What an amazing day this has been in so many ways! We started the day by attending the dedication of the new Jerusalem Temple (church) in Abidjan. It was the most glorious and joyful celebration most of us have ever had the priviledge of seeing in person. Dancing in the streets, all of the congregation were dressed in traditional custom made dresses and shirts with fabric that specifically celebrated the event. Every know Methodist dignitary was in attendance, including Bishop Boni - and WE were treated like special dignitaries as well - photographed and videoed, as well as the press wanting our interview. The music was nothing that we had ever heard before -we really thought we were standing in the midst of a chorus of angels. They treated us to a tasty, traditional Ivorian lunch along with many of the other honored guests. After the 4.5 hour service (yes...you really can celebrate for 4.5 hours....), we loaded in two vans and headed out for our ultimate destination of Dabou. The drive was challenging in that we saw live what we had only seen in pictures, but beautiful in so many ways. We arrived at our beautiful Akparo hotel, checked in and then off to the hospital. It was as anticipated - in much need of repair - much beyond our capabilities for our short stay....however, we feel very blessed to be able to review and prepare future teams and plant the seeds of how great an impact their service will be. We had a lovely and intimate dinner at our hotel - and are looking forward to a great night of rest. Tomorrow brings the rain and another church service. We will try to upload pictures and videos tomorrow, as we are still working out internet access. Blessings from Dabou!
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