A day In the Life

So far every day in Africa has held new adventures for me. I have yet to grow bored even while inching through Freetown traffic for hours. I would like to recount a recent day in my life. It was a Sunday and so I attended church at The Covering. Church is quite the experience with visitors from the community the kids and the staff there was something like 150 people packed into a medium size sitting room praising God and worshiping.  After church I left to drive a young lady to the Ferry that crosses over to Lungi Airport. We left with time to spare but were stopped by a traffic cop. This particular civil servant spent 15-20 minutes attempting to extort money from me. He was not successful but now there is just enough time to reach the ferry before it leaves so long as nothing slows traffic for the next 10 miles. So I made a mad dash through Freetown to the Government Warf and arrived just as the ferry was blowing it horn to leave. There was seconds to spare but we made it.

From there I decide I will drive to a local stretch of beach and read for a while as I wait out the rain.  When the rain slows I take a stroll down the beach where I get to participate in hauling in the fishing nets, play a pickup game of beach soccer, and run into one of the visitors to TRS Church. Sorri is a young man that I had met on previous trips who live a few miles from The Covering but comes to the church every Sunday. He introduced me to his family and proudly showed me the family fishing operation.  They have a wooden boat and large drag nets that they use to harvest fish. Local women buy these fish and then re-sell them at market or in the street.  I got a lesson in microeconomics.

I latter received a call from my American African friend “Santigie” Andrew Sisco asking if I could exchange a propane bottle for him. Andrew is a missionary who moonlights as a DJ at African nightclubs. Upon returning to the Sisco home I run into Morli a young boy who lives across the street. Morli invites me to the 20th anniversary party for the generous couple who care for him. There were a lot of people and a lot of food. Africans are big on ceremony so there were multiple speeches and multiple prayers before we ate. There was even a ceremony of libation where a drink is poured on the floor to honor the dead. I ate many new foods to include fish balls, what I think was the male reproductive glands of a goat.  

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Living in Freetown

I am officially an expatriate now. I have been living in Freetown for 2 weeks now. I am caring for a sick monkey and a Sierra Leonian puppy. We traveled to Guinea to shop for vehicles and returned with one Toyota Hilux. We only had to stop at 7 border checkpoints to get there 6 to return. I am becoming more proficient driving around Freetown and out to Bauya without getting lost. Krio is the lingua Franca and it is becoming easier to comprehend for me. I still can't "talk Krio" to well but I am learning "small small". African time is difficult to get used to. Today I went across town ( maybe 20 miles ) to register my vehicle and returned 9 hours later without registration in hand. One task took all day and was still not completed in full. This task might have taken 3 hours at home, if the lines where really long.

I have made friends with some neighbor children and they come visit me often. Lucinda and Abdul  live up the hill in a corrugated tin house that is about 10'x12'. I treated a face wound on Lucinda and now I am Dr. Michael. The imaginary and real wounds abound but band-aids fix everything

The Bauya Project has begun at least in part. We are meeting with contractors and soliciting bids. Once we have the official land deed signed off on we can really begin. My quarters in Bauya remain inhabitable but that should change soon. In the mean time I am eating wonderfully as Auntie Marie has cooked wonderfully meals every day at the TRS guest house.

We meet Marie a young girl at the Children's Hospital who was slowly and painfully perishing from a facial tumor. We took her to the private hospital where much better medical care is available only to learn that it is too late to operate and radiation therapy does not exist here. Marie will meet Jesus soon and will experience indescribable joy. In the mean time she will anguish without pain medication, or food in her village. Her father decided to take her home to die upcountry. She can not chew food and I am not sure she can swallow as she spit up all liquids she was given. Please pray for this young girl and her family.

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Living la vida loca

I will begin by reporting we really miss Michael! This is a lot harder than I thought. I would not make a good millitary wife. I give props to all of you spouses out there that live without your significant others over long periods of time. It is really difficult. Don't let him know, but he does alot around here. If nothing more than take the kids for 15 minutes in the evening, it is what keeps me sane!! So yes, now you know, I am insane!
We have been able to skype him which has been fun. One skype session was done while a cute little monkey sat on his lap making crazy faces at us. Don't worry though, it is a city monkey and cannot come to Bauya, it can't make it. City monkeys do not belong in the country. We will remain a monkey free home.
The kids are ok, just doing everything any kid could dream of doing. Endless sleepovers, dozens of trips to the pool, visiting all the friends and family they can stand, pretty much anything they can think of that they want to do. It's been fun, but we are ready for life to slow down a bit. I think Africa is the answer to all this madness! If you've been, you realize the irony in this statement.
I just want to use this small paragraph to let my friends and families know how much I love and appreciate them. They have loved on us, cared for us, lifted us up, cried with us, and prayed with us so fervently over the past few weeks that I am blown away. I want to bottle up all these moments we are sharing because of how precious you all are. If I don't gush and tell you that all the time, forgive me, I don't want to be too mushy! But truly, you make it possible for us to live out an enormous dream and calling. We are forever changed and affected by you. (not to be confused with infected) Thank you.
I will leave with a funny Ella quote. While sitting on the couch the other day, she looks over at me and gives me a curious look. She says, "When are we going to go get Daddy and bring him back here?" I say, "We are going to fly to Africa to live there with him." She says, "No, I don't think so, I'm kind of over it!"

Oh child! Don't worry, you will be hooked like us before you know it!

One week down!

Phew!! We have been busy!
Michael has been in Sierra Leone for a week now. It is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Single parenting is not for me! Kids are nuts! They have been great, but it's so different not having Michael around. Don't tell him, but he does a lot around here! To sum up, we miss him.
The kids and I spent the weekend at our last kids camp with The Bridge Fellowship. It was awesome. We really loved every minute of it. It was fantastic!
We have one more camp at the end of the month and we are looking forward to that too. In between, we are spending as much time with friends and family as possible. It's really happening! We are moving to Africa.......all of us.
Today's big news: everyone in our family has a passport! That big piece of the puzzle is now in place. Next, it will be tickets and visas. There is still a fair amount of things I need to finish wrapping up here, but we're close!
It's crazy. This whole journey only began a little over a year ago for us. It was something we thought would happen in the future and even then a year seemed so far away. It's insane to see us at this point! Insane/good.
In the mean time, the kids and I are catching up on tv, soaking up some pool time (frankly, I have to prepare my white self for that hot African sun) and taking lots of showers! That should prepare us!
Thanks to everyone who is giving us so much support and love. We are overwhelmed by how everyone is lifting us up. So, if you happen to be near when I have one of my many crying fests, just know that I am speachless and appreciate so much all that you are continuing to do for our family.