Early Thursday, January 31, 2018

As mentioned before Don and Marilyn sent us off with the words with the 11th commandment...be flexible. Those words have come to mind several times as we go through each day. It is a good opportunity to grow as you let go of expectations and remember to pray for the plan and opportunities that God is orchestrating. It includes the little things such as my expectations for this blog. Today's post is a buffet of well...a little of everything.
New team members are joining us soon!

Marci is on cloud nine as a room has been designated for a kitchen. Before the room was "found" there were locations that would have been a lot of work to set-up. Guess what sign was already above the door? Kitchen! Apparently it was lost and now it is found. It is now cleaned and ready for a stove, a refrigerator, shelving and supplies.

"Here is Your Indiana Government" 

 

Another discovery was a set of books in the library at the all boys school. It is wonderful to see books placed on shelves. It was uplifting to see a few students sitting in the library.
As you gain a little understanding of the culture and environment and see what books have been sent over through donations, you realize that some your donations perhaps would not be meaningful for Sierra Leone students and teachers.

John and Moses

I don't know if you can comprehend that toilet facilities can be very limited at a hospital. When we arrived at the beginning of the week only 3 patient toilets were working but now 22 are thanks to the building team. The guys (John, Tom, and Moses) spend their days upgrading and repairing.

The PT clinic is always buzzing with activity. It is always a blessing to hear about the collaboration that goes on between Stacey and the PT staff. There was a strong relationship built by the first medical team which makes it easier for the second team to continue the work.

Three year old sister with a new baby brother. Joyful mom! 

 

 Pure sweetness in the maternity ward. Sally fills her day with well baby exams, surgical procedures, and ob/gyn exams. No lighting for a procedure...no problem...nurses just use their phone's flashlight.








The education team continues to build relationships with teachers and make observations as they prepare for professional development next week. It is amazing to observe Sierra Leone educators teach with very limited resources and facilities. The girls are having their lunch or snack in the "cafeteria". No picture can show how tight the spaces are. There is no outdoor area. Very small indoor rooms are very dark. If this school was a state park the trail (hallways) would be labeled treacherous.



Answer to the plunger:

Monday, January 29, 2018

SO many experiences were packed in today. We all even walked the plank. (Photo later)
I noticed sleepy, nodding heads as we traveled home from four school visits and a hospital tour.  The medical team was a wonderful addition for classroom visits. They often brought up questions that helped lead to new perspectives. The medical team also had a meeting with the hospital administrator and a few members of the staff.
 
 Did You Know?

• ...that teachers usually have only one copy of a subject's textbook?          Teachers copy the textbook on the chalkboard that is sometimes difficult to see. The children then copy the info in a student "workbook".  

• ...often a newly certified teacher is usually not paid for teaching?                    The government doesn't have enough funding for the payroll.   The teacher may try to find a second job. The principal may try to find support from various outside sources so the teacher can make a living. That is passion!                              
• ...if you are a patient in the hospital that a family member comes along to prepare your meals?                                                                                                              If you don't have a family member then you have to get a friend or I imagine pay someone. Marci is here to begin the process of setting up a kitchen.
• ...that it is difficult to repair donated equipment because it is obsolete? Parts are difficult to find. Moses is evaluating equipment.
• ...that we saw a primary classroom with 86 students? Yes, that number is correct. The teacher even brings her two-year-old so that she can teach. Yet, she had the biggest smile and showed such joy with this challenge.
• ...the most seen patient cases are malaria, typhoid, pneumonia? Hepatitis B cases are climbing also. 
• ...casts are removed by pouring vinegar over a cast to remove it? I'm not sure how long that takes! Staci has brought a tool to remove casts. 

Evening Campfire 
No fire was burning but the atmosphere was the same. The team lingers in the evening at the dinner table to share highlights of the day, debrief, and talk about the itinerary for the next day. Tonight someone randomly asked, "How did you come to be on this trip?" I would love to post each story - powerful and fascinating stories that only God could set in motion. Don and Marilyn played a part in almost every story.  They are truly here even though they are physically not. It is also evident that your prayers are weaved into each story AND each day's experiences. Your prayers for our safety (riding in an vehicle is always an experience), open minds for ourselves and the people we come into contact with, and wisdom to see opportunities to show God's love are ESSENTIAL. It is a joy to see the impact and the connections the first team made the previous few weeks. Thank you for making our road smoother as well as our team members that have been here before. Pat, John, Jane, Tom, and Moses have been invaluable with their insights and knowledge.

 And now you know...

Tim nailing it on the beach "field".  The team was quite impressed.

 You have to wait to know who was the only person to change into a swimsuit and plunge in the surf. Blogger needs some tech advice. : )

 


 Next riddle- Who do you think is setting their alarm before 6 am to be in the hotel kitchen to learn and share about food preparation? We will get enjoy that blessing at our breakfast.

Check this post again as this blogger hopefully receives tech support from team members to post photos from various sources. Just don't hold your breath as she uses that knowledge.  

Day 2; January 28, 2018

Good evening! We were able to get a look at our surroundings at daylight this morning.  Some of the first timers were surprised by the color of the soil. It has a reddish color much like parts of Georgia.

After breakfast we loaded into three vehicles to attend church. Had a little vehicle difficulty but were soon on our way...well, an hour late.
Each team member has a team job. The money changer collects money from everyone who needs leones. We all needed money for purchases and offerings Crisp newer hundred dollar bills get the highest rate. Small bills usually can't be exchanged. ALL the money changer has to do is give the driver the money and the driver will exchange and divide the money. The driver then will return the exchanged money to the money changer. The money changer gives each person their money. Easy! No worries! Right! Today was different because we all needed money for the offering. The driver wasn't able to divide the money because he was driving. It took four brains and a phone calculator to figure this out. After Kendall, with a huge smile on his face, had his picture taken with the large stacks of different leones, he abandoned the other three brains as we had arrived at church.  He quipped we looked like the money changers outside of the temple. Will post that picture for sure! 

Daisy and Leonard in the center of our group picture outside the church.

The church service was uplifting. One of the messages was centered around the question, "Do you know him?" An analogy was made about our relationships with people we "know". We can be acquainted with someone and hang out with them but do we really KNOW them? We may be acquainted with Jesus and even hang out with Him but do we really KNOW him? There was a reference to the upcoming elections that take place in a few weeks. There is tension as people have strong opinions on the candidates. We can certainly relate to that. The pastor pointed out that Jesus matters...not how the elections turns out. Prayer is needed as there is fear about the tensions developing around this election. We were blessed with a special prayer given by Leonard's wife in the service.

Here is a picture clue to the plunger.

We had a satisfying lunch at a restaurant across from the beach. We took a walk on the beach. The crawling crabs are huge! One of us took a plunge in the surf while the rest of us just did some wading. Can you guess which one team member took the plunge? One of us found a group of young boys to play soccer with. Which one? This team member loves soccer. Answers tomorrow.


Back at the hotel, we had dinner and discussed the agenda for tomorrow. Both the educational and medical teams will be visiting three schools and the hospital. John and Tom will work at the hospital to do roof repair and other maintenance. We appreciate your prayers for wisdom and direction. We also ask for prayers for open minds for the team and people we will be working with. Thanks for praying and taking the time to view and read.

CLICK on this video created by Tim: Scenes of Sierra Leone 
It may take a little while to load but worth the wait - gives you sense of Freetown. 

Most of Team 2  and ALL of our luggage have arrived safely at the Campanero Hotel in Sierra Leone. I have to tell you that the sight of a bed to stretch out on and sleep on looked really wonderful. It was beautiful sunny day when we left the airport yesterday or was it the day before? It was nice to have Don and Marilyn see us off at the airport They gave last minute instructions and advice. Travel went smoothly... although the ride from the airport to the hotel was on the wild side. Driving is on whole another level here. It was too late to catch the water taxi so drivers took us to the hotel... ended of being a three hour drive. The only disappointment was that it was dark so it was difficult to see the scenery. However, even in the dark we saw many interesting sights.
Even though there are many team members that did not know each other before - we have BONDED through our travel experiences. Everyone is taking care of each other. Our motto might be: Leave no one behind beside the one that Don and Marilyn left with us - Be flexible! Leonard gave us a joyous greeting with hugs at the airport. It was also a welcomed sight to see John. Pat, John and Jane are our experts and we are glad they are along to "advise" the first timers.
Even though we didn't arrived until around 11 pm the hotel staff had set a nice buffet of delicious dishes. Mango, chicken on a stick, fish, pasta with a wonderful sauce, fresh mango and pineapple. What a treat for weary travelers!
Other members of the team are arriving later in the week.
We're excited to attend services tomorrow and perhaps go to the beach. We'll get first hand experience in math skills as we exchange American money for Sierra Leonean Leones. Looking forward to seeing Sierra Leone in the light and interacting with those who live here.