Reflections

       It's been 3 1/2 days since our return and already I miss Maboleh and Sierra Leone. Oh, I don't miss all of it; here are some things I don't miss: warm drinks, no milk, dust, dust, dust, part-time electricity, wads of nearly worthless currency, and what seems like 38 different languages that I understand nearly nothing of. Regardless, the openness of the people, the joy of the children in the villages, and the acceptance that we Oportos feel, more than offsets the few inconveniences we encounter.
     During our stay, we were able to begin several construction projects; the first of these was a new latrine for the village. We helped dig the pit, carry concrete blocks, and purchased the materials to construct the facility itself - pics below....

   

       We also set about repairing & refurbishing the church parsonage - more pics.....

     Finally, and most importantly, we laid the groundwork for our biggest challenge - rebuilding the church in the village. here are some pics of the current structure:

     Our time there was also spent on two other aspects of village life, the school and the medical clinic. The school is located at the southern end of the village. It has 4 rooms and a rough, open-air structure with a thatch roof that handles the overflow of students. There are about 240 (give or take) students; some of the rooms are so crowded that 2 classes are held simultaneously - one class facing one way, the other class facing the opposite direction. Here are some pics of the school and the teachers:

     The government run medical clinic is at the northern end of the village. We were able to donate a suitcase full of bandaids, bandages and other medical supplies - including medecine. here's a pic of the inside of the clinic and the nurse in charge - also, check out their ambulance:

           There's so much more I could write about and provide pictures of, but the post would be unmanageable. I'll try to make more pics and videos available to anyone who's interested; maybe just best to end with a few pics of the kids; the last is my friend from the last trip that received my Hope For Zoe bracelet..........

..... and the team.

The End Of The Road

     Sekeh (hello, in Temne). We arrived in Harrisburg about 9am this morning, a mere 33 hours after rising in Freetown on Thursday. The trip consisted of 5 phases; the first, was the ride from our motel, to the ferry that takes us across the bay to Lungi airport. It took about an hour or so to get to the ferry. Here's why:

     Then, phase 2 is the ferry ride itself - this year, it was pretty fast actually, only about 45 minutes.

     Then, phase 3 - the 6 hour wait in Lungi Airport, for a 2 1/2 hour flight to Accra, Ghana. Then phase 4 - the 11 1/2 hour flight from Accra to Washington DC. Then finally, the short flight from DC to Harrisburg.

     I'll post a summary of the trip, with as many pics as I can, in the next few days. Thanks for all your thougthts and prayers while I was gone........

Makin' Progress

     After 8 days, we're really starting to make things happen; we've got a lot of balls in the air and I've much to report. We met with every village and regional official imaginable; Sierra Leoneans are extremely protocol oriented. Thus far we have dug and purchased all the construction materials necessary to build a latrine - a three hole model, just near the "community center". Again, I must apologize for not being able to send pics. The service here at the internet cafe is not only spotty, it's an absolute gamble. You never know which machine is going to lock up during your session. An hour's time costs $6,000 Leone's (about $1.50 US).
     Anyway, today I spent over $4.9 million for the materials to build the latrine; again, that's Leones - about $1,150 US. The latrine is about 11' X 7' X 12' deep. I helped (very little) the workers remove nearly 1,000 cubuc feet of dirt. Thes folks are amazingly willing and seemingly tireless workers. I am awed by their approach to any task; they simply attack it with waves of effort. When the hole gets too deep to crawl out of, they cut a strong branch from a nearby tree, notch it, and use it like a ladder - incredibly ingenious. So far, in addition to a shovel, I've held a rat, a baby owl and a monkey skull thus far. I guess I'm not in Kansas anymore!
     We also purchased supplies for the village school (about $320,000 Leones) and another $200,000 Leones on sundry items. When you convert dollars to Leones, you get their currency in black plastic bags - blocks of it. Really makes you feel like a drug dealer, or something like that. The currency exchange is always done on the street; the driver pulls up and dealers come over to the car and - whoosh - the transaction takes place.
     The streets are an absolute madhouse; it's kinda like driving through Times Square on New Year's Eve. The guy who honks the loudest, and most persistently, has the right of way. Beggers are everywhere; it's really sad, but the only way to navigate the crowds, while on foot, is to make whatever contribution you want, to a "head begger", who then distributes it however he sees fit to the rest f the group. There are 2 rules you NEVER violate here: 1) do not drink the water under any circumstances, and 2) do not eat anything that is not boiled or that you can peel yourself. There are demons  in the water that you do not want to encounter! The taxi driver are all on motorcycles - they make the Mad Max movies seem tame.
     We did have a moment to ourselves the other day. There are 2 mountains that surround Makeni, where we are staying (about 4 - 5 miles from our village). The mountains are Wasum (father) and Mena (mother). I have wanted to climb Mena since coming here 2 years ago, and I was able to do that early on Saturday morning. What a climb, but what a rush to see Africa from the top of a mountain. It made my day!!!
     The rest of our time is spent whitewashing and painting the parsonage (another $1.3 million Leones); it's stunning how little it takes to make a difference here. We're also reconnecting with friends; I found the little girl that I tought to skip last trip. I had our driver Edison ask her how she knew me; she said I was the one who "ran down the street with her a while ago". She now wears my "Hope For Zoe" bracelet. Some of you will understand that........
     Yesterday, I had the opportunity to call home and speak live with one of our church services at CrossPoint. I hope it was a neat for them there as it was for me.
     Well, other team members around me are losing their connection. I hope this all comes through. I will post lots more, with tons of pics when I get home - hopefully, on Friday.
Oah-u
Speed

Hello From Sierra Leone

     Arrived Monday 7pm, after flight cancellations, a mere 32 hours after we left home. S.L. just as I remembered. Ride from airport to ferry is in complete darkness - no electricity - generator fuel and coal oil fumes everywhere. Since we've arrived, I've met the chief medical officer of the country, and the Minister of Health for all S.L. (a big deal). We have spent most of the last few days - and most of the rest of the trip - in the village of Maboleh. On our way, we visited the village of Mufora; our entrance was a joyous occasion, marked by a procession of singing and dancing. We were greeted royally. We were there to dedicate a church for the village; what an event for them and for us. Drum music, singing, dancing - I have some good videos. In our village - Maboleh - our arrival was a bit less rousing, but auspicious nonetheless. We met with the church and village elders, the local Imam, and what seemed like the rest of the village. I was able to donate an entire suitcase full of band aids, medical supplies, school supplies, and hand made items for the village. They were blown away by our gifts. THANK YOU to all of you who helped with  this. You made a difference! Believe me when I tell you that these folks live just like their ancestors did for the past 1,000 years. It is absolutely a day to day existance. many folks carry tribal scarations and marks. It's truly another world.
     There are about 1,000 - 1,200 residents of the village. The makeup is about 10% Christian, 60% Muslim and 30% animist - or tribal religions. Our meetings resulted in our partnering with them to build another latrine in the village, and begin plans for a new church. I cannot include pics witht his post, as I am in an internet cafe in Makeni (4th largest city - former rebel stronghold during the war), and am limited by the technology available. I will have hundreds to show upon my return. Thus far I've eaten goat, barracuda, casava stew and ground nut soup. All very tasty (except the casava stew - looks and tatses like ****). The rest of our time here will be spent working in the village and helping them with these projects.
     Our team is comprised of 4 members of CrossPoint; Roger, Stephanie, Kenny and me. We're having a blast. Kenny is posting as well, but his computer just dumped. If you follow his post and can't find it, that's why (public service portion of this post).
     I've heard of the weather you've been having, so I won't speak much about the 95+ degree days we've experienced since we got here. Nights are hot too; no screens in many rooms, so sleeping in a mosquito net is a must. Taking malaria medicine every day has become routine. I've rekindled my relationship with so many folks here; their joy at seeing us return is astounding, as are the faces and personalities of all the children.
     I've seen lots of animals, the most abundant of which are the lizards (some in our room); but no lions, tigers or grizzleys yet. I will do my best to post once more next week. Oah-U (good bye in Temne)

Well My Bags Are Packed; I'm Ready To Go.........

     In about 15 hours or so, we'll be leaving for the 2-3 hour trip to the airport, then the 30ish hour travel tme to Freetown, via Brussels. All is packed; together my bags weigh 99 lbs. I can't begin to thank you all enough for the tremendous response to my request for band aids and other supplies. One full 50 lb bag is nothing but donated items. My other bag also contains things I'll leave behind - boots, shirts, etc. They'll come to good use there. No sweaters needed; not hard to stay warm.
     I'll do my best to keep you all updated during the journey. Internet service is spotty at best, and without my trusty laptop, I'll be at the mercy of others for access. I'm not sure where we'll be staying while in Freetown (the capitol city); but we'll be there for 2 days after our arrival, and 2 more prior to our departure. Here's a picture of Freetown itself, and another of the ferry we'll take to get from the airport to the city, as it unloads . Keep me/us in your prayers. Adios............

Big Old Ugly Green Bag

As I write this, a mere 5 days 'till we wing away, I wanted to thank all of the folks who so generously responded to my request for band aids and other materials to take to our village. I packed that suitcase tonight, and it's stuffed. At 51.7 lbs., it's a tad over the limit, but I'll gladly pay the overage. Check it out -

It's the biggest, ugliest green suitcase ever (I wish it was red; I dig red), but to me, it's beautiful. As I stuffed it with band aids, gauze packs, etc., I saw the faces of those who donated these items - I also saw the faces of those I remember in Maboleh village that will likely benefit from these things, in ways we'll never know. Thank you all so much; you make me proud.......              

It's All About The Band Aids

     With just 10 days to go, many of you are asking how best to gather items for the trip. Let's focus on those loveable, yet effective little strips we call band aids.  

   The best thing to do is to get as many boxes of these little miracles as you can, and see that I get them before next Friday, January 14th. I intend to dedicate 1 full suitcase (we can only take 2) to items for the village. I already have knitted and crocheted garments - mostly for the kids. I've seen the conditions these folks endure daily, where disease, bacteria, infections, etc. are every day companions. Simple medical devices like the humble band aid, can often mean the difference between a wound that heals quickly, and one that does not - risking an infection (or worse). The maximum weight for each suitcase is 50 lbs. I'd love to fill that thing with band aids for the village, for use at the clinic. Speaking of which, check out their "ambulance; it's killer.

     It was made from spare parts - attached to a roto-tiller, then fused to a lawn tractor. Amazingly ingeneous! As you can see, every little bit we can take over there - helps more than we can ever know.

                         

Less Than 2 Weeks

     Well, we finally got our itinerary squared away. We'll leave on Sunday, January 16th and return on Friday, January 28th. During the trip, we'll route through Belgium on the way, and Ghana on the way home.
     Here's a picture of a map of the village we'll be working in:

     This map hangs on the wall of the clinic in the village. We are trying to gather supplies to take along, and I'm concentrating on taking as many boxes of band-aids as possible. Please contact me in the next 2 weeks at ksquare1313@gmail.com to donate a box, or 3, or 8, or as many as you can.