Just Like Old Times

There is a little sadness settling over our house tonight. We have just returned from the Crowson's house and saying goodbye to the Bunners. What a bittersweet moment it is. The last two weeks have been wonderful, having Frank and Jenna and the kids back with us in Tabligbo. It seemed to me as if they had just been on a really long furlough. It is amazing how there are some people in life that you can just pick right up and carry on your relationship, no matter how much time has lapsed. The first week, they stayed at our house and the kids were out of school, so they got to play together all day every day. It was amazing, too that their relationships just continued on.

We have had lots of time to relive the past and dream about the future. We spent late nights playing cards, watching movies and laughing . . . there was lots of laughing. We revisited an old tradition on a Monday off at China Town and the Sarakawa pool.

Today, we enjoyed a "team meeting", complete with snacks. Frank and Jenna shared with us their feelings of having made this trip back. We enjoyed an African buffet (brought in by Yawo) of veyi and rice, koliko, and Jenna's favorite kom (fermented corn meal mush). When the kids came in from school, we celebrated Aaron's belated birthday with banana splits and games. After another meal together, the evening was climaxed by a time of singing.

As we said goodbye, it felt strangely like they are only going on a furlough again. Not a bad plan - 2 weeks on the field, 2 years furlong.

Thanks Frank, Jenna, Aaron, Josh and Corrie for coming. God-willing, we'll be together again soon!

What has really changed?

As I sit in the Accra Guest House awaiting the arrival of our good friends and former teammates, Frank and Jenna Bunner, I have been wondering if things will have changed very much through their eyes. It has been two years since they moved away from Tabligbo.

Still there may be a few notable changes . . .

The toll booths (that have been under construction for over a year) are now open! This should be a painless process . . . right! You enter the peage and stop to recieve your two-part ticket from the attendant, whom you hope is awake and willing to walk around to your window. You proceed to the toll booth, hand over your two-part ticket and your 300 cfa. The cashier will then stamp one half of the ticket, scribble something illegible on it and return that half to you, which you will add to the collection growing in the floorboard of the car. Passing through the toll exit you may notice there is yet another attendant taking a written tally of the cars passing through. It gives new meaning to the term "checks and balances".

There is another Leader Price open in AgoeNyive. A perfect stop on the way out of town. And you can purchase Kiri Cream cheese in a 8 oz. package now!

Some things never change: the potholes are still filled with trash, the goats and chickens still roam free and the children still bathe on a rock in the road.

The real change that counts is happening in the village churches. I hope it will be an encouraging scene for the Bunners to see that change is still occurring one heart at a time.

On The Blog-Wagon

Well, I held out as long as I could, but now even Louise is a blogger. I hope I will have not only the energy, but the internet connection to keep up with this. You know better than to expect something every day.

About the name Six 2 Charis. You can probably guess that six is the number of Koonces; Marty, Louise, Tucker, Taylor, Tanner and Trevor. Charis is greek for grace. It is the name that Randy Alcorn gave the representation of heaven in his allegory "Edge Of Eternity". So, we being the six are bound ultimately for heaven, and for now are headed down a path of grace.

Love and Blessings!