De La Mennais Brothers: Making Jesus Christ better known and loved by young people

Having met up with the French the day before at the Burkina Faso border, we were now staying together in a diocesan residential centre. With us now were the French group from Guérande and Lamballe who had not come to the festival weekend in Mango as they had spent most of the 3 weeks working in the neighbouring country on Bénin. The Bénin "Frenchies" had proportionally more boys in them (like us) than the other French groups and perhaps because of this our group found in them some kindred spirits. This was demonstrated on the Sunday night (our last in Africa) when we had a final sing-song (justmissing a campfire). Team Win and the Bénin crowd were the last to leave for bed. I use the latter term loosely as "bed" actually meant for most of them Anglo-French socialising, playing cards, exchanging e-mails, etc... outside their chalets into the early hours. Fair enough... it was their last night and they'd behaved so impeccably all trip. Chillin' outside their c...

Just realised that I said towards the start of the last entry (Day 19) that that was our "last day of the whole trip". I meant to say "last day working with Togolese children of the whole trip". We actually had another 3 days in Africa. The following day we took a taxi minibus from Kara back up through the north of Togo to the border with Burkina Faso, our gear again loaded on the roof and us squashed inside. But again the weather was kind to us... overcast, not too hot. We met up with the French group at the border after a rather stressful hour or so sorting out entry visas to get into Burkina Faso for our Liverpool contingent. In the end the border control officers were very helpful (as all officials we met during the whole trip had been), but just the temporary uncertainty of whether or not there would be any problems was enough to increase the worry level (doesn't take too much in my case ! :-).  Unfortunately, Britain has neither a Togolese embassy nor one...

Well, it had to happen sometime. Back to the bread-and-butter of school life and a new school year... But I have to say that it is one I approach with a lightness of heart that I have not felt in a good while. For various reasons I feel that I'm making a fresh start this September... life is good. 7 of the 14 from our Africa trip came round to our Community House Saturday 8th to exchange photographs, reminisce, have some pizza... Bro. Francis managed to make it up from Southampton and his presence was very much appreciated. Plans were discussed for another trip next year with much of the group very keen to undertake a fresh adventure (probably going back to Mango, Togo and possibly also Uganda).  ************************** Back to the trip itself... Our last full day of work with the children in Kara (and the last of the whole trip) ended with another invitation to the Foyer's evening prayer with all the children, lead by the adult leaders. Bro. Francis was asked to give a ref...