There was no road...

'It wasn't your typical Thursday'

Thursday morning me and most of the PR team on the Africa Mercy jumped into a Mercy Ships Land Rover and took off for our own little African adventure. Excited we were, prepared we were not. The main goal being to get Abel back home to his family.

After three hours north on a highway we took a sudden right in Atkapme, onto a dirt road. Slowly the town gave way to bush as we travelled further and further away from civilization. For two hours we trucked along on this road, our bodies in a constant state of.... well bounce. There is no other word for it, we bounced left and right, up and down. We flew from our seats every other minute. There were times we went up so high we all smashed our heads on the roof (*Note we are in a huge land rover, this is no small car so we had to have bounced over a foot out of the seats).

When we weren't jumping canyons we were driving through small lakes with water that came over our tires and sliding, literally sliding, down parts of the road. See its rainy season here so the roads, or trail through the bush as we come to know it, get washed out and bumpy and floated. The whole time we are staring at the sky praying it won't rain because we wouldn't get back through there in the rain for sure.

This part of the road we just kinda slid down. It was really slippery

This is the bush and a random African lady chillin

After two hours and with aching bodies we arrived at the Abel's village. Now, I'm use to getting stared at here because white people aren't exactly common in Togo but I have never experienced anything like this... We were driving through the village as the residents stared in amazement and then I turned around to see the ENTIRE village was following our car. They wanted to see Abel's miracle and the Yovos ( A Yovo is what they call White people here) that did it.

Group shot of some of the kids that followed us

More kids that literally followed us everywhere

Driving through the village Abel was so cute. He dove under the seats and hid. Even tho these were his people and his home he had never been in front of so many people at once. I will never forget his laugh it is absolutley adorable. When he got out of the car he was so nervous amist all his neighbors so to cope he grabbed Liz's (AFM Photographer) point and shoot camera and started taking pictures of everyone. He is a true photographer because thats what we all do when we get shy is grab a camera. Lol.

Abel taking pictures of his crowd. Took from the top of the Mercy Ships vehicle.

Abel walking with straight legs, without crutches and casts, for all his village.

Abel and his father had been away from his family for three months. The entire family of aunts, uncles, gradparents and everyone else showed up for the occasion. His mother was by far the most excited person to see him. She swooped him up in her arms with a giant emotional hug, all the while carrying a small baby tied to her back. The last time she saw her son he had deformed and ugly legs, now three months later he looks normal and is healing by the grace of God.

Abel gets a huge hug from his beautiful mother.

Abel with his father (left) and his granfather (right). This was an incredibly emotional moment. I almost cried.

Inside Abel's hut his family greeted us and offered us water and liquor, which we drank in moderation of course. Lol. No they really did have a ton of liquor there for us but we couldn't sit there and get drunk considering we are Mercy Ships and we have to figure out how to maneuver our way back to town from this village. The problem was in Africa you have to eat or drink what you are offered, its really rude not too. So we decided we could take one shot. The family had only one shot glass so we all shared it, 7 Mercy Shippers and the 20 or so people of Abel's family. They chose to grace us with Sodabe, which is a homemade liquor, yes like moonshine. This stuff is potent let me tell ya. You can feel it go alll the wayy down. Whew. I felt sorry for Elaine, a writer for the ship, she isn't and never has been a drinker I don't think and shes a little bit older so yeah... it was funny

Some of Abel's distance relatives... I think they had too much Sodabi

Abel with family inside his house
Abels grandma and granpa

We were also invited to his pastors house for lunch. They fed us very well and just kept putting food on the table. The entire time I could see people gathering outside the house. A group of little kids climbed a tree so they could peak in the window at us eating.

The spread before we ate it all
The pastor and his family

After we ate we took off through the bush again. We went alot faster this time because it was getting dark out there. On the way back we had to stop twice to let some kids heard ox across the road. While we were waiting the guy that was with us, Alex, said ' Well it wasnt your typical Thursday' lol Ill never forget that.

Gotta wait for the cow lookin things to cross the road

Some of my favorite pictures from the day:

This is my absolute favorite. This lady wanted me to take her kid with me tho, that was sad
This is one of the first things I saw when we pulled in the villlage. They are getting water from the 'well'



There were alot of topless women in this village.

This is Abel's beautiful mother. :)

Abel before his surgery.. for those of you that didnt see my blog about him