Home.Sweet.Home

42+ hours of travel. Sleep hours during that time? Little...amount depends on how well you can sleep on a plane.

New love spaces in our hearts have been created by people we have met and worked with in Sierra Leone for the past two weeks. A deeper understanding of a different culture has been built but realizing that we just have a very small understanding of Sierra Leone life . Often people will ask, "Why can't you  _________?"  My response is usually, "It's complicated and complex."

There are conflicting emotions as you ready for the journey home because you are leaving people you have grown to love but you are also missing homeland soil and your loved ones at home.

Chet and Darlene

Chet, Darlene, Tim and Leonard had one last field trip to a school to deliver books for 3rd and 6th graders. Students held up their OWN copy of their book for a photo. The books purchased will be used more than once. Hopefully they will last for 5-6 years. In Sierra Leone the word grade is not used but class. A teacher who teaches 1st - 6th grade teaches primary and teaches Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. Students must pass an exam before going on to junior secondary school. Students then go on to senior secondary school after another examination. If you like ta better understanding of the educational system click on this blog post: Educational System in Sierra Leone

What Did the 42+ Hour Journey Look Like?

After luggage was loaded into the Kissy ambulance. The water ferry is a quicker way to get to the airport than to drive around the bay. Our intended plan was to catch the 2:00 pm ferry. There is also a water taxi but that is expensive for a group as large as ours. After driving to the "dock" we find out that the 2:00 ferry has been canceled for the day. Plan B is now implemented. We drive around the bay to the airport hotel.

Going to the airport: What plan on we on?

Of course we have adventures before reaching the airport. A stop is made to get one car running again - some rearranging of wires and banging on battery connections seem to work for now. Another stop when one of the cars run out of gas. No gas station in sight. Luckily we are not too far from town. Luggage is rearranged in the ambulance. Three pile into the luggage ambulance. Two squeeze in the other car. Anup has a booked room as his flight to California leaves the next morning. The hotel allows us to hang out since Anup has a room. Some of us orders a bite to eat. Some take a swim in the hotel pool.  Time for the airport and all what that involves. For some it was a lucky break that the scale for weighing luggage was broken. Luggage was a little heavier since some left luggage or "boxes" for our drivers. We're thinking they sell them, use them for drawers or as totes. 

Onward to Liberia and then to Amsterdam. Flight delayed. Board plane. Arrive in Atlanta. Rush to connecting flight to Indy. However security really does not seem to care if you have a connecting flight and only a few minutes to get to the gate. Two made it but others did not. Get on the next flight. Some have another 2 - 3 hour drive. Home. Sweet. Home. Thanks for prayers and  financial support for projects. You are so important for these trips. Trips and outreach are not possible except for those of you "behind the scenes"  More students have books and supplies. Patients and staff have a kitchen to prepare meals. Working toilets and sinks. Dental care. Ob/Gyn care. Medical equipment assessment and repairs for better medical care. PT care. Lives touched - yours, ours and theirs. 💗💗💗