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Site Name

Name (age)

Campaign Site Pictures

"Hotel Bisset at 2 Plateau" has been selected as the site where guest evangelists will stay.  The Hostel is a Baptist Guest House managed by a couple from Australia.  It is clean, air-conditioned.  It is where the union presidents and other delegates normally stay when they attend division committees.  The cost for a single room is CFA 8,000 (US$12) per day and a double room is CFA 14,000 (US$14) per day.  The hotel's telephone number is: 011-225-224-27246l.

Safety and Security:  I am have checked with the U S State Department to see if they raise any caution in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States and none has been issued. I will continue to monitor this and place any warnings here.

1) Crusade dates: The crusades will begin on Friday evening, March 8,  2002 and conclude on Saturday night, March 23. That means there are 16 evening meetings plus three more on Sabbath mornings, making a total of 19. The last Sabbath may be "non-standard" if a mass-baptism is planned.

2) Travel dates:  I've tentatively blocked off Tuesday, July 23 as the date to travel to an agreed-upon transition city in Europe where all would meet the morning of the 24th.  They they could continue on the same flight to Abidjan to arrive on Wednesday evening the 24th..  That will provide Thursday and Friday to adjust one's body clock, visit each campaign site, meet the pastors and translators and be ready to begin on Friday evening, July 26.  The crusade concludes on Saturday night, August 10 with homeward flight on Sunday, August 11

Sermon Titles, Order, Decision Cards, Appeal Songs: Click on this heading for sermon information used in advertising.

Insurance: Insurance coverage is being requested from General Conference Risk Management Service for all those participating in this evangelistic campaign whose names, age, address (postal and e-mail) and phone numbers appear on this list.  Coverage will begin on the day of departure and last for 21 days or until arriving in the United States, whichever comes first.

French Decision Cards: (NEW) Local campaign leaders should download the Decision Cards by clicking on the highlighted title of this section (they are in Adobe Acrobat format), and print them out in sufficient quantity for distribution to every individual attending the meetings.  Guest Evangelists may want to print them out for the purpose of familiarization.  The wording of the cards matches the appeals in the sermon notes.

Translation: The graphics are being translated now into French and will be available for use in that language.

Telephone: You can make a call from Cote d'Ivoire back to the US and charge it to your ATT Calling Card if you dial: _____.  You will be prompted to enter the phone number you wish to call followed by your Calling Card number.

Electricity: The country uses 220 v, 50 cycle electricity so you will need to bring transformers for any electrical appliances that are not dual-voltage (Note: Most laptop computers and video projectors are).  Many outlets will accept American-style plugs, but it is safer to bring some adaptors to the European-style plugs (two round prongs).

Compuserve access:  There is a number in Abidjan that you can call to log on to CompuServe.  The number is _________

Climate: In March we can expect temperatures to range between 75 and 90 degrees farenheit, cooling down in the evenings into the 70s.

Water:  It is important for every guest to assume that tap water is not potable.  However, bottled drinking water is available.  Guests may want to purchase a hand-held water-purification system at your local camping store to use to purify the tap water.

Medication: Gastro-intestinal disorder (Montezuma's revenge) is the traveler's scourge when visiting a part of the world in which you must consume anything that is unfamiliar to your digestive track!  Problems are inevitable, even to the most cautious. So the word is, be careful, listen to your body, and then respond quickly.  I'm no doctor and will not give you medical advice, but I will tell you what I do (and these steps have worked during some of the most "trying" situations).

(1) I am careful what I eat and drink, but I don't worry about it.  (2) I listen to my body.  If know from experience it is easier to stop the problem before it becomes serious than waiting to address it after it's too late.  Meanwhile, I'm miserable and my work can be undermined.  So, as soon as I realize trouble is "on the way" I will take one or more of the following medications: a) Imodium (treats the symptoms, but provides welcome relief), and/or b) one of two antibiotics prescribed by my physician:  Either Cipro (one 250 mg. pill in the morning and the other in the evening), or Avelox (one 400 mg pill per day).  Either of these has an immediate and positive effect on me and helps eliminate the problem before it become serious.  If I didn't "catch it" in time, then I may take Imodium to provide short-term relief, as well as take the antibiotics.  Obviously, you must consult your physician before you leave on your trip and secure such medication as he/she recommends, since you are unlikely to find the same medication sold under the same name in another country.

Malarial prophylactics: Malaria is endemic to much of the African Continent.  I do urge you consult your physician and/or your area public-health department about taking medication to help prevent this disease.  For many years Larium (or Lariam) was the medication recommended by the General Conference Health Department for their traveling staff. Recently a new mediation has been placed on the market which was recommended to me by County Health Department.  It is called "Malarone."  Since I'm away from home I don't have the documents with me to confirm the spelling but I will correct this paragraph when I get home.  However, this should be sufficient for your to mention to your physician or health department and to get their recommendation.  What is important is that you take the medication prior to, during, and upon your return home, in harmony with the recommended dosage pattern.  While you're in country be sure you go out you spray yourself with mosquito repellant.

Inoculations: While the government of Ghana does not require any particular vaccinations, on general principles I  recommend that travelers secure some of the readily-available vaccinations such as: Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A, and Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Meningitis, and Tetanus.

Hyperlink: It is very important that guest evangelists read very carefully the section on "personal health" found on the "General Information" page.  Be sure to go to the organization linked here (www.tripprep.com) and read the information on that page regarding inoculations and prophylactic medication for Malaria.

Meals: The Union has arranged for meals to be taken at the hotel at a cost of CFA 8000 (US$12) for three meals per day.

Airline tickets: Each participant is free to secure his/her own tickets wherever he/she pleases.  I do encourage each one to secure a competitive bid from Mrs. Julia Reid, at Mission Travel.  She has long experience with the General Conference with international travel arrangements and access to discounted tickets through contractual relationships with the airlines.  Her phone number is 240-568-6300.  Her fax number is 301-725-6492.  You can also reach her by e-mail at:  MissionTvl AT Juno.Com

(NEW) Travel Documents:  As a result of another  recent change in the regulations individuals carrying a valid U S Passport are not required to have a visa in order to enter  Cote d'Ivoire.  The traveler's passport must be valid for three months after the projected length of stay, and have a current vaccination certificate for Yellow Fever and airline tickets for the continuation of one's trip.

Should your flight itinerary require you spend the night in another African country, be sure you investigate the need for a visa for that country.  If you have any questions in this regard please call Mrs. Diana Jo Beeler at the General Conference (12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD  20904).   Her phone number is: (301) 680-6258 and here e-mail address is: beelerd AT gc.adventist.org

Customs: Church leaders will do their best to notify customs officials of your arrival and the graphics equipment you are bringing.  In spite of that, it will be FAR better if your laptop and video projector arrives in something looking like a suitcase or a briefcase and NOT in a box.  If a customs inspector happens to review your bags it could be that you will be delayed and they could ask you to pay duty, a situation that is less likely to develop if you've packed the equipment as I mentioned. The Carolina Conference graphics equipment does come in a heavy duty case designed to be carried on or checked.

If a customs inspector should happen to open your bags and find the equipment explain that you've been invited to present some lectures and you need this equipment for that purpose.  If their concern continues it is because they are afraid you will sell the equipment to someone in the country and leave it without someone paying duty.  In that situation invite them to note in your passport that you are bringing the equipment in the country so, on your way out, you can show it to Customs so they will see that the equipment is indeed leaving the country. 

In the worst case, you may need to leave it with Customs and then we'll have to ask church leadership to go through the formalities to retrieve it--hopefully in time for the opening meeting.  As you can see, all these problems are likely to be avoided if you pack this equipment in something that doesn't attract the attention of the inspectors. 

"Jesus" Videos: I will send each guest evangelist a videotape on the Life of Christ in the local language that will be compatible with the local video format.  We will request the union to arrange for a video tape player to be loaned to each campaign and the video can be projected on the projector each evangelist will bring.  However, don't forget to bring that tape with you since we will not have any extras.

Local Transportation: The Union will be responsible, at their expense, to assign someone to transport each evangelist from the hotel to the meeting site and return him/her to the hotel each night..