Africa, the day I fell into a hole

It was a good day of relaxation for both of us. I slept in until 11 after a few nights in a row of getting 5 hours, so that was nice. Then I spent the day reading, importing tapes, reading the news, browsing the web, etc. Pretty uneventful, but it was a good break.

Tonight we went to a great Lebanese restaurant in Osu. After we ate we walked out into the dark night and down the side of a dirt road to find a cab. Then suddenly when I stepped, there was no ground. I fell into a waist-deep muddy hole on the side of the road. It wasn't like I tripped into it or was hurt or anything at all like that. It was something out of a comedy movie like Mr. Bean or Pink Panther. One moment I was walking normally, the next I was standing in a hole. Josh thought I was hurt, but I landed perfectly on both feet. I'm not even sure how.

The dark side to the story is that there are very few public restroom facilities in Accra, so people often relieve themselves wherever is convenient. I couldn't smell any trace of anything, but I didn't really feel like investigating closely, so it's possible. What a night.

I can only stay in a big city for so long, so I am relieved that tomorrow we are finally leaving Accra to visit the home of one of the scholarship students. It'll be a great opportunity for me to get footage that will allow me to tell the story of what these kids had to go through to get where they are today. One of the students worked for two months just to save up enough money for the application fee. It's just incredible. These students are more driven than just about anyone I've ever met.

I really feel like we are furthering God's kingdom by being here. The passion of the students, the support and approval of so many local community leaders, the means by which Josh is pulling this all together with virtually no resources ... God is clearly at work here. It's by his grace that we're able to do anything at all here.

I also know that wherever God's work is being done, there are forces attempting to stop that work. Josh and I had an unsettling -- possibly coincidental -- scare. I am not one who necessarily zealously believes in angels and demons, but I am one who believes that evil has an strong and invisible influence in this world. I feel that now more than at any other point in my life, I am truly acting as a servant; I am fulfilling the role I was called to fill. And Satan is trying to thwart that. Please be praying for our safety on this trip, especially tomorrow during our 3 hours of driving and during the time we spend in the village. I apologize if I sound like a paranoid crazy person, but I believe in a spiritual realm that is complimentary to our own, and if that realm is occupied by evil, then I have reason to be legitimately scared, which I am.