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  Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

This morning I called and left messages on Paul's and Felix's cell phones. I had expected them to meet me, but as it turned out there was another communications breakdown like last time; they hadn't received an e-mail and didn't think themselves to ask for a specific arrival time. A message I had received from them gave the impression they knew when I was coming, so I assumed they had received all my messages.
 
After several tries, I finally reached Felix in mid-morning. He said Paul was sick, but that they would arrange for someone to come with a trustworthy taxi first thing in the morning. That meant I Tuesday would not include a visit to La Mé. I spent the day working in the room. I confirm upcoming flights on Air Senegal and Air Ivoire. But most of the time is spent putting the finishing touches on the next issue of Bonnes Nouvelles magazine, so that it can be proofread one final time before going to press

The view from my hotel window in Abidjan

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Around 6:00 pm Paul Tia arrived at the hotel. We sat in the lobby and discussed plans for the visit to La Mé the next day. He was very sad. He explained in more detail what he had told me several weeks ago. Somehow someone managed to get the password to his e-mail account, probably someone who works in the cybercafé where he communicates with me. When we sent him some funds a few weeks ago via Western Union to pay for his expenses to go to Togo for the Leadership Conferences that will start this weekend, the thief got the control number from my e-mail to Paul, then somehow managed to forge an ID card in Paul's name, and collected several hundred dollars of Church money from Western Union. Western Union and the police investigated, but nothing could be proven, and the money is apparently gone for good. I had included a few hundred dollars to help with the school fees for some Church children in La Mé, so this was a tough blow. Paul feels very bad about his password being stolen. I think I have a little extra money in the assistance fund, so perhaps I can still find a way to help.
 
As soon as Paul found out what happened, he changed his e-mail account and password. As soon as I found out what happened, I wrote the thief an e-mail to Paul's old account. I told him that he had stolen from God not man, and that I was going to pray that God would teach him the importance of honesty; that I didn't know how He would do so, but I was convinced He would. I also wrote that if he felt things were getting too hard for him, he should return the money to Paul, and change his ways. It's in God's hands now.
 
Paul and I agreed to meet at 8:00 tomorrow morning for the drive out to La Mé, where I will give a Bible Study and counsel with a few people including several who are preparing for baptism.  I gave Paul a few thousand francs (not nearly as much as it might seem) to pay for his overnight expenses and to allow him to bring the taxi the next morning, and he left.

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