Welcome!

Welcome! Thanks for following along with my adventures - down to the very pages that make up the chapters in the current book of my life. Now that that metaphor has been thoroughly exhausted, I hope you'll stick with it and feel a part of the 8 weeks that I will spend in Bo, Sierra Leone. I'll be doing some specific tasks, including: facilitating two book clubs, facilitating a Bible study, tutoring resident students, working with the guidance counselor, and conducting staff training. I'm sure there will also be plenty that I have not anticipated and I'm looking forward to what God brings my way. I appreciate your being a part of it!

Monday, March 14, 2011

River no. 2 and Home...

https://picasaweb.google.com/memandmac/RiverNo2?authkey=Gv1sRgCKi_oP3v85DxzwE#

I don't know why this isn't making a direct link; technology is not my strong point. Slightly irritating and, no doubt, easily fixed in some way of which I am unaware. Sorry!

So, I've been in the U.S. since last Wednesday and back to NY since yesterday. I have a killer cold after making it successfully through 2 months in Africa with the worst injuries being a semi-nasty burn and the beginnings of heat rash. Despite this, it is really nice to be back. Along with the cold, it's physically cold in my abode and I'm very happy about that; I spent some minutes wandering around in the snow flurries this morning while not wearing a coat and reminded myself that I like the northeast. I'm enjoying wearing layers of clothing, and having some energy to move about during the day is also a welcome change. All the physical comfort aside, I continue to process the emotional and spiritual aspects of my time in Africa. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to extract; I think a great deal of those aspects sort of sank into my being somehow. And I believe that's a good thing. How this has prepared me for future steps also obviously remains to be seen but I think I come back with a softer heart, eyes and ears that are quicker to see and hear, and a broader perspective from which to respond. I trust God will do with that what He wills.

So, while in Africa I had a birthday and it is always my custom to treat myself to something in the areas of travel and/or spa-type activities, so this year I went to the beach - specifically a beach called River no. 2. It's south of Freetown and accessible down a red dusty road that is heavily under construction and quite pot-holed. Fudia and I, with cake and water and all my luggage, left on Tuesday, March 1. The night before I went to Vespers and said my goodbyes to the kids. Vespers was actually not its usual format because the kids were practicing a song that they would perform for donors and the ambassador (they came to visit after I left). After practice, there was a sort of impromptu worship song session where Mother Emma Appia led the songs; everyone sort of danced around the dining hall. A bunch of the boys accompanied on drums. After that, there was prayer. I was really touched by a period of prayer for me and my family. While still walking around, everyone prayed out loud at the same time - just talking to God about me and my concerns - praying for my health, thanking God for letting me be there and for what I had offered, praying for my family members and my safety in getting back home...I kept thinking about the cloud of witnesses and how heaven must sort of be like this moment. They then sang a song that thanked me and honored me for my help over the 2 months. That made me cry. We said farewell & I promised to see them off before school the next morning (which I did). That same night Rev. Koroma came over to say goodbye and he and I had a really sweet time of prayer for his ministry and for whatever God brings my way. It was a pretty special moment! Earlier that day (Monday) I had finished my work in the library and passed everything over to Mabel. So, in all, I feel like I finished well - SO, time for the beach!

It took about 3 hours to get to Freetown so I was pretty happy to hit the air conditioning and iced beverages of Crown Bakery. I treated the 3 of us (Fudia, Paul the driver and me) to lunch. I enjoyed a pizza and Diet Coke - always a nice b-day meal. After a brief stop at the UMVIM office, we headed another hour to the beach. What a lovely spot! I won't describe what the pictures show - but overall impressions include pristine white sand, constant breeze off the water, sound of the surf and seafood seaside (grilled lobster as a b-day treat!)

So from Tuesday afternoon until Thursday afternoon we relaxed. Fudia slept a lot and went trolling for fresh fish. She purchased a bunch of grouper and had it fried up to take back to Bo. We had a few bites of it and it was SUPERBLY delicious. She decided not to purchase the pictured barricuda b/c it was too expensive (although she managed to get pieces of barricuda head for free). I read a lot, dipped in the waves, refused to buy any stuff for sale, and hung out with the dogs. It's a nice spot for a dog to live; this batch are quite clever about digging spots in the sand that are cool and perfectly fitted to their bodies. They also lie under the beach chairs. They get scraps of fish or chicken from guests to eat (and some bites of birthday cake from us) and the water is safe to drink - so in all, it's a nice life. There is also the occasional treat washing up on shore which they can drag out and play with and/or eat. Fudia tried to persuade the kitchen guys to let her do some cooking; she was not at all impressed with the rather basic grilled fish or chicken options with rather bland couscous, chips or rice. While I found this aspect of our stay okay, I was less impressed with the mismatch between the amount I paid for the room ($60/night) and the fact that $60 got me a 2-room basic concrete hut with no trashcan, no mirror, no hooks for clothes or towels, no towels, no soap, no chairs, nothing on the walls....but we did have a constant breeze and the lulling sound of the pounding surf :) We also made friends with a British guy who was on a one week holiday. He was quite interesting; I enjoyed chatting with him about books and writing and adventurous travel options. That proved a sort of nice segue back to the West...

A bit of disturbing news also came our way. Fudia was informed that Martha's sister (the woman I mentioned that had been admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of Hep A and then tuberculosis) died. I found myself quite angry about that; I see no good reason why a young woman IN THE HOSPITAL should die of either of those things. Chelsea told me that sometimes there isn't even a doctor; people in the hospital are volunteers. It's also possible that she was given the wrong (or no) medication and of course she could have been misdiagnosed. Apparently sometimes the cause of death is given as "a cold" - REALLY?! It shouldn't be that checking into the hospital in Africa = death sentence. And yet it seems that this is often the case. There is also the case that perhaps a visit to a hospital can save a life; Chelsea also informed me that Mercy Ships is back and docked in Freetown. She is planning on getting the little girl from the village there (the one I wrote about before); her mother is apparently hiding out and sending the girl to clinic by herself. The girl is now going blind b/c the witch doctor is messing with her eyes. He is also burning her hair and she is being beaten on the back of the head to "drive out the demon". Great. While Chelsea can't exactly kidnap her, she's hoping to track down the mom and coerce her into letting the daughter have an appointment in Freetown before being checked into the Mercy Ships clinic. I need to get an update on how that plan is going/went.

Alas, all good things must come to an end and Thursday we made our way back to Freetown where I got dropped off at the apt. of Mike & Chelsea Beasley (of Project Peanut Butter fame). I had a Friday evening flight back to Brussels, so I spent Thursday night and Friday morning enjoying conversation with Mike and the comforts of a clean cool room (they live in the hills so there is a nice breeze). Well, upon making our way to the ferry, I was told the flight was canceled which gave me another 24 hours to cool my heels. It also gave time to get a tour of the factory, meet up with Chelsea (who had been out at the villages) and have a yummy dinner in Freetown. While I was disappointed about not getting off (I was very mentally ready), it was great to have time to sort of debrief about my time in Africa - to talk over issues and plans and "next steps" for both them and me. The needs in SL are so overwhelming and reality there is so "real" for lack of a better way to put it. Although I've been back for almost a week, I think all of this will take time to sift out; life here already seems less "real" and of the moment than it did in Africa.

So I will leave my blog for now. I won't write about my time with my great friend Greta - suffice it to say, it was FABULOUS to see her and was 24 hours too short. Who knows what the future holds? I'm grateful for my time in SL and wonder when I'll go back? I think some change is in the works for new directions for the CRC and I wonder how that will pan out; I sense that trafficking and slavery is on God's heart at the moment and think that the CRC will be used in His plan. Interesting! So bye for the immediate future. Thanks for sharing in and supporting me in my adventures!

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