Airmail To Africa

A New Blog Site!

2007-08-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I will be joining Children of the Nations at their international office in Silverdale, WA. I will be moving on Labor Day weekend and ready to start that following week! I'm really excited about this new position, not only will I be working for this great organization for another year, but I will also have to opportunity to continue the work I spent this past year doing! As in most organizations, there is always more work than people to do it! So that's where I come in!
In the beginning I will be working in the communications department to help prepare for COTN's big benifit season, which is in October. On September 10, we will also be welcoming Quami Agbermodji and three of our children, Eddie, Massah and Tejan, from Sierra Leone. They will be here for the benifits and I'm excited to be able to help host them! After the benifit season is over I will be working more on the educational side of things. There is another woman, who has taught for years, and her and I will be working together to develop an educational department. Since this is a new area for COTN, my job description will be changing and developing along with it. Having spent a year in the Sierra Leone school system gives me a great amount of insight into what this department should look like and will allow the work I spent this past year doing to continue. I will also have the opportunity to return to Sierra Leone within the next year and possibly lead my own team down there! I will also be getting into schools in the states to raise awareness, gain support, and create connections between the schools here and the school there.
As you have probably guessed, I will be raising support for an additional year. COTN is a non-profit, faith based organization, therefore, all the funds that come through must be raised somewhere. This is one of the things I appreciate about COTN though. Many of the larger organizations that are supporting children, pay there people through the fund that come as support for the children. With COTN, the support raised for the kids, goes to the kids, which is exactly how it should be. So there you have it. As this kind of support is crucial, more importantly I will need a lot of prayer support. This past year, I felt so blessed by all your prayers and I realized how essential that is. Please partner with me in this area of prayer.

If you are interested in supporting me finiancially, you can do this by checking out the COTN website, and clicking on make a donation. There is a section for missionary support and all you have to do is enter my name and the amount you wish to support. You have to choice of having this directly taken from your account or you can send a check to the office in Silverdale. If you would like to support me monthly, you also have that option online.

As my role will be changing, I will also be changing my blog site, to continue keeping you updated on what is happening in my life! The new site will be called Not So Far Removed, and the address is http://nsfr.blogspot.com
Below is my final letter that I sent out to my supporters, if you are interested, please read it. Thank you for your interest in the work being done through Children of the Nations, I have been so blessed and thankful for the way the Lord has used me to serve and is continueing to do so.

2007-08-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

My Dear Friends and Family,

I began writing this letter to you while I was still in Sierra Leone, with the hopes that it would be ready to send to you upon my arrival. Well, you know how things are, so after two weeks of being home, here it is.

I am back home with many bittersweet emotions. Some would say that my journey has come to an end and others would say it is only just beginning. I guess it depends on how you look at things. I have spent many hours this past month reflecting on my time in Sierra Leone. It is quite impossible to condense it onto one page and in some ways that just doesn’t seem right. So I’ll try to share with you this land I have called home for the past year, my “Sweet Salone.”

I have to recognize my wonderful partner who was a huge support to me. Sarah Saunier is also a teacher from the great state of Colorado. I know that it is no mistake that God placed us together this year and I am so thankful that God took care of that little detail that could have made a major difference in the success of this year.

Our job description titled us as “teacher associates.” That played out in a variety of ways. On a day to day basis we went to school (in our lovely green uniforms) and observed the teachers, interacted with the kids, and provided accountability to the teachers. About every week we conducted teacher in-services on a variety of topics ranging from lesson planning to reading strategies to basic teacher professionalism. The change that needs to take place in the Sierra Leonean school system is not going to take place overnight, but we know there is hope when we see a child begin to read or when we see a teacher disciplining his student without degrading them. It was truly those little successes that we had to cling to.

While we were teachers, we were at times care-givers, secretaries, drivers, cooks, friends, etc. We were fortunate to have a lot of freedom with our time so we were able to spend countless hours with the kids during free-time or walk down to the village when we were in Banta. There was even a time when we became the personal assistants for Rev. Angie Myles, the country director. As Americans, we look at success as completing something-- it’s all about the product, but for us it was about the relationships we built with people, those things that are intangible and it is those moments I would never trade.

We split our time between two vastly different places. We were in Marjay Town, which is where the children’s home is, near Freetown, the capital city. And we were also in a place called Banta Mokelleh, which is our up-country location, otherwise known as “the bush.” Our home in Marjay Town houses 88 orphaned children who are now receiving the care and nurturing they need to survive. Our house was located about 100 yds. behind the children’s home, so we really never left work. We always had little eyes peaking out at us, seeing what we were doing.

Banta Mokelleh… the place that stole my heart. I was always so amazed at how two places could be in the same country and yet have such different cultures. Living in Banta was definitely more difficult but I loved staying there. Life is so simple and you always have time for people. The school is only three years old there, so you can image what having an 18 year old and a 9 year old in the same class can mean for teachers. The teachers there have an extremely difficult job, but they love it and are so willing to learn and improve themselves. This next year the children’s home in Marjay Town will be moving to Banta, to create a more family-like environment.

As one experiences such poverty, destitute situations, pain and hurt, you can’t help but ask, where is God in all this, and does He see this? How can I come from a first world country where we always have clean, running water, electricity, a full belly and someone else can come from a third world country where there is no clean drinking water, there is no electricity and a full belly is only a dream. But the thing we have to reconcile with is the fact that it is only by grace. It is nothing we’ve done; it’s nothing they’ve done. God has given us what we have, how ever much or little that may be, only because He loves us. In our home in Marjay Town we have a little girl named Phoebe who has cerebral palsy. She doesn’t speak, she does walk, she isn’t able to do anything and yet God loves her just as much as He loves me and you. There is nothing we can do to deserve it, there’s nothing Phoebe has done, it is a gift, and it is we who decide how much we are going to receive of it.

What is next for me? I have accepted a position at the international office in Silverdale, WA. My title will still be Associate, but that will look much different from the last time. COTN desires to develop an education department for all the countries they operate out of. Their vision is to develop standards for all their schools, create partnerships between schools here and schools there, and mobilize more teacher teams to go down and train their teachers. This is an exciting way for me to continue the work I have been doing, to create ways of lasting change in the people we work with. Having said that, COTN is a non-profit organization and all the money that comes in for them goes to the children they serve. So, yes I need to raise support again for this year. What I am looking for are people who would be interested in supporting me on a monthly basis. If you are interested in doing that I have placed a support slip and an envelope in with this letter to help make that possible.

This year has been such a blessing on my life and the love and support that you have all shown throughout the year has meant so much. Your prayers really did reach all the way across the ocean, and I knew that I was always covered in prayer over there! Please continue to keep Sierra Leone and COTN in your prayers. There is so much that needs to be done, but we won’t be able to do any of it if we aren’t supported in prayer. I wish I could say more than thank-you, but the English language is a bit limiting. So, “Bika-way,” which is the deepest form of gratitude spoken in the Mende language.
With Deep Appreciation,
Kristen Bolender

The Difference Is...

2007-07-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone asks when you come back, "So, What is the difference?"

Five words...21 letters...

It doesn't seem fair. I have so much that I could say.

Does the person want an answer that corresponds in brevity to their own question?

If so, "Everything. It's all different"

And that still has too many letters.

Does the person have the necessary time for what would begin to approach an acceptable answer?

Is it rude for me to ask if they actually want to know or if they are asking because it is expected?

The most honest of answers would probably be something like...

"I'm not entirely sure yet. There are still things that I am rediscovering here that I'd forgotten. There are things that I think about back "at home" in, Sierra Leone as I have found myself referring to it since my return, that I am already missing."

But even if I were to respond to the very best of my abilities how can I explain the multitude of differences between my two homes. I am sure that I don't have the knowledge of language or the ability to paint a picture that would encompass these two worlds. I could just as soon explain to a blind man what color is, when there is no real way to describe color, as explain to my friends and family here, many of whom have never stepped out of the States, what it is like to go to the market on a Saturday morning, it is the equivalent to describing color. We just don't have the same language or memories to relate to in order to understand.

The difference is...

...

...

Where to start?...

The roads are dirt and all of your clothes turn a fun shade of orange, as soon as you step outdoors.

Think about going to a farm. Out in the country. And not one of the high tech. farms. Think of the mom and pop farms. The ones with the rocking chairs on the front porch and the sweet pale lemonade in an old glass pitcher waiting to break your thirst in two. Think about that kind of a farm. Think about what happens when it rains and the yard turns into a muddy patch of nothingness. Remember what it was like to run to your car, raindrops drenching your best Sunday dress. And when you sat down in your car, wiped the cold drops of water from your brow, and looked down. That is what Sierra Leone is like. When you look down and realize that your primping and your bathing, your curling and your polish, has been taken away in the five yards between your screened in porch and the old vinyl seat of your beat up pickup truck. That feeling of wonder and frustration, not knowing if you will ever be able to get out that old Georgia clay. That is what it is like.

The difference is...

The poor and beggars inhabit the street corners, the road home, the hill behind your house, the market that you shop at, the entrance to your work, the everywhere you look, all day, everyday.

Think about that time that you were getting off the highway and you saw that old dirty worthless man. "How does a person get to this point?” you ask yourself. "That would never happen to me. I wouldn't let it. I wouldn't get to the point where I have to rely on others to provide me with clothes, food, and shelter. That person must have no initiative. That person has given up. I would never be like that." And you looked the other way and stepped a little harder on the gas when the light turned green because that makes the problem go away and God forbid that the person approach you for help because like an infectious disease, like the plague or the pox, this person may spread whatever lackluster spirit-crushing sickness that has so infected them onto your person. Now multiply that one person. Raise that person to the n exponent. Surround yourself with that person and no green lights. Take away that person’s overnight shelter. Take away their food pantries. Take away their Red crosses and their ability to write a sign pleading for help. Take that away with that many people. That is what it is like.

The difference is...

The noise. The great cacophony of noise. Surrounding you. Creating a cocoon that never breaks. Strike up the orchestra of dogs, generators, horns beeping, helicopters passing overhead, late night stereo's blaring, children screaming, people calling, cars squealing, goats bleating,...

Think about the time your six year old was having a Disney princess sleepover with ten of her closest friends, while your droll teenager was out in the garage with his band buddies practicing their latest remake of an old Kiss album, and your crying baby takes up one arm while the phone rings and the pizza man is at the door. Don't forget about Rover who desperately needs to get out to make a deposit on the back sidewalk and won't stop barking until he gets his way and the airport that has just completed it's new runway and has been running test flights at regular thirty minute intervals to ensure the safety of all those landings that will soon be zooming over your head. Insert that into your cookie cutter neighborhoods, into your carefully patrolled burroughs. That is what it is like.

The difference is...

The greetings. The smiles. The children running to grab your hands. The wrinkled old vegetable women asking how your day was. The bare chested guard asking when your friends will be visiting next. The taxi man who tells you about his wife and children and driving a taxi for thirty-two years. The lorry driver who slows down enough that you can jump on and save some money on a bright and sunny day. The gimp old man in his white plastic chair who calls out a respectful greeting or the sun shaded young block maker who yells white man.

Think about going to visit your relatives when you were a child for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Think about the feeling of anticipation that you have when you woke up the morning of the trip. You could hardly sleep because you knew that you got to go see the grandma who makes frosted cookies and lets you eat the dough. The grandfather who lets you sit on his lap for a football game and teaches you which are the good guys and which are the bad guys. The uncles who take you out after a belly busting meal and teach you how to hit a baseball or work a half-nelson. The aunts who just can't believe how big you've gotten and want to know about the little cute red-headed girl at school. Remember what it was like to get in the car and never get there. To have that feeling of knowing you are going to a place where you will be greeted and fawned upon. Loved by all who inhabit your space. It is a feeling of being special. It is a feeling of acceptance. It is a feeling that each person that you interact with is glad to see you. It is a feeling that happens each time you open your door and walk onto the street. That is what it is like.

The difference is...

That people go from strangers to acquaintances to friends in lightning fast time because you never know how long this person you are meeting is going to be in the country. A week. A month. Six months. A year. The evolution of friendship gets put on warp drive because it has to or else who are you going to share your life with.

Think about someone who has been told they don’t have long to live. They realize that there is so much to do in life and there may not be time enough to get the things done that they wish to accomplish. Think about the desire they have to see new places, correspond with old friends, have adventures, cherish love, live every moment of everyday to it's fullest because their moments are numbered. In my home we are living something that mimics this proclamation. We don't know how long we have with a person. And we may not have time to stretch out an acquaintancship over weeks or months as we might here in the states. There you ask a person's name, what they do in Freetown, and how they managed to make it to such a place and the person is then well on their way to becoming a friend. If you hang out a second time then the relationship is established. After three times you are old pals and forever after that each meeting only adds to the bond that is now something you will remember for the rest of your life. Squeezing in so much into a short amount of time. That is what it is like.

The difference is...

That everyone and everything you have known and cherished is out of reach. Few e-mails and fewer phone calls don't mean that people have forgotten you but an incredible thing happens. While your adventure takes place...other people are still living their own lives. While it would be interesting to see what happens if everyone else's life gets put on hold when you are not around, this doesn't happen.

Think about when you went to summer camp for the first time. Can you remember how dark it was at night. Odd sounds and weird shadows. Your brain screaming at your prone body to jump right off your squeaky rusty bunk bed and sprint, not walk, not run, but sprint to the phone and dial in a blaze of fingers your home phone number which marches through your head, just to hear your mom or dad say, "Hello? Who is calling at 1 in the morning?" You are more than willing to risk the admonition from the counselors and the heckling from your fellow campers if you can just talk to your family for a moment, for that briefest of times that would allow you to know they haven't forgotten you and that, while they are still living their life, they do miss you and look forward to your return. That is what it is like.

The difference is...

Too vast to explain. And yet... both places are now home. I look forward to being in one place while I'm in the other. Last night I dreamt I was shopping at the market in Freetown. I spoke and heard Krio as I bartered with the local store owners. Months before I came back to the states I started having dreams about places I used to work here, people I used to hang out with, my church, my friends, my family. Everyday since I have been back I have converted most of the prices that I've seen into Leones. For ten months my brain acted like my own little bank and worked out how much I was paying in dollars with most purchases. Everyday since I've been back I've thought about the friends that are in Sierra Leone. Everyday that I was there I thought about the people that I had left and counted the months until I got to see them again.

The difference is...

My way of thinking. Because when I first stepped off the plane ten months ago I was speechless and couldn't have imagined that any place on earth could be more different from the home I had just left than the place I was going to inhabit for the next ten months of my life. And it is different. And while I have tried to relate some of those differences to things that would have made sense to me when I left, I have not done a sufficient job at painting my picture. I cannot relate how I felt that Freetown quickly became my new home because I was able to relate my experiences there with my life here. I cannot relate how each day I learned new things from new experience because it took those new experiences to learn those new things.

The difference is...

Guess I'm still stuck with my original quandary. I will continue to try to decipher what people really want to know. Quick and painless or listen to my voice drone on while I wonder if my audience has grown bored with my endless stories.

The difference is...

Something I am still figuring out.

By Justin Wallace

I'm leaving on a jet plane

2007-06-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

I remember singing this song before I left the states and now I am singing it again. However, in the states it was my mother who was crying and now it is me. Yes I am sitting here in an internet cafe-- in a country where showing emotion is not accepted-- crying, publicly no less.
This day is going to be a tough one for us. We had to say our final good-byes to Aunty Chris from Banta-- our mother, our friend, supporter, encouragement, the list goes on. Sometimes when I sit with Aunty Chris and listen to her I just think, do I really know her? I should be reading about her in a best-selling biography, and yet I am sitting here listening to her, and she considers me one of her dearest friends. I don't know how God has blessed me so, to meet this woman. And this is who I had to say good-bye to today. And next it's the kids.
We will be leaving for our debriefing tonight and from there we will leave to go to the airport. Last night we had our farewell. It was a touching program, and it was a blessing to see the appreciation of the people, to see some of the fruits of our labor.
I wish I had more to say but as soon as I start typing I starting crying again and my thoughts are a bit scattered. I just wanted to write one last blog from Sierra Leone. But I know that this will not be the last time I am here. I read in a book once that Africa has a way of getting under your skin and it gets in your blood, so much that you can never truly leave. I know now that this statement is true. And it's a funny thing, because I can't actually put my finger on it, but there's just something there that won't let me go.

So Africa, my Africa, you will forever be in my heart. As I go, may God watch over you and take care of you, may you look to Jesus for your salvation, may you always find rest and peace in his arms, and may you seek Him and follow Him with your whole heart.

I have loved and been loved

2007-06-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we left Banta for the last time. That was probably the hardest things I have ever had to do. It is difficult to say goodbye here because I really don't know if I will ever see these people again. I pray to God that I will, but here, nothing is ever certain. One of the hardest things about leaving is not knowing if they will be okay. When we are here we can keep track of people and make sure they are being taken care of, but when we go we will be relying on other people to be our eyes, ears, and hands. While it was sad and there were many tears that were shed that day, there was a peace in knowing that we truly loved these people, and it hurt because it was good, a good thing happened in that place. We made an impact on these peoples lives as they did on ours. Those people were my mothers, my sisters, my brothers, and my children.
Yesterday was a taste of what is to come, when we finally leave the country I know that my heart will be being pulled and stretched and wrenched in so many directions. I ask that you please pray for both Sarah and I as we leave. Pray that the Lord would give us peace, that He will keep these people that we have loved as our own, He cares about them a million times more that we do. Pray that our family and friends would have patience with us as we make the transition back to our own culture. Pray that we would be able to take everything we've learned here and apply it to our lives in America and that we would allow God to change our lives in the way that He desires.
I don't think this will be that last blog entry, but in case it is I want to thank you all. I have been so humbled by your interest in the lives of the people I have met here, people that you don't even know. I challenge you to continue to pray for these people and COTN-Sierra Leone. It's amazing how God uses us sometimes. Sarah was saying the other day how our being here has effected so many people we don't even know, because our being here is effecting the people in our realm of influence, who then tell there realm of influence and the chain continues. So all this to say, that I appreciate all of you and I know that it is only by your prayers that this year has been so amazing for me.

2007-05-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

This week we travelled back to Banta to complete some updates for our sponsorship program. I was recently telling a friend that every trip to Banta is unique unto itself. And this one was not without its own "uniqueness." We left for Freetown at about 8:00 in the morning. The first breakdown happened at the first police checkpoint(this is less than an hour into the trip). The alternator was not working correctly and so our battery was completely dead. They tried to charge the battery using a generator but after an hour of charging, it was still dead. So at about 11:00 we boarded a Public Transport vehicle which was to take us to Freetown! These vehicles are basically the frame of the vehicle with benches welded into them, not the most comfortable way to travel over bumpy, dirt roads. It's actually a miracle that these vehicles work at all. We had to stop numerous times with this vehicle too, the springs which are attached to the wheel came unattached(these are the shocks), the gas tube was blocked, the engine was over-heating, just to name a few! Let me tell you, I learned a lot about vehicles and how to "gerry-rig" them!!

So we finally made it back to the outside of Freetown at about 6:00. At this point the driver informed us that he actually wasn't going all the way into Freetown. So we boarded another vehicle that was supposed to take us all the way into town. But because of traffic this vehicle also said that he wasn't going to take us all the way to the destination. We ended up walking to the junction where a COTN vehicle was waiting for us! What a relief to finally reach! At about 8:00 we made it back to our house, tired and completely covered in red dust. But you know God's grace is amazing, here we are in this situation where we really should be frustrated and ready to just leave the country, but He gave me the extra patience and flexibility I needed to make it through the day. There have been many times this year when I have felt that I have reached the end of what I can handle, and God takes us a little bit further, but His grace is sufficient.

Also, I didn't mention, but we were also bringing back a child who we are taking into our home. So along with all these problems, we were dragging this poor child along with us! However, it was good initiation into the organization(we are always having car trouble)! She was exhausted and hungry by the time we arrived in Marjay Town.

2007-05-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

Well, last week I celebrated my 24th birthday! Its odd when one of those milestones passes in a place where you feel that you've lost all sense of time! It's hard to believe that another whole year has passed!

To celebrate the day I took seven of the home children out for ice cream! Here are some of the pictures!

2007-05-08T03:11:00.000-07:00

It's precious moments like this that make it all worth it...

I have told you about Brima Nyandemoh. He is the little boy that we kind of adopted from Banta during our time there in October. We also had him come visit for Christmas. If I had a bag big enough I would really try to smuggle this one home with me.

Background:

When we were in Banta in March, we were spending sometime in the village one day and Brima was with me. He was making the sign with his hands where he put his pointer finger and his pinky finger up, so I was teaching him the sign for love and I asked someone to translate what the word for love was in Mende.

The Real Story:

Brima had been very made at Sarah and I for not taking him back with us for the Easter holiday, so when we went to Banta last week he wouldn't even look at us, let alone greet us. Eventually, Mama Angie made him come sit with me, but he just sat on my lap as stiff as a board. After some time he forgot that he was mad and he wrapped my arms around him and began playing with my hands. As he was doing this he made my fingers make sign for love. It was one of those silent moments that I will carry with me forever, where the language and cultural barriers that stand between us were broken down and he knew that I loved him and I knew that he loved me. A few minutes later as I was taking a picture of him, he stuck his hand up to make the sign again.

The love of a mother must be so great if I can feel this way about this child who I have only known for a small time.

2007-05-08T02:55:00.000-07:00

This last week we hosted the International President of COTN, along with his wife and son. It was a fast week completely packed with meetings, programs, tours, etc. You Americans like to pack your schedules full of things to do. I'm just kidding I know I do the same thing.

During this visit we travelled to Banta for two days. While there the school was having there annual sports day. The sports day is like a glorified field day, but they get really excited for it and everyone turns out to watch it. They divided the school into four teams which they call houses. There's Blue House-Dominican Republic, Red House- Malawi, Green House- Sierra Leone, and Yellow House-Uganda, each team representing a country that Cotn is involved in. Sarah was in Green House and I was in Blue House.

Some of the races are the typical 1,500 meter, or the 200 meter race, but they also have races where they balance things on their heads, and for the little ones they have a race where they carry a baby on their back in they typical way that the mothers carry their babies.

The end results were Yellow House coming in first, Blue House second(yeah!! they normally lose), Red House third and Green House last(sorry Sarah!). It was a beautiful day and the kids all had a great time!

A Week in Review

2007-04-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe it's been the last few weeks. Have I ever told you that time doesn't really exist here-- last week, last three weeks, same thing!

A few weeks ago we were invited to the First Birthday of our Head Teacher's daughter. It was such a contrast to birthday parties I'm used to. Last year I went to the first birthday party of a little girl I used to take care of. It was a quiet afternoon party, mostly involving other young children, their parents, and watching all the little ones interacting with each other. However, in Sierra Leone, there was loud music, dancing, and even after we left, we could hear the music coming from the house late into the night! What a contrast!

Last weekend, Sarah and I went to a women's retreat with other ex-patriots. It was such a great weekend full of fellowship(which is hard to come by), time to reflect on life(which is hard to come by), and a lot of snack food(which is hard to come by)! The theme was, "Real Peace for Real Women," I know it's sounds a bit cheesy, but it was really great to get some good biblical teaching, true fellowship with other believers, and also to discuss some of the issues that we all face on a daily basis here. It was also just amazing to be with all these amazing women who come from all over the world, knowing that we all serve the same Great God.

This is the new American Embassy, and I really have nothing to say other than it's huge and ridiculous!

Two Months

2007-04-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that in a little over two months I will be home! This spring has gone by so fast. While I am looking forward to being with friends and family again, it will also be extremely hard to leave.
I just wanted to update you on what these next two months will look like for me. On April 30th, we will be expecting the International President, Chris Clark, and his family for a quick 8 day trip. He will be spending most of his time in Banta. So when he comes we will be with him in Banta and then we plan to stay on until around May 21st or 22nd. Sarah is expecting two of her friends for a visit on May 25th to June 18th. We will be entertaining them by introducing them to the various NGO's that operate in Sierra Leone, giving them an overview of COTN, taking them to the beach, spending a week in Banta(which will be our last week there), and taking them to all the sights:)! Arlene, our coordinator, will be arriving in country on June 1st with a short-term team that will stay until June 15th. After they leave we will have our good-bye party, our final debriefing, etc. Then on June 25th we will board the helicopter to the airport(which is on a peninsula), board a plane and be off.
As you can see there will be many things that I will need your prayers for over these next two months. Preparation to leave--mentally, physically, emotionally. Preparing the children and our departure. Wrapping things up at school with the teachers-- that the impact we have made will continue to take root and grow in them. Coming home and starting life again. Also for Fatu, the little girl we brought back from up-country, she will be having her surgery on April 24th, please pray for her as it will be a fairly painful procedure with extensive rehab and physical therapy.
I hope that this entry finds you all well. I am always blown away when my mom tells me how many people are checking this blog. It is humbling and also so exciting to be able to give you a little look into the lives of the people of Sierra Leone. It is my prayer that even as I come home, that you will continue to carry Sierra Leone in your hearts and lift the country up in prayer. Bikaway(the strongest form of thank-you found in the Mende language, spoken in Banta).

2007-04-18T04:02:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Sarah and I returned from an amazing, much needed, 2 day, retreat to a beach side guest house, which even offered the luxury of hot showers, cold drinking water, and Air conditioning(amenities we take for grated in America). We spent our days in these lounge chairs, lounging all day long! Don't worry, we wore sunscreen. We enjoyed their fine Italian cuisine while viewing the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. Ahh, how romantic! Really if your interested in a getaway, this is a great place, you just have to come to Sierra Leone to get there! We only had one minor hiccup, when we came back from dinner one night the ceiling was leaking in our room because the water tank on the roof was over flowing! We reported the matter to the owner, but little did we know that he, being an Italian man, only speaks Italian and Krio. Consequently, our broken Krio wasn't enough to get the point across to him. We found another worker who does speak English and together we got the mess cleaned up right away! (It's moments like these that just make us laugh). In all seriousness, this is one of the only places we have found where we are really able to get away, it's quiet, there's no one there hassling us to buy something or asking us to marry them, it's great!

Pictures of the Girl!

2007-04-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Fatu Charles

2007-04-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

Fatu Charles is a six/seven year old girl for the village of Golala. Last year she was burned on her shoulder very badly by a kerosene lantern. Because the burn was not dressed properly, the scare tissue grew and connect her arm to her side from her arm pit to the middle of her upper arm, making it impossible to lift her arm. As her body grows, the scare tissue does not and continues to stretch across her shoulder making it very painful.
We first met Fatu this summer one our first visit to Banta. This was not long after the incident. Sadly we had not been able to get her help until now. We are planning to take her to a hospital that is funded by an Italian NGO and so the process will be free.
Now, this child is something else. It is quite an experience bringing a child who has never left the village to the city. Everything is so new to her and she is so curious about everything. The whole way back from Banta(8 hours), her eyes were wide open, taking everything in. The first time she used the toilet, Sarah flush and she jumped back, afraid, then she looked again and started laughing. We took her to see Mama Angie(the country director), and she fed Fatu. There were fish bones in the meal and do you know where they went, on the floor, where else! Oh, how she has made us laugh. She is the goofiest girl.
It is so interesting to observe this child. Many times in this country children are not nurtured in the way they should be or allowed to be the children that they are. Consequently, they do not have the opportunity to go through all the stages of development, which all children/adults go through, whether or not they are in the right order or at the right time, they go through them. Now that Fatu has been brought to a safe place where she is encouraged to be herself, it's almost as if she has reverted back to being a two year old. She has been talking none stop and most of it is just gibberish, like a two year old who is experimenting with sounds and trying to talk(she also only speaks Mende, so she could be saying something meaningful and we just don't know).
Yesterday we took Fatu to the beach. At first she was scared of the water but after a while we couldn't keep her out. Needless to say, she has kept us quite busy since we've been back and kept of laughing constantly. But she has been a joy to have around. Please pray for Fatu this next week as we take her to the hospital, that the doctors would be able to complete the procedure and that the recovery would be speedy and painless.

We're Back

2007-04-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

We've finally made it back to Freetown. Not that we were anxious to leave Banta, but we had planned to leave last Tuesday and didn't actually leave until Saturday! We are continually in a process of being stretched, learning patience and flexibility. Which are all good things, there are just times when I wish God would just let me rest! But now we are on break and while we haven't had much rest yet(we brought a little girl back with us for surgery, more on that below), it has been nice to just have a little change. However, we did enjoy our time in Banta. There is no other place on earth like it! I wish that everyone could experience it for themselves and not just by my incomplete sketch writing. Thank you again for all your prayers. Banta is a place full of diseases, infections, and germs, and when you have children hanging from your limbs constantly, it's a bit hard to not share some of these gifts. However, the Lord has blessed us greatly with good health and I know that is because of all your prayers. I ask that you always remember the people of Banta when you pray. They are a people so blinded by their own cultural, spiritual beliefs that it is hard for them to let go of those beliefs completely and follow after the one true God.

S'mores!

2007-03-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon we had a party with the discipleship group. We introduced them to the much loved American fireside treat, S'mores! We had a fun afternoon of singing, talking, and just fellowshipping with the kids. The s'mores went over great and many of them were covered in the sticky marshmallows by the end!

Fun Pictures

2007-03-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten children praying before lunch is served
Learning to climb plam trees (look mom!)

Sunset through the bush

Playing balance ball during break

2007-03-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

On Monday and Tuesday, Sarah and I travelled to Mokelleh, the cheifdom headquarters, for a meeting. We were actually just tagging along with Aunty Chris so she could speak at a meeting concerning local health care and sanitation.

To get there we had to drive a ways to the Tai River, then take a canoe to cross. The canoe was made out of a dug out tree trunk, and the paddle was the end of a palm branch. It was so peaceful and calm, just floating across the river. As we got to the other side, we had to climb a hill that is usually covered with water during the rainy season. We then followed a trail to the village. It was so beautiful that there really are no words to capture it. I will just try to paint a picture for you. Imagine a small dirt trail winding its way through a forest of thick palm trees, flowers, bushes, and complete silence. Aunty Chris described it as peaceful. In a land where peace is hard to find, I could have stood in that place all day long, just relishing in God's creation. As we walked Aunty Chris began to sing an old hymn, at that moment I felt such a peace in my soul, "a peace that passes all understanding."

After getting to the village, we met with the Paramount Chief who informed us that the meeting isn't until tomorrow. Well, such is life. We stayed and chatted for a while, the chief showed us the village, and then invited us for lunch. We stayed until about 4 in the afternoon. We didn't accomplish what we came to do, but it was a lovely day all the same.

So the next day we got to go back across the river again! We were able to have the meeting and were invited for lunch again. As this was all happening, there was some trouble back at the compound with the vehicle(what a surprise)! We had been dropped off in the morning and the vehicle had gone back to the compound. We were never sure what they real problem was, either no fuel or something was wrong with the starter. So we enjoyed another peaceful afternoon, under the shade of an almond tree and stories from Aunty Chris.

They were able to get the truck started and we did sleep in our own beds that night!

2007-03-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Written March 13, 2007, due to techinically difficulty, it is only being posted now!

Last Sunday our friend Auntie Batu gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. We had been anxiously awaiting her delivery with the hopes of possibly being present during the delivery. But unfortunately we were not present and personally I was okay with that(I wasn't sure I could handle it).

However, last night as we were just getting home from visiting Ngolola, the nurse called us into the clinic to see if we wanted to witness a delivery. A woman had come in that afternoon and was ready to deliver. With queasy stomachs, Sarah and I agreed. There were some complications because the mother was not wanting to push, so it took much longer than it should have. Finally, and 10:00pm sharp, she gave birth to a handsome little man, with a very mis-shapen head.

It was an amazing experience to witness the miracle of life. And all I have to say is that I can wait a while to do that!

Village Life

2007-03-12T07:33:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of the daily routines you see here in Ngolala.

Fetching firewood after school

Cooking rice and sauce over a coal stove

Playing football on a Sunday afternoon

Carrying water from the local stream

Weaving a fishing net

Pounding cassava leaf for dinner

Prayer Requests

2007-03-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

First of all for perseverance, I have really struggled with thoughts of home lately, but I know that I must stay here in body and mind for the next three and a half months.

Please pray for patience for both Sarah and I. Lately we have had a few things come up with the organization that have been a bit frustrating, so please pray they we would have patience and understanding for the people in authority and the people with work with.

Pray for the people of Banta, that they would see the light and live in the freedom that Christ offers us, that they would be people with integrity who seek the face of the Lord with all they have.

Pray for the up-coming elections, they it would be a peaceful, fair election, that the man elected would genuinely care for his people and their advancement and well-being.

Praises: for the healthy delivery of Auntie Batu's baby, Sarah, and the baby delivered last night; the new school building are almost finished

Unknown

2007-02-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

We are fastly approaching the end of February. It's hard to believe and then at the same time it's not.

We are continuing our work here in Banta! The new schools are coming up beautifully and we are so excited to be there when the teachers move in. The teacher continue to work hard and are preparing themselves for this coming academic term when the children's home in Freetown is planning to move to Banta where they will live in a more village like setting. Many changes are taking place at COTN-Sierra Leone! It's is so exciting to be able to see and take part in that. However, I will just missing this big move and hope that someday in the near future I will have to opportunity to return to this place and see how the kids are doing in their new homes! Please be in prayer for COTN as we prepare for these changes. Pray for our children as well, that they would be able to adapt to this change and that Banta would welcome their new members.

Sarah and I continue to have good health. We are just amazed each day that passes, how fast our time is flying by here. In a little over four months we will be back home, trying to figure out life again, as if we really can. We love it here and have adapted to the lifestyle as you can see. Please pray for us as our minds have already begun to think about what life will look like when we come home. We pray that we would not get ahead of ourselves and start planning the rest of our lives but that we would be focused on the task at hand and continue in the focus right till the end. Also pray for patience with ourselves and our families as the transition back can be a very confusing time for both sides. I feel like I am already feeling this "re-entry shock" as they call it and I'm not even home yet, and by the way it's still four months until I will be!

I began this blog not know what to write. To be honest, sometimes it is really hard to know what to say. So in return you got some bits of random information. But I really just wanted to send my greetings from Banta and post some pictures! I pray that this entry finds you all well. My friend Julie sent me these verses as encouragement and I wanted to share them with you:

"As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strenth God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that He has for us."
Colossians 1, the Message

God Bless

FGM

2007-02-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

I wasn’t going to share this with you, but as I thought about it more I decided I should. Not to depress you or to make you think badly of these people, but more to create awareness, to show you that this still goes on and it shouldn’t. We recently read a statistic that said 94% of women in Sierra Leone under go Female Genital Mutualisation. Historically, women in this country went to the Bundo Society to learn how to be a wife basically, to learn how to take care of children, how to cook, clean, and keep a home. However, over the years Satan has taken this good thing and twisted it to where, now these horrific traditions take place and these girls are given no choice but to comply. Below is my journal entry from that day that the girls from Banta came back from their own Bundo Societies.

January 3, 2007
Today was the day that all the girls came back from the bush from their secret societies where the Female Genital Mutualisation occurs. We went to the village and all the girls from class six came out of one home to greet me. They were all dressed in fine cloths with make-up, etc. I feel like my heart is being ripped out, knowing what those precious girls had just gone through. Why, why, why—Satan’s ultimate form of rape. God I pray for these girls, I intercede on their behalf, please be gracious with them, have mercy on your daughters, show them that this is unnecessary, bring to light the lies that they are told, bring truth to this darkness. I pray that you would heal the bodies of these girls, I pray that you would show your daughters their worth, teach them who they are in you, children of the Most High God.

After writing this I opened my bible and read these words from Isaiah 42:1-4

"Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, and I am pleased with him. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will reveal justice to the nations. He will be gentle--he will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope. He will bring full justice to all who have been wronged. He will not stop until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction."

Our Journey to Banta

2007-02-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

We wake up while it is still dark because we know we have a long journey ahead of us. So we wash, drink our cup of coffee, and finish packing last minute things. Next we need to pack the vehicle, just one minor problem, where is the vehicle? The driver never brought it back the night before after getting its last maintenance check. So we wait, guess we won’t get such an early start! We walk to the home to say good-bye to the kids. Still the driver and the car are MIA. So we wait, and wait some more (this is so typical, every time we plan something it never goes the way it’s suppose to, the key—don’t plan)!
Finally, around ten, the car shows up. We get everything packed, the back is completely full. Why can’t I be a light packer? After kissing our African mother (Mama Angie) goodbye, we take off!
The journey hasn’t quite begun, we still need to gas up and fix the spare tire (tires have a way of getting punctured on these roads) Finally, we start heading up the mountain away from Freetown. “Goodbye Freetown, see you in two months!”
We drive on a paved road for the first few hours. This is the only chance we have for sleeping once we hit the dirt, its really quite impossible. We drive by farms, women washing cloths in the river, rows of palm trees, and village after village. When will we get to our own little village?
The dry season is now upon us and our vehicle has no air conditioning, not a good combination. As we hit the dirt roads our faces are blasted with red dust each time we pass another car. After four hours we’re still going strong!
As we pass the villages there are still buildings which tell you how hard they were hit during the war. This is an old warehouse that was owned by the mines, but was burnt down during an attack by the rebels.
It’s about our sixth hour of travelling and we finally cross the bridge that is five miles from our little home! Butterflies jump in our stomachs as we anxiously await our arrival. As we pull in we are met by some of our favourite boys, big hugs, and hellos. Covered in dust we greet our family here and breathe a sigh of relief at our safe arrival.

A tribute to Benjamin

2007-02-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

(This was written by Sarah, since we write about the same things we decided to just use each others writing!)

Benjamin was a 5 month baby that the home had taken in because his mom had dies at childbirth from what they suspected was a result of AIDS. Benjamin had a rough start to life. He was severely malnourished and spent much of his short life in and out of hospitals. Despite all this he was the happiest baby with the softest head of hair. Everyone at the home adored him, and it was always difficult to be able to get a chance to hold him: he was always in someone else’s arms.
I’ll never forget the moment on Thursday when we were called and told that Benjamin had died. It was such a shock because he seems to be getting so much stronger. He was in the hospital for a chest infection two weeks ago, but as Kristen and I were leaving for Banta he was looking so much better. Wednesday morning he was rushed back to the hospital for this same infection. The doctors think that he had AIDS which caused an infection of tuberculosis that he never was able to recover from. How is it fair that such a small baby could have died? He never even got a chance at life. I still feel numb, not grasping the fact that he really is gone. This country has the highest infant mortality rate, but that statistic didn’t mean anything until an infant that I loved became one of those in the statistic. Pray for everyone as we grieve and try to make sense of this tragedy.

Need a Smile!

2007-02-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

Here is the reason I love this place!

I'm Still Here

2007-01-27T07:17:00.000-08:00

Well, first I need to apologize, I'm sorry that it has been so long since I've updated everyone on life here. This month has been really interesting, there have been a lot of ups and down for me, emotionally that is, so everytime I would go to write something, I never knew what to say. So now it is January 27 and I am going to force myself to say something!

This month started out with a team from America here. They came in like a tornato and left a tornato behind them when they went home. They were here for nine days and had about a million things on a to do list that they brought with them. We enjoyed their company and the goodies they brought with them(thanks mom) but were anxious for the rest when they left. The rest of this month we've been at school, doing battle with the teachers to raise the standard of education for our beautiful childern that we seem to be falling more in love with everyday. Sarah has been struggling to get her immune system in working order again and so has been resting a lot. I have been thankful to benefit from that as well, she needs a nurse doesn't she!

This month also began with the news that my best friend is getting married! I was not shocked by this news and am thankful that this wonderful occasion is not occuring until I get home in July. But while I am so excited for this to take place, I am feeling very homesick. I just want to be there to experience this time in her life and wish there was a way to be in both places at once. But since there isn't I am really trying to make sure that my thoughts are only those that are healthy and pleasing to God. I will be home in about five months and now that that time will fly by. So here I am in Freetown, Sierra Leone and praying that my mind will stay with me here instead of trying to go to Spokane! I also think that I have entered another stage of transitioning into a culture, I am now in that place where all newness has worn off and I really just want the comforts of home. So please pray for me as I continue to strive for the right attitude and heart to serve. Also pray for Sarah's health and our relationships with the teachers. And thank you for your patience with my updates. God Bless!

What it's the year 2007!

2007-01-01T04:18:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can hardly believe. Time just keeps going faster and faster! Sarah and I both enjoyed the holiday season, although I have to admit I think she enjoyed it more than I did. It just never really felt like Christmas, I don't know if it was the weather, or the fact that I wasn't home, or what I don't know. But it was a really nice day and I did enjoy it! There was only about an hour on Christmas Eve night that I was feeling a bit homesick, but I got over it and was able to enjoy the day! The churches don't have a Christmas Eve service so we had our own. We read the the Christmas story to the boys in Krio and put them to bed. Then we read it in English and the Night Before Christmas for ourselves and sang a couple of carols by candlelight(because the generator wasn't working). It was really nice. Then we went to bed ourselves.
On Christmas morning I woke up to the sound of our cell phone, it was my mother! What a great way to start the day! I talked to my family while Sarah made pancakes! We ate breakfast and opened presents! It was so fun to watch David and Brima open their gifts. David just tore them all open and scattered them, Brima opened them one at a time and before he opened his gifts he packed his things from his stocking away. It was really interesting watching the difference between the two boys! After gifts we had to rush over to the home to pass out the children's gift and take pictures! They all looked to sweet in their new cloths!!But don't let them fool you! We had Christmas dinner with our Sierra Leonean mother, Mama Angie! She takes good care of us! The day really flew by, but it was really enjoyable and I know that I will always look back on this Christmas and treasure my time here!
Last night we attended a Watchnight Service at church where we prayed in the new year. It was a bit different, but afterwards we had some sparklers left over from Christmas, so we had a little celebration to ring in the new year! But no sparkling cider, a bit disappointing! I thought of all of you at 8 o'clock this morning, for those of you on Pacific time! Happy New Year! As they say here, Happy New Year, mi no dio! Thanking the Lord for bringing them through another year.
So that's our holiday's in a nut shell, sorry it's so random! Enjoy the pictures!

*Just a side note, on January 3rd we celebrate our 6 month anniversary!

Christmas in Pictures

2007-01-01T03:23:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I"m a little technologically challenged, so I can figure out how to put a caption under each picture, so I"ll just explain them now(top to bottom).

Christmas morning with our boys before we went to church!
Our beautiful Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, yes it's fake.
Brima with his stocking that we made, we were trying to introduce the stocking tradition to Sierra Leone.
David with his stocking
Brima playing outside, having an opportunity to be a child!
Aminata(one of the sweetest community children, she mimicks us a lot so we have a chance to see what we look like and sound like!) at our church service for the community kids where we passed out presents and breakfast.
Alice in her shades! At Christmas all the kids get these sunglasses, watches and a new outfit! Alice tends to suck her tongue, can you tell!
Spengy, Abdu, and Momoh receiving their Christmas presents, wearing their new cloths that make them look like gangsters!
Theresa and Isata in their frilly dresses! Yes, we had a home full of princesses and gangsters on Christmas morning!
On Boxing Day, Dec. 26, we were feeling a bit brave and took all the children to the beach(one of the busiest beach days of the year, oh and did I mention that there were 90 children?) Being brave really wasn't enough, lets just say I prayed the whole time we were there! Life guards aren't really a priority and the children don't know how to swim. Only by the grace of God!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2006-12-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

No matter where you are, Christmas is always a busy time of the year. Actually, I feel busier here than I do at home. Sarah and I have been having quite a time with making ornaments with the children, trying to do our Christmas shopping in town(which is quite taxing), making Christmas goodies, laughing a lot, etc. We have been trying to incorporate the American Christmas and the African Christmas together to make it special for the children.

Making Ornaments
When we found out that the children had a Christmas tree, but no ornaments, we decided that we would make ornaments with the children, all 88 of them. So one room at a time came over to make ornaments and decorations with Aunty Kristen and Aunty Sarah. This was quite an under taking but learning from our experiences this summer with crafts, we tried to make it as organized and fun as possible. We definitely succeeded in the fun, organized, not so much! One of the rooms had some miscommunication, so we ended up having the Room 3 and Room 2 boys over at the same time, which is about 20+ children. This wouldn’t have been so bad except we were working with glitter, or shine shine as they call it! We had glitter everywhere!! Glued to the floor, in our hair, on the couches, stuck to our feet and legs, even in the butterscotch we made later! Oh my, what a mess! But it was worth it!

Making Christmas goodies!
Trying to make Christmas goodies proves to be a bit challenging when you don’t have an oven or a stove top! Some of the home children know how to make butterscotch, so we asked our little Patricia to teach us how to make it. You know the saying, “third time’s the charm!” The first time we made it we used unsweetened condensed milk(you need sweetened)! The second time we made it we learned how impatient Patricia is! (Her sisters were coming home from boarding school so she lost interest in teaching us before it was actually done). And the third time we invited Patricia, Fatu, Isatu, and Massah to help us. We figured with four girls we couldn’t go wrong! Well, we made it and it was so good that more of it ended up in the girl’s mouths than it did in the container! Little Fatu kept rolling the butterscotch and putting it straight in her mouth. When we would tease her about it, she just laughed and kept eating it!

Laughing A Lot!
If Mama Angie ever decided to take a break from COTN, I know who would be the next Country Director, Patricia! Patricia is about 11 years old going on 35! She is the most assertive, forward female I’ve met in Sierra Leone! Which is actually quite rare since this is a very male dominating society! Okay, on with the story… While we were making butterscotch, she kept making comments like, “this is so much butterscotch,” “this is making a lot of butterscotch.” Finally she said, “We should take some to Mama Angie.” And you just don’t question Patricia. When we were done with eating, I mean making, the butterscotch, we went upstairs to deliver some to our Mama Angie! And it was there we learned that Patricia is also a little comedian! She impersonated all the Senior Staff members, including Mama Angie! I haven’t laugh that hard since I have been here! I wish that I could explain to you how funny it was, but I just wouldn’t do it justice! I think you will just have to meet Patricia in person someday! Patricia is actually the one who played an instrumental part in my coming to Sierra Leone. In the fall of 2005, she had to opportunity to visit the States and actually came to my church. It was that Sunday in late October that I decided to come to Sierra Leone! Patricia is very dear to my heart and often reminds me that it was her that visited my church and that is the reason I am here!

Christmas Shopping in a Third World Country!
Yesterday, Sarah and I attempted to do our Christmas shopping. We made a list, wrote down in what order we would do things, and were quite organized if you ask me! By the time we got home, we were exhausted and felt like we had accomplished nothing! Town was so busy, there were people everywhere, and the stores that we thought had what we wanted didn’t have it anymore! That’s the way it goes, I guess! We actually were fairly productive, but we had anticipated that we would get everything done. Oh, when will we learn this lesson, that nothing ever goes as planned!

Playing Mother!
Sarah and I are becoming mothers for Christmas! Don’t worry mom, it’s just from December 23- Jan. 2! We have invited our two boys from up-country to spend the holidays with us, Brima and David! Yesterday we bought them their Christmas outfits and the sunglasses and watch (which is what makes Christmas special for the children- a new outfit and these little sunglasses and toy watch). They are going to look quite stunning. Can you tell we are a little excited!

Prayer Requests!
That the people of Sierra Leone would remember the true spirit of Christmas. Christmas is used as an excuse to party and so many people spend their day in the clubs or at the beach. I pray that the true spirit of Christmas would reign in the peoples hearts this year.
Pray for the country of Sierra Leone and its leaders. Recently Sierra Leone has been blessed by the World Bank and has had their debt cancelled. We pray that the leaders would take this opportunity to begin re-building and developing the country.
Pray for our children. That this Christmas Day would be special and that they would feel the love that God brought down that Christmas Day so long ago.

My prayer for you is that you would take this special time of year and spend it with the people you love and cherish. Remembering that it was a time when the Lord came to earth, to become like us, to save us. I pray that you would be peace in your hearts and love in your hands. I thank God for you everyday, and praise Him for this opportunity I have and he used you all to make this possible for me. Thank you and may God Bless you and your family.

It's Coming on Christmas

2006-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, the Christmas season is upon us and although there is no snow on the ground, there is still people wearing parka's and stocking hats! I know it is surprising but the weather is cold to the people of Sierra Leone right now. However, Sarah and I are enjoying it quite a lot! It feels more like our normal summer weather!
Truthfully, it has been hard to get into the Christmas season this year. I'm a bit sentimental and I love the traditions and magic of the Christmas holidays. Walking through the snow, streets lite up with twinkling lights, curling up by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa, etc. In fact, I try to not remember that it's Christmas because it makes me miss home and the company of family and friends.
However, during this time we should remember the true reason for celebrating Christmas at all, and that reason is birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ! And I know that no matter where I am or who I'm with, that truth still stands, that God sent is only Son into this sinful world to become like us, to redeem us and save us from our certain death. That in itself is cause for celebration. And so this Christmas, whether I am "home for Christmas," whether I am half way around the world, whether I am with people, or whether I am alone, I will praise my God for the beautiful gift he gave us on that long ago night, when angels sang and sheperds came to see the baby that was sent to save mankind.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Your love and prayers around felt all the way over a whole continent and a whole ocean! I cannot express my sincere gratitude in words for that

An American Holiday in a Foreign Country

2006-11-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was quite an interesting day. It began by spending a half an hour crying because I missed home and wanted to be with my family. But don’t worry, I got over it. I then enjoyed breakfast with Mama Angie and her sisters who were visiting for the wedding. It was nice to spend time with a family, even if it wasn’t mine, it was still nice. We then spent the afternoon at the beach(not many people get to say that, do they), which was quite lovely. If you can believe it, we actually did have a turkey dinner. The US Embassy put on a Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, and bean casserole. It was an interesting night, meeting other Americans who are here. Many of them work for the embassy or the UN so we really haven’t had much contact with them. I ended the day with talking to family back home which was a nice end to the most different Thanksgiving I’ve had in my life.

Make Way for the International President

2006-11-27T08:26:00.000-08:00

Written November 20, 2006

The past ten days have been spent catering to the needs of the international president, Chris Clark. Yes, Daddy Chris has been here, and so we have been very busy with all the activities that go on while he is here. He arrived on Friday, Nov. 10. Saturday we had a baptism service for new believers and some of the children from the home that have reached the certain age where we believe they understand the commitment they have made to Christ. Sunday was a Thanksgiving program at the school. Now this is not like our Thanksgiving, here it is basically a fundraiser for the school and they also give thanks for all the good work going on in the school. I believe this derives from a British holiday. Monday was full of meetings and then Tuesday we took the long trip to Banta where we had another baptism service(more on that below) and an official opening of the new skills train center where young people learn different trades such as tailoring, weaving, tye-dying, etc. On Thursday, we made the trek back to Freetown. (During this time, Sarah was sick in the hospital) Friday was spent with Sarah and she was discharged and we went home from there. The rest of that day was spent helping the country director prepare for her daughter's wedding. Saturday we attended the wedding! Sunday there was a consecration ceremony for all the staff of COTN. And today we are sending them back to America and taking a long nap! WOW!
Okay, now I want to share some of these things in detail. The baptism service in Banta was amazing. Here we were in the bush of Africa baptizing people from a remote village in a river. What an experience! The glory of the Lord is beyond our comprehension. I wish I was more eloquent with my words so that I could paint this picture for you, but we were standing there at the bank of this river, as men and women from all ages were going to the river to be baptized all the while singing Mende hymns.
Yes, Sarah was in the hospital. It sounds a bit scary but she’s fine now. She ended up having malaria, typhoid and a bacterial infection. I know all these things sound awful but here they are not that uncommon and so the doctors were able to treat her and she is recovering quickly. People were actually joking that she really wasn’t sick; she was just faking so that she could get the presidential treatment at the hospital.
We are now adjusting to normal life again. Mama Angie(country director) allowed us to take the week off. Mostly for Sarah, but I also felt that I needed to recuperate after Chris Clark left. Next week we will resume school and our in-service training.

War Stories

2006-11-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

I wish I could tell you that all the stories, books and movies about genocide, rebel armies, and civil unrest where just stories, but thatsimply isn't true. As much as I don't want to hear stories of the war, I know that I must, because these people did not see the war on TV or in a movie, they saw it with their own eyes, heard it with their own ears, and felt the pain of losing their loved ones. And for this reason I listen because in order for me to know and understand the people, I must see where they've come from.
This week Sarah and I had the opportunity to hear Aunty Chris's story of the war. Aunty Chris is a Registered Nurse who works for COTN training health animators who provide healthcare in the villages, teaching health classes in the school, and working with the mothers in the malnourished baby clinic. She also serves as a mentor, mother, grandmother, friend…
Aunty Chris is also blind. During the war she and her children had to hide in the bush for 2 months. There she contracted an infection in her eyes and by the time the war was over the infection had progressed too much and the doctor's said there was nothing to be done. Ahh, what this woman has experienced: going from village to village, only to be rejected; escaping the rebels, only to be found by them again; finding family members only to lose them.
And yet in the midst of this there is hope, for "where there is life there is hope." Aunty Chris
And so she praises Jesus everyday because she is alive. Aunty Chris has been such an encouragement to Sarah and I. It is so common for us to see people who have been physically effected by the war and given up. But despite her blindness, she is making a lasting difference in the lives of the people in Banta Mokellah. She is an inspiration and we spend many hours discussing issues that plague this area, brainstorming solutions and struggling to learn Mende while doing so.

Not Just an Eye Infection

2006-10-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday we had to go to an eye clinic in a neighbouring village, Sarah had an eye infection that we needed to get checked out. Many of the children have pink eye and it’s almost impossible to keep from getting it ourselves. The eye clinic is run by the Catholic Mission, it was a very interesting experience being in a mission clinic here. Since it is free to go to the clinic everyone that came with us also had their eyes checked. So our driver got glasses(which is a good thing), the nurse got new glasses… We were kind of wondering if Sarah was the real reason we went or if it was just an excuse.
On our way back to Ngolola we stopped at a market to get some vegetables and while there, the nurse who had come with us was made aware of a baby across the street that was severely malnourished. The family of the baby had given up hope and had already laid out the death mat for the baby. We ended up taking the mother and baby back with us so that they baby could be treated at the clinic. As we drove over the bumpy road back, I prayed that God would spare this one’s life. Praise the Lord, we made it back safe and in just one day the baby’s health had improved so much. There was life in his eyes again. As humans we have our own plans of what we will be doing day to day, but God in His mercy has His own plan. And His plan for Tuesday was not to go to the eye clinic and have Sarah’s eyes checked, but to save that baby’s life.

Life

2006-10-27T04:40:00.000-07:00

2006-10-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

"And a little child will lead them all" Isaiah 11:6

Mama Jenneh & Auntie Isata

2006-10-21T03:06:00.000-07:00

These are two of the most beautiful women who help our time here run smoothly. Auntie I is the best cook in the whole cheifdom, maybe even the whole country. Every morning we wake up to the sound of her voice saying, "Good morning my sisters." This week she taught us how to make cassava leave, which is the local staple and ground nut, which is the African word for peanuts. We then took the ground nut and made our own peanut butter, which has become one of our staples.
Then we have Mama Jenneh, with the talking eyes. Since communication is a barrier for us, Mama Jenneh speaks to us through eyes. Sometimes we have a hard time deciphering what she is saying, but always there is such love in those eyes. Mama Jenneh makes sure that our clothes, that seem to get dirty within seconds of putting them on, are always clean and fresh.

What a Week!

2006-10-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

Every three months Sarah and I have to take de-worming medicine to rid our bodies of any worms that may have found their way into our bodies. So on Sunday we decided to have a little de-worming party, complete with gummie worms and chocolate pudding. I hope it worked!

We seem to have adopted some children while being here. Brima- is a five year old boy who is being treated at the malnourish baby clinic. When we first met Brima, he would barely look at us. But on Monday, we broke his shell and now he's never really apart from us(except at night). We've started taking him to school with us and he has really blossomed in the last five days. It's amazing what a little love will do. David and Sudie- are two children that live in our compound. Both their parents have died and so Sarah and I have loved spoiling them these past two weeks.

In school this week, we've started reading groups with the class six students and the class five students. One problem we've noted is that many of the children don't know how to read and they've never been given proper instruction in reading and phonics. So Sarah and I are trying to fill in the gaps for these students and also trying to impress on the teachers the importance of phonics intstruction. Much of the instruction is based on memorization, so these children have been taught to memorize but they have no idea what they are memorizing, let alone, what it means. An example of this is that sometimes when we ask them a question, they just repeat it back!

On Wednesday we accompanied the pastor to a neighboring village to do evangelizing and attend a baptism class they are conducting for new believers. Sarah had the opportunity to meet the town cheif and witness to him. It was quite an experience for her and we hope and pray that some of what she said will get through.

We've had a great week and are continuing to love it here. Please pray for the children here and the teachers. Pray that the teachers would have open ears to what we have to share and the willingness to try it in their classrooms. Please pray for Brima, he is continuing to improve but once he leaves this program we're not sure if he will go back to the way he was or if he will be cared for and provided for.

Banta

2006-10-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

We are now up country in Banta, which most of you would probably consider the bush! It is truly amazing here and I can't even begin to describe it to you. So I will try to tell you through pictures.

This is a picture of the village, Ngalala, which is a predominantly Muslim community. Most houses are made out of mud and a thatched roof. Whenever we enter the village, in seconds everyone knows we are there and all the children come running!

This is morning devotions before school starts. Most of these children come from Muslim homes and so the fact that their parents allow them to go to a Christian school is truly a miricle. There are about 330 children in a one room school! And although you would think that there is no way that children can really learn in that environment, they do and they are so eager to learn! COTN also has a feeding program, so each day the children receive a meal of rice and either cassava leaf (the local staple) or ground nut(peanut) stew and a cup of milk.

Walking Chairs

Each day the children bring the chairs from the school to the head teachers house. As you can see it is quite a funny sight!

The School

This is another branch of the feeding program where mothers can bring their malnurished babies and go through a four month program where they learn how to make a porridge out of local foods(cassava, fish, ground nut, rice) that has the proper nutrients these babies need. Many mothers do not nurse their babies long enough, consequently the babies are not getting the nutrients they need to grow properly so part of this program also teaches mothers how to nurse and then the correct way to ween the babies at the proper time.

These are the cutest neighbors you could ever have! We have adopted David and Jennifer as our new children since we've left our other 87 children in Freetown! I hope my bag is big enough!

The Freetown Teachers

2006-10-07T04:36:00.000-07:00

This is at one of our teacher in-services. We taught the teachers how to make guacamole! Yes, this really does have something to do with teaching. We used it to demostrate the fact that we learn more by doing rather than just being told something. The teachers had a lot of fun and in was very funny listening to them try to pronounce guacamole!

Sarah and I in our lovely green uniforms and the three nursery school teachers in Freetown

September

2006-09-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

September has proved to be a very interesting month for Sarah and myself. Each day brings it's own challenges, joys, and frustrations. I find myself falling in love with the children more and more everyday. The pictures we take do not even begin to capture the true essence of their personalities and character. However, as we are being immersed into this culture, we face many challenges of knowing how to deal with certain situations and how to properly communicate with the people. Everything I thought I knew about education and children, I'm finding that I really know nothing at all. One of the biggest challenges I see, as far as school goes, is taking what we know and changing it so that it will fit this culture. For example, the children just don't respond to our way of disciplining and managing a classroom. One little boy was slamming his slate on the desk and so, responding in the way that is natural to me, I took it away from him. He looked at me, so confused, and then asked for it back.

Sarah and I are also having a difficult time having authority with the children. Adults don’t interact with children in Sierra Leone the same way they do in America. Children are expected to be very submissive, seen and not heard. So when we come in desiring to build relationship with the children and to interact with them in the way we would interact with American children, in a sense we are giving up our authority. In America we have this thought that, “you have to give respect in order to receive it,” but here, respect is not a choice, it is an expectation. For me, I would rather play and interact with the children the way I want to, than have them listen to me in school, which is okay because they have their teachers to discipline them. Let me just say, that we only face this problem with the little ones, the older children recognize that they still need to treat Sarah and myself with respect.

First Week of School!

2006-09-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

We've completed our first week of school and we survived! It was so great to see the children in their uniforms and quite funny to see us in ours. It's really funny because we don't think that they are the most attractive articles of clothing but everyone here loved them!

We spent our week working with the Nursery school teachers and trying to figure out the way the system works here. One thing is that real school doesn't start until next week. Many children don't even come the first week and the teachers don't really start their curriculum until the second week.

On Friday we conducted our first seminar with these teachers. We talked about different supplemental activities that they could include in their instruction such as Calendar Time and also about classroom management. Many schools in Sierra Leone still practice corproal punishment but COTN does not allow it in their schools, which is good. Consequently, they haven't given the teachers another way to discipline. So we are trying to work with the teachers to create a discipline plan that works for them and also with the children.

This week I will be working with the Nursery 1 teacher who teaches ages 2-3. We will be focusing on Classroom Management and helping the teachers implement a Calendar time into their day. It will be quite interesting, as many of these children spent all of last week crying!

We have continued to have good health and are now preparing for the next month in Banta. It is a little more remote there so we are trying to get supplies for the month. There are two different mines near Banta both owned by an Irish company and they have been very helpful to us in the past. They provide us with water and also internet, so I will be able to keep in contact with you. We are very excited to be up there and work with the teachers and the people of Banta.

Please continue to pray for health, for us to continue building relationships with the teachers, and Praise God for the beautiful children we get to spend everyday with.

School is Starting

2006-09-07T04:59:00.000-07:00

We are in the final count down to school starting. Our uniforms are almost ready at the tailor. Did I tell you that we have to wear uniforms? I will post a picture as soon as possible!

You know school is getting ready to re-open when all the street venders have their baskets full of uniform fabric, textbooks, school supplies, etc. You could actually sit in your car in downtown Freetown and just wait for these venders to walk by and you wouldn't even have to get out of your car. It brings a whole new meaning to "drive-by."

Sarah and are anxiously awaiting the start of school, but to be honest, we are also a little scared. We just aren't quite sure how the other teachers see us and our role in the classroom is still a little fuzzy. But I know that we serve a faithful God and He has this whole year planned out. He knows what it is He wants to accomplish and we just have to be attentive to His calling.

Up till now we really haven't been forced to integrate into this culture, but once we are working with these teachers we will really be forced to learn this culture and have an understanding of it so that we can best serve the teachers and children. Please continue to pray! I appreciate all the comments and emails I get! God Bless you all!

Bible Study

2006-09-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I have had the opportunity to join a bible study with other ex-patriots who work for various missions and NGO's. While it is good to get the African perspective on Christianity, it is also nice to come together with people who have a common goal and purpose for fellowship and digging into the Word! These people have also provided a little bit of a social life for us as well.

Yes, it's Cold Here!

2006-09-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

We are now in the thick of rainy season and we've had rain for the past 2 weeks. Let me tell you, this is not a light drizzle, it down pours here! And Sarah and I have both wanted our sweatshirts, but we settle for the one longsleeve shirt we brought and of course a cup of tea.

Top Ten

2006-09-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

1. There's alway room for one more
2. It's raining, quick, get a bucket
3. "Aunty, don't tell the boys you real name," (Massah, 9 yrs. old)
4. Boiling water really is a difficult task
5. Maggots do grow in Sour Cream that is left out
6. When there's no water, make sure to turn the faucet off, if not, you may have a flooded bathroom!
7. In humid conditions, it may take your clothes 3 days to dry
8. If your clothes have not dried within 3 days, mold may begin to grow
9. A cup of tea every morning is good for the soul
10. Paved roads really aren't that necessary

To explain some of these...
1. Whenever we go anywhere, it seems like we are always picking up one more person!
2. We were without water for 2 1/2 weeks, but praise God it was raining pretty heavily so we used rain water to bath and clean with.
3. We are not short of mothers here, in fact we have about 45 of them. So mom, don't worry, these girls take good care of us!
4. Simple tasks in America, just really aren't that simple here.
5. We had a container of sour cream that was kind of forgotten about.
6. When we didn't have water, someone must have turned the faucet on and forgot to turn it off after they realized that there was no water. Then, when we finally did get water, you can imagine what happened!
7. Our clothes really do take this long to dry.
8. When it rains, we can't really hang them outside!
9. Tea has become a nice substitute for coffee.
10. And you can ask Kelsy and Julie about the roads! Those of you who love off-roading, need to move here!

Photos

2006-08-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Julie here. I just wanted to let you know I added a bunch of photos and that there are also posts from Kristen and Kelsy below them, so make sure that you scroll all the way down to see everything that is new. If there is anything specific you'd like to see a picture of, let me know and I'll try to post it. Now that we have easier access to technology, we can hopefully communicate better with you. Kels and Kristen said it, but I'll echo it too - thank you so much for your prayers and support. We truly could not have done it without you. You are now invested in the lives of these children and God will bless that investment!

Carrying Baby Esther

2006-08-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here is Kristen carrying baby Esther on her back while we were at camp. Mothers strap their babies to their backs using a strip of cloth called a lapa. This allows them to have their hands free to cook, haul water, etc. The babies don't seem to mind and often will fall asleep. We all had fun trying out this new method. Who knows, maybe we'll start a fad here in America when we have our own children.

Beautiful Girls

2006-08-22T09:58:00.001-07:00

Here's Kelsy with two of the beautiful girls in the home. You can tell they just love their Aunty Komeh (her African name) !

Bodyguards!

2006-08-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

Rest assured, Kristen and Sarah will be protected by their strong and competent bodyguards. The man on the left is Aruna and the one on the right is Quami. They are both about 6'4" and have very large muscles! They promised to give 110% in their efforts to keep these two girls safe and sound.

Home Takeover

2006-08-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here is Julie with three of the Room One boys - Alpha, Papay and Christian. She and another girl, Kai, had the challenge of keeping track of 10 boys ages 4-7 during the home takeover. Let's just say a few fist fights, a few wet beds and nightmares later, the appreciation for all that the caregivers do was even greater than it was before! Hearing their high little voices praising God last thing at night and first thing in the morning made it all worth it.

Look at those muscles!

2006-08-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here is Kristen, using all of her strength to try to help her team win the tug of war at camp. Camp was a good opportunity to work with the nationals as a team to give the kids the best camp experience possible.

With the Kids

2006-08-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Here are the three of us with some of our kids! Kelsy is holding the baby of the home, Patrick. Hanging between Kelsy and Julie is Emmanuel and then left to right is James, Emmanuel Alpha and Kofi. These kids love hugs, tickles and teasing, just like any other kids.

They Left Me!!

2006-08-22T05:19:00.001-07:00

Well, now life really starts here in Marjay Town. Not that there wasn't life before, but now we can settle down into a routine and things. It has been very quiet since the team left on Friday. It was sad to see them go, but we enjoyed our time with them. Sarah and I have spent the last few days trying to figure out what our life will look like now, how we will cook for ourselves, buy food, do laundry(by hand), transportation, etc. Oh, so much to think about. This week we should also be having a meeting with Mama Angie(the boss) to set a schedule for the year. We will be sharing our time in Freetown and also in Banta.
Sarah and I are getting along great! God was really in every detail of this trip, even making sure that we fit together well! We are a lot alike is some ways but then where one is lacking the other makes up for it! So God is good!
We've also met some friends here! They have a bible study on Tuesday nights that we will be attending, tonight is our first night! One lady is from the UK, another is from The Netherlands, and the rest are all Lebenese(there's quite a population here). It's exciting to make these connections with people!
The children are doing okay after seeing the team go. They were very sad but kids are resilant you know! They ask about their other Aunties and Uncles and wish them well.

Prayer Requests:
~Health-always for health, God is faithful
~The Teachers- that they would be open and receptive to what Sarah and I have to share
~That we would settle down into being here on our own
~That God would have His protective hand over us always
~That our lives would be an example to the people of Sierra Leone
~Praise God for safe travel, protection, His sovereignty, God is just so Great!

More to come...
Now that there is only two of us, we are hoping to getting into more of a routine of coming to the internet cafe. And I'm still trying to figure out how I will be able to post pictures, but for now Kelsy can post some from home.
Thank you all for your support and prayers, everytime I start feeling down I remember all those people who believe in me back home! I love you all!

2006-08-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Julie and Kelsy at the Banta day camp doind crafts with the kids. The guy on the right is Quami, one of our go-to guys in SL

2006-08-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

Kelsy and Julie are home!

2006-08-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Julie and I arrived home late on the 19th and boy was it a tough goodbye! We had a great last couple weeks in Sierra Leone. After Camp we had the home take-over in which we sent all the Aunties and Uncles on a retreat and we were in charge of the home. It was quite an undertaking, but it was a lot of fun waking up to those kids singing praises to the Lord! After that we went up-country to Banta for a week, which is a small village in southern SL. We held a day camp up there that was well attended and had a great time. The only down side to that was the larger amounts of bugs and likewise there were much more mosquitos up there and I ended up with malaria. I'm much better now, but for a while there I was feeling pretty crummy, but thanks to your prayers and the support of the people we were working with I was able to beat it and feel better after about 4-5 days. Next was our last week with the kids, and we all just hung out and played most of the week. Goodbyes were hard. The kids were all very sad, as were Julie and I. We had some very good last moments with them though, and ended on a great note. Then saying goodbye to Kristen was also hard. We were leaving our sister and best friend, but God had us in his hands and really blessed us the whole way home. Especially with all the problems they have been having in the London airports these days, God really kept us safe. Now we are home, and we can really see and feel the way God moved in our lives. I encourage you to keep lifting Kristen up in prayer as she is still in Africa and keep checking the blog to hear about the great things she is still doing there. For now, thank you so much for all your prayers and support. We couldn't have done this without you! We love you!!

Camp!

2006-07-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

We spent this past week at camp! It was quite an experience. Just to give you a little idea about the kinds of obstacles that have become the norm for us: We left last Sunday at 8:00 in the morning, which really means 11:30. We drove into Freetown and picked up food supplies for the first day of camp, which took about 1 1/2hours. We finally got to the camp at about 2:30, and waited for the kids to arrive! And waited and waited. Because it is not common for families to have cars, the COTN bus(which is an actually school bus from the States), picked up the kids and brought them. I have never seen so many children packed into a bus, it was amazing. And they had to make a couple trips to get all the children there. Once they were there is was great seeing their excitment! I was in charge of showing the kids to their cabins, and it was great to see looks on their faces when they saw who was in their cabin. We are learning that some things are universal, such as the way excitment is shown on the face of children everywhere
The place that we stayed was actually a university. This university just happened be near the place that a lot of the fighting happened during the war. So you could still the effects. By our standards, you would think that the place was abandoned, but that is not so. Things here happen very slowly, so a lot of 'clean-up' just hasn't been done.
The camp really went great. I kept trying to remember back to my camp days. It was great to see the children interacting with eachother and just being kids!
I'd love to write more, but my ride is getting a little anxious! So good-bye for now, thank you for all your prayers.

Here We Are!!!

2006-07-22T10:12:00.002-07:00

Hey Everyone!
We finally get to post a message! We are having a wonderful time here in Africa. Everything is so amazing and God is blessing us beyond what we ever expected. We have been very busy with Health Week and we just rapped up VBS this last week, which was the craziest VBS I've (kelsy) ever been involved in. 200 kids, ages 2-16 in 1 room the size of a living room was just nuts! We leave for camp tomorrow with all the kids from the orphanage, which we are all looking forward to. We have all been very healthy, except for Kelsy having some minor stomach problems, if you know what I mean! God is blessing us in that area! The children are so wonderful and loving. We are building so many great relationships with the nationals and can't wait to build more.
Our home is very nice and the food is much better than we all expected. Considering our surroundings, we live in a very "posh" house and the best part is, we have running water, most of the time. We have no electricity, except at night when we turn on the generator. We are living very comfortably! It might be different when we travel up country though.
We were able to read the children's files in the home last week and found out what happened to their parents and what their history is, and it was very difficult. But to be able see that and experience the love of these children is a miracle in itself. The children have the most beautiful personalities and some of them have so much spunk, or as they would say here, they are frisky! As each day goes by of getting the know the kids better, it is eveident that God is at work here and is preparing these kids for the future of his kingdom. It is so exciting to take part in that!
Kristen is getting into the flow of being here for a year and has met all the teachers at the school. The kids are on break right now, but will be back in Sep. Her official title here is a "consultant." She'll be working with the teachers to better their skills.
Julie is the resident jungle gym! All the kids just love to climb all over her and she does so well with them. She has really bonded with one of the little girls named Phoebe, who has cerebral palsey, and she does really well with her.
Kelsy, is staying busy with planning VBS and I'm loving every second with the kids. I had a chance to meet several hundred kids in the community through VBS and that was really awesome.
Our team here is great and we are all getting along. We truly are turning into a tight knit little family. It is going to be hard to say goodbye!
Some prayer requests we have right now are continued health and energy for camp. Also, please pray for our team up in Banta, they have been dealing with a lot of spiritual warfare and could really use your prayer.
Thank you for all your prayers and support, we can't wait to get home and tell all of you more. We don't know when we will next get to write, so just keep checking up. We love you all!!!
~kelsy, kristen, julie

Here We Are!!!

2006-07-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

And We're Off!

2006-06-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

Well, Kelsy and Julie have made it safely to Freetown, Sierra Leone. This will be the last entry on US soil! This week of preparation has been very interesting. I've felt very detached from my body, but God has faithfully guided me in getting everything done that I needed to get done before leaving. Tomorrow I will be driving to Seattle and then on Sunday I fly out at 8:30 am. I should be arriving in Freetown at around 8:30(pst) or 4:30 there.
It has seemed very strange saying good-bye to people for a year, it's somewhat surreal to me. I think it will finally hit me once I'm there.
I'm not sure how much I will be able to update this, hopefully as much as I want, but technology can sometimes be a problem. Please continue to keep us all in your prayers. Thank-you, Kristen

Getting Closer

2006-05-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

The days are flying past and we are accomplishing things that need to get done before we go: passports, visas, vaccinations, and a hundred other details. Our support money is in and God has once again shown Himself to be faithful to provide what we need. Thank you to all of those who have chosen to support us financially. Thank you to those of you who are supporting us by praying for us; there's no way we could do it without a solid base of prayer. We are receiving more details as we go about what we will be doing, our accomodations and stuff like that. It seems as though much of those questions will have to wait to be answered until we are in country. Please pray even now that we will be flexible and ready for what we will encounter.

2006-04-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

Here we are, still in Washington!

We're On Our Way!

2006-04-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here we are still in Washington, waiting patiently for the date to arrive that we will begin this journey. Thank you so much for your prayers and support, keep checking for updates