response is "enh!"
10:15
I am continually astounded by the work that God is doing - on this mission and in my life. This evening we were able to sit down with Pastor Guidi and be clear about our expectations. This has meant canceling some events, but we believe that it will lead to a chance to have more meaningful interactions with the people that we meet.
Our plan is to visit churches in Lome' tomorrow. We are going to divide the team into four groups. One group will stay home and rest, John will lead one group, Nancy will lead the second, and I will lead the third group. We plan to go and greet these outlying house churches as representatives of Peace Lutheran Church.
I am so grateful for the time that I have spent here and all that I have learned about ministry and about myself. It is my prayer that I will be able to continue this growth once returning to the States. Tomorrow should be another amazing day!