jimtheyouthguy

Our reporting “from the front lines” has been minimal. We’ve stayed pretty busy with travel to various sites and participation with different services, conferences, village encounters, etc. It would take a couple of hours to relate the greatest experiences and a couple of days to convey most of our stories. So Laura and I will keep posting for another week or two when we get back.

Today is our last day in Togo. We fly out (Lord willing and the creek don’t rise) tonight, Sunday, May 31st, at 11:15pm. We should be home (in Tampa) about 5:20pm tomorrow (barring flight delays, flight cancellations, missed flights, etc.).

Some of the big “take-aways” are in the cultural contrasts and and expectations. For example, yesterday we passed by a moto accident on the streets of Lome. A woman was laying on the sidewalk with a makeshift bandage on her foot and ankle and there was a fair amount of blood streaming across the sidewalk. This prompted multiple conversations about Togolese legal culture.

For example, no one around the woman on the sidewalk did anything to help. By Togolese law, if they “assist” her in anyway, they become responsible for all of her expenses and if she were to die, they could go to jail – and that is just for the bystanders and witnesses. For the other person that was involved in the accident, it is their financial responsibility regardless of fault. Even if she pulled out into traffic, driving against the flow and suddenly darted in front of the car which was doing everything right, it would still be the driver of the car (or owner of the car) on the hook for all expenses simply because they had more money. In Togo, whoever has the most money pays.

If you steal something from your own “clan” or within your own village, they will hunt you down and perhaps even beat you to death. “We have so little, how could you steal from your own?” You don’t steal. Officially, it is frowned upon, of course, but there would likely be no consequences for the vigilantes. However, if you broke into a home and stole from a rich person … well, they can afford it. Officially, there is nothing to do but fill out an insurance report.

Bribery is a common practice. Usually, they are referred to as “fines”, but there is no official record, no receipt and no accounting for which pocket the money went into and no recourse.

In one of the villages, the chief won’t allow an NGO to dig the village a deep well for clean water at no expense … unless they pay him.

And yet at the same time, complete strangers will invite you in, insist you take the best seats in the home, offer you something to drink or even eat if it is anywhere near a meal time. They will ask about your health, your family and how you slept. They will share with you family history and village history. They will listen politely and even ask questions to clarify what they don’t understand even when they are absolutely opposed to your viewpoint (for example a witch doctor who was the village chief and insistent that we would not share the Gospel (or even speak with) his people), being genuinely warm and pleasant throughout the conversational conflict.

There is a scarcity mentality yet a generous spirit. There is a desire to “have things”, but not at the expense of the community. There is individual ownership and personal prosperity (or at least a desire for comfort) without ever forgetting about the village. They use technology as we do (when they are able to get their hands on it) with cellphones, laptops and social media and it doesn’t diminish their spirituality.

Then there are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

When they stop their voodoo practice, they lose their family and community. They are outcasts. By refusing to participate in the rituals, they “invite evil spirits” into the village. They become responsible for every little problem/crisis/loss in the village because they have selfishly turned their back on their family practice. They are truly outcast and isolated. But they keep coming.

They also keep going.

There are so many stories of young men and women (I’ll introduce you to some in the next week or so) whose lives are transformed by the Gospel and desire to live out “all the things [Jesus] commanded”. Who actually believe that they are to “go into all the world and make disciples” as they are disciples. Who worship in spirit and truth. Who are “new creations” for whom all the former things “passed away”.

We hear the stories, but to actually get to meet them …

I’ve run across a famous person from time to time. I’ve been on a plane with Evander Holyfield, watched fireworks on The Pier in St Petersburg with Tony Dungy and his family (and at a Promise Keepers conference in Tampa, I was side by side with Tony at the urinals). I’ve corresponded with a couple of well known authors and been at Galas and meet & greet events where I shook hands with various “impressive” or “important” people. In church world, I have had extended conversations and prayer with Brother Andrew (God Smuggler) and Bruce Olsen (Bruchko), Max Lucado, John Maxwell, Jim Cymbala and many others who would not remember me. In sports world I have met many international soccer players and even a couple of pro football players because of my proximity to IMG. There have been a couple of governors, senators and congressman. Heads of multi national corporations. Multi millionaire (back when millionaire was something) entrepreneurs. A few “I knew them before …” stories of musicians, entertainers and the like.

But none of that even comes close to finally getting to shake hands and speak with Antoine.

Antoine is a young man (twenty-four I think) who “accidentally” planted a church as a teenager. He got saved, was discipled by his pastor and told that we are all part of the Great Commission. We are all called to be witnesses. And not knowing any different, he went and did that.

Antoine began telling people about Jesus and a transformed life. As people began to accept Christ, he would teach them from the Bible. He taught them things he had been taught (and was being taught). He met with them regularly and challenged them to live out their faith and tell others. And before he was 20 years old, he was leading a church.

He has now received the “training” in evangelism and church planting (during the training, he started a second church in another village). Now he “knows what he is doing”.

But all that was really necessary was simple obedience and compassion. He was excited to tell others that their life could be transformed. They didn’t have to continue in fear, anxiety, bitterness and loss. The people he knew could have the same hope, joy and peace he experienced. He brought them knowledge of light and life! As a teenager!!

And I got to shake his hand!

I was recently reading an essay about “tribalism” in politics, social networks and institutions. Essentially, as “tribes” divide on finer and finer points of distinction, it becomes impossible to have civil discourse. Anyone who does not agree with us (not just agree on the stated objective, but also the reason for the the perceived injustice, who is to blame and the method by which resolution is to be accomplished) is to be shouted down. They are to be cancelled, isolated, and if possible – utterly destroyed socially.

We are currently in a land of multiple tribes, but 2 distinct family groups (here they talk about the family you belong to – much like descendants of Abraham, Lot, Esau or Jacob) dominate the culture. There is a lot of distrust between the two and a great deal of prejudice (the current president is of one tribe and in the national police force, 75% must be of his tribe), much of it a result of historic injustice. In addition, as you move away from the larger city centers, there is much distrust of the “yo vo” as well.

On our second day of prayer walks, we went to 4 “hard” villages. These are villages that had specifically rejected the Gospel. They are not interested in Jesus. They don’t need or want a church. They are voodoo practitioners and that is what they want.

But they say it with smiles, warmth and genuine hospitality!

We were in a village our guiding local pastor had visited on previous trips to the area. The village chief had absolutely rejected the idea of Christians establishing a presence in his village. They practiced voodoo and they had no need for this intrusion. Knowing this, we did not speak to anyone in the village until we went straight to see the chief (sometimes this is even translated as king – he is not just a “wise old man” sought out for advice or blessing).

As we approached the chief’s home, there was a flurry of activity as the porch was swept off, chairs and benches were brought out and cleaned, animals and insects were shooed away and a general reception was prepared. We were offered seats and the greeting began.

They have an interesting greeting ritual. Once everyone has been seated, leader greets leader in a series of questions. The “elder” or homeowner will ask, “How is your family?”, “How are you?”, “How are your children?”, (in a Christian context they might ask, “How is your wife?”, “How is your health?” and “How did you sleep?” The answers are all, “fine”, “good”, “never better”, “can’t complain” and such. It is almost a verbal dance with the answers given before the question is finished and the next question asked while the previous answer is given and ends with a handshake that is right out of the 70s with multiple changes in hand grip ending with the hands sliding down to finger tips and a final snap (like the secret handshake that everybody knows). Then introductions are made and we sit silently until the chief asks why we are present – usually in the form of “What is the goal of your visit (what do you hope to achieve)?”

Pastor Joel, explained that we were there to tell people about Jesus and to walk through the village praying (Une marche de prière). With a gentle voice, a big smile and pleasant attitude, the chief proceeded to tell us that they were now, had historically been and had every intention to remain voodoo practitioners. They had no need of our prayers, our Jesus or our church. He did not want us to walk through his village praying and we were not to talk to anyone. Never was a voice raised. No one was ever interrupted, cut-off or shouted down. The conversation remained civil at all times.

Joel asked how we might pray for the village and the chief asked us to pray for the health of the village (on that particular outing to 4 villages, the common themes were, the water is bad and making our children sick and people die too quickly (die young)). So even in opposition, we were allowed to pray and a request was made. Then the chief dispatched one of his “elders” (a headman in the village) to guide us to the elders in the other villages we were to visit and bid is farewell in a congenial way.

Now, I have no delusions that the words spoken to his village about us were anything other than direct and stern. I am quite sure that they were threatened with dire consequences if they were to interact with us. It would not surprise me at all if he cursed us (not profanity, but a ritual incantation wishing us harm by the act of a god or demon). But he was nice about it!

At the next village, I had the opportunity to pray with on of the elders who had a broken leg (broken on December 31st and still not able to get to a hospital). He even had the children run and get the men of the village so they were present when we prayed. He was open to having a church start in the village. He told us the he would not be attending the church, but he told everyone present that they should go.

We had other good conversations with a couple of other elders who were open to prayer and Joel’s return to share the gospel and establish a consistent presence. Though we didn’t have an opportunity to share the Gospel in any of these villages, Joel was encouraged at the invitation to return to two of the villages with the blessing of the chiefs.

The most interesting aspect for me was the general warm reception and congenial attitude from the most open to the most opposed. Hospitality and general civility was absolute. That is a far cry from what I usually experience at home.