Nearly a Brawl

Debby and I had planed to spend the week of March 24-30 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, but once again it just didn’t happen. (Acts 16:6-7) Because of the adoption of the twins in Benin, we had to spend more time there. The judges were on strike in Benin, but on March 25th we were finally able to meet with the judge.

Picture of a taxi in Ghana. Not all bush taxis are as well marked or in as good of condition as this one – but it’s an example of what a “bush” taxi looks like in Ghana. Most are old Peugeot 504 or 505 wagons in the francophone countries we work in.

On March 27th we made the trip from Cotonou, Benin to Accra, Ghana. As usual we used a “bush” taxi. This is a car and driver that takes you a distance – city to city. In this case it is Cotonou, Benin to Lome, Togo. Then you cross the border into Ghana and take a different bush taxi on to Accra. I have done this trip countless times with seldom any problem. (Last year we did have a taxi break down on a hot, nearly deserted road.) This year almost every time had some complications. This last time was no exception. My African pastors most times don’t like us traveling by ourselves because of things that can happen. The US embassy warns us to avoid large angry crowds. (I nearly got caught in one in Abidjan in 2000 and had to drive through some stuff to get out quick.)

This time Bill Chapel, Debby and I loaded our stuff and ourselves into the taxi and started off from Cotonou, Benin. Well after we left the driver had to get his friend and give him a ride to Ouidah – not something normal. He didn’t have to go into Ouidah, but just dropped the guy on the side of the road. The driver got back in and was about to start the car when a motorcycle carrying a women with her goods to sell, lost the smaller basket from the top of her head into the road along side our car. Her papayas were immediately smashed by the traffic and Debby turned to tell me what had happened just outside her window.

The Taxi driver said in French, “They hit us.” He got out to talk to the motorcycle driver and his friend grabbed the motorcycle driver and tried to start a fight. It appeared that at any moment fists would fly – but thank God, they didn’t. There was a lot of shouting and an angry crowd began to gather. We gave it a some time and then I stepped out of the car and tried to get the driver to leave it and take us on to Lome – it didn’t work. We waited in the car a while longer. Again I braved the crowd and stepped out into the fray and tried to settle the thing. We determined that the only person that had suffered real loss was the woman that lost her goods into the road. So I gave the driver money to give her – she only screamed and cried more. Someone said the driver himself needed to give something to her himself because his friend and him had really ruffed her up in the tussle with the motorcycle driver.

Back in the car and with no progress, Debby did what had helped in a number of our on the road “hold ups” over the last few weeks, she began to sing, “We’ve come this far by faith…” Now we had been praying and all – but this thing seems to work, so Bill and I joined in. The crowd started to settle down. We stopped singing and praying and it started up again. So we sang again. Finally the driver reached in the window, got some coins, gave them to the lady. Then he was able to get in the car and we headed down the road. Thank you so much for your continued prayers for us.

We stopped for a quick visit with the pastor in Lome that we call the “Bishop.” Then we went through the border checks into Ghana and got another bush taxi. About sunset we arrived at the Baptist Guesthouse in Accra, safe and sound. Then we had to follow my tradition – have a good supper – Popaye’s Chicken. This is not the Popeye’s Chicken you find in America – this is a Ghanaian chicken chain and it’s the best chicken anytime, anywhere. Maybe some day I can take you there.

We really want to Thank You So Much for praying for us!