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.