3/6/10

An Interesting Bus Ride to Accra, and We Received our Visas for Ivory Coast!

On Thursday, Elizabeth and I took the bus on a 280 km. ride from Kumasi down to Accra. We stayed overnight, and she left early on Friday morning on her flight back to JFK. (She arrived home safely on Friday evening.)

In Kumasi, we got to the bus station at 5:30AM, bought our tickets and got on the bus. There were about 8 people on the 24 seat bus. So we waited, and waited, and waited. At 6:30 I went back to the ticket office and asked, "What time does the bus for Accra leave?" The answer: "No time."

Apparently it doesn't leave until its full.

So we waited another hour and at around 7:30, 10 more riders showed up. Eventually we filled up, and around 8AM we were ready to roll.

Just before we left, the bus driver turned around, and was saying something in Akan to the passengers, which, of course, I didn't understand. And I noticed he had his eyes closed. Then I looked around and realized that everyone else also had their eyes closed; they were praying for a safe trip! Amen!

I thought that was a good sign. Then again, I wondered, is this trip really so dangerous?

All went well for the first 2 hours. When suddenly there was a huge racket under the floor of the bus and the smell of burning rubber. One of the back tires blew out.

So we all got off the bus on the side of the road and looked at the inside tire of the double back wheels. It was shredded. So I figured that we were not going to get to Accra that day. But no!

About 6 of the men who were passengers, along with our driver, rolled up their sleeves, jacked up the bus, got out some wrenches, took off the two back tires, put on the spare tire (which was as bald as the tire that blew out), and in half an hour we were rolling again!

The African economy being what it is, we're not surprised that the bus tires are all bald. But the African spirit was impressive as these men, passengers and driver, volunteered without the slightest complaint and got the job done. When the tire was replaced, everyone got back on the bus without the slightest sign of irritation at the delay, and off we went. That's Africa.

We arrived in Accra at 2PM, got a taxi and sped through the grid locked traffic in downtown to the Cote d'Ivoire embassy. We arrived just before closing time. Our visas had been granted and were waiting for me. We're on our way to the Ivory Coast on Monday! Thank you, Lord. And thank you, for praying.

These photos show some of the day's excitement:



Tonight we have the second of the open air services in New Tafo, a section on the east side of Kumasi where there's a new grace church. Tomorrow we have our "farewell service" at the church in New Tafo, the end of our ministry in Ghana.

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