Sierra Leone (five)

The highlight of my trip was taking a day trip over to Mile 91 (91 miles from Freetown). There, I was able to meet & spend time with Hawa Mansaray, the 13 year old girl that our family sponsors every month.  I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to sit & talk with her & see where she lives, goes to school & church. I also met the family that she lives with (her dad was killed in the war & her mom drowned 6 years ago).

I loved the picture below (thank you, Sarah!) of me, showing Hawa a picture of Katie & Mary Margaret. 

 

I was able to walk inside & see exactly where she lives.  She & 4 other people live in one room.  There is a bed, a table, a bike & other things stacked by the walls.  When we were standing next to the bed, pulling a puzzle out of the bag, I asked Hawa where she sleeps.  She tapped her foot on the floor.  I looked down, and said, “Right here?” and she nodded.  We were standing in a space about 2 feet by 4 feet on a concrete floor – basically the walk way next to the bed.  Katie had made a pillow for her, and right then I pulled it out of the bag & handed it to her, and she hugged it to her, and that beautiful smile as she said, “Thank you! Thank you! Oh, thank you!”

To say it was an amazing experience would be an understatement. How many people get to do that? Meet the child they sponsor?  What a blessing! Truly unforgettable.

Sierra Leone (four)

Random…

Group of girls at church Sunday morning.  Before we went, Becky warned us that when it was time for the offering, if the amount collected was not what was hoped for, they would do it again, and possibly even one more time.  And, each person carries their offering to the altar.  So after we got there, and it came time for the offering, instructions were given: if you were from Tribe A (I can’t remember the names), give to the bucket on the right.  If you were from Tribe B, give to the bucket on the left.  And if you fell into the “Other” category, lay your offering on the Bible in the center.  So we all went forward & gave an offering.  The music, loud & upbeat, was playing as we went.  The thought did run through my mind, “This feels like a conga line.”  Thankfully, the offering was substantial, and one go-round was enough that day.

A common sight.

We would pass by this sign every time we would go to & leave the mission house.  The bullet holes were a visual reminder of what these people have survived (civil war, portrayed in the movie “Blood Diamond”).

This was a booth at the market…not quite sure what type of meat that might be.

 

It seemed out of place to see a Lincoln town car.

Scaffolding.

Water.  In a bag.

Fresh pineapple, everyday.

This is how we got to wherever we were going: the poda poda.

The iron.

Fishermen & women.

The well in the yard at Tom & Becky’s house.

I have never given so much thought to fresh water.  For people who live in this part of the world, so much time is spent going to & from a well to get water.  I think about that every time I brush my teeth now. 

This morning, I found myself so frustrated. I was standing in front of the mirror, about to flat iron my hair for the first time in three weeks.  I was so missing the freedom I felt while in West Africa, freedom to not be concerned so much with my appearance.  I got so spoiled, wearing my baseball cap, or just pulling my hair back, and not caring how it looked.  aaaggghhh. This is just one tiny little part of how I am struggling right now.