Catchin' Up With Christie

Wedding Fun

2012-01-16T02:54:00.000-06:00

Over New Years weekend I had the honor of being in my dear friends Kondovoh and Monica's wedding. Kondovoh "proposed" to Monica last New Year's Eve while I was in America however I was able to be on the phone for some of it. I say "proposed" because it was a bit more traditional. Here the man will go to the woman's family (along with his family) and will state his intentions towards her. Questions will be asked and then the family will ask the girl if she wants to marry this man- if she agrees then they are engaged. NOW what I have learned is that if a bride price is paid at this time then the two are married- however if it is not then they are engaged. Kondovoh and Monica were engaged at this point.

AND NOW THE PLANNING BEGAN!!! This was quite the wedding- I think it was more than any wedding I will have in America or here. It was fun and I loved being part of it however it was also a ton of work. (let me just say here that this is going to be a long post as I try to share with you what SOME weddings are like here- so if you want you can just scroll through the pictures and go or you can stay and get yourself a coffee or diet coke- with ice). Here the family (which includes close friends- and therefore means I am family) all plan the wedding together. We often met with out group of close friends and talked together and all decided together how things were going to be. It was not just the bride and groom conveying their wishes and the rest of us working to get it done. Everyone was able to voice their opinion. AT THE SAME TIME Monica is a strong woman (which is why I enjoy her friendship so much- she makes me look a little less independent and strong willed :)) so she would try to go along with what the others wanted but there were times she pushed her own way through- it is her wedding after all. A few weeks before the wedding she and I went to the tailor shop to check on some of the dresses (for the 30 some girls in the wedding between bridesmaids, flower girls, small bridesmaids, usherettes...). The usherettes were told they could choose their own style for the dresses but when we got there and they were close to finished she told the tailor that she did not love the style and that he was to change it. At this point I thought a little of that show on TLC or whatever network it is.... but at the same time I laughed a little and just tried on my own dress. This was a bit how things went- you can decide and I will have final say. That will probably be me someday as well.

So yeah back to the planning. I even did some shopping in America and the day before leaving my parents house my mom and I were printing and cutting invitations to the wedding party. I do enjoy DOING things though- so if I am going to be a bridesmaid (and not only a bridesmaid but CHIEF BRIDESMAID- this makes me think of Sister Act 2 when Whoopi says- "I am not now nor have I ever been a Las Vegas showgirl- I am a headliner"- how's that diet coke coming- feel like we are sitting together yet) I want to have a job to do, something to keep me busy other than thinking of getting dressed up and walking down the isle and standing in front for the three hour wedding.

The few days before the wedding we were busy but I was also busy with work so heading into it all I was already exhausted. Yes you think I would have time off around the holidays and though I kinda did- I also have almost 100 children and a board meeting and.... So even with all this planning and all this help- we are still in Africa on BMT. This means that we had left out the simple details- who is picking up what, delivering what, how are we getting between here and there- who has the drinks... Yup on top of that I did not realize that we were having two weddings and two parties. Someone needed to explain this to me better.

Finally things are supposed to start Friday night with a quick wedding shower for Monica with the girls (didn't happen until 11:30pm that night) and then the bachelor's eve- which I thought was like the grooms dinner. A wedding rehearsal and food and good time together. Nope. the rehearsal also got moved (to 30 minutes before the actual wedding was to start and none of us were even dressed and had to go back to the house to do that) and the Bachelor's Eve was actually the traditional wedding. Again this was to start at 6 but finally started aroun 8:30pm. We were at the bride's family's house. As many as could fit sit in the living room while MANY others gather outside. The door is closed and when Kondovoh's family comes to the door they play some games about whether to let them in or not and when they finally do we go through all these introductions and gift handing out to the family members- to the father and mother first- then the aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters and all is done one by one and with explanation. Eventually after the purpose of their visit is stated (they are coming to take someone from this family into their own) another little game is played. The brides sisters and aunts say that the grooms family will need to pay transport for Monica to come (she is in one of the bedrooms) after they collect what they deem is a reasonable amount of money they go to get Monica- she comes our with a sheet covering her. When she reaches Kondovoh's family and they remove the sheet it is not her- this is done a number of times and each time there is singing and dancing as the family walks her out. Finally Monica's older brother quietly walked over to the girls and told them to actually bring Monica out. She still came out covered in a sheet that was raised by her soon to be husbands family and cheers were heard all around.

At this time she is seated in a chair looking at both families and another empty chair is placed next to her. Now it is Kondovoh's family's turn. They go outside the house to get him and bring in 3 different men each one at a time who sits next to Monica and she is asked if she knows this man and if this is the man she wants to marry (now all of this is done in Mende so I did not catch everything that happened but this is the gist of it. And by now you are thinking- gist of it- this is getting to be a book and we haven't even gotten to the wedding day yet- well hey- you complained of no blog posts and how far away I am so I am taking my time and sharing as much as I can. :)) Monica says now to each one and when Kondovoh is finally walked in surrounded by his brothers and close friends- he is smiling and so is she. He sits beside her and when she is asked if she knows this man and if he is the one she wants to marry- she smiles large and tips her head a little shyly and says yes. At this point they are prayed for by both families and the pastor and then a native wedding takes place. They say vows and join their hands together with the families and then just themselves. (this part I missed a lot of- but again- the idea is there).

When this is finished the grooms family has one of their children present a gift to the bride and her family (the bride price) this was wrapped up and after it was presented the bride and her mother went into a room and opened it- some household things were in there, an envelope and some other things- I did not see it really. Afterwards she comes back out and the mother gave Kondovoh and hug and the partying began. In the midst of this we had the wedding shower for Monica and when we finally left the party, the groomsmen all went to one house and the bridesmaids to another. The next morning came bright and early and at 6am we were up- only we were also still sewing things onto the bridesmaids dresses. We tried our best to finish it all (and were so thankful Kate was there to help with all of this) when we were called to the church for rehearsal. Now the wedding was to start in about an hour- we were 10 minutes from the house that had our clothes and make-up and shoes and things and we hadn't even started the reherseal. I wanted this to happen badly as I had no idea what to expect. Well the pastor went over a few things with K&M and then we went back to get dressed. By the time we left it was obvious that the wedding would be late- however we were thinking 30 minutes to an hour. When TWO HOURS after the wedding was to start we the bridesmaids and the bride had not shown up at the church they all began to worry. Here is is custom that the bride come late and the groom stand in front of the church waiting, wondering if she will come. However this was LONG. The pastors started to announce in the church that whoever knew Monica should call her to see if she was coming. One of the pastors called me- I stated that we were all ready and just waiting for Monica- but really the time had flown by and we didn't realize it was that late. Anyway the pastors said if she was not there by 2:30 they would call the wedding off. WE MADE IT!

Here are the six of us close friends- Sorba and Belinda, Kondovoh and Monica, and Me and JK- minus the other 3 in our group.

Now do you still want to hear about the wedding or is that enough for this coffee time? If you want you can take a break and come back later- however we all know if I take a break now I am not coming back later so let me finish. This is for my grandma who loves detail (and really I am leaving a ton out).

So we arrive at the church and all get to the back of the isle. The little girls (two groups- one dressed more western and one more traditional) and the ring bearers (three or four of them) head down first. Then comes the bride and her brother (often here it is the brother that walks the bride down the isle) dancing their way down the isle. We bridesmaids follow dancing behind. There are two chairs at the front of the church and when she reaches she meets Kondovoh and they both sit in the chairs. Eventually the pastor asks who gives the bride away and her father came around then to say that he did. Our job as bridesmaids is to take turns standing near them and fanning them- helping Monica with her dress, wiping the sweat from her.... to be there for her. The wedding has vows (like three sets I think) exchanging of rings, prayers, MANY DIFFERENT singing groups (Konodvoh's mom sang- our group of guy friends sang and Kondovoh joined them towards the end with his own part for Monica- different gospel groups young and old....) and during this time we were in a back room signing the marriage certificate- now when I say we I mean EVERYONE IN BO. They had to have at least 75 people sign it and I am not exaggerating here. Of course there was also a sermon and more prayers and other things and the wedding went far longer than was expected.

We finally paired up and walked down the isle together in front of the bride and groom who were last to come out of the church. We were whisked into vehicles for a little parade around town. We drove around to give the families time to get to their houses and then went first to Monica's and then to Kondovoh's family where they were offered a drink of water out of the same glass together. After drinking and receiving a word from the family we moved on. We went to take some pictures as the bridal party and FINALLY made it to a reception at the town hall. Here we ate, heard speeches by at least 6-8 different people- listened to a few more songs- most importantly a surprise song from Kondovoh to Monica and cut the cake and presented gifts. Here is where my CHIEF Bridesmaid position came in. After Kondovoh and Monica cut the cake then the chief bridesmaid and best man cut the cake- I didn't mess up thankfully. However I was disappointed that after we cut the cake we did not get it eat any of it like the bride and groom did. How long I have been in Sierra Leone and not had cake and there it was and all I did was put a knife through it.

Finally we were allowed to go home after collecting all the gifts and things. The guys however still had work to do late into the night as Sunday was the real wedding party (and time to wear the second dress). Oh I forgot to tell you that I guess here the bride is not to wear white after dark- so Monica changed into a pink dress like the girls for the reception- here we both are.

Now this night was New Year's Eve. At this point we should go home to change and head to the church for the celebration- I couldn't do it. I am getting old and new that again the next night was another LATE night and party- so by 11:30 I was home in bed. I did have to get back up at 1:30 to deal with the vehicle that was coming back but it was not for long.

Sunday morning Monica and I ran around to do some last minute things and then we met at the Guest House with the bridesmaids and groomsmen to go to church together. Again they were prayed for. That afternoon we had a party at another friends house (after going for lunch at K&M's after church) so we didn't reach home until 6 and were to meet again dressed and ready to go at 7:30. I took a short nap and got ready to go. Kate and I showed up at the Guest House to find absolutely no one there (and actually we were to be there before 7 but I have learned- not enough- to not be on time and thought 7:30 would be good) Well, there was trouble with the guys party clothes as well as Monica's and at the same time Monica was a bit upset and said she was not going to the party. Well Kate and I left and ran into Belinda on the way- we collected her and at that point I thought- you both are married now- you work it out. We headed into town and got something to eat and drink and sat and talked together as who knows what time it would be when we finally ate. The party was to start at 8pm and we finally met and arrived there at 10:30 and walked into the party just before 11. AND IT WAS FREEZING!!! I know I know we are in Africa. However it was barely 60 degrees and we were wearing strapless knee length dresses and are used to temperatures in the 90s so it was cold. That is where the dancing comes in as a necessity to stay warm and not just to have fun. We ate and drank and danced and listened to speeches and songs and jokes.... It was a fun night but didn't last as long as it would have had it been warmer. However 2:30 am was late enough for me after such a long weekend.
I know that not all weddings are like this here in Sierra Leone- but parts of them are. I truly was honored to share in this day with them and to be included so much. These people really are my family here and Kondovoh and Monica are more than dear to my heart. I am so thankful that I could help in their big day. Right now however I am more thankful that tonight is just game night with them all and not another wedding.

Thanks for hanging with me through this story- with it being so long and my time running out I am not going to edit any of it- it is just a conversation between me and you and FINALLY this book has come to a finish.

THE END

Fresh Update on the Playground

2012-01-07T13:58:00.004-06:00

I guess not everything can be fixed with a fresh coat of paint and some new braces on the playground... But most things can be!

We had a lot of fun brightening up the place.

All the kids (even the big ones) can be found spending more and more time on this fine structure.

Makes for some great photos as well.

Thanks to the team who helped us in this (as well as getting us new playground equiptment that will soon be installed around this structure).

Christmas at JCC

2012-01-07T13:02:00.000-06:00

White Christmas lights covering the tree, gifts overflowing out from underneath it, stockings hanging along the hallway, the smell of English Toffee coming from the kitchen, old Christmas carols that we can hardly sing along too playing in the corner, snow covering the ground and trees outside the door and laugher and loud voices filling the room- that was not the Christmas we had this year (though I hear snow was not a part of most of yours either).

I admit that no matter how wonderful or difficult a holiday is away from home I always miss my family and the traditions we are used to. This year seemed to be a bit harder for all three of us pumois here at JCC in missing home, however we managed to celebrate a wonderful time with the children and our family here and in the end it helped us to refocus our hearts onto what is truly important at this time of year.

Thanks to some financial gifts from a friend Hope and from my first grade teacher we were able to have a special Christmas Eve with all the kids- from the orphanage, the boys ministry house, the girls ministry house and even some of the reunited children. The mom's had been given a couple days off so the 5 aunties were on hand to not only enjoy the celebration but to really give us the chance to enjoy it fully. These dedicated ladies got up at 3am to start frying(and that is after they along with the big girls peeled and cut all the potatoes the night before) the chicken and chips (french fries). We were able to get enough chicken so everyone had a LARGE piece and even seconds for almost all who wanted them along with the world's largest bucket of chips- it was huge- you could fit at least 10 gallons of water inside- probably even 15 and it was FULL to over flowing with french fries. The aunties told me the amount to buy in leones- but they didn't realize what a good deal I would find and I didn't have any clue how much to cook for one hundred people- so in our not being together in the market we ended up having quite a laugh the next morning as it was the never ending frying of chips.

After all the cooking was finished the children and staff around were loaded into the bus (not even an air pocket was left) 7 of us loaded into the jeep to follow and we were off to Bandejuma. This is the same river beach area we went to two years ago for Christmas along with Amy and Meghan and we had just as much fun this time. Well after our little/BIG problem at the fuel station which deserves another post of it's own. We had the chicken with us in the jeep and arrive almost 2 hours after the bus so they had to wait for their lunch but hey a picnic lunch at the beach on Christmas Eve had everyone in great moods that would take a lot more than that to bring down. After lunch some of us headed quickly into the water and you can bet that I was a part of that group. Another group played a game of football that had even the male staff laughing and rolling on the ground getting into. Yet more children climbed trees, sang and danced. We laughed and smiled the day away.

The children LOVE the water- Katie, Elle and I would take turns bringing them out into the deeper water and the smiles and laughter (and tight clinging) was the highlight of my day by far. There was such a joy in my heart watching them have the time of their lives together. Around 5 we started heading home and met the moms waiting for us. It was time to also start getting ready for Christmas Day.

Again we were able to have large pieces of chicken with our meal of jollof rice- a favorite sauce of many that is served mostly on special occasions. Usually early in the morning the children get up and run around the compound singing songs of Jesus' birth at the top of their lungs- however I think they were all a bit worn out from the day before as this didn't happen as early or as loudly. All did their chores and cooked so that we could head of to our various churches. After coming back to the compound we got a bunch of benches organized into a large circle in the dining hall and brought our lunch out to eat together. I was able to read the Christmas Story to all as they ate and ask a lot of fun questions and hear a lot of good answers. It meant a lot to share that time together.

After we finished the story we had a small gift for each child. Now at my house as well as at Kate's we go around one by one to open our gifts- we wanted to do this with the children her as welle. First of all for some of them this was the first time that they had unwrapped a gift- they receive them often in a bag or just as they are but not wrapped. (and let me tell you wrapping gifts for 75 children- keeping them straight and writing the correct name on the outside is not easy and to be honest we made a few mistakes) We wanted them each to know they are valued and special. They could each have thier moment to open their gift as well as share in the joy of their brothers and sisters as they opened their own. We would cheer and clap after each one. Sallay Dumbaya was the last to open her gift and she had waited so patiently that I wanted to give her an extra gift. They might not have been much but the kids loved them and I couldn't help smiling at how fun it was to be a part of giving them that moment.

That afternoon we were back to the kitchen making popcorn and punch (complete with sprite and ice) and spent the evening watching film in the hut. I was able to sneak away to go play games with my close friends and have some good time with them as they really are my family here. The special part of it was that I brought a new game from my mom with me (new to us) called Ticket to Ride- my family at home also got this game for Christmas and at that moment that evening/afternoon for them- we were all playing the game at the same time. I knew this as we were playing and it was such a simple thing that warmed my heart to be connected between my two families doing something we all love .

Kate and I had done some decorating in the hut- we had a small tree without lights or snow. We had stockings that we ended up not filling and we had popcorn strung around the ceiling that every African who entered the room commented on how crazy these pumois were. However even with the differences in the way we spent our Christmas we also had a reminder of the joy of Jesus' birth and just how special time together celebrating that special day is.

I pray you had a good Christmas as well- even if there were moments of sadness mixed in just like ours.

Getaway

2012-01-06T15:34:00.003-06:00

You wouldn't know it from my blog but life has been a bit crazy for the past 6 months or so. I am learning a great deal however much of it at the time I would rather not learn that lesson or that character trait but as we know it is good growth and much to share with my children when the time is right. It has also given me the opportunity (not sure I would call it that in the moment) to rely on those who love me here and to not always be the strong one or the confident one or even the one who just doesn't whine- I am weak and need assurance and as my roommate (more in a future post) Kate will tell you- I definately vent and whine more than I should.

So I will give as much detail in all of this as I can later- but this is to explain the reason that I have runaway- all the way to the center of Bo Town to a Guest House for a little break. I am having a bit of trouble sleeping at night and am always on the go and having people coming to the hut- not a bad thing (well the lack of sleep is) but I just find myself needing some down time. Especially since we just had a guest leave another is coming Sunday and one more yet again in the end of Feb or early March. I saw my opportunity to escape and took it.

So here I am at Madame Yokie's in a room complete with electricity through the night, A/C (and a blanket which I need with the air conditioning), a refridgerator (which I have stocked with coke, juice, and pineapple thanks to Kate) and the best of all- a HOT SHOWER- I have taken three already.

I wanted to take some of this time to get back on the blog- I sat for 3 1/2 hours this afternoon trying to upload one photo- not going so well but I do commit to getting a couple posts out there with whatever I have- photos or not. So let me start with this small post and get onto attempting photos one more time for the next one.

Two New Pumois?

2012-01-06T14:39:00.004-06:00

Yes I have to take a second glance when looking at photos with this fine hairstyle I was given for a wedding I was in. All here loved it. So even though I look a little different the one on the left is me. :) The one on the right is my dear new/old roommate Kate. She also has a new hairstyle for the wedding so I am going to have a get a post with a photo of our real looks soon. Kate was very brave and came to Sierra Leone for the first time this past August. She was going to be staying with us for a year but will have to leave early this April- it is going to come way too soon. Kate is a teacher and has been a great help in our JCC primary school. Of course our kids here LOVE her and she has been a source of encouragement and laughter for me. I admit that it takes time to get used to having a roommate no matter where you are and that stands true for here as well- but we have gotten quite used to each other and have had more laughs than I could ever count. (many vehicle breakdowns, broken toilets, falling off the ferry benches, cooking experiments, odd smells during game nights with friends...) During these past months of uncertainty and struggles having Kate here has been more than a blessing to me. God knows what we need even when we are not too sure about it all. I admit to wondering what it would be like to have someone else living in the hut with me, sharing not only my space but my kids and friends outside and... and yes there have been a few moments of adjustment and learning boundaries, however I could not be more thankful for Kate or more sad to think about her leaving me in just a few short months.

Thanks for taking the chance- for being brave enough to get on the plane not knowing who would be there to meet you on the other side- and for loving these people who mean so much to me and now also to you Kate. Now let's head to town and get another cold coke.

2011-08-07T14:50:00.002-05:00

About 5 or 6 weeks ago I posted a comment on Facebook (don't worry I am posting just a little there as I am here- so if we are not friends you are not missing much info. I am really lacking in technology time here lately and when I do get it late at night sleep is just too tempting- pray for energy for me. I have so much I want to post about- so regarding that, let me get back to this post at least) Back to the comment- I mentioned a women who had given birth to 3 sets of twins. Almost unimaginable. I guess that the first set of twins passed away some years ago. The second set is now four years and the third set would be 3 in November.

We met this family a few years ago and JCC has been giving the family a little support each month to help with food as the father of the first twins died- the second left when he found out it was twins and the third father is crippled. Honestly the amount we give them is not a lot but it is something. We were helping with formula for the youngest twins and in 2009 when the One-by-One team was here we were able to paint a room in their house and give them a double bed for the children to sleep on. Since that time I have seen the mother a couple times and the oldest twins but had not been back to the house.

Around 6 weeks ago we received a call early in the morning that the mother had passed away giving birth to her seventh child- a precious little girl. The mother now left behind her 5 living children and we are not even sure who the father of this last girl is. The grandmother is a loving lady but she is not working and unable to care for all these children. Our first goal was to get the baby somewhere she could be fed and properly cared for. At the time we thought Baby Rescue was the best place for her as that is what their program is all about- caring for infants who have lost their mothers. We worked with Social Welfare and the family for almost 3 weeks before the little girl was taken into Baby Rescue. We were able to help supply her with formula through that time but even with that the family was having a difficult time keeping her fed (there is great confusion here involving formula- it is either greatly watered down or they feed a bottle with formula and then the next time just water. For the first two days of her life they only gave her sugar water). When she was finally safe and into the home we started the process to see how to best help the other children.

The grandmother had been bringing the baby to us and then we would go to the hospital and Social Welfare together from JCC so up to this point I had still not been to the home. Part of the reason for this is that there are a couple aunts and uncles of these children- some would be able to care for the kids but as soon as they see me everyone will sit back and wait for me to take them. Of course I wanted them to be cared for but I also feel that the best place long term for these children are with their extended families- so we had talked with the leadership team at JCC and decided we would like to see if the family members would stand up first to care for the 4 remaining children. However when I went to the home to see the kids I was shocked at the condition of the youngest twins. The older 4 yr old twins LOOK GOOD. Healthy and almost chubby. However the little ones are VERY SMALL. At the time they were sitting on the ground and when I asked if they could stand or walk they said they could only stand but not walk- AT ALMOST THREE. The grandmother was really trying but obviously these little ones had been struggling for a long time even before their mother passed.

At this time we had already asked Social Welfare to look into this family and the children there but after the visit I talked with Mr. Miller again and he said he would visit them soon. We were expecting our 3rd team of visitors to arrive and I was on my way to Freetown so I did not push him to go any faster. I knew the kids were not where they needed to be health and development wise but they had been there for this long already and I decided I could deal with it when I returned. Joe and the 7 team members and I arrived back in Bo only to find out short time later that the youngest girl twin had died.

I took this one hard. She didn't have to die- she was malnourished and her body couldn't handle the cold she caught two days before. We were in the process of getting her into JCC- I wanted to have the chance to try to help her. Have I become a little calloused towards all I see? I mean there are so many kids out there who need help and I see situations like this often. I was so worried about the infant and when that was taken care of I didn't push too hard- should I have fought harder for her? Yes I am still struggling with this- especially as I look at her little brother everyday thinking she should be next to him. I have to let this rest in God's hands though. I don't understand it all. Of course I am not the one who could have saved her. I don't even know fully what her situation was. However it is hard for me not to go with the what ifs- and I really just wanted the chance to try to help her, but I still choose to trust him. As my mom said when I told her we were four days too late to try to save her- "You also could have been 5 days just in time to save Amos."

Social Welfare was already moving towards placing the youngest twins with us but when they also learned of the girl's death they moved faster and Amos was with us a couple days later. We informed the family that we would be coming to get him the next morning. We placed him in Mommy Alice's house (House 5- Galilee here at JCC) so she came with Pa Conteh and I as we went to pick him up. We arrived to see him holding onto the wall and walking- I was shocked. His tiny legs are like toothpicks that look about to break under him. However he was in a good mood and just the sweetest little boy. My heart ached for his grandmother. She had lost her daughter and granddaughter and even though this time was different- she was also having to say goodbye to her grandson and you could see the love she has for him radiating through her body. She had to hide as we took him away but I could see the tears streaming down her face as she repeated over and over- "Bissea, Bissea." (thank you, Thank you).

As we drove away Amos looked out the back of the jeep and cried but only for a short distance as mommy Alice sang to him. We drove straight to Gondama hospital. Upon our arrival they were kind enough to move us through quite quickly. The weighed and measured Ibrahim Amos. I honestly cannot remember his exact height but he only wieghed 6.6kg (around 14lbs). His height is pretty normal for his age so he is extremely underweight- at the very bottom of their charts. They told me an average weight for a child his height and age would be between 11-13kg. So our little Amos is half the weight he should be.

He is a trooper. They had to do blood tests and give vaccines and he would only cry for about 30 seconds and stop each time. He would look at me and Mommy Alice each time they pulled out his finger because he knew what they were going to do- but he would just make a sad face and leave his hand there for them to do what was needed. After all of it we were enrolled into a food program. This is great as they give us a weekly supply of Plumpy Nut (an enriched packet of food for severely malnourished children). the vitamins and nutrients he receives from this plumpy nut would be difficult for us to get him with our normal diet here. Now each Tuesday Amos and Mommy Alice go back out to Gondama (with the empty packets from each day to prove that he is eating it and we are not selling it as commonly happens here) and get Amos weighed and receive his next weeks supply. After one week with us he weighed in at 7.5kg- almost a full kg in one week. The medical records we had for him showed that in March of 2009 he had visited the doctor and weighted 5.8kg- so in 2 years he had gained less than one kilogram and now with one week of good food he had gained the same amount.

Beyond my thankfulness for his improved health, I am blessed by this little boy. He has the greatest personality. He is quick to smile and easy to sooth. He LOVES to be with me or Mommy Alice. Well actually this in the last week has started to show another not so easy side to his personality. If he is playing with the kids he is fine until one of us walks by- then he screams and screams wanting us to take him. At this point it is not so easy to soothe him. However if he is sick or hurt or tired he is not too fussy. He is eating well, walking better each day and even talking more. He is a Mende boy and speaks only Mende- I hope he keeps this. I encourage the moms to speak Mende to him as I know he will pick up the Krio and English quickly from the kids but I don't want him to loose his Mende.

I still look at him and feel an ache wondering what it would be like to see Amos and his sister together- to watch all the kids wanting to carry Amos to also be able to carry her. However I can also look at him and smile seeing not only how the food, medicine, and LOVE are improving his life but also how much he is adding to our home here.

Again I am learning over and over that I will not understand all, I will not be able to solve everything that I think I can but through it everything God is faithful and trustworthy. Each day I choose not only to serve him, but to love and obey him. To follow where he leads and to (try) not worry or fear. How come when we see the trials, struggles, pain and difficulties we are also more open to see and experience his love, peace, joy and BLESSINGS?!?!

(I have tried for 2 days to add Amos's photo but the upload is not working so you'll have to wait for that one)

Please continue to pray for Amos and his two older sisters. They are staying with an Aunt and the grandmother and at the time are doing well. With the "burden" lifted from the aunt and grandmother we feel these two can now get what they need and continue to grow healthy and be loved and cared for by their family. We will continue to check in on them as I am sure Amos's grandmother will continue to check in on him here.

One last thing- Amos arrived when there was a team of 42 people from all over the states and Canada staying here with us. He is now a BIG fan of the PUMOIS ("white" people- even though not all are white that is what they called them as a group). Thanks guys for helping us welcome and love our newest family member.

Are we gonna make it?

2011-07-05T07:22:00.000-05:00

Set out for a road trip with a group of friends. Made it 9 of the 52 miles and had a breakdown.Didn't seem to dim anyone's spirits- except mine a little maybe. Obviously I have no control over the car but still you feel a little responsible when it's your car holding the group up.

No worries though- they ALL thought they were mechanics and could help. Kai (my REAL mechanic) was kind enough to hop on a honda and come out to where we were and find a temporary solution so we could continue on our way. Not sure how safe the solution was but we did make it there and back and had a great time together.

ICE CREAM

2011-06-28T05:58:00.004-05:00

Some weeks ago we had a visitor come to us at JCCM. Her name is Auntie N and she is a Sierra Leonean who has lived in the States for some time now. I know this because when she wanted to do something for the kids, she asked me if she left money would I be able to buy ice cream for all the kids. Yes this is an Auntie just like me. :) I had wanted to get the kids "real ice cream" but unfortunately the supermarket did not have any at this time. It could have been a good thing because the times I have taken different children for ice cream 7 out of 10 times the kids do not like it. I think this might be because they are not used to eating too many cold foods and they are definately not used to dairy products. This time I was able to find popsicles and they were VIMTO popsicles. Vimto is a popular soft drink here so how could you miss with that.

Most of the popsicles ended up in the kids mouth but there was a bit running down their arms, on their clothes, on the table, the ground, my lap.... the fear of cold foods was still there for some but the flavor made them go back for more. I laughed so hard as the kids would take a lick and say "Why?" with a funny look on their face about how cold it was and then take another lick and say "Why? " again.

Even little Amy enjoyed her popsicle. Honestly these young ones are the kids who like it most and though I enjoy this fact it also causes a few problems. When you start them young, they tend to not only like it but often want more. The number of times my little ones have come to the hut asking for ice cream makes me laugh and get a little tired of it all at the same time.

We are all so thankful for Auntie N and the treat she gave us. Not only to be able to eat something we are not able to have very often but to also make us feel special and loved.

Been a Couple Weeks- Tough ones for Salone

2011-05-12T14:17:00.000-05:00

Before I fully start this post I wanted to show you what we are doing now. As I am running the generator to finally get some emailing and posting done some of the little ones are here watching Veggie Tales with me. After taking this photo a bunch more have come to join us. Children in class one and above are having study time and are bummed to miss out. Tomorrow will be there night. I have to admit I do love having the little ones in here with me laughing, dancing, screaming and really just brightening up my night.

Well.... things here in Sierra Leone have been interesting to say the least. I cannot remember if I mentioned in my last post our troubles with fuel. In the couple days before our trip to Mattru and Rutile finding fuel was becoming difficult. Finally starting the 24th of April the fuel stations completely such down the petrol pumps. This meant that we took the Hilux as it runs on Diesel and the jeep began it's long sit.

The stations remained closed and even closed to all Diesel for a few days in the very first days of May. During this time you could find fuel if you searched HARD but you would buy it at $12 a gallon. NOT ME. Needless to say that everything was becoming very difficult. Not only was transport hard to come by- when you could find it it was MORE than double what it was only days before, but the cost of EVERYTHING has increased- even superglue. Not that that is an item I NEED but just showing you that every little thing has gone up.

Finally last Tuesday the petrol stations finally opened- IT WAS MADNESS. The lines were ridiculously long and the fighting was scary. JK went with his honda to wait in line but as he watched the hondas infront of him lose their mirrors and turn signals he decided to leave it. I thought I would just sit it out for a few days and then we would be fine. Four days into it a friend of mine went to sit in the line for us- after 5 hours he finally walked away with around 2 gallons as they were limiting the amount you could buy. The lines have continued to be crazy and yet again all stations closed this Tuesday. We were able to get a few gallons into the jeep when our friend Jawara who is in the Military used his connections to get fuel Saturday and then again Sunday when we happened to see a somewhat short line. This lasted us until today when I went to town and saw NO line. I ran home to get the jeep and a few extra 5 gallon containers.

Some have said the crisis may finally be over and others think this is a small break. I am not sure what it is but rather than take the risk I filled up. Now we are all enjoying (well the little ones and I) the use of some of this fuel and the new generator some of you helped me to buy. THANK YOU so much for it. I have to say not only is it extremely useful and easy to use- it is even a little pretty as it is bright yellow.

I know many of you are wondering why the crisis- there could be many reasons and honestly I cannot be sure of it all- but I will tell you what I know. Right now a large portion of Africa is facing great difficulties in getting it's people what they need. I know some of our neighbors and even those on the East Coast are struggling to get food. Part of what is effecting us is the economic difficulties all around us. There is a guestion as to how much fuel we have in our country and how long it will last. This obviously is part of the reason. However even in the first days our governement sent out text messages saying their is enough fuel in the country to last 3 months and there is no reason we shouldn't be able to buy fuel and we shouldn't have to wait in line. Well that's great and thanks for telling me- however at the time they sent this out all stations wer closed- no matter what they told us I could not buy fuel so... They did admit to a bit of a shortage but then explained the following reason.

The other reason is that the government has decided to move to the metric system. We have been buying fuel by the gallon and now are buying by the liter. Many fuel stations are not set up for this. Even the fuel station I went to most is still not open as the hand pumps are not able to pump by liter. It took the stations a long time to accept this and then to be able to put it into action. Even now there is a large question as to how accurate these pumps are. We did buy 12 liters which only measured out to two gallons in the middle of all this- it was the most expensive fuel I have bought as it was $8 per gallon.

Now that things are somewhat settled fuel is supposed to be around Le 20,000 for 4 liters and this in their terms measures out to roughly 1 gallon and maybe even less (their liters are not true liters). Many times however we are buying it for Le 25,000 per 4 liters. This is around $5 to $6 per gallon and this is where it should remain for sometime. It will take sometime still for the food and other items to find their price. Many worry again about lines and such as they would like to move these items into metric measurements as well. Often now we buy rice buy the bag measured in pounds or in the market by the cup. Palm oil (used almost everyday to cook) is sold by the pint and now they also want to sell this by the liter. If any of you have been to the market here you can already see how difficult this will be.

Pray for the people here as so many are unemployed and those who are employed make an average of $50-$75 per month. With a bag of rice now costing around $35 money is gone quite quickly. Tensions are a bit high and many are worried about what happens next. The other item that is starting to come up often is the Presidential election next year. With things the way they are and elections always having high tension already- it could be a very interesting year.

This morning in our morning staff devotions as Pastor Ibrahim was talking the Fruits of the Spirit kept running through my mind. Often I can tell when I am close to God- truly spending time with him and when I am not by using the Fruits of the Spirit as a measuring stick of sorts. Being totally honest with you now- when I am not spending time with God I can tell most in my lack of patience- with myself and everyone around me. Now don't get me wrong- that is something I always have to work on but in times of distance I feel it even more. I thought about how often we tell each other to pray and seek God when things are difficult but are we really following him and desiring to be like him. If we are then we will be able to see it in our lives- and in a time like this it made me smile when I thought of PEACE. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self control. PEACE- not a peace like the world gives- but a peace that can only come from GOD. Though this time here in Sierra Leone we can know that we will ALL face difficulties- Christians and Muslims and Non-believers alike. However we can know that in seeking God he will gives us a peace through it all. Please pray this especially for the House moms here at Jonathan's House. Each day I know they worry often about the cost of food and supplies- I know they are spending their own money to give their best to the children here. This time is a huge witnessing time for our kids. The way the moms, staff and I go through this time will give evidence of where our faith is and show the children we love so much just how great our God is.

Now as the Veggie Tales movie has just ended and it is prayer time and then bed time- I am going to go as well. (However after prayer time I have to admit it just might be time for me to watch a movie of my own:))

Easter and Independence Day

2011-04-26T09:49:00.002-05:00

I am a bit bummed as the internet is too slow to upload pictures today- but that doesn't mean I can't at least tell you about our long weekend.

Our kids have been on break from school since last Friday. We have a long break because of Easter as well as April 27th being Sierra Leone's 50th Independence Day- BIG DEAL! It has been fun to have the kids home- nothing too exciting happened the first few days but I still enjoyed just getting some more time with the kids. We took a number of walks to the junction and to town. The little ones followed me EVERYWHERE. I cooked with the moms and aunties- really we just had a good time being together.

Friday came and going to Good Friday service is an important thing. After quickly cooking for the day we headed to church. We had thought that church was at 10am but got a call that it was early due to the Baptism Service at the river. So we hopped into the jeep and rushed to get there only to find out that we were right the first time. Oh well we were able to spend some time chatting with our other friends who arrived early. Service was good and afterwards I was able to have lunch with friends and spend sometime waiting for the mechanics to fix the jeep after a breakdown- since that took a good portion of my day I missed the football match my boys won but was able to get some time with the girls in the evening.

Saturday was cleaning day for all of Salone- the last Saturday of the month is a day where no one is allowed to go out before 10am. You are to use this time to clean up around your area- with the Big Day coming this week it was even more important to do this. The kids and I worked on our compound and then Fatty and I headed to the market. Our group of friends were coming over for game night so Fatty helped me make some fried plantains, sweet potatoes, and donuts with gravy- it was delicious and the game night was just what I needed. You know how I love games and it was great to just spend some fun time with friends.

Sunday morning brought an EARLY morning for all. Of course we do not have the Easter Bunny or colored eggs here- that part of Easter has not reached here. However our tradition here is to rise early and go around singing songs of how Christ has Risen- He is Alive. In some ways the time reminds me of Christmas morning. The kids are so anxious to get up and go out to sing. I heard them very close to 5am. I think the mom's may have had to hold some of them in the house until 5 and at that time the rushed out to share with those close to us just who Jesus is and what he did for us. Yes I admit- I smiled as I layed in bed, called out to them all and then went back to sleep for another hour. :)

Church services Sunday were long but filled with loud singing and dancing. If there is one thing that is done here in church it is dancing. It meant a lot to me to have so many come give me special Easter greetings as even though I enjoyed all here- I do miss being with my family at this time. The mom's here also took great care of me as I had three different meals for lunch. They all wanted me to have some of theirs and I was grateful- though I just couldn't eat it all- another blessing for the security and kids. Sunday evening I was able to spend some time with Auntie Margaret and her family. It is always nice to just sit in a house and spend some family time together.

NOW comes MONDAY- the big outing day. With it being Easter weekend and then having the big 50th Independence day on Wednesday the area UBC churches came together for an outing- a day spent at the river with loud music, food and drinks. All of our kids were able to attend thanks to a gift we received from Auntie N- who was visiting from the states. The mom's and older girls prepared some very FINE food- the kids all dressed in their JCC shirts and we headed out to the River. Our kids danced the whole day away. There were so many comments from others about how good our kids were and how much fun they were having and how they made the outing better for everyone. I loved it and so did everyone else. There was a dance competition and our kids represented us well. It was a long day though and I know the kids all collapsed into bed when we reached home. I was also able to stay a bit longer to spend time with friends. This was a great day for us. It is so good for our kids to get out and even better when we can be an example and inspiration to others. I love seeing the smiles and laughter on their faces.

So yes- we have had a wonderful Easter. Now I am headed off to Mattru and Rutile with some friends for a music launching. We will be in Mattru tonight and Rutile tomorrow night- so we will spend the Independence day there- they have a large sport competition and then our concert at night. Two of my girlfriends share their birthday with Salone's Independence and we will be there together. I look forward to how this time traveling together will continue to build these relationships. Often this is a time when we connect the most and I am blessed to have it come early in my time here.

So yeah- they are just calling that we are ready to go. This post was a bit of a rambling and I have been interupted by the kids a number of times and didn't really go back to see where I was- so I pray it makes sense. I realize that I have not posted in a while and last you all knew I was sick. I wanted to get something out to let you know I am better (still a little weak but coming up fine) and I also wanted to let you know the kids are doing well and enjoying their holiday.

Hopefully pictures will be coming soon.

It's a bit early but I got the official welcome to Africa...

2011-04-17T15:23:00.002-05:00

MALARIA.

I honestly am shocked by how quickly this happened as well as how severe it was this time. I decided not to take Malaria meds this time- preventative meds (yes after consulting with my doctor) since I will be here for a long period, since I know the symptoms, the cost of the drugs being so high, the effects the drugs themselves have on your body long term... it was not just a rash decision. However I did not think I would be feeling the effects of this decision so soon.

Thursday I had not had much appetite but I could have attributed that to many things. As I went to bed that night I prayed for a long time. I have not been sleeping well and I was just asking God to give me a good nights rest. I awoke Friday morning with a smile on my face- I didn't remember a thing from the night before. I read my bible a bit, got out of bed to get ready to go for a walk and as I stood up I was surprised at how weak I was. After getting ready I decided to skip the walk as I was out of breath just from that. When the time came I headed up to the office and it was all I could do to make it through- answer a few questions and get back to my room.

When I made it to my chair I realized I had a high fever and was very nauseous. I was extremely weak, my whole body ached... By 11am I had emptied everything that was in me and more and was barely able to move. I knew what it sounded like (malaria) but the previous times it came on slowly, feeling a few of the symptoms and then feeling better and then a few more. This to me happened in a matter of hours. Maybe I brought the flu with me and it took forever to come out- everyone was sick before I left.

By 4:30 all my pride and sense of "just fight through it" was gone. I called Auntie Margaret. She is JK's mom but also a very qualified nurse. She came and tested me for Malaria and when it came back positive she had the treatment right there with her. This is a new kind that MSF has been using for it's medical staff so they are not down as long. She even sat with me after I took it and rubbed my back trying to help me relax and make sure the medicine stayed down.

That night I fought between being extremely hot and freezing. When the fever was so strong again I got up, washed, took more meds, and prayed for some sleep and relief. I awoke the next morning colder than ever. I had on two long sleeve shirts, my thick fleece and two blankets. Finally my fever broke but then the dry heaves were back. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I really thought this day would have been the beginning of the end. I had to fight through another whole day of it. Auntie Margaret came back to visit along with JK- as did the kids and staff all day long on and off. My dear Mabel moved into the hut and just sat near me quietly most of the day- that is until she fell asleep and snored loudly:)

Praise God when I woke up this morning the fever and nauseousness were gone. Yes I am still weak but that is to be expected and I will make it through.

I have been sleeping under my net and using bug spray but not the first night in Freetown- maybe that was it or who knows- all I know is that little bug carrying this big bug made it's way through. But through this really difficult few days have come some great blessings.

Not only have the kids and staff done their best to take care of me and comfort me, as well as Auntie Margaret and plenty other friends but today "My group of good friends" came over right after church to pray with me. They came in and say awhile but then said even though they could see that I was getting better- they had come to pray and still planned to do so. We started with a few songs and in the middle they changed the songs to personally fit me- Honestly I was so touched in that moment. They continued to all pray out loud over not only my health but my job, my house, my relationships, my emotions... I was really moved and uplifted. I know that after such and exhausting ordeal my emotions were already raw but this would have impacted me even if they weren't. My relationships in our large group times have been great and easy to get back into, but honestly at times the one on one and the depth is hard to know where it stands- then something like this happens and I have faith and confidence that it is there and will grow.

So yeah- I am sure there is more to say but my brain is not at full capacity yet. There are more struggles to come, some I am aware of and some that I am not. I stand comforted in knowing that it is not I alone here- for in my weakness he is made strong. These attacks are drawing me closer to him- so though I am not liking the attacks themselves I am thankful for that aspect and continue to focus on God, who he is, and what he is asking of me.

If there is one thing I can ask of you????

Please keep praying.
C

Market Day

2011-04-13T15:51:00.000-05:00

Saturday Jerry, Stevie and I took off for the market with clothes shopping in mind. Jerry had some birthday money to spend thanks to Mommy Brenda and Hindalo and wanted to get some new short trousers as he calls them. I also wanted to pick up a few things for some of the other children. However I admit to being a little nervous this time. In the past the market has been nothing to scare me but being out of practice and buying things that I am not as sure of the usual price made me with I had been "working out my market muscles" a little more :) At the end of the day I think we did fine. We managed to get 13 pairs of pants and 4 shirts for under $25. I have no doubt we could have done better but I also think we could have done worse and to top it all of we came home with smiles so that is the true test of a successful shopping day. The boys wanted to "send for" their mom. That means they wanted to get her something while we were in town. Not every time am I able to buy for everyone- that would get expensive quickly- but I appreciated where their hearts were and also have been very thankful for what the moms have been doing. We decided to get something for all 5 moms. I asked them what they wanted to get and after throwing out some options they decided they wanted to get them some cream- so off to the shop we went. At this point I thought it would be easy- just buy some cream and go home. They wanted to look at and smell the different creams. The other ladies in the shop were just smiling. SO WAS I- I love these boys and was so pleased to see the effort they were taking for their mom. They love Mommy Erica dearly already- as do the other children their moms. These ladies deserved this treat as well as the care and effort that went into selecting it.

2011-04-11T14:47:00.004-05:00

Families reunited... so great to see. Mabel and Patrick have been with us for some time now but their little sister Gifty has been staying with an Auntie in Bo #2. Their father is blind and their mother passed away after giving birth to Gifty. At that time Mabel and Patrick came to us but with Gifty being so small and requiring extra care the lady who had delivered her decided to keep her for sometime and give her the attention she needed.

I would not be able to tell you the number of times Mabel would ask me when Boi (as she calls her) was going to come live with us. Mabel is a little mother to Patrick and feels the same towards Gifty even though she has spent little time with her. Before I left last fall I visited Gifty frequently (we had sporadically since I had come)- you see Gifty's knees are turning in and we have been trying to see what the doctors can do for her. So almost twice a week I would go pick her up and bring her to the government hospital where they put casts on and off- checked things- rehabbed... you name it and each time I would arrive to take Gifty she would scream and turn away from me. I would offer her a biscuit and sweet and she still would not come- she would just turn her head away from me. Once we were in the car she would stop crying and let me take her anywhere- even only crying silent tears when they would work with her- but she never really grew to like me. SO when I saw her at the compound I expected her to cry again- instead she came right up to me and said "Hi mommy Christie" I cannot believe how much she talks- and how much she is just like her brother Patrick. Even to the point that when I tel the kids to go to their own houses- she will look at them all and tell them to go home and then she will come inside the hut and shut the door. The first time I came and Patrick was her age he used to do the same thing.

Another family reunited is Sallay and Kaddie Charles. Sallay attended our school for the past couple years. Last year while JK and I were in America her father passed away. Her mother is still alive but has a very difficult time caring for the children- providing food and place to stay. Before I returned Social Welfare had brought Sallay to us so she could continue school. For some reason at that time they decided to have Kaddie stay with her mom. I guess that situation did not work out too well and around the same time Gifty came to us so did Kaddie. She is a bright, smiley, funny, trouble causing toddler. She and Sallay are also happy to be together again and Kaddie has now also started nursery school.

This one is for MAMA B- LB your girl asked me to take a snap of her for you and this is her pose- she is all Sass. I just love Betty- and I know you do too. (As do so many more of you) Mommy Elle- here is your precious girl in her birthday dress. The shoes were a bit small but as you see the dress fits fine. Everyone danced around her and let her know how beautiful she looked. Her mom (also Alice- did you know that- Alice is in Mommy Alice's house) dressed her and added this bow along with the recent bow you sent. She is talking so much now- and still thinks she is the boss of all the little kids (even though a little bigger than she is)

Just so you know that I really am here- a quick photo of me and one of my sweet girls. Mabel has been a bit attached lately- so much so that at times I have to ask Mommy Erica to bring her back home just like they have to come for some of little kids.

There is such great love here- on both sides.

African Food

2011-04-07T05:06:00.003-05:00

Well I am not starving by any means. I admit that I was a little worried whether I would have to ease into the food again- for the taste and for my stomach. SO far the food has been delicious and I have had plenty. For the first couple days I had 4-5 lunches and 4-5 dinners per day. This made the kids and our security VERY happy as they were able to eat a good portion of it. I thought when I arrived I would be able to loose weight quickly but at this rate... My dear friends Emmanuel and Fatty (who also happen to work for JCCM) brought me a wonderful welcome dinner that was actually a feast last night. I was also to go out to dinner with my friend Violet- so even though the mothers at the home are now on a rotation to feed me each day the food is still coming in. I feel very taken care of. This past Sunday I was able to worship with my friends and family at my church here again. It felt great to be back. The number of people who came to greet me- even while the service was on- surprised me. There is one area here that is difficult for me to get used to (and to even blog about it but in full honesty- here it is). One's size and weight is free topic of converation here. You know at home we never mention it and if so it is very carefully stated- whether you are skinny or larger. Here they walk right up to me and say "Oh- you are so fat." or the word they will use often is bump. Some comment how good I look and say I look fresh. Others say I am even more beautiful like this. Some say you will reduce as you stay here longer. Others say oh- what happend... the comments go on and on. To all of them I just say "I know" or "Thank you". I do not know how to respond- and in this area I am very much an American- I do not talk about it and don't like to. So even though church was good and it was great to see people I was a bit exhausted and ready to be home. This is the way it will go for a time now and then it will stop for a bit. As I loose weight and people notice- it will start again for a little while. I guess in some ways it is healthy, others... it is just a part of the culture here. So yes I am loving the food- yes people are very thankful to have me back- and yes I will try to walk more and enjoy the gifts of food in small portions.

Yes I am that OLD.

2011-04-04T13:45:00.006-05:00

A few weeks before my birthday I was spending some time in Marshalltown with the Stepec family. (along with visiting a few other friends and getting things set with Jonathan House). This family is one of those closest to my heart and these boys... I cannot tell you how much I love them and truly enjoy spending time with them. The last evening I was there Jack started asking in the afternoon if we could have dessert yet- after dinner dessert. Steve would kindly tell him after dinner and swimming lessons- he struggled to wait and when he brought it out I understood why. They threw me the sweetest surprise party ever. Steve made this brownie in the shape of Africa- very good map skills. They know I love brownies a whole lot more than cake. We pretty much finished it all off- Henry eating almost ALL of the M&Ms. He had just reached over and grabbed the first one in the photo above. Our party was complete with a few rounds of ring-around-the-rosie and help opening some great for Africa gifts. This was a truly touching moment for me and one I loved sharing with this family.The weekend of my birthday my extended family got together one evening for a ton of eating and even more LOUD talking and laughter. Nick, Jamie and kids came for the weekend along with Mike, Lor and girls and even Kari surprised me. A good number of Shermers joined us Sat night. Below are three of my favorite girls. They are growing older every minute and I know coming home in October I will have to "get to know them" again. I love being able to have such real conversations with them.Sunday morning Amy, Kari and I headed to Duluth. We were meeting some friends at Grandma's in Canal Park for lunch. We went a little early to hit the Lake Walk. The ocean here in Sierra Leone is beautiful but it is crazy how much I miss the lakes. With ice break in process it was fun to watch the large chunks floating and crashing against each other. Also beyond thankful for a day with my sisters.The burger at Grandma's was fantastic- one of the best I have had (that is until my dad cooked burgers on the grill my last Sunday home- none compare to his). The company however was many times better. It is so hard to be able to travel around and say goodbye to each of my friends so this was a great chance to hang out together and be able to see them again before I left. They each are in my life from different times and each mean a great deal to me even if we are not able to get together often. At this point I thought my birthday celebrations were finished. As much as I like ice cream, love, and gifts I do not love being the center of attention so it was just fine with me that it was over. However I was wrong. The Saturday after I arrived JK came to pick me up so we could get some dinner together. When we took a tour all around Bo I started to think that something might be up as he kept checking his phone and then driving further. We pulled into the studio "to pick something up" to find our close group of friends all there (minus one). They had talked and wanted to be with me for my birthday and welcome me back. We had a great dinner together (thanks Belinda, Violet, and Monica for all their hard work- they cooked a small chicken for each one of us along with sides and fine drinks). The party itself was a gift but then they each stood up to say what they felt about me as well as welcoming me back "HOME". A precious moment and gift I will not soon forget. Honestly I was not looking forward to being 30. We have all these ideas of where we should be at thirty and I was not in many of those places. Not only am I not settled in a house with a husband and kids- here I am headed off again to an underdeveloped country in West Africa- beyond that it is a HOT country (however the lack of electricity means there are always cold "showers" to cool me off). I am okay with this. I am not ever going to be on the "American path"- how many are? I am in a place that 10 years ago I would never have envisioned but have come to love. God has brought me through difficult times and given me such an honor to be used by him here. What is 30- another number yes. AND maybe more. I have learned much more about myself. I am more confident in who I am. I know my boundaries more. I have more depth. I am okay saying no and not pleasing everyone (a big accomplishment from where I was even 5 years ago). I have grown bounds in my faith, friendship with and reliance on God. Oh there is so much more. God has done much over these years- given me experiences I will not forget and that have shaped who I am. So yes I am that old- and I am okay with it. (most days :)

My hut is still standing.

2011-04-03T11:49:00.003-05:00

** each time I go back and edit this to add the paragraphs and breaks in this LONG post it keeps putting it back in one paragraph so- I guess it will stay that way- good luck in reading it. Praise God for a great journey here. If you talked to me at all in the last week before leaving you knew that the traveling was not something I looked forward to- especially checking in at the airport and getting through security each time I had to. (I guess from the blog you would know that as well :)) This was probably the best trip I have ever had to Salone. The worst thing was a few drops of coke spilt on my knee by the lady next to me and onto the strap of my bag. Not too bad. A moment of panic wanted to come as Amy, Mom, Dad and I walked up to the counter with my six suitcases and the lady tells me that the max you can take is five. I have called the airline once a week for the past three weeks before leaving to ask about luggage- I wanted to give her a piece of my mind and looked over to see that each member of my family was ready to do the same but the lady was so nice and helpful we just couldn't. She said she would figure it out and did. Then sent it all through and for $50 less than I expected. I made it. Well through that moment- next was having to say goodbye to my fam. A few tears were shed but we did well. I only had to go through two check points and made it through each smoothly. I think I resemble a terrorist since I am almost always chosen for the pat down and emptying my carry-on for them to check it all. I know that I am not doing anything wrong and will make it through but I do not enjoy repacking right in the middle of the airport. No need this time. This could get quite long as the trip did take two days but other than getting very tired of sitting (and for the first time having swollen feet after the trip) it was a fine trip. Arriving in Freetown I was able to call Joe and JK and knew they were just outside. After getting through customs a friend from Rutile met me and now works at the airport. He helped me through what often can be a hair raising experience of getting out of the airport with no trouble at all AND WITH ALL SIX suitcases. This is a huge deal. My family came with 8- lost 2. First time they came I think the team came with 12- lost 5. Other teams same deal so- just me and my 6 suitcases leaving the airport on the same trip was the final piece to an amazing trip that did my heart wonders. I walked out the door to see Joe and JK just past the gate. What a great feeling to walk up and get hugs from both before literally being dragged into the taxi. Here you have to take a ferry or helicopter to get to Freetown- with the helicopter being $80 and the ferry being $1.25 we always take the ferry. This time we would have had to wait for 3 hours so we decided to take one of the long wooden boats. Not the first time but definitely the first with this much luggage. After arriving on Freetown's side we headed to a fine dinner to celebrate Joe's birthday complete with ice cream for dessert. Probably my last real ice cream for some time (I guess that large dish at home was not really the last:)). We had a great night together catching up at the guest house and then walking around Ftown a little the following morning before heading to Bo. I have to admit that as excited as I was to get there and see everyone it is also a little overwhelming. We turned onto the JCC road and not too far down people started shouting "mommy Christie, Mommy Christie!" oh we laughed and it continued all the way to the gate. The kids came running . I jumped out and was met with hundreds of little hugs and smiles and laughter. Even the youngest ones who had not even met me yet came running with smiles- NO TEARS- also kinda a big deal as most small kids are afraid of the pumois. Oh yes my Patrick was there- even Sallay came RUNNING and yelled "Mommy Christie" She is talking a lot now- and I heard it the first day. However the last couple days she is around me but quiet now. I understand this about her. This is her way to show me I have to earn my way back in- I will do it but it was great to see that her first reaction was one of joy. After all the hugs and how are yous there is a moment of wondering if it will all fall back into place and I think that was a question in the back of my mind as Joe and JK pulled out of the compound. No need to worry though. We chatted and chatted that evening and I know I am home again. Many friends have come to greet me and I have been able to visit others. Church today was a bit crazy as so many came to welcome me home- and that is what they say- "You have come home." More to share when the time permits- hopefully my next post will be about the great birthday month this has been for me. The parties did not end in MN as last night a group of friends had a surprise birthday/welcome home party for me. Yes I miss my family and friends in the USA but am feeling beyond blessed and completely loved- by all these people but most of all by God as he has shown me so much through these few days. The ways in which he has given me peace and comfort, assurance and confidence... that I really am in his hands and that He IS taking care of me- I should NOT worry. I do realize you are looking forward to pictures- they will come. Thanks again for the prayers along the way. I am also loving the emails and comments when I get a chance to read them. SOOOOO MANY greetings from all here to all of you there.

The Journey Begins Again

2011-03-30T07:33:00.002-05:00

You would think after this many times it would just be a breeze- however I have a lot of anxiety each time I travel (well travel to Sierra Leone). Checking in (this time with 6- yes six- suitcases- what?!?!) actually getting on the flight (remember the time JK and I got sent home and asked to come the next day, rescheduling flights, taking an expensive taxi back to Mike and Lor's, getting out of travel mode....) going through security with some odd things I travel with to an underdeveloped country- 3 TIMES, and just all the joys of waiting in airports, take-offs and landings, sitting on a plane for 8 hours twice... BUT think of the welcome I will receive when I finally reach Freetown. That is one of the things that will get me through the goodbyes on this side (though I will still shed some tears and carry some sadness with me). Enough whining already right? We had a great trip down to the airport- Mom, Dad, Amy and both Grandmas and I left our house around 4pm. We met Nick, Jamie, Koryn, and Asa and Erbert and Gerberts (you know how I love sandwiches) for a quick dinner and another chance for some hugs. Of course a bit of laughter filled the place and we lingered with some really good Minnesota Goodbyes and then the 6 of us were off again. This time we decided to stay at a hotel near the airport so there is less stress in the morning. Even though we arrived after 8:30- we had a FULL PARTY here until after 1am. My sister Kari joined us along with uncle Dean, Mike, Lor, Sophie, and Isabelle and friends LB and Lancelot. Let's just say our neighbors and thankful we stayed at a decent hotel with good sound proofing. This is one of the great parts of traveling. Each time before I leave we usually meet for a meal with this group and at times a few more- the schedule just wasn't set up for that so everyone came here. LOVE this. So after the parents and grandmas headed to bed in the next room those of us left made sure I had what I needed and was organized well for getting in and out of check points with less stress. Then I had to practice putting my carry-on above my head many times to make sure it would easily get into the over head bins as it is not light. Carrying it African style was a whole lot easier on the back and arms- I'm just not sure that my balance is good enough. Anyway- Dad just walked in and asked if we are ready to go- ummm not yet. So I had better run. I leave today at 11am our time and will arrive in Lungi, Salone at 12:50 our time. The first night we will stay in Freetown and Friday morning head to Bo. I cannot wait to see my friends tomorrow night- and really am looking forward to Friday morning pulling into the JCC compound and seeing all my kids. Thanks for your prayers and support- I'll let you know shortly after I reach

Our Buddy Mad Dog

2011-03-29T09:38:00.004-05:00

In the midst of getting ready to move back to Sierra Leone I had to say one final goodbye that was a TOUGH one.

He was a member of our family, our protector, our comforter, our best friend- OUR MADISONIt is so hard to come to the point when you know you have to let him go. And it is not just hard for us- it is hard for his little buddies as well.

Snow Sculptures

2011-03-29T09:15:00.003-05:00

These photos are from WEEKS ago- but hey the snow was also supposed to be gone by now so I figure I can still post them as it feels like we are still in the midst of Winter. Amy, the dogs and I headed over to Ely one Sunday afternoon to see all the snow sculptures. I am amazed at what these people can do. We did take some photos but they do no justice to seeing it with your own eyes. All I can think is that my brain does not work the same way as these fine folks. These sculptures are huge and so detailed. All my mind sees is a huge pile of snow and that I could probably build a snow fort and dig some tunnels into it but beyond that I see just getting the part I want right and then carving the next section only to have that part fall off on the ground. :)

We took the dogs for a walk afterwards and then headed to get some ice cream- cold weather is no reason to skip this fine cold treat. My dad started a (probably bad) habit long ago by getting an ice cream cone for Madison and now Sage and Gabee love ice cream as well. So they too shared a cone. Our vet did say they have amazingly healthy teeth- could it be that little extra calcium?

Those Crazy Shermers

2011-03-23T11:10:00.002-05:00

Sunday found Grandma Shirley, Amy, Mom, Dad and I spending the day together. After naps for everyone we all headed into town for Sunday Night Alive (a worship service at our church). Though we are social people we do not often stay for the food and socializing afterwards however Grandma ALWAYS does and since we were riding together we decided that we would stay with her.

Grandma Shirley has always been the LAST person to finish eating and since having a little teeth trouble lately she is BY FAR the last person finished. We have come to work it out so that Grandma always gets her food first and starts eating before we even see our own food. We tried that again this night but we were still finished long before she was. With things still to do at home and a long week ahead Amy and I were trying to sneak her food to help her finish faster- all of a sudden Grandma dropped her coffee which then spilled into her Nachos. "Well I guess we can go home now" :) We did offer her more but she declined and after much laughter and cleaning up we started to head out.

Mom and Grandma had gone up first and were on their way out to the car. Grandma is holding mom's arm and they are chatting on their way to the car- walking so carefully together through the parking lot. Just as mom opens Grandma's door they hear loud footsteps coming at them quite quickly. At that moment Mom dropped Grandma's arm and left her- running towards her own door. Grams moved extremely quickly around her door and literally jumped into the car. Amy, Dad, and I are racing to the car and by the sound of the footsteps they both just knew what was happening and they were not going to lose either.

How many families race to the car with their 81 year old grandmothers, parents in the 50's and the youngest child being 24? We do and this was not the first nor will it be the last. However this time we all laughed a bit more as we replayed the scene of mom helping her mom so kindly and gently get to the car and without a word dropped her not wanting to lose the race herself. At that same moment Grandma had such speed and agility and looked like someone who had no need for help in the first place.

These simple yet crazy moments I will miss the most. I love my wacky family and am truly one of them.

So really what have I been up to and WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?

2011-02-11T19:18:00.001-06:00

Covering the past two years on one sheet of paper is a difficult task for me. I would love to have you all over for a fine African feast and a great chat afterwards in our living room. Since that is not possible for everyone I will try my best here.

The ways in which God has stretched me, challenged me, blessed me, humored me, and allowed me to be used are more that even I will know. The same is true for each of you in this journey with me. My not being able to do this without you is a very real thing for me. My staff, children and I talk about the people in my life at home a number of times each week. "Mommy Christie's Supporters" are dearly loved people. Whether it is random conversations with you on the street while I am home, an email here and there, asking my mom and dad how things are going, reading my blog... your encouragement and prayers go a long way to lift my spirit and warm my heart. What a blessing to be able to witness how we truly are one body even through the distance, age differences, and cultures.

Now we all know that I come from a long line of talkers or is that a line of long talkers- either way they are both true. In order to not write a book here , I thought I might bullet point a few items. If we get a change to sit down for coffee or lunch or chat over email and you'd like to know more please ask- I'd love to share. For now here are just some of the areas the last two years have found me.

Arriving to find a beautiful hut to live in that the staff had put their bonus' together to build.

Blending into the culture fairly easily and becoming Christie (mommy, auntie, sister... whatever the title before it but CHRISTIE) and not just the pumoi (white person).

Using your donations to put a new engine into the red Jeep Wrangler. This not only transported many of us around but 4 times became the maternity ambulance that saved the lives of these mothers and their precious babies.

Building stronger relationships with not only our kids but many of the neighboring children. Setting high expectations and boundaries for them and seeing them thrive and surprise themselves along with me.

Learning how to stand firm on Biblical truths and not American cultural norms nor Sierra Leonean and how to teach those to others.

Continuing to build friendships with the staff while at the same time learning how to be a leader that holds them and myself accountable.

Developing more friendships with Muslims as well as Christians outside of Jonathan's House.

Making connections in many villages and cities other than Bo and now having friends welcome me back each time I visit.

Working and meeting with Government officials, city leaders, chiefs and other dignitaries learning how to run an organization in this country as well as learning how to merge our organizations together for the betterment of all.

Being able to have true friendships with others my age.

Getting educated in the education system of Salone and how to better our school at JCC as well as to enter and remain involved in the right schools for our older children.

Helping to move our children into family style living at the orphanage with smaller homes and not just one large dorm facility. This also means helping our moms and aunties learn how to become a true family and not just managing care givers.

BLESSED by visits from family and friends...
The list goes on and on but I see my paper is running shorter and shorter :)

Seeing myself in this place and position is not something I ever dreamed I would. However looking back I can see all the little experiences and tools that I have in my life and how they come together to fit so well right here in Bo, Sierra Leone. At the same time my departure had me uncertain if I would be returning and those next few months were some of the hardest, most soul searching of my life so far. YES I love being in Salone. I love the people, what I get to do, and MOST of all my children. Yet being away from my family, friends, culture, comforts of home... is NOT always an easy thing. Spending more time with my nieces and welcoming my nephew into the world, being there for my friends big life moments as well as just a walk or cup of coffee, attending family events... this has brought the realization of what I am truly missing into clear view for me. So even though to many of you it seemed to be a given that I would return, it took me some time to come to that conclusion with you.

There was not one moment when I knew I had made the decision. My feelings just began to get a bit clearer. HIS direction in my life seemed to become clearer. I began to get ideas of things we could do at JH, excitement would well up in me as I thought about implementing this or that or sharing something with one of my kids or the staff. It was also hard for me to hear of certain things going on and know I was not there to help them deal with it or celebrate it. So many prayers and thoughts running through my mind and eventually I DID KNOW and (the key is) BELIEVED that Sierra Leone is where God wants me to be. He has created me for this at THIS time in my life. So for now I say yes to Him and March 31st I will be going back to Salone as Program Coordinator along with Joe Freeman (and the rest of the staff) at Jonathan's House. I am thankful for my family's support even though this is a difficult thing for them and for me. Passion and excitement about what I am able to do alongside the staff and people of Salone does not take away the pain of missing my family and friends here- AND the knowing that they are hurting and missing me. However obeying God's will for my life makes me confident that He will hold each of us in His hands, provide for us and bring us comfort.

So again I THANK YOU for the support and encouragement you have given me and for allowing me to be a part of something great. Your love and prayers have reached me when I needed them most. If you would like to continue supporting me in anyway please let me know.

From the depths of my heart as well as the hearts of the staff and our children- we pray that you may know and feel just how thankful we are for you.

Love, Christie

** It has amazed me how many of you read my random thoughts and postings here on this blog. To know that people I only know through connections with others- or at times are completely new people to me- as well as those who have known me for quite awhile would take the time to not only come here but to also contact me or my family to share such kind words (or gentle pushing when I have not posted in awhile or just plain need it for other reasons :)) is more of a blessing to me that you would realize. What a feeling to be so cared about! For that reason I share all of this with you. It is not easy to share my deeper feelings (and not so pretty decision making process) though it always ends up being good for me. It is also not easy to admit that I need help to be able to do what I love. Let's face it asking for money is NEVER easy. However as much as I do need financial support I also need emotional and spiritual support (also not easy to ask for) and I feel that is very much what I get through those of you who follow me here. The affirmation, comfort and boost I often need that comes from many of you is something that I will continue to need and at times need even more. So I am putting this out there- even if it is not easy. Though I do find it getting a little easier all the time knowing that it is going to each of you.

I would love to send you more information or a prayer card with some photos on it for your fridge or desk- just email me with your name and address and I will get it right out to you. ceekshermer@yahoo.com Or email me just to let me know (or remind me) that you are out there- amazing how that simple thing of knowing you are there brightens my whole day/week/month...

Thanks again- for reminding me that I matter and am in no way- alone.

Just Because

2011-02-10T14:43:00.002-06:00

I love this picture and these boys.

Got SNOW!?!

2011-02-08T09:58:00.000-06:00

Here we stand on one of the sidewalks in Cook. Not all of the sidewalks have snow this high and yet this is also NOT the highest one either. Can you see the Subway right behind us? We are standing less than 20ft from the front door.

WE ARE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!

2011-02-06T21:24:00.007-06:00

I LOVE the way that sounds!It wasn't easy though we knew it wouldn't be. I admit to a bit of anxiety in the house as we watched however the jumping, shouting and celebrating during many different moments overshadowed any tension there was.
Two of my all time favorite people (my "sister" and "nephew") Holly and Jackson. How proud I am of this special boy. His "Go PACK Go!" cheer has to be the best around.

LoVe lOvE LOVE being a Packer and a Super Bowl Champion.
Our "Super Bowl Ring"! Dad had three of these necklaces made for Mom, Amy and I yesterday. How Great is He!?!

Congrats to all you Packer fans out there!!!

One of My FAVORITE Places

2011-02-04T16:35:00.005-06:00

With the snow falling yet again I cannot tell you how often I think of the beach at River No. 2. (Though I do love Winter- really I do.) With people who have become great friends to take care of us, beautiful (almost empty) WHITE sand beaches, fresh barracuda for lunch, breath taking scenery- you can understand why THIS is one of my favorite places.

Leaving Salone

2011-02-02T11:00:00.000-06:00

This post is a LONG time coming and yet still a little difficult to write.

The day I would leave was a day we talked about for months before it happened. The staff, my friends, our church and especially my kids. In some ways I am sure it was good as we were able to talk about what it would look like. I was able to convey the love I have for each of them and how that would not change. We talked about all that has happened over the past few years- just how far we have all come because of each other.

This may have helped in the long run but it did not stop the emotions of the final few days. We were able to have a great party together at JCC. The kids and staff were so sweet. Groups of them sang songs, acted out short plays, and had such kind words to say. When it was my turn to talk I admit to getting a bit choked up. I know this may not surprise to many of you (and shouldn't) yet it is not often that I have cried in front of any of these people. It was hard to get out what I wanted to say but I was finally able to. We all prayed together and ended the party in a way we usually do- with music, dancing and lots of laughter. A few of the younger kids in their JCC ashabei (matching clothes for a specific group or occasion)

Yes I knew I would be leaving soon, yes I had planned to pack over the last month and not all at once, however it was FATTY (pronounced with a short o sound) who got it done. This girl is amazing. She is who I want to be when I grow up. Fatty struggles in school and at times that is all she sees and has a low image of herself- what I see... A wise young woman who is compassionate, the best house mom (even if it is not her job) we have, a great cook, teacher, sister, and friend. She has written me the letters that have touched my heart the most. Her faith and relationship with God is STRONG. She knows the bible and finds verses that touch you in the moment you are in and has such a gentle way of showing them to you. There is so much I could say about Fatty- most of all I cherish her and love her dearly.

So back to the packing. Fatty and I often spend time together. In the months before I left she had just taken a large school exam and was off from school. This gave us a lot of time while the other kids were studying or sleeping. In the week before leaving she became my mom. We would plan to pack all day and then a friend would invite me somewhere or the kids would want to play or.... and I would put it off. Fatty would come in the evenings and say "Mommy Christie you have to pack now". It was hard to figure out what to leave and what to take- well just ask Fatty. We would run the generator and stay up late into the nights talking and laughing. She was strong for me when people would come to say goodbye and tears for them would follow. She brought me comfort and peace through it all. The last night she slept with me after we finished zipping the last suitcase. The next morning she was gone. I literally could not find her anywhere on the compound.

Staff devotions that morning found more tears for the staff (I have to admit that I had not cried since the party- well maybe at night alone but :) and for some reason did not this morning either) It meant a great deal to me to have this moment of singing and prayer one last time with my JCC family. I had not wanted to make a big scene with the kids. I knew that once one of them started crying they all would and it would be hard for the moms and aunties to calm them down once I left. So we had said goodbye at prayer time the night before (yes there were still tears in bed but with them being so tired they soon fell fast asleep). School devotions were about to start as I walked over and was able to address the school children and say goodbye to them. A few my kids had to grab one last hug and a few tears were shed but I felt good about how we were able leave each other.

With the jeep loaded and JK and Joe ready to go it was time for my final good byes. I had to find Fatty. I took one last walk around the compound and finally found her at the front clothes line hanging up clothes. As she saw me coming she ran into her room away from me. I followed her in there and found her just sobbing. Well the tears that I had done so well holding in came flooding out. I just held onto Fatty assuring her of how much I loved her and what a blessing she is to so many. I assured her that her place in my life will never changed no matter the distance. Auntie Mary came in shortly after and I was able to leave Fatty with her. This one was tough.

As we got into the jeep all of the staff on the compound came around and we had one last prayer for safety- it was so hard to get my emotions under control and knowing me you know I just wanted to get out of the gate. However it was a special moment and driving out with the group of staff walking slowly behind us, one last time of Pa Ben opening the gate and smiling and waving as we drove out is a memory that makes me smile.

One other special night I wanted to share was a party with our church family and my friends from all over town. They were all so kind to put together a going away party for me. We were able to invite so many people who have impacted my stay in Sierra Leone including my mechanics, market friends, and fuel station guys. This was a night that everyone deserves to have. People from different areas of my life there got up to say the kindest things (yes I was blushing and uncomfortable). Music groups performed songs, wonderful food and drinks were shared, and of course once again the night ended with music and dancing. I felt so uplifted and loved.

The next day I visited my mechanic friend Jaward (well first you have to understand that Jaward and Kai have taken such great care of me. They truly are my AAA in Salone. I call them when broken down and they come- they call me when I travel to make sure I made it to where I was going. Kai even had to help us late the night of the party as the clutch had slipped- he thought he was just coming to a party and here we call him while hauling things home LATE and he grabs a honda to come rescue us) So here I am getting the jeep checked one last time before traveling to Freetown and Jaward is asking me questions about the Christian music groups from the night before. Jaward is a Muslim. He knows I am a Christian. We have not talked much about our faiths. He sees who I am and accepts me and I do him as well. I care about him. I knew when inviting him that these groups would be there (they are great friends to me) but I had no clue how much they would impact him. That night I say him dancing and smiling, even going up to a couple of the guys. This day he asked me about their lyrics and told me how great they were. I was able to get him one of their cds. This was blessing to me. Jaward is someone who I do care about. Someone who I have been friends with for a year and a half. The door for us to talk about our faiths had not opened before this time and that was fine. When it did open it was natural and we were both ready.

Being so emotional about leaving and wondering at times about my place and impact- these last few days did a lot for my heart in reaffirming what I am doing in Sierra Leone.

These two guys are two of my best friends. Not just in Salone but in my life. They brought me to Freetown and treated me to one last special night in Salone and brought me the following day to the airport along with another of my great friends Pastor Ibrahim. I am not one for tears at the airport however I often find myself crying on both sides. Leaving is always so hard no matter where it is, that is truly the worst part of traveling for me. I have to get through this moment and then look forward to the wonderful welcome on the other side. This time the emotions were a little stronger as I did not know when or if I would be returning. These people who mean so much to me- how long was this good bye for- what was I going to do without them everyday? It was hard to get control of myself but when I did I was able to look at how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and family in two places. It is a blessing and a curse I guess but this last week hearing just how much I am cared for and how much I love these people and at the same time looking forward to seeing my family and friends at home I have missed so much- it was more on the blessing side.

Less than 24 hours later I was able to have that wonderful welcome moment as Mom, Dad, Kari, and Amy were there with arms wide waiting for hugs. We headed to the Olive Garden to meet Mike, Lor, Sophie, and Isabelle. We laughed and talked over each other before driving North. As hard as it was to say good bye- it also felt really good to be home.

2011-01-31T08:58:00.013-06:00

Friday morning found me driving to Duluth to pick up my two favorite nieces for a fun filled weekend up North (and a hopefully relaxing weekend in Duluth for Nick, Jamie and Asa)

Of course I had to sneak in some cuddle time with Asa before we left. He was fresh home from a visit to Alina's school where she was able to show him off. It was fun for us to reminisce about Nick taking Amy to show and tell over 24 years ago.

We tried to leave shortly after 4 only to find the roads were not great for traveling. Those of you who know us Shermer's know that not much will stop us however having precious cargo and information from Dad that the visibility further North was less than 2 car lengths found our car making a U-turn. An evening spent with the entire Nick Shermer family was not a bad night for me.

Shortly after breakfast Saturday morning we tried again. Snow was still coming down but we were able to make it just fine to Grandma Karen and Grandpa Mark's house. The girls couldn't have been more thrilled.

Auntie Amy and I headed out with Koryn, Alina and our friends Alaina and Lucy for a little Winter fun. At first the thought of going sledding at Grandma Shirley's sounded like a great time for everyone- after trying to plow through snow above our wastes up hill it seemed only the little ones were having all the fun. The laughter soon returned when I tried to push Amy down the hill on the sled to pack down the run and ended up laying face down in the snow. This wasn't so bad- trying to get up... was terrible. My feet were above my head and as I tried to put my hands down they couldn't reach solid ground. I couldn't get my feet underneath me and I really just could not get up. Amy was so helpful- she laughed and made me roll over to get the camera out of my pocket and take a few pictures before helping me up. After that workout I am not sure we needed any hot chocolate to warm us up but we sure had earned it.

On Friday I had found some train letters, an engine and caboose, along with a few paint colors at Michaels. I thought this would be a fun craft and gift for the girls to give to Asa.

Fun it was. I have to say it turned out great and even more fun was to be had afterwards while doing hand prints with Koryn. The first bit of paint on her hands was accompanied by some pretty large eyes and a question on her face. When I started painting her hands and then just dipping them into the paint and then onto the paper her giggles filled the room. I did not anticipate her insistence that Auntie Christie and Auntie Amy make hand prints as well but hey- hands squishing around in paint is not so bad- especially when it brings a sweet little girl such joy.

Sunday we were treated to a trip made by Mom, Dad and Asa to come get the girls and hang out for the afternoon before leaving. Yes pass the baby around was the next game we played. He is so tiny. I know we always say that- but with Koryn and Alina getting so big you really do forget just how small they are. I loved that he was awake for a bit longer this time.

My time with these three little (getting big) ones is something I treasure. They make me laugh and smile so hard that my stomach and face hurt. Yes this is my second post including these three- and you can bet it will not be the last. I am and forever will be proud Auntie Christie.

Love you Alina, Koryn, and Baby Asa

We ARE IN the Super Bowl

2011-01-28T22:43:00.000-06:00

This Post title is not a question and hasn't been in Amy's or my mind all year. Yes of course as die hard fans we think we can win it all every year but this year has been different from the start in our minds- I mean have you seen the banner covering the front of Amy's garage?

I know, I know- I can hear some of you already commenting on the "we" part. Yes we feel a part of the Packers AND I do own stock in the Packers- so it is WE.

Many of you have seen plenty of pictures of Amy and I in our Packer's gear so for a change I will show you a picture of the pumpkins we carved for Halloween this year. I admit when we started I thought it was all going to be just a great idea in our minds and not so much on the pumpkins, however if I might say so- I think they turned out pretty great.

Go Pack Go

WHAT- I Have A BLOG?!?!?!

2011-01-27T11:33:00.002-06:00

Alright- no excuses. All I am going to say is that I am back now. This is for real. I will be putting posts on here regularly- at least for the foreseeable future. So.... if any of you are still out there reading this blog- thank you and these next ones are for you.

Now what better way to come back than to be able to announce the birth of my sweet nephew-

ASA NICHOLAS SHERMEROur precious boy was born Tuesday afternoon, January 25th 2011.

6lbs 8oz and 18.4 inches Jamie had to work hard for this little boy to make his entrance into the world but she did great and looked wonderful when we got there to see them . Grandma Shirley, Grandma Syvilla, Amy, Mom, Dad and I were all able to travel to Duluth and meet Asa just hours after he was born. Having both Great Grandmothers at the hospital was a real treat and not just for Asa. These two ladies make me laugh more than most people I know.

I could not believe how good Asa looked. Such pink skin and beautiful features. Being here for this moment was special. I missed Koryn's birth so this was my first trip to the hospital as an aunt. I cannot tell you how much I treasure this role.

Proud Grandparents.

We all look forward to loving on this little one and watching him grow just as we do his proud big sisters. They are both going to be great with him. First however we get to spend some time with them. Tomorrow I head to Duluth to pick up Alina and Koryn for the weekend. What a Win-Win situation for us all. A little more rest (hopefully) for mom and dad and fun with the girls for the rest of us.

Having little ones in our lives is such a blessing. We see things in new ways everyday because of them. Alina is becoming such a fun person. She is interesting to have conversations with, to play big kid games with, and to see just how tall and beautiful she is becoming. Koryn is a little spitfire. I cannot believe the things that come out of her mouth. Of course we all think she is a genious and SOOO FUNNY. Seeing how much she is developing her own personality each day is giving us such cherished memories and laughs. Asa is someone we have waited for- well for just as long as any other pregnancy. Knowing his name, watching Jamie's belly grow, feeling him moving inside- seems as though we've known Asa for awhile now and to be able to hold him, cuddle with him, and smell his sweet new baby smell is yet another blessing. Children have always been cherished and treasured in our extended family on both sides. Now having our Shermer family growing is wonderful.

Thanks Nick and Jamie for giving us such special nieces and nephew.

October 1st

2010-08-23T08:16:00.002-05:00

Who has a plan and a schedule? I am one who loves to have a plan and a schedule however often over the past two years I have had to function either without or one that is put together at the last minutes.

My coming home has fallen into this category. There was never a set date for me to leave JCCM and head back to the states though there seemed to be a lose plan set for sometime the end of July. As ALL of you know July has come and gone and August is soon to follow. I am not home. Though I now have a schedule- the plan I am still working on. October 1st I will leave Sierra Leone and start my journey home. I say journey because even though it is only really a couple days of travel it feels like a whole lot more- especially with all the emotions on both sides. Sometime October 2nd I will be home. Plan and schedule after that- once again up in the air. However I always have a job at Mark's Country Market :). I cannot tell you the number of times I tried to get fired from this job, but I am really grateful for it now. Thanks Dad.

We have gone through a lot of changes here at JCCM the main one being the hiring of a new Program Coordinator. This has been a long time coming as we have been functioning without a head person for 2 years now. A team of us have filled this position but it is a much better fit to have one person in this role. Mr. Muana was hired the 1st of July and I was asked to stay to work with him his first few months. I have been asked to stay longer many times but didn't give it a lot of thought until this came about. I was actually told by a few board members that I simply could not go- whatever they needed to do to help me to stay they would do. After praying about it I do feel this is where I am to be at this time and my family was kind enough to let me stay (not without a few comments and threats though huh Amers?!?!) It is not easy to step into a new position- nor is it always easy to help someone do this, but we are working together and I pray to leave with JCCM in a better place.

I do not know what the future holds and this is often a difficult thing for many of us. This time it feels a bit heavier as I have no clue what comes next or what to do next. These are my children. I have another family and group of friends here and yet I have the same at home. I have no doubt that God placed me at JCCM during a difficult time for the organization in order to help them through. He allowed me to be an integral part in not only keeping JCCM going but in making some positive changes for the kids and the future of JCCM. I have absolutely cherished being a part of these children and staff members lives and I know it will continue- only in what manner I am not certain.

If I am to walk away now, I will know that I was able to be HIS hands and feet at a time and in a place I never expected, but was also blessed in ways I couldn't have imagine. I will also walk away knowing JCCM will continue to move forward, these children will continue to be loved and nurtured, and an impact for Christ will be made for ever.

If I am to go home and come back- I will be grateful to be with my kids and family here again. I would love to see my friends and the community that has welcomed me in as one of their own. Finding out what my position would be, my purpose here... that is what needs to happen in order for me to come back.

Where does he want me? At this point I am really not sure- which makes leaving all that more difficult. Is this a HUGE goodbye- or just a short goodbye? What happens to me in the next 6 months- 1 year... Please pray with me. Pray that not only will I see where he is leading me, but also that I will have his peace and patience as I wait.

Thank you more than I can say for you love, prayers, and support through my time here. I have not left yet- I still have 5 weeks I am going to make the best of. It seems crazy even as I type that. I am fighting between wanting to see everyone at home and not wanting to even think about leaving so soon. I would like to say I will try to update more- I want to- but it is just not easy and I am usually exhausted when there is a chance. Maybe that will be something to fill my time when I first come home as there is so much more I have wanted to share with you all.

Pray for my kids- this is not easy for them and we talk about it EVERYDAY as it is often on their mind. Pray for my friends and "family" here as well. Pray for my heart.

Rutile, Mattru, and Kpangbama - posted by Amy

2010-08-11T18:24:00.008-05:00

The weekend after we got to Sierra Leone we traveled to Rutile, Mattru, and Kpangbama. The farthest village was about 50 miles away and took about 3 1/2 - 4 hours to get there. It was a very bumpy ride and we were all ready to get out when we got to Kpangbama. We are pretty sure that our logging roads here are better than some of the roads there.

On our way we stopped at the JCC farm to visit Harry and his family. Haja, Harry's wife had just had a baby girl 3 days before we got there. She was very cute and did not have a name yet, they normally do not name the children for a couple weeks while the father thinks of a name.

Haja made bene seed for us which is a small seed stuck together with caramelized sugar and tastes super good plus they gave us fresh pineapple before we left.

When I went to Sierra Leone in December Christie and I visited Kpangbama. Madam Hawa, the paramount chief, gave me my Mende name Luba which means blessing. She was very kind to us and let us stay in one of her guest houses and fed us wonderful food, when we left she asked us to please come back sometime. Christie and I decided this would be a great village to visit while our family was with. Again Madam Hawa took great care of us.

Jk's father, Festus, also lives in Kpangbama and runs the clinic there. Here is Christie, JK, and Festus.

This is one of the huts, it is made of clay with a thatch roof.

Here Christie and Jk are giving Madam Hawa a gift we brought for her generosity. She would not let us pay her for staying in her guest house or any of our food. We also brought clothes, toys, and medical supplies for the clinic.

When we first got there many of the children came to greet us. They sang some songs for us, then we sang "Father Abraham" with them. It was a lot of fun to see them enjoying singing.

We walked around the village for awhile and many of the kids came with us. They would all grab our hands and just want to touch us. Each of us had at least 2 kids on each hand as we walked.

One of Lorie's friends made little hats to give away to infants. As we walked around Kpangbama Lorie would give out the hats and take a picture with the mother and baby.

Here we are walking to visit the clinic which was just down the road. Festus was telling us that people from many villages came to their clinic since it was the closest. I am pretty sure he said that they serve people in over 30 villages.

This is the front of the clinic, it is not very big but has what they need.

We brought equipment so we would be able to show "The Chronicles of Narnia" to the village. They seemed to really like it and were even cheering at different points throughout the movie. At the end of the movie our friends JK and Rainny explained the similarities of the movie to what God has done for us and then we all prayed together. It was really nice we were able to share this with them.

They gave us some of the best seating and of course grandma loved being right next to the fan :)

The next morning they had breakfast all ready for us when we came out. It was a delicious meal and even had coffee which was great for mom.

When we left Kpangbama on our way to Mattru mom decided she wanted to take a turn on the honda. She had a great time and even ended up riding in the rain. We asked if she wanted to come in the jeep when it started raining and she said no, she was enjoying the cooler ride.

In Mattru we had to cross the river and this is the ferry they have there. It is a wooden platform on floats that the workers pull across on a pulley system. Christie's jeep is pretty little and more narrow than other vehicles so it takes a little to make sure it is all lined up. Christie is able to get that jeep pretty much anywhere she wants.

Grandma just stayed in the jeep until we got to the other side, then we all got back in to continue on our way. We went and met a few people Christie knows. One of the people who left an impact on me was Pa French. I had met him when I was there in December and he was very kind to us. Christie said that he works at a clinic and has not been paid for the past few months but keeps going to work and helping people.

We were all ready to get back to JCC after the long traveling and were very happy to see the kids and staff again. They came running to the jeep as soon as we pulled in. It was fun to be greeted like that every time. That night we decided we were going to treat ourselves so we turned on the generator and watched a movie and got some chicken, french fries, and pop for the night.

Reign Ministries' Royal Servants

2010-08-08T05:09:00.002-05:00

I received an email while my family was here letting me know that there was a group of 27 people arriving in Salone July 7th. They had plans for the first few weeks but then were not sure of what they would be doing their last week here (last week of July). Well with me being so busy and their getting ready to go we didn't connect up again until a few days before they wanted to come. With less than one week we through together some plans, got the big house ready for a large number of guests, assigned my kids to specific jobs as well as the staff and we were ready for them when they arrived Sunday afternoon on the 25th.

For being a last minute trip and probably the largest team we ever had- the week was GREAT. We packed it with activities-

VBS Mon-Friday early afternoon for the middle and small children.
Youth Club late afternoons Mon.-Fri. for the teens.
Visits two mornings to nearby villages Towama and Gbongoma to walk around the village meeting people, witnessing to them, and inviting them to the church for a small program with dramas, dance, and puppets.
A visit to the prison here in Bo to do a couple dramas and speak to the inmates
A visit to the Government hospital here in Bo to talk with and pray with some of the patients.
A quick visit to the farm with a small group of us that turned into our own "safari".
Eating two African meals all together.
Having an awesome party with great entertainment, food, soft drinks, and dancing.
Lots of time laughing and hanging out together.

oh and so much more.
There is so much to say about the teams time here but with the Internet the way it is and my time schedule today I will just hit on a couple areas that really blessed me. The first is how much we connected with this team. We always love having teams come, but honestly there are times when we are ready to get back to our routine. This team blended so well- even with the large number- it truly felt like we were one family. I also was amazed at how well I meshed with the leaders. It felt like connecting with old friends. I needed a week like this.
Laura (LB- or Mama B as the kids called her) and I
All the different ministries that the team took part in were great but there was one that gave me chills and left an impact I won't soon forget. Wednesday morning we visited the prison here in Bo. That morning it was cold and raining. The prison is small and very over crowded and has no large place where the kids could do their dramas. That meant that the kids needed to perform in the courtyard- in the rain and in the mud. The two dramas they did were called "Sticks" and "Chains". Both dramas are set to just music playing in the background so they cross all language barriers. Both dramas in different ways show how our sins hold us down- keep us away from Christ. They demonstrated how demons are battling for us everyday- and Christ is the one who saved us from this battle- IF we choose to accept him. With the rain coming down- the kids having to get down in the dirt and mud- seeing the battle between Christ and the demons- inside the girl herself, fighting her sins, temptations, SHAMES. The kids gave it there all and the backdrop of the prison, the rain, and the mud- I had chills and was able to see again in a new way just how much I am loved by Christ- but even more than that just how much I have to turn to him.
The last quick point I want to share is how impressed I was with my kids. I assigned many of them to jobs during the week and they did them well and showed how they too can be servants. We were also able to take the older kids into the village to be translators for the team- they amazed me. It is not easy to translate. It is one thing to be able to speak both languages but to be able to listen to our American slang and turn it into Mende- our kids are good. It was the perfect way to see that we are all part of one body in Christ. One family together.

Yes there was so much more and I always say I will try to write more later- but that is just not easy to do. At least you can get a glimpse of the week we spent together. Unfortunately my camera was on the fritz so I only have these two photos Laura sent me. I'll have to ask her for the large group one with all JCCM family and Royal Servants family- now one family.

The party the last night was the perfect ending to an unexpected blessing for all of us. Our JCC kids got up and sang, acted, read poems, and danced for our friends. The aunties cooked a ton of amazing African treats and we danced into the night together laughing and celebrating this gift we found together. I was tired before this week started- looking forward to meeting everyone but not sure what to expect and wanting the end to come- I ended the week uplifted and refreshed, encouraged by new friends and blessed and reminded how loved I am by my Papa God.

(by the way the connection happened when the team's plans fell through- my mom's freshman year roommate's niece was on the trip so my email was passed on to them)

Beginning of our Trip- Posted by Amy

2010-08-02T12:22:00.010-05:00

Sorry it has taken awhile to get any posts up about our trip. We all had a great time and loved hanging out with Christie. The first few days after we got to Bo, we just relaxed and took some time to get to know the kids and staff at JCC and see how things work in Sierra Leone.
Here is mom and me with a few kids they day we got there. They were all so welcoming

Living in Sierra Leone is like being on a long camping trip. There is no electricity or running water, we were able to turn a generator on a couple times for some light though which was nice. The kids were still in school for the first few days we were there. They would go to school until about 1pm or 2pm so that was our time to go into town and see what Bo was like, cook some food, wash dishes and get some laundry done. Of course when they kids were finished with school they were more than willing to help us with any of those.

Every school day all the kids line up according to grade and have devotions and sing their national anthem, then they start class. The JCC school is open to kids outside the orphanage also.

Willie, the bus driver, goes out into town to pick up students. They fit as many kids on that bus as possible and Willie has to go out 2 times before school and after school so he can pick up and drop off everyone.

All of the kids just loved grandma!

Every morning at 8:30 we went to staff devotions. It was a great time to sing songs and worship God with everyone that works at JCC. Then after devotions everyone would go about their jobs and we were able to walk around and visit with them and see what they do.

One of the projects we helped out with at JCC was painting one of the houses. They are breaking the big building into 3 different houses so there is more of a family feel to the orphanage. They will have 5 houses in all, each house with 1 house mom and about 10 kids and a house auntie will come in every day to help take care of the kids. They already have 2 houses finished and it seems to be working great. The house we painted was the yellow house, my mom's favorite color. It was a fun time and we really enjoyed spending that time with the carpenters and getting to know them better.

This is the kitchen for the big house still, in time each house will have their own kitchen.

Here we are helping Auntie Fatty and Jenae cut potato leaf, they make it look alot easier than it is. Small Christie and Jeffta are also helping us. Potato leaf is a sauce they make to put on rice.

I don't know how they go so fast and don't cut their hands but they are good. Christie and I took our time and did not cut ourselve but we did shave a little skin off our hands.

Sometimes we ate what everyone else was eating and sometimes we decided to do our own cooking. Christie has really figured things out there. She has a small coal pot that works great for cooking everything.

Auntie Kudie is washing dishes, it wasn't too bad hand washing all of our dishes and letting them sit out to dry on the jeep but I think we are all thankful we have dishwashers.

Everynight things are pretty relaxed so we were able to just hang out with the kids. This was one of my favorite times. They are all so much fun.

Christie doing some more cooking with Lorie and grams helping. She has decided she might need the carpenters to make her ledge a little wider so it is easier to cook, we did manage to fit everything we needed on that little ledge though.

There were a few times when Christie and I did the cooking so mom, grams and Lorie washed the dishes.

Around 8:30 at night there is evening prayer/devotions which is lead by the kids. It is a lot of fun to go worship with them and hear the lesson one of the kids has prepared. Then they take prayer requests and pray out loud at the same time. There really is nothing like it, it is amazing to hear. They pray for their sponsors and our families back here and each other its just amazing.

They are all pretty helpfull at JCC so here are some of the older girls helping Lorie with our laundry.

We did a lot of traveling so we were not at JCC as much as we would have liked but we really enjoyed the time we had there and each time we came back from a different trip they all came running to the jeep to greet us. We all felt very loved and cared for.

My Trip Home-Posted by Amy

2010-07-27T13:33:00.003-05:00

Thankfully mom, grandma, and Lorie didn't have any problems flying home. I, on the other hand, had a more interesting time trying to leave Sierra Leone. Christie, JK, and Jerry dropped me, Ron and Brenda off at the airport around 4pm on Sunday then they headed back to Bo. Our flight wasn't supposed to leave until 11pm but the ferry went over at 4 so that is when we were able to go over. Plus after being Africa for 2 weeks or a month you get used to waiting around.
About 8:30 they announced that our flight was canceled due to technical difficulties so we had to find a place to stay and go to the BMI office the next morning to figure out our connecting flights. The next flight out wasn't until 4am Tuesday morning so we had some time to waste. But there was a little bit of panic when at 8:45 we still hadn't found a taxi and the last ferry to Freetown was supposed to leave at 9 and we only had so many leones left since we thought we were going to be leaving. Well we were able to get a taxi and he got us to the ferry with about 10 minutes to spare, thankfully things never leave on time in Africa.
There was a 20 year old boy who was always at the ferry everytime we were there and knows Christie pretty well and I know him pretty well since he was there in December when I went also. His name is White Boy but of course as you can see he is not white :) He has always been very helpful and we know we can trust him to help us so on the ferry ride back to Freetown I just kept praying he would be on the other side to help us get a taxi and get to our hotel. Once we hit shore and got off I saw him and felt a huge sense of relief. White Boy got us a taxi for a good price and even rode with us to make sure we got to the hotel and all settled in. Then he told me he would be going accross on the 2pm ferry the next day if we wanted to meet him and go accross then he would help us and get us a taxi on the other side. We decided that was a great idea and it didn't matter which side of the ferry we were on since we were going to be waiting for awhile anyways.
The next day we tried to get our flights figured out then left for the ferry. White Boy got us accross and to the airport and even helped us find some dinner then didn't leave until he knew we were all set and would be ok. Ron, Brenda, and I really felt like God had sent him to help take care of us and were very thankful.
In talking to White Boy I found out that he is a Christian and works on a boat for his church. Besides the ferry there are wooden boats that go accross more often in case you miss the ferry. He is the driver of the boat and the name of the boat is "Jesus is Coming." I thought this was really cool to hear. Most of the money goes to the church and he probably gets about 3 dollars a day. He told me that he has 3 younger brothers a younger sister and an older sister. His mom passed away 2 months ago giving birth to his youngest brother who is now living with his grandma. White Boy's older sister is taking care of his younger siblings and trying to keep them in school. White Boy said he is trying to send them money to help them out and with only making 3 dollars a day it is not an easy task. He is not in school now and has only finished up to 10th grade but knows that an education is important and that he can't work at the ferry all his life. He told me that he knows God will take care of him and provide for him and his family. I was very impressed with White Boy and being able to trust when he has so little and he was willing to help us so much and didn't expect any payment. God really took care of us and sent us a gardian angel in White Boy.

Miss Them Already

2010-07-16T12:03:00.001-05:00

They are on their way home and Amy and I are eating ice cream

2010-06-29T06:08:00.003-05:00

So our family girls' trip has come to an end. I have so much to blog about and will try my best later this week when we get back to Bo- but I wanted to send out a quick update.

We spent the last few days at River No 2 Beach- it is beautiful, relaxing, and like coming home as I have built a few friendships there and they take such good care of us. We started the trip by taking everyone to the market to buy gifts- WOW!!! Maybe still a little surprised we made it through that one. It was then on to the guest house. They didn't quite have room for us so they made some- well that turned out to be a house with a huge parlor and two fine rooms with bathrooms inside each. Our first activity was to head to the cinema- cram in with everyone else and watch on two small TVs USA lose to Ghana. That was not what we had hoped for. The last game Amers and I watched with many who were cheering for us and hugging us as we won. This game of course we were pretty much the only ones wanting USA to move on so it wasn't the greatest of environments- but still an experience.

Amy, Rainny, and I ate our dinner on the beach under the moon- a great way to get over a difficult loss. Of course you know how we love to swim so the next item on the agenda was a good night swim. It didn't last long as the waves were getting bigger and bigger and our suits were taking on a lot of sand as we crashed into the shore.

Sunday was the perfect last day for all of us. We ate breakfast on the beach, walked around, chatted, read our books, grandma took a nap in a little hut right there on the beach... and yes we swam- ALL OF US!!! This beach has a river entering the ocean so there is a really calm spot to swim in this little inlet- I thought this would be perfect for Grams but she first wanted to try the ocean. Lorie and I each grab one of her arms and climb down the sand to the beach. Mom came with us as well. The waves were not huge but were also by no means small. Lorie and I are holding tightly to Grams when a good size wave comes in- just as we have all our focus on her and realize we are all still standing we see that mom went down. Well as the ocean goes- the wave that knocked her down is now trying to pull her back out and a new wave is coming in to push her back- AND we are all laughing so that makes it all the harder to get up. I give Grams to Lor and send them in and then Mom and i work on getting her up and out. We decided that the inlet was the place for us.

Our friend James at the Guest House told Grams of this waterfall just up the river. After talking to everyone we thought that would be a good excursion to take. Later in the afternoon we hopped into this wooden boat and started our journey up the river. We were looking for monkeys and crocodiles and really just appreciating the birds, fish, crabs and other things we were seeing- but wanting the big ones. It is not often they see crocs so we were on the look-out for monkeys. HOWEVER you know how easy it is to keep the 5 of us and our friend Rainny quiet. We saw nothing on the way there, but the falls were great and Amy, Rainny, and I along with James and our boat man Sheku climbed to the top and found this amazing fresh water pool. It was SOOO clean and it was cold- just what we wanted. Our new favorite place it has become.

On the way back we tried our best to be quiet and I think you would all be proud of us- however we didn't see any monkeys. We were almost out when I heard James and Sheku talking behind us. I could understand what they were saying and they were arguing about whether this thing in front of us was a croc or log. I began watching and soon we all saw that indeed it was a croc- you could see his eyes and back and he kept going up and down just slightly. We were able to watch him for a good couple minutes before he finally went under. It was then that James and Sheku told us it had been quite some time since they last saw a croc. We were happy and satisfied with our boat trip.

Once again we ate a fine dinner- shrimp, barracuda, lobster- and yes chicken for Rainny. We laughed and talked into the night. Woke to a bit of rain but still enjoyed our last morning together. We drove the coastline back to town and headed to the ferry- that was a long wait and travel to the airport but we made it safely and said our good byes. We think they made it off safely, but to be honest don't know for sure. :) No I know they are fine.

I am not sure if it was to comfort ourselves or to celebrate but Amers and I went out and had the best dinner yet. This whole trip grams has asked for ice cream which we found once. Lor wanted ice in her pop. So as soon as they left Am and I tried this new place I had heard about and had not only ice in our pop, we had REAL pizza that was delicious, and of course ice cream for dessert. We did miss them though and talked about them the whole time.

So now it is Amy and I and yes a bit of work as well- can't take a full month off.

I'll be back on here soon to fill you in on our past and future adventures. Thanks for your prayers- our last bag came in, Everyone's health was good after our one bad night, and Grams was a huge hit and did amazing. I am so proud to be a part of this family and that they were here with me.

Mattiama Village

2010-06-23T06:10:00.000-05:00

During Amy and Karen's trip this past March we were able to visit a village named Mattiama. Here in this village many of the children do not go to school and spend their days mining for diamonds. Some of these children are just toddlers. It was a very difficult trip to make and yet it is something that happens so often here in this country- we needed to see it.They spend time digging the ground and then fill rice bags with the dirt- the kids then carry these bags down to the water.Here Amy and I are making the trip along with the villagers down to the place where they actually search for the diamonds. As they get to the water it is usually two of the older boys or men who do the actual sifting. The kids take turns putting shovels of dirt onto the men's strainers. They then dip it into the water and shake it until the loos sand falls through. They search through the larger stones looking for a diamond and when they don't find one they throw it all out and start again. ALL DAY they go through this process- often not even getting one full meal. The deal is that the children work for the man and he is supposed to feed them- they don't get paid and to be honest they don't get fed either. On top of that they will do this for months and months and not find a single diamond. When we asked when the last time was they found a diamond- he told us it was before Christmas but the diamond was not good so they got nothing for it. We couldn't determine when the last time money actually came into the village.

The children who are lucky enough to go to school have to walk 4 miles each way- and in the Rainy Season there are not many places to hid from the rain once it starts so it makes for a long difficult walk and many sick kids.

My family and I are going to head back to this village today. We are bringing some of the used clothing so many of you donated to us, as well as toys for each of the kids. We are also going to do a two day bible school, with crafts, snacks and tonight we will be showing the Jesus film to all the village people (in Mende). It will be a long time and take a lot before this situation changes for these children, but at least we can come be a part of their lives for a couple days and hopefully introduce them to the One who can truly save them.

(I am posting all these posts in advance to come out on these days- so we will post again after letting all of you know what actually happens- but I know that my few followers who are still reading this blog are looking for updates and the only way I can really do that is to spend a good day getting a bunch ready and scheduling them to come out on certain days- the good things is that even though I will not actually be able to communicate with all of you on this day- you will read this post as we are going to Mattiama and will be able to pray for us. We ask that you do as I know this will once again be an eye opening, emotional trip.)

Electricity

2010-06-21T12:21:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned before that we have no electricity at JCCM. There is some electricity in town but the poles don't reach us yet. Even the light in town is really hit or miss. During the dry season we can go days sometimes weeks without light. It has been changing a bit and Bo and Kenema seem to have light more often than Freetown but even at that it can come for only a few hours that will have to last for many days. Now that the Rainy Season has come we have light more often. Kenema has a hydro plant and they service Bo as well. Still this does not help us at Jonathan House. I have a generator thanks to the ONe-by-ONe team, but I don't run it all that often and even at that it is only strong enough to feed the hut.Kerosene lamps are still in use here, but it really is not the best thing for the kids. No worries we have some smart boys. Here Abdul Kareem has learned to make his own light. With an old sheet of zinc, some large batteries and wire, and the light from a 50 cent flashlight he goes to work. After creating a box for each set of batteries he goes to work wiring each room in the big house.

He is able to connect a couple rooms to each set of batteries. It is not the brightest of lights but enough to see in the room and enough for the kids to be comfortable at night- NO ONE here likes darkness. They are all shocked that I like to sleep with no lights on.And let there be light. We have success. Of course this is a short term thing and we hope in the future we really do have electricity but for now this is a big help. I am amazed at how these kids figure these things out. It is beyond me.

Anyone else want to come?

2010-06-20T12:50:00.000-05:00

7 suitcases 6 people 1 small jeep

2010-06-18T16:59:00.004-05:00

Mom promised so I have to follow through and post the photos of the jeep. Unfortunately we did lose one suitcase (and with all our calls and contact with the airline I am not sure we will ever get it back) but everyone arrived safely and in good moods. We first had to load into two taxis (one with the luggage and our friend Rainny and JK and the other with us Olson girls) and head to the ferry. We met some new friends on the ride over to Freetown and Grandma even fell asleep (though she will tell you she was just resting her eyes). After reaching the other side and getting all our luggage to the jeep we started loading it on top. Good thing I have been to the ferry many times and have some friends who were waiting to help us. All luggage on top and for a short time 7 of us in the jeep we headed out of the parking lot. We dropped Rainny off at the top and he headed back into Freetown while we started the 150 mile trek to Bo. It was just after 11pm when we started our journey. I have to say the trip went pretty well. The jeep did fine and we had no trouble at all. The pringles I happened to find at the Supermarket when we left Bo were a big hit in the car, but after a bit of water and a lot of talking it was time to stop for a bathroom break. With no 24hr Holiday stations the bush on the side of the road was the 1st class restrooms we used. We were still so excited about our little jeep and all our stuff that as we got in we decided that some more photos were needed. This is when we got into a bit of trouble.

Somehow at this point I (Christie) lost my purse. Unfortunately we didn't realize this until we got all the way to Bo (another hour and some from this point). Of course I had a lot of what I needed in this bag and it is usually ATTATCHED to me. The kids make fun of me because I am always wearing it and checking for it. Thank the Lord that I had taken my camera out and my passport is at immigration because I had to get my resident card renewed. I did lose my ipod, drivers and international drivers licenses, my bank card for here and there, a good chunk of money and of course the little things- one of my favorite shirts, my favorite hair tie, the handy little tool my dad gave me, my grandpas pen, oh and so many other things I like to stuff in there.

So after a long day I quickly tried to get my family into the hut- had Amy show them around and JK and I took off back to Mile 91- where we knew it went missing. (No all fuel stations are closed and I just happened to have a five gallon jug of fuel that we turned into the vehicle). We prayed before leaving and JK prayed for our safety, that we would find the bag, and that we would be okay either way. I am sad to say that we did not find the bag. I did lose it all, but God has been working on the part that I would be okay either way. I thank him that it is my family that is here now as I know with all that is in me they will take GOOD care of me. I have had a sick stomach a few times but I have been able to set it aside to have a good time with my family and not be too worried about it. We are all here safe and sound and having a great time together. We'll be able to get passed this. (Though JK did let me know it was alright to be upset about it and let me have my moment- thank you for that too)

So I have interrupted my scheduled posts to give you a little update on our family girls trip. We are loving being together and of course laughing and yes even crying a little as well. Tomorrow we head out to a village for one night and I am going to love showing them that part of Sierra Leone. Our friends Rainny, Abu and JK will be traveling with us. Pray for not only safe travels but also good health and energy for us (especially mom and grandma).

Speaking of mom and grandma they are both doing well and Grandma is a BIG HIT! Everyone just loves her and are so amazed at how strong she is and the way she gets around. I am proud of all my family and have loved showing them off and introducing them to my friends and family here.

Alright- everyone has gone to bed and I should get there too. So we'll update more later. Thanks again for all your prayers, encouragement, donations and more. We are all in this together. I LOVE THAT!!!

PATO

2010-06-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

My boy once again. I know I have to be more careful- as I really do love them all, but it seems Patrick is my shadow and always around so there happen to be more photos of him and I just love this one. Amy wanted to take a picture of us so Patrick said, "Mommy Christie come closer." and just held my face like this. He is so sweet. AND smart. He and Betty have a big part in our up coming school graduation ceremony. Together they go back and forth in a short reading- where each of them have a good 15 lines each. Patrick was slower than Betty to learn, but once he did he learned both parts and no corrects Betty each time she says it wrong. He can even stand there and read both parts from start to finish. One evening we were practicing together and the two of them could not stop causing trouble. So I said to them that I wanted them to each be serious- to try their best to make it the whole way through. Then as soon as they started I just got the giggles and couldn't stop. It was hilarious and we decided that a night of laughing was better for us at that time.

When it comes to this jeep Patrick thinks he is the co-driver and in turn co-owner. I remember when we were little my gramps would let us sit on his lap and drive. When we were a bit older in Elementary school my gramps lived with us while they were building their home on Elbow Lake. Each morning we took turns sitting beside him steering on the way to school. When the kids and I are in the car driving up our JCCM road I let them take turns driving with me- oh how Patrick loves that. He is always telling me to let go of the steering wheel and he honks every two seconds, but I love seeing his smile. The other day he came to me after uncle Joe borrowed the jeep. He said, "Mommy Christie, Uncle Joe spoiled the jeep." "No Patrick he is just borrowing it." "Mommy Christie he spoiled it- the voice changed." Well he was right- not that the vehicle was broken but that the voice had changed. There was an exhaust problem so it sounded a bit different and he knew that.

It will be so much fun to have my family meet all of my kids and come to know them and love them as I do. Emily and Darby Youngstrom were the first girls I nannied for- they became my parents first grand kids. My mom spoiled them and loves them. Now just think how many grand kids she is going to have.

Rat Hunt

2010-06-16T11:49:00.001-05:00

This is one post I should have posted at the time, the story would have been so much better. I will still try my best now. While Amy and Karen were visiting I once again had some rats in the hut. They seem to know when other guests come and decide that is the best time to come welcome them too. For a few nights we could here them but could not find them, one evening we finally saw one run across the floor. Who do we go looking for but Jerry of course. As we walk out the door we run into Bockarie instead. When we ask him if he is a good rat hunter he replies YES very confidently. So we invite him in- he comes into my room, starts looking and when he sees the rat he jumps and screams like a girl. HHMMM- good rat hunter I think not. Back to Jerry. Now we have the two of them. We often see the rat but it manages to get right past them. Bock looking in the pot- why? well maybe those rats are trickier than we thought.

Jerry- more of the professional, looking behind the chair.

I was of help as long as I could hold the broom or something- as soon as they took it away I felt the need to stand on the chair. Amy and Karen just sat on the couch laughing the whole time- especially when they locked the three of us into my room with the rat- however even that didn't stop him and he managed to escape. We ended the night not finding him- we thought he ran out the front door. No worries the sticky traps we put out managed to catch him in the night. I ran out the next morning saying, "We caught him, we caught him!" However no one gave me the credit for catching him. Oh well at least we had one less visitor for awhile.

I am hoping that they do not choose to come while my family is here- that and the spiders as my mom is not good with them at all.

They're COMING

2010-06-15T11:10:00.001-05:00

Today JK and I head to the airport to pick up my family. This trip has been a long time coming. First of all my mom missed out on the last family trip (and has honestly been my biggest supporter- so that was tough), second my grandma has been walkig everyday for well over a year in preperation, thirdly Lorie has encouraged me, listened to me talk on and on and really honestly "let me go" to be here and now gets to come see for herself, and of course Amy is my "other half" and will be returning for her THIRD time. (that is only one less flight than I have logged- granted my stays are a bit longer).
Lorie and Mike welcomed me into their family just before their second daughter Isabelle was born, hard to believe that was 10 years ago this month. Lor has become a second mom, an older sister and a good friend. I'm thrilled she is able to come on this great girls trip. JK loves that her daughters introduced him to bowling (which he became very competetive at), horseback riding, real ice cream, and the fun? game of Twister. He smiled and laughed a little when he found out Lor was coming- he has in his head that this city girl will struggle a bit here in the bush. Little does he know she is a camping queen and of course spent a bit of her childhood in the Great North. She's a tough lady who will give him a run for his money.Oh how I wish that both these ladies were able to come on this trip. The people here would get such a kick out of Grandma Syvilla and her friend Darlington would love to meet her- maybe that will have to wait for another time. For now everyone is most excited to meet Grandma Shirley. They cannot believe that my GRANDMA is coming-and she is over 80 yrs old. When I explain that Grams has been walking almost 2 miles a day for over a year in preperation for this trip they are in awe. That she lives by herself, drives a car, and rides a stationary bike is beyond them. I cannot wait to "show her off". Grams and Gramps had a big part in my being here as well. They too were missionaries and showed all of us how to build relationships that last and show a love much deeper than any love we could give on our own. I can't go into how much I wish Gramps were on this trip. JK too loves Grandma Shirley. I'm sure it helps that she often baked him chocolate cake with rich homemade chocolate frosting (and would keep an extra piece hidden for him after everyone else had one) My mom! My mentor, inspiration, friend, guide, comforter, encourager, gentle admonisher, I could go on and on. We've waited over 2 years for this- much longer actually. She knew before I did that I would be coming here. She prayed for me years before my first visit here, knowing this would be in my heart. After learning that he good friend Sandi's daughter was moving to Nigeria (I was yet in junior high I think) she started praying about the time she would have to let her own daughter go. As I struggled with my decision to come or not to come- she was a strong rock. In 2006 as I spent my first 3 weeks here the praise song "Blessed Be Your Name" ran through my head often. In some ways it became the song I associated with my time here. After returning home I knew that I wanted to come back. Many things delayed that from happening and I began to question whether it was to be a one time trip for me. As I shared with my mom she told me how while I was here the first time and many times since she has been awakened in the night with the song "Blessed Be Your Name" running through her mind. I had never shared with her that this was the song I associated with Sierra Leone. God is good and gives us these little reassurances that I really cherish. I love that my mom and I are so connected and finally she will actually see this place that I know she already feels. AND YES JK loves Karen too. I mean who wouldn't. Especially because she was so good at taking care of him while he was home. He loved playing darts for the first time- with my mom getting a bullseye while we were all NOT looking and yelling at us that "YALL MISSED IT!!!" While stomping her foot. He loves that my mom is actually the one with all the musical talent- playing the quitar able to keep the right rythym with the shaker...

AND Last but certainly not Least is Amers. EVERYONE here is waiting for Amy to come. I went a few weeks back to Freetown and traveled back with my friend Rainny- all the kids thought I said Amy so before I was even awake in the morning they were standing on the veranda of my hut yelling for Amy to come out. They were not happy when I said it would still be a couple weeks. Amy has made some good friends here during her visits. I love that my sister and best friends is loved as much as I am here. From her first visit here, before JK and I ever built a relationship- JK and Amy started to be friends. I'm thankful that they are friends too.

Not too long from now we will all be together again- in AFRICA. We are starting out trip African style right away. As they fly in with their 8 suitcases and carry-ons we are still using the jeep- 6 people with carry-ons inside and 8 suitcases tied to the top- we'll be sure to post that photo too.

We are headed to Africa - posted by Karen

2010-06-15T06:11:00.002-05:00

Gramma Shirley, Mama Karen, Sister Amy and Auntie Lorie are in London, England! We are waiting to board our plane for Freetown, Sierra Leone, Africa! We have 8 bulging suitcases checked through, filled with your generous donations of over the counter pain meds, cortisone cream, exam gloves, flip flops and shoes, underwear, clothes, sheets and curtains for the ministries we will be serving while there! Thank you for your donations of items and money that will be used for these people that are so near and dear to Christie's heart! Please keep praying that ALL EIGHT suitcases make it to Africa!

When we arrive, Christie will meet us with a jeep, and we will pile all 8 suitcases on top of the jeep, African style. Then 6 people and all of our carry-on luggage will squish into the jeep and we will travel 90 miles (about 4 hours) to Bo. Please pray that the tires and everything else works on the jeep so that we make it to Bo without mishap!

I hope that our next post will have a picture of the jeep and all of our supplies! Thank you for your generosity and your continued prayers!

Storytime in the Hut

2010-06-14T05:22:00.000-05:00

If anyone needs quite time in order to read their book- this is not the place for you. It is all a bit chaotic but I love it.

Who needs Toy's R Us

2010-06-13T06:18:00.000-05:00

While visiting the river in Bandejuma we found a few boys playing with this truck they made themselves. It looks much the way the big trucks here do- with tarps covering the sides and often times make shift parts on other places as well. They were quite proud- as they should be. My kids would LOVE to have a truck like this.

Birthday Gift

2010-06-10T04:16:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. It is almost 3 months after my birthday, but I still fell the desire to post about this great birthday gift I will never forget. The night of my birthday found Joe and I at the airport waiting for Amy Stepec and Karen Boland to fly in. Amy is one of my oldest and dearest friends- and Karen has become one of my newer (not New any more) dearest friends. Who wouldn't want to spend their birthday with two good friends from home. More than that though is that these two have both played a very vital role in me being here in Salone. Once again God used tragedy for good. Amy and Steve became friends with the Bolands shortly after moving to Iowa. The Bolands happened to be named Mark and Karen- hmmm-sounds a bit familiar. I remember Amers calling and telling me about this couple she met that remind her of my mom and dad- not just the names. Our house has always been open- seen somewhat as a free rest and snack stop on your way through. Since we live right on the main highway often times people will stop to use the bathroom and are welcome to look through the cupboards to find a snack if they need as well. We love that Amy took advantage of this from time to time (and knew exactly which cupboards to look in). She said that this Mark and Karen made her feel just as welcome.
Unfortunately the first time I spent any real time with Karen was when she drove Amy and Steve up to Cook after Amy's Mom and sister were killed in a car accident. Amy and I talked a few times as she was packing and then as they were making the trip up. She would explain how Karen was helping them through- even stopping to buy some fun shoes at Target, lightening the drive a bit. By the time they got here and I really met Karen I already felt as though we had already spent time together. That only continued over the next few weeks.
We were all able to spend some time together at the lake in the following weeks. I remember sitting on the pontoon talking about Africa with Karen and Amy. Karen and Mark had each been to Sierra Leone at that time and were also planning trips to return. At one point Karen said, "Next summer we will be visiting you in Sierra Leone."
To make what could be a very long (and emotional for me) story shorter- God used this time to connect me with this place and these people here in Sierra Leone. Steve and I came (along with Jordyn- Karen and Mark's daughter) together on our first trip here in 2006 and yet again this past June the three of us were here together again. Amy watched as Steve came two times- the Bolands came numerous times and other friends and my family had come- now it was finally her turn. I cannot tell you how much it meant to me to have my closest friend/sister come to meet my friends and family here, but more than that to be able to have her here and say thank you for opening this door in my life... Without my friendship with Amy I wouldn't have met these people here, found a new home, or have all my children who have become so dear to my heart. She is a blessing in my life in so many ways- this is just one of them.
You can imagine the fun we three girls created during their one week here. We had some pretty emotional experiences along with fits of laughter and of course not much sleep. There was no better way to end their trip than to have a little time at the beach. Joe and JK were able to come with us- I think we needed them to keep us on track.
In honor of Jordyn we had to have a vimto- it is a grape soft drink. Some people just love it but to me it tastes a bit like grape medicine (and the last two events I was invited to they served me vimto while the people next to me had fanta and coke...). Jordyn is one of those who likes the vimto. In June of this year when their team was getting ready to leave after a long two weeks with lots of tired people, we decided to try this new restaurant (well new to us- and Joe and I were the ones who decided to take everyone here). It took FOREVER to get the waitress to come over. By that point we wanted to order food and drinks at the same time. After much debate we decided to go along with what she wanted and order just drinks. The time came for Jordyn to order and she said, "Vimto" "Can or Bottle?" the waitress asked. "I don't care." "Can or Bottle?" the waitress said again. "Either one." "CAN or BOTTLE?" She asked with a bit of irritation so Jordyn replies, "Can" "We don't have the can only the bottle" the waitress responds. OH MY WORD!!! Of course at that point I break out laughing- why even ask then, and she made such a big deal about it. Anyway- Jordyn we (some of us) had bottles of vimto for you.

God Knows

2010-05-28T06:17:00.002-05:00

Everyday I think of things I want to blog about- I wish it were easier (or maybe that I was more willing to deal with the setbacks and slow service) so I could share much more with you.

This one I can't get out of my mind and so I am trying my best to get it down here.

MONTHS ago my sister Kari was able to get some school textbooks donated for JH. A friend of hers had a container being shipped over and she was able to send them. We though we would have these things around Christmas time, but in true African time- we were just able to go get them yesterday. JK and I took off for Freetown in the morning. I also had a meeting in the city before we headed out to get the books. We were a little early so we walked around downtown Freetown. Of course we found some fake ice cream to eat- and enjoyed in the HEAT.

As we were walking we came upon a girl who looked to be about 9- NO MORE than 11. She wore a tattered slip dress and almost completely worn through flip-flops. She had a basket with bags of cold water on her head. She was selling them. These bags sell for Le 100. That is roughly 2.5 cents. She carries around 25 bags at a time and I am sure it takes time to sell them all. She walks around downtown Freetown (a city of around 3 million), alone, not in school, working all day- and most likely not eating. Here you see sights like this everyday- some children much younger. However seeing it everyday does not lessen the gravity of it all- and for some reason this day it was hitting me hard. As she was walking toward us something happened and her basket fell from her head and most of the waters broke. She tried to go into traffic to get the few that were okay (and still worth 2.5 cents). She started crying and I wanted to cry with her. You see- there are times when these children are working for their parents, but often these children are taken in by another person or family and become their servants. Especially the way this girl looked that seemed to be the case. If she were to come home without the money for those waters they would beat her. The ache I felt at seeing her selling was compounded greatly thinking of the situation she was facing now. JK and I could help her collect what she could from the street, give her more than enough to cover the cost of what was in her basket as well as a hug and move on, but it doesn't seem like enough. Yesterday I carried that girl with me all day- still today.

We proceeded to the meeting and on to get the books. As we were loading the books into the car I saw that at least on of the boxes had formula in it. I smiled and at the same time felt a warmth run through me. You see Wed. morning a man came to our gate asking for me. He was carrying a tiny little girl. She was born this past Sat. and her mother died giving birth to her. Her father brought her to me because he had no way to buy her milk. He had been giving her only water since leaving the hospital. We had one can of formula left in the clinic. I gave it to him and asked him to come back Friday. I would try to buy some formula in town- it is expensive and the quality is not very good, but it is what we have here. We were able to get her some cloth diapers, a bath, a thermos for keeping water clean and warm, and a few other things. We could go to Social Welfare and I am sure they would let us keep her at the orphanage, but then she would not be with her family. The best situation is to be able to support these children with their families in their own villages. When these children turn 18- they need their extended families and communities. The man's sister was on her way to come help care for this precious girl (who has not been named yet), but he still did not have money to buy her formula.

You can imagine what I felt when I expected to find science books and math books and instead found something completely different and exactly what we needed. I am sure my mom told me she was sending formula and I just put it out of my mind- I am also sure that if we would have gotten these books when we expected to- that the formula would have been used elsewhere by now. However God knew- and I think God also knew that I needed the reminder and encouragement that HE KNEW. I can do all this organizing and planning, I can check in and monitor everything. I can help start knew projects and be tough where I need to be. I can discipline and encourage... I can do all this- but it is God who facilitates it. It is He who knows what I don't even know we need, but more than that- he also provides that need. WHEN IT IS NEEDED.

As JK and I left there I couldn't keep my mind from going back to the little girl we met earlier in the day. I still hurt for her and carry her in my mind and heart- only now I pray in a different way. GOD KNOWS. He knows who she is and more than that He Loves her dearly. He knows the situation she is in and He knows how to meet her needs. Tough times and difficult situations will still be there- for her in particular. I am not sure what tomorrow looks like for her let alone her future, but GOD KNOWS. He knew that we would cross paths at that moment and we could help her in the smallest of ways, but we can also continue to pray for her and know that the life she is in is common here and still needs to be fought against. She needed to know someone cared- even if her life was no where near what it should be. Oh there is so much in my head now- and I am sure I can ramble on and on- but what I feel most (and I truly have this physical feeling) is that GOD KNOWS.

He knows these big things and cares. He also knows the little things AND CARES. As we left back for back for Bo- we stopped at a big Supermarket in Freetown that is like a store at home (America). They had so many things we are used to- though they are all much more expensive. I walked through the store saying- "oh JK I love these- oh look at this..." Of course we could only get a few things and headed home. Opening the boxes after arriving home I see some treats my family sent. JK's Oatmeal he loves so much- and for me some Chrystal light juice packs- EXACTLY what I was looking at at the supermarket and did not buy. Also we missed celebrating my birthday and JK's is in a little over a week- we decided that next weekend we would celebrate both. My family doesn't know that- but inside the box was a birthday present for me as well as JK. A few other things as well- but the reminder that He knows the little things as well, that was what I needed most.

2010-04-11T14:45:00.000-05:00

Daughters

2010-04-09T06:36:00.003-05:00

My dad often took us girls along with him- wherever he went. It wasn't just Nick. Whether it was changing the tire, butchering pigs, cows, chickens- whatever, skinning deer, hitching the trailer, driving in bad weather, chopping wood, lifting HEAVY things, chasing loose animals, cleaning out the barn, throwing hay bails, driving the tractor, getting vehicles unstuck (or stuck for that matter), putting the boat in and out, driving the boat, playing ball...

I love that- I love that Amy, Kari, and I are able to take care of ourselves quite well- and that we were able to get that time with Dad. Even if we did complain a bit each time he said it was time to butcher chickens or spend the day throwing hay bails- once we got out there we seemed to have a good time together.
Here roles are a bit more defined. Just last week when Roger was visiting he comment on the fact that you see all these businesses named "so and so and Sons" no businesses involving daughters. Slowly things are changing and women are becoming more involved in areas that were dominated by men. At times it is a bit hard for me here to find my place. It seems often I spend more time with men since I am not so good at staying home.

I have always been pretty happy with my garage (auto-shop). They take good care of me- as I have mentioned before they are like my own AAA. I have known that there was a female mechanic working there for some time. Amie has changed my oil a couple times and worked with Kai on my carburetor. However I was pleasantly surprised when I went for an oil change before our trip to the North to find a mechanics class only for women.

Jawad is the owner of the garage. When I arrived I found him sitting next to an engine with 11 girls surrounding him- sounds like this story could go two ways- but these girls all had their oil stained grungy clothes on and you could tell they had been working right along side him. I love this garage all the more now.

I let them all know that my dad would have been proud. I too was proud.

Thanks Dad!

Procrastination - posted by Karen

2010-03-08T19:56:00.003-06:00

For any of you out there who tend to Procrastinate (like me) - and meant to send a card or letter to Christie but realize that Amy Stepec and Karen Boland have already left . . . there is hope! Roger Hatch is going to Bo on March 16th. We have one more SLIM window of opportunity to get something to Christie! Mail letters to:

Christie Shermer
c/o Roger Hatch
2626 Smith Avenue
Marshalltown, IA 50158

He must receive these notes by Friday, March 12 (Saturday at the Latest).

Thanks for your prayers, cares and cards.

Swimming

2010-03-07T08:10:00.001-06:00

I am sure with the snow just starting to leave the ground- all of you are not thinking of swimming yet- or maybe you are hoping that you will be sometime soon. I mentioned before that for Christmas day we took the kids to Bandejuma to the river beach. It was beautiful and I promised myself I would be back again soon. Well as you know- life gets busy and it hasn't happened yet. Today was to be the day. For the past few weeks I had this day on the calender and was somewhat counting the days. As silly as it is- I miss water. Here in Bo we have streams and very small rivers. I am so used to driving by large bodies of water everyday- I miss even just seeing them. Granted when I travel I do see them, but.. I wish it were more often.
While in town the past two days I have tried to get fuel for the jeep- each time finding all the fuel stations empty. This has happened quite a few times in the past. Usually the next morning you will be able to get fuel. Well three days into this- still no fuel- even early in the morning. When I asked today they said it would be at least Monday. Since there is only about 1 gallon left in the jeep-I have now parked it. That also means no trip to the beach.

This time, with it having lasted for a few days, everything is a bit more difficult. We are in the time of year when electricity is very rare. At times there will only be light for 4-5 hours every 3-5 days. That means all business are running their generators- if they have not stocked up on fuel- it's time to close until there is more. (Good thing the Internet cafe is still open). Charging phones, keeping anything cool, and especially getting transport is not easy. It is a good thing I am good at walking as now almost all the transport hondas are short on fuel as well. I guess it will be a few days of fun found at home.

Overloaded

2010-03-06T07:57:00.003-06:00

I have seen up to 5 people on a single honda at one time. Granted two of them were children- but still three were adults. Amy and Meghan experienced another part of African life while they were here. Unfortunately they didn't experience too many public transport rides (or fortunately for them I guess). It is standard to have 7-8 people in a regular 5 seater car. For a 7 passenger van it is quite common to have at least 12-14. One trip I took from Mattru there were 15 of us already in the vehicle when the driver pulled over to add one more. I was sure we were full- but there is always room for one more I guess. One evening found a large group of us in town all looking for honda's to get home. Our friend Rainny had his honda with him and it was decided (I think for him by the other guys) that he would take both Amy and Meghan with him. I am not sure who enjoyed this more- Rainny having the opportunity to escort two beautiful girls through town home- or Sorba who you can see watching them in the photo.

New leg- Long time coming.

2010-03-02T05:51:00.004-06:00

Matthew "Sorie" is one of the teenage boys who lives with us at JCCM. When he arrived at JH he had a terrible infection in his leg. After trying to treat it for quite some time (over a couple years I think)- it was decided that the best course of action would be to amputate. Sorie and AUnty Mary went to stay at the hospital for sometime and when Matthew came home with crutches it took him a little time to adjust. Before long he was playing football with his crutches- doing the high jump- almost anything the other kids were doing. As I was getting ready to come home last Fall we started the process with Matthew at the Bo Rehabilitation Center at the Government Hospital for getting a prosthetic leg. I think at first Matthew was excited about this- but with all the work and time it took- he was not so excited. After many set-backs, by both Matthew and the staff- Sorie and I came home last Monday with his new leg. (I have uploaded this photo 3 times and each time it loads this way even though it is right on my computer and since it takes 35 mins to load each time- I figure about now it is easier for you to turn your head sideways than for me to try yet again) Here is Matthew with the man who made his leg.

Sorie has become quite adept at using his crutches. He is not so sure that he wants this leg. I guess that is where being a parent comes in. I do (along with the staff) feel this is the best thing for Sorie. He will soon adjust and be able to run and play football with this leg as well. It will take a lot of time and work before then- but without doing it he will never get there. During the time when Matthew was going to rehab to learn how to walk- we had been giving him his transport money and sending him on his own- we found out two sperate times (over 6 months apart- we gave him a second chance that did not go well for either of us) that Sorie was taking the money and going elsewhere. We had to go with him, sit and watch him rehab, and take him home. The nurses and doctors working with him have encouraged him often- but he just doesn't seem to fully agree. I also admit that Sorie is a stubborn boy ( I am sure that you picked that up already) who continues to get into a bit of trouble at the home. A few weeks ago he broke into the Head Teachers office to steal some money. He has the punishment of cleaning the school each Friday for the next month- but also that he has to start using his leg. The doctors felt he was beyond ready- just not in his mind. So as one of his parents I have decided that one of his punishments was to take away his crutches and have him get used to this new leg. I know right now he is not too happy with me- but in the long run I feel this is best for him. This might be punishment now, but it is going to be a good thing for him not too far from now. He may not admit it to me, but when I see him wearing long jeans and standing with his friends- I can see that he is proud to be seen looking just like one of them. As people compliment him- I can see a little pride sneaking in there. No pain- no gain. I guess this goes for me and for him. He has to work through the difficulties of getting used to a foreign leg and learning to walk again- I have to watch him struggle and be upset with me- though I know it is best for him.

Notes to Christie - Posted by Karen

2010-02-25T21:22:00.002-06:00

Amy Stepec and Karen Boland are going to visit Christie. If you would like to send a note to her (or a Birthday Card, since they will be arriving on her birthday) you can send them to:

Christie Shermer
c/o Karen Boland
2347 Oak Park Road
Marshalltown, IA 50158

Karen will need to have them by Monday, March 8th in order to be able to pack. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement to Christie. You are an important part of her ministry!

The Favoured Few

2010-02-24T06:06:00.003-06:00

A couple weekends ago I loaded a full band (two guitars, drum set, mics, amp, sound board......) along with five people into my little red jeep and we headed off to Mattru Jong. JK's group the Favoured Few was launching their second album. Since the vehicle was so loaded we couldn't close the back door as well as the fact that it was hotter than hot- we arrived in Mattru COVERED in dust. We may have left 4 black and 1 white, but we arrived ALL RED. Right after unloading everything we headed to Solomon French's place to wash. I have been there a few times and Pa French and his wife have always been very kind to me. this time they went far beyond. Mattru had a lot going on this weekend. The President's wife was in town, the UBC conference was having a large gathering, the high school in town was having it's sport time (maybe like our homecoming weeks- but very different), and the nursing school was having it's graduation. Needless to say the whole town was packed. There were no rooms open anywhere to stay and even the other friends I had stayed with in the past had other guests. No need to worry though, Pa French already had a room ready and waiting for me. I walked in the door to find not only the room but water in the wash room waiting for me, cold water to drink, and lunch on the table. All weekend they took fine care of me, but honestly it was so much more than that. The night of the launching I was sitting with a couple friends when one of them tired to introduce me to Auntie French- she stopped them in the middle- put her arm around me and said, "this is my daughter." May be a simple thing- but it did a lot for my heart.
Launchings here are of course a big deal- and a bit different than I had expected. Before the night began a group of us drove around town in a parade like fashion announcing the event as well as sharing a bit about the boys faith and why they were in this group. Finally around 9pm the event started- and an event it was. Many other artists, groups, even comedians (whom I had the pleasure of traveling with- and since we arrived red and had many other adventures- I was a part of their act more than once) are invited to preform first. All these people believe strongly in Jesus Christ and they shared that passionately this night. It was so much more than a concert. It wasn't until close to Midnight that the Favoured Few went on stage for the first time. The crowd was involved and the group truly entertained, but they did more than that. Their songs each carry powerful messages and the group also likes to dabble in a bit of drama, which they shared with us as well. All these guys have become good friends of mine so I admit to being a bit biased, however I really do enjoy their music and fully believe in not only their talent, but their aim to reach people as well. Though these guys are great friends as I have said- I am REALLY thankful for good girl friends. A few were there for the launching as well. Femme and I traveled together, but she was not about to take a picture with me when we were covered in dust (I should have taken one alone just to show you- next time). Here I am with our friend Neneh. I tell you she will out dance you all. I had to hide behind my camera just to get a chance to breath. :)

Watching JK in his element- playing the instruments he enjoys, performing with his brothers, sharing the music he wrote... I was honored to be a part of their night. The girls and I- Mary, Christie, and Neneh. I have to say that come 4:30am with the program just starting to come to a close- I was so thankful to have these ladies with me. It may have been a long night, but I didn't notice it (until trying to drive back home with band and 6 people the next morning). I Love the kids and thoroughly enjoyed their welcome when I arrived home, but I admit that I need and cherish these times away with friends and also the chance to connect with my Savior through music.

Computerless

2010-02-08T07:43:00.003-06:00

So you would think that living in the African bush I would not be so attached to my computer- but I am. My charger is no longer charging it- and since the battery has run out- I am without my computer. I am trying my best to figure it out. If nothing else I have two great guests coming for my birthday who I am sure will fix this problem by bringing a new charger.

I sit here at the Internet cafe knowing that a post is in order- and yet with little time and for some reason little concentration I will just do a bullet post.

Amy Stepec and Karen Boland are coming to visit. They fly in on my birthday- what a great present.
It is HOT here. The sun is hotter everyday. It hasn't rained once since I have returned. However there is fog and dew each morning that manages to keep things green. I am told this will not last much longer- March will be HOT and DRY.
I won 1 million Leones- it is worth about $250. I think it may be the most I have ever won. It was from the phone company I use. When you buy units it enters you in to win- I happened to win. I had to travel to Freetown and appear on TV to collect.
Have really enjoyed playing with the kids lately. The other day 4yr old Patrick made me pretend to be the police- he was the bus driver. He handed me a leaf on the way by- his money to bribe me to let him through. Oh the little ones pick up everything- even the corruption in this country.
Have started cooking a lot- including pancakes on my charcoal pot. I might be going through a phase, but am not so much in the mood for rice and leaves lately. It has been alright as I can cook a lot of things I didn't realize. Last week I had spaghetti, hamburgers, and chili.
Have been taking different kids to church with me in town. This week was the boys week. Abu Bakar, Yusuf, and Babar joined me. They thought it was great in the beginning but decided that next week they would like to stay home for their 1 1/2 hour service rather than the 2 3/4 hour service in town. The best part was the soft drink on the way home.
Congrats to Holly and Aaron on the birth of Eli. I can't wait to meet and hold my newest "nephew".
One of the Minnesota couples has gone back to MN. the left me last Thursday. I will miss them but am so thankful for their friendship and support here. Del and Linda are still here until May- then it will be just me holding down the fort.

I know this is quick but I have to run and just wanted everyone to know I am still here. Hopefully my good friend the PC will be back soon.

Miss You!

2010-01-27T06:07:00.002-06:00

Amers and I at our dad's favorite place in Sierra Leone. Harry's farm. The Cassava has now grown taller than the both of us.

Security

2010-01-20T03:54:00.004-06:00

We have a fine group of security at JCCM. Two watchmen come each night at 6pm. They are Brima and Munda. They stay through the night until Pa Ben comes at 7am- he is then on duty each day. I have to say that I love each of them and am thankful for what they do at JH, however I definitely see a lot more of Pa Ben. He has been a great influence on the kids. You can often find Pa Ben sitting at the gate with his Bible open on the chair next to him. He is willing to have the kids come sit with him and you will find even the little ones wandering down to visit Pa Ben. (or as Patrick used to call him- "uncle gate man").

One of the things I personally appreciate most about Pa Ben- is that he is a good buffer for me. We even joked about him hanging a sign on the gate: If you are here to see the Pumoi (white) for a job- she doesn't do the hiring. If you are here to see the pumoi for money- she is not the one to give it out. If you are here because you want to date the pumoi- she is not available. If you have any other reason please see the security and he will deem if it is acceptable.

He really does ask everyone why they are here to see me and will even have my good friends sign in at the gate when they come. If he is not sure who they are and does not agree with their reason for visiting- he will send them away. If he finds it might be a good reason he will come find me first- leaving the person at the gate. I appreciate this greatly as it would be very difficult to get a break otherwise. I am also not so fond of all the male attention and would rather have Pa Ben deal with that.

To show just how tight our security is Pa Ben even screens all the animals that would like to enter. Just last week he decided that the following visitor was not welcome- not only was he not welcome (well to be honest I have no clue if it is a male of female but...that is beside the point)- I guess it was also the last trip this fella would be attempting to visit JCC or any other place.

I have seen a few cobras during my time here- 3 of them on our compound. (2 were babies and one was a large one- but 3 in the time I have spent here off and on since 2006 is not as many as it may sound like). This one was very large. The largest I have seen, though I hear there are some larger. So you could get a small idea of it's size I had Bockarie come stand by it. Bock is a 17 year old boy from JH. He is about my height- so you can see that this cobra was no small worm. (Though speaking of worms- I also saw a worm that looked like it was from some reverse world where the small things are huge. It was almost 2 feet long- I am not lying. Looked exactly like our earthworms only greatly enlarged. It also would spray water like a sprinkler when you got close to it- no messing around with these things here)

You can all rest assured that our security here at JCCM are doing their jobs. I for one would not be very good at this job so how blessed am I that we are all one family- each doing our part to work together. For now I will leave Pa Ben to his gate and will stay inside a bit further.

Loss

2010-01-16T05:07:00.002-06:00

It is so hard to deal with loss- even if it is something that occurs more frequently in your life.

This morning we got word that one of our cooks- Aunty Kadie lost her son Jesse.

Aunty Kadie is one of the strongest, sweetest, kindest, most humble person I know. She lost her husband a few years ago and has been raising her children on her own. She comes to work here at JCC with the best attitude even if she is not feeling well, her children are sick, she is tired, she doesn't have money for the things they need. Whatever is going on in her life- she is still kind and appreciative to others- and she doesn't ask for things. Even though she is one who probably needs it most- I do not remember even one time when Aunty Kadie has asked me for anything. (If you've been here you know that numerous times each day people are coming to me) I just love her and respect her more than I can say.

One of her children is her son Jesse. He is a 9 year old boy who is quiet and respectful- just like his mother. For the the past 3 years he has struggled with illness. A few different times he has had large growths appear on his body. This last one was about the size of a cantaloupe on his shoulder. We have tried for sometime to go to different doctors and hospitals. Not too long before I left for my visit home Jesse spent a couple weeks at Gondama (a Doctors without borders hospital). While I was away they visited Dr. Boima a surgeon who comes to Bo on the weekends. He was sorry to tell them that the illness had spread throughout Jesse's body. He did not think that doing surgery would benefit Jesse at all and it would also cost Kadie more than she could ever repay. Even with our (JCC's) help financially he did not feel surgery would change Jesse's situation. After visiting a few more doctors, Aunty Kadie decided to take Jesse home.

A difficult thing for me to get used to here is that often unless you ask the right questions you will not know what is going on. When I arrived back I spent most of my time with my sister and others who were here. It wasn't until after they left that I asked Aunty Kadie how Jesse was doing. She had been coming to work each day and when I left all I knew was that we had an appointment with Dr. Boima and Jesse was walking around, talking and attending school when he could. To hear what she had to say- that she has "given him up"... it was hard for me to accept. I wanted to talk to the doctors- try something. Aunty Kadie said she had had enough and so had Jesse. They were trusting God and he would take Jesse home when it was time. This was less than a week ago.

On Thursday during our Leadership Team meeting Aunty Mary went to visit Jesse. When she returned she told me Jesse was asking for me. I visited him as often as I could when he was in Gondama and a few times at home. I felt special that he asked for me. I told Aunty Kadie that I would like to pick Jesse up and bring him to JCC to watch some movies. She said if he felt up to it that would be fine.

We didn't get the chance. Word came to the compound this morning that Jesse had passed away in the night.

Aunty mary, Aunty Nanna and I got ready and went to Aunty K's. It was so interesting to me. I felt sorry for Aunty Kadie and Jesse- and yet I felt a bit removed. We have been through this process a few times and as we all got into the Jeep we were talking somewhat as usual. We knew where we were going and why, but the emotions were just not there. I wondered at myself and these ladies- can you get used to this. However as soon as we walked into the door- Aunty Nanna and Aunty Mary began wailing, I walked over to Aunty Kadie- she looked numb. As we hugged she shed just a few tears- I started to lose it. She walked over to Aunty Mary and Aunty Nanna and started comforting them. How comes to often it seems that way. The one who the loss effects the most is the one to have to bring some comfort and peace to those around them. At first I have to admit some slight irritation at Aunty Mary and Nanna, but they truly feel her loss. Even after all the loss they have seen and personally experienced- they felt Aunty Kadie's loss to their cores.

Once again, they washed, wrapped, and prepared Jesse's body in the home and the burial service was held right away. Aunty Kadie continued to hold up her older sister, her other children, those who came to help HER mourn. I know it will be difficult for some time to come. I know there will be times when she is completely broken herself, times when her children feel the loss of their brother, times when she doesn't want to get up- and certainly doesn't want to work- and yet she will. With Jesus by her side- she will. With our prayers and love- she will.

Darlington

2010-01-09T10:50:00.000-06:00

This is my friend Darlington. I have to admit that the first time I met Darlington I didn't give him the time and credit he deserved. I am thankful and blessed that he gave me another chance. During my first visit to Sierra Leone I remember this young teenage boy coming up to me wanting me to video tape a message to show people back home. He was asking for help with his school fees. Talking about how his father died long ago and his mother couldn't care for him. Now this is a story we hear often and it is not always true. The other thing was- this kid had NICE clothes and NICE shoes. I had so many people asking for things and for some reason on that day I didn't really listen. So many kids came in and out of JCCM while we were here- some the staff and kids here didn't even know. Coming back last time- I ran into Darlington again. Turns out he lives on the JCCM road and is friends with many of the kids at the home. He did ask me if I remembered him and from then on we talked about many different things- especially music (they all want to know if I KNOW people- Akon, Usher, Jackson,- like are they my close friends- hard to explain we don't really see these people). He came to the home often and would help out with different projects. Whenever I met Darlington on the road he would offer to carry whatever I was carrying all the way to my room- even when it was a good distance past where he was going. It took a long time before he asked me for school fees and when he did I was wondering this time why I didn't offer them to him sooner. Last year that was my Christmas gift to my parents and grandmas- paying for a child's school fees here. Grandma Syvilla was Darlington. She took the card I wrote on him- placed in by her microwave and prayed for Darlington all the time. She continues to pray for him and send school support and the way that he appreciates it brings me such joy. The two of them have really developed a special relationship in a way we should all hope to have. They are encourage and inspired by each other. They each think they are getting something more from the other- truly placing the other first. I am learning a lot from these two people. Darlington lives with his mother in a mud house that is FAR from finished. It is all open except for one room that has a door and wood to cover the window. Often Darlington is found sleeping at a neighbors house and going where ever he can to find enough light to study. Sometimes when I am out for my walk I will stop in to say hello. Darlington and his mom will always offer me something to eat- even when they hardly have anything. Often it will be just rice as there is no money to buy even just oil to put on it let alone everything it would take to make a sauce. A few times it is just cassava boiled as they don't have any rice. No matter what they always want me to eat with them. Anytime something is harvested from their garden- they share with me. When my hut flooded Darlington was there before school to do whatever he could and even coming back afterwards. They have sent gifts for grandma Syvilla and even made some material for both Amy and Meghan when they were here. I love that they are willing to give- sometimes it is hard for me to accept their gifts, but I realize it is something they need to do- for me and themselves. The more I see others just taking and taking- I am honored to have a relationship with these two people who are willing to give even when they have so little to give. It shows that we can all find something.Below is where they store their water. During the rainy season there entire supply of water comes from rain water they keep in this container that Darlington made himself. I was in awe and kinda wanted one for myself- more for decoration than storing water but...Darlington is also a member of the BO area Student Advocacy group. He is heavily involved. I have been able to attend some of their events and meetings. I am impressed with these kids. They feel they are the ones who can make a difference for Sierra Leone and they are willing to spend their time doing it. There are kids of all ages- they put on plays (which they write themselves) to educate others. They do service projects. They try to put on events that are healthy and safe for kids. They are people who are deserve a lot of credit and encouragement.
Sierra Leone is FAR from perfect and at times it can be a bit overwhelming with all the corruption and dependency. All these hands out- wanting a free ride. Then you see what people like Darlington are doing- with the little they have- making a difference in more people's lives than those with so much more money and power. But hey that's not what it's about is it- how great that D knows that now.

DETAINED AGAIN?!?!?!

2010-01-07T05:25:00.001-06:00

On our last little get away together we decided to head just past Freetown to stay with our friend David near the beach. The little red jeep had done well for us. We had a few problems here and there, but by now we were getting pretty good at being our own mechanics. On the way to Rutile on the BUMPY roads we lost the right brake and then eventually the brakes went out completely as we were driving in the hills of the Rutile mines. Not too fun, but being a manual I was able to manage it until we got to town. Turns out the break line rusted through. In not too much time and not too much money (about $10- for two cans of hydraulic fluid, a new line, and their time) we were back on the road. However later that night I had no pressure in the gas pedal. Open the hood Amy, Rainny and I look around- we find this wire on the carburetor that if it is hooked in this other part we have pressure if not- none. So we just hook it there and continue on our way. Back in Bo we go to my buddy Abu and they do some things and the next day we are on our way to Freetown. We do fine until we get on the road to Charlotte Falls. Lots of bumps and rumbling around. The car keeps dying. We sit for a bit it runs again. We find some things to move around that work so we continue on again. Well after a day and a half of this it starts to go out too frequently. the last time it quits in front of a garage so we decide to have them check it out. After some dinking around they say they are ready for a test drive. At this time Meghan was sitting in the front seat resting so she just went along with the mechanic for the ride.

After about 20 minutes I turn to JK and Amy and ask when we start worrying that they broke down or that the mechanic has taken Meghan for more than the car test drive. Say a little pray and not more than a minute later a guy walks up to JK to ask if he is with the White girls. When he says yes the guys tells him that he was sent to get us because the other girl is being held by the police. WHAT?!?! Amy and I take off walking in quite a Huff. All I can think is that it should be me or at least Amy- Meghan is not the one to deal with this and secondly my time detained at Immigration is running through my head and I am just not sure Meghan can handle that. Oh the further we walk the hotter Amy and I are. JK finally tells us not to talk and let him handle it. I tell him that I am willing to do that- I trust him but he needs to take it and be strong. I can't just sit and watch it something is not happening. We continue to talk about it and try to guess what is really happening when we come over the hill and see Meghan HUGGING the two cops. Amy and I burst out laughing. Oh the stress had built up and that was not the site we expected. Walking up we find out that our mechanic did not have a license and the police officer had come over to Meghan and told her he was taking her off to jail. She got a bit worked up and teary and told him she didn't know the man and the officer could take him. I am sure there is more to the story, but not long after the female officer came over which made Meghan feel better instantly. After much talk- it turns out the officers knew the guy and were giving him trouble- and Meghan as well. We all laughed and took photos together. It all seemed fine- until we passed the officers 6 more times on different test drives being it took 5 hours to find the simple fix to our problem. The officers were no longer smiling after the 3rd time. I am not sure if we are still friends or not.

I stood firm with what little mechanic skills I had and didn't let them talk me into the things they wanted until they solved the real problem (and even after that I didn't buy anything I didn't need) it is a good thing my dad and brother taught us a little so we could at least reason through some of it. After all was said and done- one wire needed to be untied. 5 HOURS in the dust and heat missing out on time at the market and beach, telling them I didn't need a new carburetor or spark plugs or battery- it all came down to one wire- and one that Amy and I had talked about undoing earlier in our troubles- AAGGHH next time.

By the end the boss at the garage felt so bad- he gave us his number and didn't charge us much. We went back to our friend's had a Fanta and decided to start a new day- at 5pm. We headed to the most beautiful beach and watched the sunset while swimming and drinking more cokes and fanta. It truly was a new day and a perfect ending.

House Guests

2010-01-05T04:56:00.002-06:00

Yes Amy and Meghan were here with me for almost 3 weeks, but Christmas day Elle and Lynea arrived as well. Elle came to Jonathan House this past May for 6 weeks and fell in love. This time she came back with her good friend Lynea. When they first reached we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time together as Amy, Meghan, others and I were traveling around the country, but we did get some time together New Years Eve and Day. When I came back from Freetown they moved into the hut with me. We've had some trouble getting to bed on time, but at least we are enjoying ourselves. they have been really good for the kids, spending a large amount of their time investing in each child and showing them love and taking the time with them they each crave.

I also had one other house guest this holiday season that was not quite as welcome. If you remember a relative of his visited me once before- back in May- so I guess it probably was about time for another visit.

One thing you need to know is that I have tenants (who have yet to pay their rent) living in my "attic". Up above the ceiling in the thatch part are some rats. I have tired a few times to get rid of them, but it just is not as easy as it looks. So we have (or had) come to an agreement that they could live up there and I would live down here. They've been pretty good but they also realize that the holidays are here. They have parties from about 3-5am each morning and get noisier each night. Running, squeaking, and causing a lot of racket. Amy and I were sleeping in my room together when I thought I heard something fall- being that we fall into bed completely exhausted each night- I wanted to care but just didn't. I could deal with whatever it was in the morning. I am not sure how much later it was I woke to some scratching that sounded a bit lower than it should have been. I got my flashlight (always kept under my pillow) but didn't see anything so went back to sleep. Next time I woke the scratching was very near my head. I quickly grabbed my light and this time saw a little friend run across the floor. The door to my room is close enough to the floor that he couldn't get out (which in some ways was good and others meant we were stuck in the room with our friend). Good thing he was a small friend- but you could tell by his tail that he wouldn't be small for long.

By now Amy was up too and we were deciding whether we wanted to open the net and check it out or what. I know it is completely illogical- but that thing little net seems to give more comfort than it is capable of. We looked at each other and decided that we two Shermer girls could deal with this. I went out to get more light and left Amy with our new friend. I came back to find her not too please to watch buddy climb up the chair onto the desk. Knowing he could go there meant he could go anywhere (which we knew already but seeing it is different). What buddy didn't know was that the desk was the perfect place for him. We got a little box and worked for about 20 minutes trying to trap him (jumping, gasping, and screaming a little each time we got close). Oh how we really wanted to get him ourselves. Too many times her got close to getting off the desk. We had to admit defeat and call for help. Amy was not to keen on staying in the room with buddy yet again so I sent her to Jerry's window. She returned with a half still asleep Jerry who walked into the room- saw where I had cornered the mouse- grabbed one of my socks reached down and picked up the rat- JUST LIKE THAT. I am not exaggerating when I say it was all over within 2 minutes. We tried- we really did. But I think I learned for next time- go to Jerry right away.

Buddy's friends have stayed in their part of the hut since, but I think it might be time to fix the hole in my ceiling so we no longer share an entrance. A few months back someone pulled my room door shut with the keys left inside. Being a thatch hut with woven grass ceilings the solution was to crawl up into the attic and spread the grass mat apart and crawl through into my room. The room was unlocked but the mat never fixed- now I just might have a good reason to do just that. Fix it and leave my friends to their own parties.

They are gone

2010-01-02T15:04:00.003-06:00

We have just arrived at the guest house after dropping Amy and Meghan off at the airport. It was hard to say goodbye this time. I always love being with Amers and Meg was a great addition. Spending 6 weeks in the states and then having Amy come here for almost 3 weeks... I needed that extra time with Amy and yet it makes it a bit harder to let her go. We will be alright- instead I guess I should be thankful to have a sister who is also my best friend.

We packed as much as we could into our time together. We started with a couple day with the kids getting ready for a bible school we put on in a neighboring village. We had 20 of our kids come with us to help as well as all the kids helping get the crafts, snacks, and whatever else we needed ready. It was good to have our JCC kids participate in giving to others- time, service, and gifts as well as to have their own opportunity to share their faith and what God has done in their lives. We had a blast. The village could not have been better. We put on a few plays, had some fun craft times, sang, danced, learned some verses and had a GREAT time.

After our last day we headed out to the farm- gotta check out the place that is close to dad's heart. It was great to see Harry, Haja and family and the workers. I just love them. They have done a lot of work on the farm- a lot still needs to be done but you can see all they have put into it. We put in an order for Benny Cake that we would pick up on Saturday on our way to Rutile. That night we went out to see JK and his group perform a couple of their songs. Amy and Meghan both rode home on our friend Rainny's Honda- it was a funny site but they all made it back to the hut safely. It was now my turn to show my African cooking skills. The next night I cooked a fine meal for the 5 of us and then we started the generator and watch a good old American movie while putting up Christmas decorations.

Our next adventure was a day trip to Kenema. We stopped in Jembe on the way to see Tenneh (JK's sister) where she works and then went to JK's work. Rainny also came with us and since his brother is married to Tenneh- he spends quite a bit of time in Kenema as well (Tenneh and Rueben live in Kenema and that is where JK stays while he is working). JK had to stay a work a bit longer so Rainny took us on a little tour of Kenema. We saw this litle river where they have some of their baptism services and learned a lot about the war and were able to see some of the after effects still visible today and get a good explanation from Rainny on what it was really like.

When JK finished work we met up with him, Renner, and Rico to head out in search of Monkey Soup. That seems to be the mission each time a new person visits Kenema. We had a great walk- climbed a few trees, discussed which paths to take more than once, tasted a little of the palm whine, but were not able to get Monkey soup. The lady traveled for Christmas. Next time. After dinner out we headed back to Bo a bit late but filled the car ride with plenty of questions and good conversation.

Christmas had arrived. Christmas Eve we had dinner with my Minnesota friends- a good old chicken, yams with gravy, cranberries and stuffing dinner complete with pumpkin pie. It was nice to have a bit of home for the holidays. After our usual game of darts the girls and I went home to crash. Christmas was here and we had a lot to do. We had arranged for a fine meal and a trip to the River beach in Bandajuma. It was a blast to swim with the kids- watching the ones who have never been in the water like that get over their fear and splash around with huge smiles was something I won't soon forget. That evening Meg, Amers and I headed to JK's families for a dinner they made especially for us. Good conversation, food, and time spent together was a fine way to spend Christmas.

We were now in for a treat. Our first Boxing Day. This is a big day here- the parties bigger than Christmas Day. Amy, Meg, Rainny, JK and I headed for Rutile. We toured the mines with our friends Abu and Peter and headed to JK's dad's village where the Paramount Chief had a place for us to stay- and in style. After getting our things settled and spending some time with them we headed to the big Outing. We ran into a number of other people we knew, had some laughs and danced a bit before heading back to the village. After a good nights rest and plenty of food prepared for us we left for Mattru Jong. We took a wooden ferry boat that was pulled across the river by guys using a pulley system. It was a bit interesting getting the jeep on board and off- but we did. Our friend Solomon French's family lives in Mattru and we arrived at their house to find they had prepared a delicious lunch for us. After our bellies were full we headed back to the river for a swim. Amy and I swam across and got a few crazy looks from those watching us- but yeah it wasn't the first time or the last. Once again we headed back to Bo in the dark and filled our time with more questions, songs and bouncing around on the road to keep us all up.

We managed to sneak in one day at home spent mostly with the kids and then it was off to Freetown, Charlotte Falls and the beach. We spent two nights at David's and tried to get in as much as we could here too. Our favorite part had to be our visit to River #2 beach. It was BEAUTIFUL. The sand was so white, the sunset was pink, the water was warm but not too warm- we could have stayed a whole lot longer. I know we will be going back again in the not too far future.

Back to Bo for New Years Eve. Service with the kids at the home before heading into town for church with friends until we rang in the New Year. After all our traveling we pretty much went straight home and were in bed by 1. New Years day we had an appointment with my friend Violet for Meg and Amy to get their hair done. I was back and forth to the home and other places while Violet worked hard for 6 hours to get the girls to be African beauties. We finished just in time to get home for the New Years Day party with the kids once again. A perfect way to end our trip- a night of singing, eating and dancing with the kids.

This morning we finished packing up, leaded the car and headed to Freetown. We met Rainny at the ferry and took a fine wooden boat filled with 100 people across to the airport. One last African meal of rice and stew and it was time for our goodbyes. Yes I might have cried. Maybe because I am a little tired, maybe because I am sad, and maybe because we had such a great time.

It is hard to capture everything- especially since I am writing this while prying my eyes open because I want to sleep so bad- I didn't want to leave you hanging any longer though. Maybe next time I will have to fill you in on everything else- like the staff party the night we arrived, all our car trouble and how Amy and I have become quite the jeep mechanics, flat tires, Meghan getting scared by the police that she would be arrested, trips to the market, new friends, trouble walking, Christmas boots, oh and so much more.

Next time.... It is time to get a little sleep before getting up so we can head back to Bo by 5 and it is on to my time with Elle and Lynea who are here visiting from America as well. I can say that after 6 weeks traveling at home- 3 weeks here with Amy and Meg- 1 1/2 weeks with Elle and Lynea- I am going to be ready for a bit of R&R- maybe even some time completely to myself.

Thanks for your continues prayers and support- I pray you had a great Christmas with your families and friends and a good New Year as well.

Christmas

2009-12-26T01:19:00.003-06:00

So my scheduled posts are not completed but with some Internet problems there have been a few days without them and might be a few more- so let me interrupt for a Christmas update.

First of all Merry Christmas to all of you- I pray it was a special one for you and your families. This year I have to admit it was a bit hard to spend my first Christmas away from family but I was also excited to experience a Christmas here. A bit more of a raw Christmas, not the commercialized Christmas it has become at home. I have to say it did not disappoint. We woke in the morning to the kids outside the hut door signing, with drums and all. Jesus was knocking at our door they were singing and kept on for sometime. We then all did our chores, got ready, loaded about 75 people onto the bus (PACKED) and headed to Bandejuma where we spent the rest of the morning and afternoon. There is this beautiful river beach there.

Oh how Amy, Meghan and I loved to get into some cooler water and swim. The kids loved it too. The big boys were the first to jump in and the water games began. After Amy and I won the first few games of water chicken all the boys were out to get us so we lost a couple and that was that. There were some rapids that we were able to climb- I managed to get in on good fall, but hey. After some time some of the other kids wanted to come in so we headed back to the shore and played with the middle and younger kids for a bit. It was so much fun to watch some of them hesitate to come in- having some fear of water- and within a few minutes have them splashing around along with the others.

During this time some of the ladies from the church there along with Aunty Mary, Aunty Nana, and some of the older girls were cooking us a fine Christmas dinner. We are so thankful to all of them. When we finished swimming we were able to eat one of my favorite meals- chicken jollof rice. After some songs and prayer we were back on the bus headed home. We had some small gifts for the kids- along with a notebook and pencil each from my Minnesota friends here- and then Amy, Meghan and I got ready to head to JK's family while the kids got ready to watch a movie.

Aunty Margaret (JK's mom) and Nancy (JK's sister) cooked us some delicious food- Amy's favorite, Cassava and ground-nut soup- and JK's favorite, Green and rice. We just sat around taking afterwards, telling stories, solving riddles and hanging out. We have to say that we came home around 9 and all crashed into bed.

It was a fun day- without the snow it didn't seem quite like Christmas, but spending time with all these people talking about the real meaning of Christmas - it brought it all home and I think we celebrated Jesus birth in a way none of us will forget for sometime.

Colorado

2009-12-20T22:16:00.000-06:00

Our friend Joe (from Sierra Leone) was able to visit America in July of this year. When he came home he told people here that America was corn fields and beans. That's because he spent most of his time in Iowa and just inside the bordering states. After hearing that one of my goals was to have JK see a bit more than just corn fields and beans, as well as more than just the forests of the great North. Colorado seemed like a place to start (and with the time we had along with the budget- it was also the place we ended- next time).My friend Brok and his wife Amanda just recently moved out to Denver. Brok was so kind to pick us up and drop us off at the airport. Amanda cooked us a GREAT dinner and Wonderful breakfast. We were able to see a bit of downtown and just hang out and catch up a bit. Brok then drove us to Colorado Springs where we hooked up with Christy and Kirk. Christy was my college roommate and we managed to see a bit of the US together ourselves. Always somewhat last minute with some crazy moments- and this trip didn't let us down either. Since we only had two days (and not really even that) we had to cram a lot in. We were able to meet Kirk for lunch before Brok headed back to Denver and then the sightseeing whirlwind became. We had only 2 hours to drive to the top of Pike's Peak and back down again. With a bit of ice on the road, pretty much no guard rails (I would not call 3 corners out of 50 having guard rails), and Christy driving made for a heart pumping drive. It sure was beautiful but both JK and I were ready to kiss the ground when we got to the top. It doesn't help when your driver is saying they are freaked out and yet still accelerating. :) It makes for a good story though. We took a couple pictures at the top and then had to run inside the store as we were FREEZING. One more picture and then we started the drive back down.We stopped a few times on the way down. There was this guy wind snowboarding (I am sure it has a much more technical name), a few drivers who were crazier than Christy- though I have to say she really impressed me on the way down- we even got passed by a grandma, and the friendliest fox ever greeted us just before the bottom. He even stopped and posed by the car and we had to eventually leave him.Next it was straight to the Garden of the Gods as we only had about an hour of daylight left. It was beautiful and we managed to get a couple shots in before it was just too dark to see anything on film. It was beautiful in person though. The starts and moon created a perfect back drop for this place. I hadn't ever really seen something like this before. I am looking at the photos I uploaded now and realize I didn't upload a photo that really shows how thin these mountains are- and now I am not on my own computer anymore. You'll just have to take my word for it. They were like skeletons of mountains. Like paper thin mountains.

We had a great Taco dinner- JK's first taco. I haven't seen Christy and Kirk since their wedding- which seems just ridiculous, so it was good to spend some time together even if it was short. JK and I were also able to bring a thank you gift for The Well Church in Colorado Springs who gave a gift of money to our school here. We appreciated it so much and I have to say it was a lot of fun to bring them some pictures of the school and the school children as well as a sign JK's friend was able to carve for them. I love being able to connect the people here with what they have been able to help us with there.

Vermilion Falls and Gourge

2009-12-19T22:10:00.000-06:00

The first snowfall happened to be on the Saturday we planned to go to Vermilion Falls and the Vermilion Gorge. A little snow doesn't stop us Shermers. We bundled up a bit more and headed out. Amers and I try to hit the Falls (and sometimes the Gorge) at least twice a year. Kari was up for the weekend and able to join us along with Amy's roommate Jeanine (who we just love).Our first stop was at the Falls. The snow had started and was just starting to fully cover the ground. The water was not nearly as high as we have seen in the past but was still rushing through and beautiful. I just love water and the sound of it rushing by the rocks. We did spend some time getting some photos- it was a little too much like a photo shoot so I won't bother you with most of them but here is the group of us. It is nice to head to the Falls on a day like this- you tend to see no one and have the place to yourself, but it also makes it hard to get a full group shot. So we had to take a number of combinations to get everyone in there a few times. There was no shortage of flying snow. It didn't take JK long to figure out many different ways to get us wet. We should have learned and stuck him at the back of the line- every tree branch we passed he managed to hit it so the snow would fly back at us. It did bring out that child in us all and we loved it all. Though by the time we got back into the car we had to take all of out outer clothes off as they were soaked through.
JK and I at Vermilion Gorge. I have to say that I like the Falls but I love having to hike into the Gorge. I think it is about 1.5 miles in- not too far but enough to feel like you earned it when you get there. I love that walk through the woods- trees covered in snow and leaning over the path, going up, down, and around all the hills and corners and then you can start to hear the water rushing just ahead. All of a sudden you are on top of the Gorge with no one else around. It is one of my favorite things.By the time we finally walked out and headed home- there was a good amount of snow on the ground and in the trees. This is the part of winter I love- and JK got to see it and be out in it for a FULL day. Next time we'll have to take this trip in the summer- or the Fall.

Hunting

2009-12-18T21:53:00.000-06:00

What would it be like to come to the Northland during Hunting Season and not get in a little hunting of your own? Good thing JK didn't have to find out. Nick and JK connected right away. I thought I would have some extra hands in the shop- but JK spent a few days helping Nick work on Amy's garage- Dad's apt. (no he is not moving there :)-used some power tools- went target practicing and of course a little deer hunting. There were MANY layers put on and some shorter times spent in the stand but after 3 days Nick had to head back to Duluth. Our buddy Kyler volunteered to take JK out for the last time about an hour after Nick left for Duluth. Within less than an hour I get a call from Nick letting me know JK got a deer- what??? Right after shooting it he called Nick- before even walking out to the deer. A few moments later JK called me and Amers and I headed over to the farm to check it all out.It may have just been a spiker but it was his first deer and a good one at that. When I asked JK on the phone what kind of deer he got- he told me a stupid one. What? "Well I shot five times and he was still there- got him with my sixth and final shot". Nick gave him 6 bullets and the part Jk remembered was shoot him in the head. They were a ways off and aiming for the head wasn't as easy as target practicing. Kyler finally asked JK how many times he had shot "5" and how many bullets do you have "6"- that last shot took some time, but it was worth it. My dad says that God must have been holding that deer there for JK.Hunter and Guide.

Not only did JK bring home the meat but he cooked it too. He used it to make us an African meal- Pepper Soup. It was spicy but good- and the first meal JK has ever cooked for me. Our friend Meghan was able to join us on the perfect night. She is coming over to Salone with Amy and needed a small introduction into the fine cuisine. What a fun day filled with some good memories and stories to share.

We Did Make It

2009-12-17T11:35:00.002-06:00

So JK and I did finally arrive home the night of Dec. 15th- well it was then that we flew into Lungi. We drove through the night and arrived in Bo around 4am. I have to say traveling the second time was not easy either. When we went to check in this time they said we were not on a flight from Chicago to London. WELL.... It was United that changed our flights and booked us on that one. I guess I was so worried about the London to Freetown flight I didn't make a bunch of noise about getting to London first. So after ANOTHER hour and some at the ticket counter we finally had our boarding passes and checked our bags. From there it went pretty smoothly- though we did have to wait in London for 5 hours and then another hour sitting on the plane before actually taking off. We did get all our bags when we landed and walked out to meet our friends Joe and Solomon. All in all we made it and it might not have been SOOO bad but I wouldn't do it again.

Right now Joe and I are sitting on the ferry waiting to cross back over to the airport and pick up Amy and Meghan. It doesn't seem like I even spent anytime at home. I am excited to see them and start our busy, fun-filled next two weeks.

I have scheduled some posts to come out- so that may be why this blog is a little confusing in it's updates but at least you are getting something.

My Great Family

2009-12-16T21:45:00.000-06:00

It used to be that your mom would make everyone dress alike in scratchy uncomfortable clothes- when did that change to ME making everyone dress alike? In Salone it is quite common to have everyone in the same clothes. It is called Ashabi (and no that is not the way you spell it but not too many Mende people read my blog so...). When our kids had their school graduation- all the staff wore one style of clothes, the parents another. For special services at church the participants have the same clothes as well. Well that made the decision- JK and I decided that was the gift we were going to bring my family. Our friend Rachel dyed all the material and our friend Francis (along with some altering help from Auntie Irene and Grandma Syvilla) did all the sewing. I enjoyed heading to church in our African garb and I think it was fun for people to see. This was the Sunday that we sang in church and I was also able to speak for a few minutes. I think it helped having the African clothes on to get a little more into our African songs. Mom rocked out on that gourd shaker she was playing. :)The Shermer FamilyWhere it all started. How blessed are we to have two such strong examples to follow?! JK still had a few extra layers on under these clothes- I'm not sure how African that was but...LOVE this family!

I guess the two of us are going to get the most use out of these clothes. We will wear them often back home- not sure how often you will see the rest of the Shermer family marching around in their Blue, White, and Green (Sierra Leone flag) Bahtiek dyed clothes.

Finally Home

2009-12-15T20:29:00.001-06:00

We finally made it up to Cook Sunday night in time to say a quick hello and head off to Sunday Night Alive. (Of course we did have to stop in Cloquet at the Warming Shack for some really good Cedar Crest ice cream:) It was crazy to see home- it has changed so much. Our old house is completely gone, just some grass and dirt where it once stood. The shop is now expanded and has a second story. Amy has her own house. At least I still have a bed there. It was a lot of fun and really just a quick stop as I was given the opportunity to speak at SNA so we didn't want to be late. I love the music and singing and dancing in Salone but I have to admit that I miss the worship music that I am used to- so I was thankful and excited that we would be able to attend SNA- and even more pleased that I could share a little of what is happening in Salone. Nick, Jamie, Alina and Koryn were home to meet us as well. I LOVE spending time with my family and love that JK can not just meet them but spend some good time with them as well. We manages to get in a few games of darts and had a blast. We only had a cheap plastic board and we all stink but we laughed and laughed.
We were all intently checking out JK's pictures from his day with dad when mom starts yelling "Y'all missed it, Y'all missed it!!!" We turn to see that she has hit a center bulls eye- she did it again a few rounds later and you can bet we were all watching for that one.One night shortly after arriving home we had to run into town for something and were able to run over to the Glass Residence to meet little Sawyer and give April a big hug. It feels as if I already know Sawyer but it was great to see him and be able to hold him. We didn't get to stay long but a few days later we had a much needed girls night at Ape's house- with chocolate fondue- yum.So we were all waiting for JK's first snow. He has been freezing since coming- even when it was 60 degrees. Every time he goes outside he has at least two layers on his legs and 4-5 layers on top. When he woke up and it was just starting to snow he walked straight out in just fleece pants and two t-shirts and his slippers. It was fun to watch and the snow was so wet and heavy you can guess what we ended up doing- bare hands and all.Growing up with snow it is hard to truly imagine what people who haven't seen it think. I didn't even think about what he thought it would feel like. Obviously whenever I tell someone about snow I tell them it is so cold the rain freezes and turns to snow- so really it is frozen rain. Well JK thought it would hurt- I mean it should be ice falling from the sky. I guess I never explain the soft, fluffy part.How happy was I that Holly and Jackson were able to come over Sunday afternoon for a few hours. I just love them both- and Aaron too. Holly is the fourth (well now maybe fifth with Jamie- however Holly was here first) Shermer sister- always has been, always will be. Koryn and Jackson are only a few weeks apart. At first Jackson was huge and Koryn was this tiny thing- now they are really quite the same. I just love watching little ones try to figure out how to play together. Though it always seems that one is more interested in the dog that the other kid. Yes I am bummed that I will miss welcoming Baby Boy Peterson #2, but I couldn't be more happy for all of them. I think I will soon have two nieces and two nephews. :-)A few nights at home we ended up sitting around the piano or guitar just singing songs. I know my dad loved it and the rest of us did too. JK talent was and is a blessing to us all. The part I loved the most was that we could say- hey that song is a little too high- or too low- and he would just move it for us. All this fun led mom to suggest we sing in church together Sunday morning- who can say no to mom? We even got Nick and Kari up there along with Amy, Mom, JK, and I. It was listed as James Kainwo and the Shermers in the bulletin. I think if Nick wasn't part of the group it could have been JK and the Shermettes.
While home during deer season there is no way I would miss out on getting some time in the shop. One day I happened to get done early so JK and I headed up to Tower to see mom and Amers. We picked up some good smoothies on main street and headed over to the Tower School. Walking in we ran into a couple people who knew exactly who we were- been talking much mom :). It was like Mom brought us to school for show and tell. All around the school we went on a little meet and greet tour. It was a lot of fun and great to see the people that mom and Amy talk about. We were able to get in some good times at home- but I think it's these simple memories that I really do enjoy the most. More to come (I promise Becky- I'm really going to try)

Fun with the girls (and JK)

2009-12-14T23:03:00.000-06:00

Like I said in a previous post- we were able to spend our first weekend with Sophie and Isabelle. My mom was there for the first couple days with us and then Amy joined us for the next couple. We seemed to get a lot of laughs into the time we had.Nothing like a game of twister- for the young kids and the older ones as well. I am not sure this was the introduction to games that JK was looking for. We were able to head over to the farm with Emily McHugh to do a bit of horse back riding as well.

When all of us Shermer kids headed out of the house it was harder and harder to make sure the horses were ridden so my dad finally decided it was time to sell them. Not an easy decision and really not any easier on the rest of us. How blessed were we that the McHughs were willing to take them. I have watched the McHugh kids for 10 years now and we have built a great relationship. Santana and Tanner- our horses- could not have gone to a better place. Now not only are they taken care of (like royalty compared to Northern MN) but we are able to go visit and ride every now and then.JK walked right up to the horses, petting them and talking to them- no fear. That is until he was on the horse. Amy was not allowed to go very far away and one loop around the arena was enough- but at least he is able to say he has ridden a horse.Sophie and Isabelle are becoming quite the riders as well. Isabelle was able to compete is some games this summer as well as Emily McHugh. Em does an amazing job with Santana and even competed against some professional riders in the Hamal Rodeo. Thanks for a great day- and keep up the good riding Em.
What would a trip to the states be without a good old American game of Bowling. Mom, Amy, JK, Soph, Belle and I were able to hit the Medina Ballroom for a couple games and it was a blast. We laughed and laughed and then got a bit frustrated when the new guy game close to beating all of us- that is until Isabelle got bumpers on her lane and knocked us all out. If Mom and Sophie didn't need them she might not have done quite as good- but still would have competed with us. The funny thing to me is that I bowl ALL WRONG and somehow when teaching JK he managed to get the leg kick thing- and I don't do it at all and didn't even talk about it. Then we watch him bowl and he manages to have the correct form and everything- out of nowhere.You know silliness is always a part of our days.

Take Two

2009-12-14T10:55:00.002-06:00

Even if we shouldn't have to. Turns out the flight did exist and if we would have gone to London we could have been home about two hours from now- instead we are still sitting in Minneapolis waiting to go to the airport and try this all over again.

The United people were wrong when they kept telling us it didn't exist and I should have gone with my gut and headed to London anyway- that is what we tried to do, but after all their convincing and me really not wanting to spend 32 hours in an airport and have JK get into any troubles- we stayed back. This morning our travel agent called- there was a flight and we would have been on it. However we are confirmed on the next flight (I have no clue how as they told us all flights are completely booked but hey) and will be home Dec 15th instead. Kinda hard to lose a whole day (and spend a little more money) for nothing. But we'll just try our best to take it all in stride and go for it today. We were told that no matter what they tell us here in MN we are to get to London and go from there. There will be a flight and we need to get on it.

Lor did give us one more chocolate cake with ice cream sundae- so I guess that is a good thing to come out of all this. :)

I'll let you know when we reach

TRAVELING!!!!!!

2009-12-13T16:44:00.002-06:00

The last few days I have been telling people that I wish we just had a couple more days at home to just do nothing- then I would be ready to go. Well we have been given one more day at home to do nothing- and I am now ready to go to Sierra Leone.

After Shermer Family Christmas yesterday we spent the rest of the evening packing only to get up early this morning to head down to the cities for our usual lunch with everyone at TGIFridays. It's always good to get one final good meal and see family (yes we did get our usual photo with all of us taken by our waitress- only it's on Amy's camera since I thought she would be able to upload it first- hmmm). After our long Minnesota goodbyes, Mom, Dad, Kari, and Amy dropped us at the airport. I had one suitcase that didn't have a handle to pull it which Amy commented about. I quickly told her that we only had to take it in to the ticketing counter so I would be fine. Little did I know. A few tears were shed as we finished our goodbyes and JK and I headed in.

There was no line so we walked right up to the counter, scanned our passports, chose our seats for the next two flights and went to check our bags. That's when the trouble started. First there was drama about JK not having a UK visa- then a UK transit visa. We had gone through all this before. JK made a special trip to the British High Commission or whatever they call their Embassy and since we were only in London 6 hours we were told he didn't need one. As long as he doesn't leave the airport and is there for less than 24 hours. We were good. After some explaining and getting a few more people involved that issue was solved. Now back to checking the bags. "Would you like to check them all the way to Freetown" "Yes we would". More time on the computer. All three boarding passes are printed- all the way to Freetown. Two stickers are printed for my bags- then she realizes that they are only checked to London. Back to the computer, more time, two more people involved. Now there is no flight on the 14th from London to Freetown. This flight that we have boarding passes for doesn't exist. More time calling that airline, the travel agency, Karen, going in and out of the back room... Asking us to move our luggage and wait over there. Finally it is decided that we can go to London and figure it out there. The big problem is that ALL the flights into Salone until Jan. are COMPLETELY booked. We were called only days ago to make sure we were going to be on this flight since it was so full and all the flights after it are full. I did NOT want to miss it. Okay decision made we will go to London and figure it out there.

Start checking bags again. This time the guy who had helped the lady on and off is checking our bags. He's on the computer for a bit, prints the baggage stickers and then says hold on while I talk to my boss- AAGGHHH. A few people higher up later, we are now talking to the big man. He tells us that the flight does not exist it is for the same time but on the 15th of Dec. That would mean that JK would be in London for 32 hours- over the 24 hour limit. Well are they going to know that- "they will detain him" he says. Well then what's the worst that could happen - they deport him back to Sierra Leone. :)- "no they will send him back to the US." Alright so what are our options? We just do the same thing- only tomorrow. He could guarantee that we are on the flight from London to Freetown. So once again for the 5th time I PICKED up that suitcase that I did not have the handle to pull it with and we headed out. We hopped in a Taxi (another new experience for JK) and headed to Mike and Lor's. I guess we didn't need that sad goodbye after all- we just get to do it again tomorrow.

So here we sit- in the basement watching TV, playing on the computer and getting that down time I said I wanted. Only now I am in travel mode and ready to be done traveling and we haven't even begun yet.... TOMORROW. (we hope)

The Twin Cities

2009-12-12T20:56:00.000-06:00

Nothing like heading downtown for the first time. It was fun to just park and walk around Minneapolis for a time- then of course we had to hit the big Target to get a couple things we needed as well. I to enjoy walking around the big buildings and just people watching as well. This was a BIG change from Freetown. There are 3 million people who live in Freetown- it is a Large city- and yet it is not developed like our cities here. I know many say it is too busy, traffic is crazy, I don't drive there- but it is SO much more organized than what we are used to. After spending some time in Minneapolis we headed over to St. Paul to visit our friends Sarah and get a tour of St. Thomas. Sarah has been to Sierra Leone a few times, and was just there with us this past May and June. I know that the first few days were really an adjustment to JK and it was fun to go see someone he already knew. Walking around campus and seeing a University here was good. It was also nice to be moving around after spending so many hours just sitting on the planes and in the airports.St. Thomas is a beautiful campus. Not quite the same as Njala University where JK attended. I would have to say that one of our favorite things was seeing this Pipe Organ. We were lucky enough to have someone come in who played while we were there. Listening to this beautiful instrument... it was something we never expected and something we will remember fondly.After our tour we headed back to Sarah's for lunch and then walked down to the Mississippi River. I miss water. We have the ocean but it just is not the same as our lakes and rivers. I loved just walking near it and being able to share it with JK. Over the course of our time here I mentioned many times that we were near or crossing the Mississippi- you forget how it is everywhere. Sarah also took us to the delicious little ice cream place. JK has heard me talk about ice cream forever and just thought I was crazy. Now he is sitting here trying to think of any way possible that we could bring ice cream back with us.That night we headed over to Pete and Alyssa's for some fun. One of the things I missed most while being gone was attending their wedding. It was a day that was hard for me to be away. Pete is my oldest, best, childhood friend. I love him like my brother and always will think of him like no other. I have also loved Alyssa. She came into Pete's life and has truly made it better- mine too. There is no hug like a hug from Pete- and that was the welcome home I really wanted.Had to get in a few rounds of Rock Band. It was fun to JK in the mix. It is a bit harder to play by ear when the keys are colors and the songs are ones you've never heard before- but still provides a lot of laughter.Again I cannot say enough how much I love these two (well three I guess). Thanks for a fun night. I wish there could be more.

Arriving Home

2009-12-06T20:48:00.002-06:00

We left Sierra Leone LATE the night of November 3. Before we even got on the plane it already felt like a long trip. We left Bo around 10 and were lucky to be able to catch a ride to Freetown with a friend in a nice vehicle. However we arrived at the ferry just a little too late for the 2pm ferry and had to sit at the docks for 4 hours. We then headed over to Lungi only to have to wait until 11:45pm for our flight to finally take off. This was JK's first flight ever. I am sorry to say he doesn't like flying. We left in the dark and in a city without much light so it wasn't to exciting to look out the window and then we landed in London in the dark and fog again so... What he remembers is the ear popping and turbulence. The airports were a lot of fun- but we could have gotten by with less than 6 hours in London. I loved seeing things trough JK's eyes. The bathrooms, escalators, moving sidewalks, everything was new and I have to admit I loved it all too. Arriving in Minneapolis, I felt such joy and peace. It was so nice to be home again. We came around the corner to see my mom holding a large picture of Amy on a stick- she came to meet us as well. It was a great hug I got from mom. Even though it was 60 degrees outside we still put our coats on before heading out. The first few days were spent at Mike and Lor's with the girls. I enjoyed this transition into things. Being with Sophie and Isabelle is one of my favorite things and it also gave us a chance to do things but yet not have a ton of people asking for our time- we needed to get our bodies adjusted to being here. Kari came over the morning after we landed. She was able to spend a good portion of the day with us as well as come back on Saturday for our day of fun (more in a later post)

I'm so happy to be home. It was hard to say goodbye and leave the kids and staff- but I AM LOVING being with my family and friends. I really miss them when gone. It also has another element being here with JK. Everything is new again- technology, places, food- oh how I love the food.

(Stay tuned- this time I promise there are more posts to come- we had a busy 6 weeks I need to catch you all up on)

We're Coming Home

2009-10-23T10:21:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe that one week from today we will be in the states. Yes I do mean to say we. My friend James Kainwo and I are coming home together. This will be JK's first trip to America. It was quite the ride getting ready for the visa interview, going, and learning that he did get his visa. Now it will be a lot of fun showing him all our crazy things in America, starting with the automatic flush toilets and faucets at the airport. He's excited to see my dad and sisters again as well as other people who have been to Sierra Leone. It will also be great to meet the rest of the family as well as some friends. Nothing like throwing you into things. We will have our big Thanksgiving with my mom's side and then Shermer Family Christmas. We are hoping to get around to see quite a few people as well as work a bit in the shop with my dad. Yes- I can't miss a November in the good old meat shop. For those of you in Iowa we will be there for a week and JK is going to be doing some music with the kids from Jonathan's House there. He has done music with the kids here off and on for the past five years and I know it will be fun for him to see the kids and share some African beats with them again.

We also hope to visit a few places to share what is happening here at Jonathan's House and say thanks for all the support we have been given. It will be a good time for me to also share some stories here on the blog. It hasn't been as easy lately to upload photos and get out a new post. I have so many stories I would love to tell you and hopefully while at home I will be able to do just that.

Please be praying for us as we get ready to go. We leave Tuesday night and as I said we will be gone for 6 weeks. I am sure it will fly by and yet it is a long time to be gone from here. I know that everyone here will manage just fine, but it is hard to say goodbye and get everything set up. I know I will miss the kids and they won't let me forget that I am leaving them and that they will miss me as well. Pray for everyone here while we are gone as well- including JK's family.

Thanks for your support and prayers these past 6 months. I hope to see many of you while I am home and catch up on a little of what you have been doing as well.

Randomness

2009-09-14T08:38:00.011-05:00

So a few updates-

I was a little sick this past weekend. Just so you know I am fine now, but the thing is here when you are sick EVERYONE comes to visit you. So here I am vomiting and having a bit of diarrhea (I know you didn't want to) and all I want is to lie in bed between trips to the bathroom. Instead I am answering the door on the half hour and then have to sit with people for a few minutes at a time. The kids were really sweet and knowing everyone cared was great- but next time I will just hide out and tell no one.
The Rainy Season is slowly coming to an end- though it is still making it's presence known. Now each time there is a hard rain it almost completely washes our road out. It is like a raging river. I was out trying to make my way back home and it was a good thing I knew the road well- where the big holes are, where the road is no longer there, which side to drive on at which point. You could have taken your rafting boat down it. I saw some ladies trying to walk and when they had to step into the road in a few parts- they almost lost their footing as the rushing water took one of the ladies bags down to who knows where. (I did ask her the next day if she got it back- she had to follow it quite a ways but did manage to get it back) I wanted to stop and take a photo on my phone but I was afraid if I stopped I would never make it home.

Good times with friends. I have been able to spend a bit of time with the Kainwo family. Nancy, Tenneh, and Lily have all been in and out of Bo and different times and I love hanging with these girls. Nancy lives in Bo regularly so we do get to spend a bit more time together. We head to church together often. This particular Sunday we had just gotten the jeep back, but the battery wanted to cause us some trouble- we had to jog the jeep to start it. So here we are in our Sunday best running behind the jeep- always good times. No worries Abu the good mechanic was on a honda- met us at church and solved the problem and everything has been fine since.

Little Christie really is Christie- They named her Christie Massaquoi. The first few days she slept so much and was really calm and quite easy. Now she has found her voice and seems to have her nights and days mixed up (I wonder if she was up last night just as I was listening to the Packers WIN in the middle of the night :))

poed

Marion also had her baby. A sweet little girl. Marion is one of the girls who used to live at JH. If you followed my posts last time you might remember her. She completed a trade school last year and has been living outside of JH for almost a year now. I have to admit I was quite sad when I learned upon returning that she was pregnant. She is a young girl still trying to find her way. We'll do what we can to come along side her and support her in this and help her be the best mom she can be to her precious daughter. Her little one was born last Friday. Marion took a Honda while in labor out to Gondama- gave birth and then came home in a taxi that same day. WOW. It is crazy to think that not only do we stay in the hospital but they also check your car seat make sure your little one is safe and so are you. Here they just send you on your way- you hold your child in your arms and ride in the overloaded car down the bumpy roads. They made it home safely though and Marion is doing just fine taking care of her baby. The older girls and I intend to visit her again soon.
The kids started school today. I must admit that I was a bit ready. 51 kids not having a routine or a schedule is fine for a time but... Thankfully school and a bit of structure is back. It was a bit crazy trying to get all the kids ready- uniforms, shoes, bags, books, pens and pencils, and whatever else they think they need (but really don't and just might not get). I think we just might have made it. Even the little girls going to nursery school for the first time... it was so cute.

I don't remember if I mentioned that there are not 1 but 2 other couples right her in Bo Town that are from MN. One couple is around my parents age and the other maybe a decade older than that. Well they are all great. We meet as often as we can- maybe once or twice a month- have dinner and then head over to Del and Linda's for a few games of darts. It is a bit funny to see me with them, but it just fits and is always a good time. Tonight is our night once again. I gotta figure out how to stop these old guys from beating me every time. We Minnesotans are everywhere. I have also just recently learned that another women from MN is coming this weekend to open an orphanage in Freetown.

I've learned that I am just not quite a native after all. I have gotten pretty good at using local latrines. There are a few different styles. One- use the great outdoors- done that. Two- a hole in the floor in a room- squat and aim. Three- a cement box built up with a larger hole in it, usually some sort of wooden board covering the hole that you lift of and set on the floor and then replace. Four- a cement box with a wooden seat built on top of it with the usual hole in it and with a cover. Well my pride might have needed to be taken down a few notches and it was. I was feeling pretty good that I could be just fine and use any of these options (sure I prefer my bathroom at JH that has a normal toilet- even if I do have to flush it with a bucket of water)- no worries about me, I'm just like the locals. Well after spending the day at the Aunty Margaret's (the Kainwo family) and using the bathroom at least three times that day (a option three- I tend to still hover with this option) JK calls to let me know that when he went to use the bathroom that night he opened the door to find a snake on the box and before he could kill it it went DOWN INTO THE HOLE!!! Yup I think that just might be my last time for a while- I think I might even be more comfortable with options 1 and 2 than I am with 3 or 4. They burn this oil and what not and put it down inside, but now I am going to be picturing that in my head wherever I go. It might take awhile to get over this one- and I didn't even see it.

Aunty

Africana

Aunty

Leonian

Africana Sunday. A couple Sundays ago it was Africana Sunday at church. That meant everyone had to come in their African dress- the music, announcements, sermon, and what not were in Mende. We used drums and shakers. It was a good time. Of course each Sunday many people do where African clothes, but the Western influence is there- especially in the men wearing suits, ties, dress pants. Girls shoes and jewelry are often western. Not this Sunday. Everything I was wearing was made here in Salone including the leather and rubber tire bottom sandals. Tenneh and Lily even added some hair into my and braided it in a truly African style- yet my head wrap covers it in this photo. It actually worked quite well and for the special service at church next Sunday Violet is going to try doing it again with a different style- I'll make sure and get a picture. These girls are and are becoming good friends to me. I love them each.

Alright I guess that is enough of an update for now. I am not sure what happened to this layout- but about now I am too tired to try and figure it out so...Next time.