"Don't See Me As A Ghost"

    So much has happened since my birthday! My time here has brought so much. Valuable lessons, life-long friends, its brought me closer to God. I wouldn't trade this summer for anything in the world. It has been life changing. I'm sitting here trying to think of things to write for this blog and my brain is so overwhelmed! There are so many amazing things God has done! This post may be a little long but just go with it :) 

We started last week working in the bible college. We totally gutted and cleaned 2 class rooms. We painted, dusted, cleaned black boards, swept, mopped and stained church pews. Killed about a million spiders and found about 100 geckos. :) It was an extremely busy and tiring 3 days but totally worth it. The class rooms look amazing! We spent our 4th of July at the Adam's house. They made a delicious meal of BBQ chicken, baked beans, potato salad, grilled pineapples and a salad. To top it all off they had watermelon! Our fourth was a blast and it felt as if we were at home. So thankful for them. THey have truly changed and inspired my life for the better along with the Sully's. They are great missionary couples who will be in my heart forever. The next day us girls ventured back down town to tackle "Grand Marche" again. We were hoping it wouldn't be as crazy but, there were about 3 big groups of "Yovos", "white people", there so they jacked up the prices on everything. You can bargain, but they still gave us yovo prices. I probably spent too much BUT, I was able to get all of my souviner shopping out of the way. We ran into a group of American Soldiers. They had been in Togo for 2 weeks helping up north. It was nice to visit with some americans for a change and soldiers none the less. ;)  It truly is a small world. 

Sunday we traveled about 2 hours north through the jungles of Togo to a village church. It was the experience of a life time. The church was amazing! A small concrete beautiful with a tin roof and half built walls. It wasn't large in numbers but it was large in faith and boy did they have church! It was an awesome service. We had one receive the holy ghost! I was truly touched there. There was a man there I will never forget. He sat in the back of the church on the floor. He was extremely kind and timid. This man has polio. He is crippled from the waist down. His legs were bone thin and turned under to the sides of his body. I could fit my whole hand around his thighs. But he still came. He wheels to church every sunday. Weak and rail thin, but he comes. He touched my heart in so many ways. As I watched him sitting in the floor in the back worshipping as best he could my heart sank. He was walked over, not paid any attention to. As we were leaving there he still sat. At alter call I didn't go pray for him. I did pray afar. You never know here if it is ok for women to pray for men so I didn't want to cross any lines. I felt a sudden conviction. Who cares about crossed lines at this point right? This man needed a miracle. Mensa our driver picked him up and was helping him back into his chair. As Mensa sat him in his chair the man held on to his arm, closed his eyes and I watched as tears flowed down his face. He had pee all over himself, and he was dirty. But that didn't matter to Mensa. To see what just a little friendly human contact did for him broke my heart in 2. How dare I not have a enough faith to pray over him and believe God would heal him. How dare I not speak healing to his life in the name of Jesus. I was ashamed of myself. I can be honest with you all. As conviction flooded my heart I thought "Who am I to have a perfectly healthy body? Who am I that I can walk into church without a care in the world? I don't deserve any of this. I myself should be in that wheelchair." It made me weep. I know God can heal him, but I didn't step out in faith. I promised God that I would not let another person in need pass me by without doing something to affect their life for the better. This man with polio has changed my heart forever. I know God will heal this man. He has done it before. Please keep this man in your prayers. I don't know his name but I do know that He is important and has a purpose. 

After service we walked the village the church was in. Kids ran in and out of homes pointing and smiling at us. People poured out of grass huts to see the "yovos" walking through. We stopped by this woman pumping water and decided to give it a try for ourselves. It was hilarious and fun! ;) After we got back into town myself and 3 other girls walked up the road to the grocery store. On our way back we passed a young man playing his guitar. We try and speak to most everyone we pass so I stopped and asked him to play something. He laughed and said he was still learning and was embarrassed. ;) Brier grabbed the guitar from him and began to play and sing for him. Right there on the street she sang and played "What can wash away my sins" and "What a friend we have in Jesus" She has a beautiful God given talent! (I posted the video on Facebook so go check it out!) After she played he grabbed the guitar and played the exact thing she just played and she sang along as he played. It was awesome! We began to strike up a conversation with him. He said Briers song moved him and touched his heart and he would love to learn the words. He spoke OK english so it wasn't to hard to continue the conversation. His name is "Terick" and he is 23 years old. He has been studying medicine for 3 years. I tried to remember most of the conversation so this is bits and pieces of it. The more we spoke with him the more he opened up to us. It was an awesome experience "I know I am muslim but please don't see me as a ghost. Most people think we are all terrorist, but we are not. I am not. I have been studying medicine for 3 years now. I am also a soldier in the Togolese army. Most people here are scared of soldiers so first I tell them I study medicine until I get to know them. I was born in Togo. This is my home. I love these people. I would never want to hurt them. That's why I am studying medicine, to help them. This place is in my heart. Just as America is in your heart. I would be so privileged to go to America. All we see on TV is good. It is a mighty nation, full of opportunity. You are lucky to be there. But I love Togo. I hear people say, "I don't love Africa."  but that's why it's my choice to stay here after my studies. I want to something good for Togo. What if all young men my age worked on their studies to do good. Imagine who Africa would be in 50 years."  Terick has changed my heart as well. I see God has opened a door here for us to minister to a muslim. Please God we say the right things to minister and that God will continue to open doors for us with Terick. I think what got me most was when he said, "I know I am a muslim but please don't see me as a ghost." Wow. That spoke to me for some reason. What an amazing person, full of potential. God help us to share your truth with him! 

Today we ventured out to the orphanage again. It is such an awesome place. The kids are some of the happiest I've ever seen. I looked all over for Beauty and did not find her though. Not sure where she is but a piece of my heart will always be with her. I pray God keeps her in all her ways. Tomorrow we go to the beach again. Ready for a fun day to soak up the sun! :) I don't even want to think about leaving this place in 19 days. It literally makes me want to cry. Next weekend we head north for 3 days for youth camps. Please be in prayer for us for safe travels and that God will do a mighty work at the youth camps. Thank you!

Until next time,

-Brandi