Building a School African Style

JCC has a Primary School- nursery through grade six. At the moment the school has been meeting in a temporary building that is made of woven walls. The class rooms are small for the number of children in each, but everyone has managed to make it work for the time being. Now we are in the process of raising funds for a new permanent school building on the JCC compound. We are half-way there and the building can now begin.

First the brush had to be cleared and stumps removed- the area in the top left photo is where the school will be built. The clearing did go fairly quickly and then it was time for the first load of supplies to come in. Now there is no running to Home Depot, Menards, Lowes or the Cook Building Center. A few large trucks hauled in most of the supplies but I did pass these four guys pulling a load of rocks up the JCC road not realizing they were going all the way to the home and had come from town. They arrived about an hour and a half after I did and were already over 3/4 of the way there. The other part of this is that we have to make the bricks with the supplies delivered. So first the cement was mixed and then the molding of the bricks began. The first time around about 1500 bricks were made. As you can see in the photos below it was a large number but the guys made then all in just a couple days. (Little did they know they would be back to make more than that not too long after).

Next we had to get out our string and make the lines where the "trenches" would be dug for the foundation. Yes we had guys in the corners of the building site pounding in stakes and tying string to it to make our foundation straight- and with all their old homemade tools it did turn out right. Digging began and amazingly enough took only a couple days- with our old shovels and machetes cutting away at old tree roots and stumps, hauling out large pieces of stone until the whole floor plan was laid out and dug three feet deep. (See William standing in the trench in the top right photo below) The older boys were a great help during this stage.

It was finally time to start miking the cement and pouring the foundation. Large and small rocks had to be carried around the rim of the trenches to mix in with the cement. The girls and I were in charge of making sure there was enough water in the drums for the mixing as well as to work with some of the other kids carrying the stones. The cement is mixed on the ground. First a layer of sand is poured out, bag of concrete mix on top of that, a layer of rocks, and then buckets of water poured on top while guys are using shovels to turn it over and mix it up. It is then loaded into a metal pan with handles on the side and carried to the place where it will be dumped into the foundation- each load consisting of only a couple shovel fulls. When the distance gets to be too far an assembly line is started and the full tray is passed through with an empty one coming back. It takes a bit of time to get all the way around the building but it is done and even leveled out (again using string and a piece of wood nailed into a T to smooth it out).

After the poured foundation is set, it is time to start hauling the bricks that were made over to the edges of the building. Before or after dinner each night we each had a set number of bricks to haul over. Each of the kids did their part and we managed to make it a good time filled with laughter as well as some whining. I of course had to use two hands and after only a few trips with two bricks decided one at a time was better- however the boys especially would all take two at a time. (see Joseph, Emmanuel, and John below) Usually if you finished your quota for the night you would help everyone else until it was all done- it was great to see the kids not only working together but going that extra step for each other as well.

In no time at all the foundation was over three bricks high in all places and more in a few others. Re bar (I have no clue how to spell that) bent by hand was in place for the pillars and the school was all set for the next stage. The building was put on hold for a short time so this was how it looked when I left. Since then I have talked to Joe and the walls are almost all completely finished. The floor should be layed soon and then it is just floating the roof (so someday we can build a second level) and plastering the walls, adding doors and windows and finally finishing the new JCC school. It will be great to see the kids in there soon, but it has also been good to watch them each be a part of the building process in their own ways. The kids can come back to the home long after they are grown and know that they had a part in this school coming to be at Jonathan House. Thanks for your donations towards this project. Every night at prayer time the kids pray for the school- not just that the rest of the money would be raised, but to thank God for those who have given and been a part of making this happen. They remember to say thanks and I think they really do realize what this school means for their futures.

This is a far cry from how we build here in America- and yet they amaze me with the speed in which they can do things with only hand tools. The relationships you build while standing next to each other all day passing a bucket of cement, a stone, or a five gallon pail of water is something that could never be done between cement trucks or cats. Technology is great- and don't get me wrong- I am sure they would love a big turning cement truck or even a cordless drill, but they are little things we miss out on here that I will remember and be thankful for. (Of course I only have to do this every now and then and it is still a bit of a novelty for me- ask someone there and they may not feel the same :)

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday by far. Each year we get together with the whole Olson crew as well as my Gramp's sister's kids on down. The number seems to be increasing each year and we must have been somewhere between 40 and 50 this Thanksgiving. Of course we too have a few annual traditions- one of our favorite being the football game. I remember when at times it used to be soccer on the ice, however that has not been an option for quite awhile as the ice is no where near thick enough by the end of November anymore. Now it is good old two hand touch with few rules and always a ton of laughs. Another tradition is playing a game called "4 on a couch". I couldn't really explain it if I tried- but it isn't Thanksgiving until we've played a few rounds- and yes I was on the winning team. Of course LOTS and LOTS of food is just a given which means the big group walk has become another part of each year. This year we added a couple things like a little music session complete with piano, guitars, amps, and mic; a few episodes of the What Not To Wear marathon on TLC; and adults and children alike rolling down the large hill we came across on our walk. After missing a few family events it was great to be home to be a part of this one.

After two days of eating, laughing, playing, sleeping, and just hanging around- we are now all headed in our opposite directions and today I will be headed to Iowa to spend some much needed time with my good friends Amy, Steve, and Jack as well as meeting with Roger and Karen, and spending some time with the Bolands and my other friends in the great city of Marshalltown.

Emmanuel Bangalie

Loving, compassionate, caring, athletic, hard-working, stubborn, funny, a good friend- Emmanuel Bangalie carried all of these characteristics and more. One of the things that stands out most to me is just how much Emmanuel loved football. Now of course most of the boys at JCC love football, but Emmanuel played as often as he could and almost always in the goal. At one point he had a huge boil on his knee that had caused his knee to swell almost twice its size, despite all the pain- you could still find him on the football field each day at 4pm. Just within the past year he was allowed to play with the older boys and yet he still played each time the younger boys did as well. He was just waiting for the day when he could put on a jersey and play on the JCC team.

He was at the age where he was adjusting between being one of the middle boys into being one of the older boys. When it was time to get wood or haul rocks for building the school, Manny was at the front of the line. He was not only strong, but always willing to help. Emmanuel was in charge of the wood for the kitchen. In the mornings he would get the wood the cooks needed for the day and if there was a time when any of the rest of us wanted to cook something we had to go see Emmanuel to get the wood we needed. Many of the kids have areas of the home in which they are responsible for and most of them do it well, but with Emmanuel you could always count on him doing it with a smile as well as going the extra step.

Being a part of the JCC dance team was also a highlight for him. He seemed to have an extra bounce in his step and if you really gave him the floor he would go all out with his somewhat goofy moves that would put a smile on anyone’s face (I think that was what he was aiming for). At prayer time each night, no matter what the day had brought, you could usually find Emmanuel singing with his full voice and dancing with all that he had. Speaking of prayer time, for some reason whenever it was Manny’s turn to lead Wednesday night prayer meeting, or share a verse at prayer time, he would pull his shorts up almost as high as they would go, tuck his shirt in and stand with his chest out. I am not sure why he did this, but it was his thing and in a way it showed how proud he was to have his turn to share his Jesus.

Now Emmanuel was still a boy who managed to find trouble at times. He liked to joke and sometimes didn’t know when to stop and didn’t always know his own strength. I have to admit there was more than one time when one of the house parents had to get up at prayer time to talk about showing love to our brothers and sisters referring to Emmanuel’s actions. In showing love it meant that we could not shut others out. He was good at going long periods of time without talking to the person he was upset with. He was stubborn and didn’t let things go easily, but the thing that was so special about him was that when he did let God work in his heart and find forgiveness or even ask for forgiveness- he truly put it in the past and you would find Emmanuel walking with his arm around that person for the next few days being the closest of buddies.

He had a soft heart, willing to put aside his wants and ALWAYS willing to help out, whether it was carrying the wood or rocks, but also even doing laundry, cooking or mending a shirt. I would pull into the compound after coming from the market with 9 bags of rice and all the rest of the food needed for the home and the first people there would be Emmanuel and Jerry. After everything was hauled into the store room, he would come over to me, put his arm around my shoulders and say thank you for going to town. He often pulled others into a hug, or just stepped up beside them to put his arm around them. He was willing to show he cared and did it frequently. He had an ability to sense how those around him were feeling and he didn’t hesitate to offer his help. He needed to be able to bring comfort to those he loved which included everyone at JCC. Emmanuel was a lover and I know it was because of who God made him to be and the work of Jesus Christ in his life.

It is difficult to think he is not here with us. It seems wrong that he will not put on that jersey and be a full member of the JCC football team, and yet Psalms 139:16 reminds us that each of his days were written before he was born. God was not surprised Saturday morning. Emmanuel lived the life God gave him and he lived it fully with energy, passion, laughter and love. I know that I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with Emmanuel. I love that each time I think of him I can’t help but smile as I am sure it is for many who knew him. For a time that smile will be accompanied by tears, but I know Manny is dancing right now. He loved Jesus here on earth and now he is meeting his friend and savior face to face, with his pants pulled up and his chest puffed out, his head tilted slightly with a full smile on his face.

Romans 8:38-39 says:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Our son, brother and friend is now eternally in the presence of our Papa God experiencing his full glory and love. How can we not celebrate the life he lived as well as where he is right now. Soon we’ll all be playing football, singing and dancing together again.

Please pray for the kids and staff at JCC as they mourn and remember Emmanuel

What- My car is not built for Off-roading?!?!

After sitting for the past 6 months my old reliable car that has gotten me through the past 8 or so years with little trouble decided she didn't want to start for me. Amy had taken her out of storage and she ran just fine but as I got in her a few days later... nothing. So there she sat for the next two days until 9:30 one DARK evening my dad decides now is the time we should bring the car over to the neighbors to fix it. (If you know my dad this is no suprise to you). I drive a stick so instead of jump-starting the car we decide to push start it. Dad hops in the driver's seat and Amy and I start pushing. We head down the road between the new house and the shop. As you can see by this photos it is not the curviest of roads but neither is it straight.

Well... the push starting did not work (still NOT going to jump start the car) so we get out the four-wheeler and decide we can really push the car to get it going. Now remember I said DARK night. No moon, no stars, no headlights and therefore NO LIGHT. So now it is my turn to hop into the driver's seat and dad is on the four-wheeler pushing me. It takes me about 3 seconds- and 30 ft of road to realize I can see NOTHING! I did manage to drop the clutch a couple times, but then I started to panic. I tried honking the horn- no battery= no sound. I put on the breaks- being pushed by a powerful four-wheeler being driven by my dad=no stopping. I soon found myself over a rock and into the woods- taking a few trees down on the way.

Now you would think that this would be where the story should end, but this is just the middle- really part 1 of 3. At this point Dad decides to get my mom's car to pull my car out- Amy asks if the truck would be better only to learn that the truck is hooked up to the slaughter trailer. Okay. Dad backs mom's car down the dark windy road and almost hits a tree of his own. We hook the chain on the back of my car and don't seem to find a good place to hook it on my mom's car. Hey, just loop it over the thingy and around that dohicky and we'll be fine. "Do you think this is a good idea?" Amy asks. Getting no response from my dad we both know it is just time to go along with what he is doing. I say I am done being in the driver's seat so Amy now takes her turn. We get all ready- pull the slack out and what do you know- a part falls off my mom's car instead of my car coming out of the ditch. We get the part attatched again and decide that maybe this might be a better project for the daylight.

At 6 am the sun has not come up yet- it is not daylight, but it is time to deal with the car. What do you know- we do decide to use the truck but we do not decide to unhook the slaughter trailer. so here we are on our little, narrow, windy road with the truck hooked up to the slaugher trailer hooked up to the toe rope hooked up to my little car. This is where I was wishing I had my camera. Not only do we pull the car out like this (and so quickly with little trouble I might add) but we continue to drive it like this right onto the highway and down to the guys house where it is going to get a little TLC. No worries she is now home and ready to go where ever I want her to take me. Only this time I will stick to the real roads and not try to make any new ones of my own. I guess I was just missing the bumpy, terrible roads of Sierra Leone.

It's Koryn

My sweet niece that I have been waiting months to spend some time with. I think she looks just a BIT like my brother and she and I both seem to have the same double chin. I happened to visit on Halloween so I was there just in time to see the kids in costume. Obviously Alina is a puppy but as Nick was getting Koryn dressed I had to ask what she was- Amy loves to tell the story, but I said, "What is she a tomato?" in a bit of a monotone voice. Nick says, "No she's a chili pepper." "Oh a chili pepper!" I say in a much more excited voice. Amy, "Oh so if she is a tomato she's not cute anymore, but a chili pepper- oooo." You have to understand that right now I have been craving peppers and spicy foods. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner were all made with pepper in Salone- so I miss it and here she is as a pepper. (notice her toes going into a little point)
I love these two and am grateful to be able to spend more time with them as they come up for deer season opener next weekend. I will not be hunting, so maybe I'll have to be on duty with the kids. (that is if Grandpa Mark doesn't have me signed up for duty in the meat shop)

Friends with the Folmans

I met Jen and Ben my freshman year of college- in fact Ben started out as My best friend Pete Pfutzenreuter's roommate. Over the years Ben and Jen went from being friends to boyfriend and girlfriend one summer- engaged the next- married the next- and parents the fourth summer. My mom reminded me last weekend that in fact Ben was my first husband. I was honored to be Jen's maid of honor but when Ben's Army newsletter came out they had mistakenly read the marriage license (which I had signed as a WITNESS- not BRIDE) and wrote "Congratulations to Ben Folman and Christine Shermer on their recent marriage." It was great while it lasted, but...

They now have two great kids- Sophia who is all girl- rings, crowns, princess dresses, high heel shoes- the works; while Caleb is all boy- (notice the face), cars and trucks, pounding on things, climbing, jumping and of course break dances. I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with them this Friday. The kids are constantly growing and changing but it was great to have them both remember me and come up with some great games for us to play together. (how many rings am I holding along with my crown and push as many cars and trucks off the table as you can) Hopefully we'll play those games again soon.

My "Nephew" Jackson

Holly has always been the fourth Shermer girl. In fact all growing up she fought more with Nick than I did, but for some reason I would always get yelled at for it. We too fought like sisters at times and couldn't get enough time together. Whenever there was a snow day from school- you know meaning no travel suggested on the roads, our moms would figure out how to bring one of us to the others house so we could get snowed in together. We have some great memories and are now making even more. One of the hard parts of being so far away in Sierra Leone was missing the birth of Holly and Aaron's son Jackson. My mom and Amy were able to go see him in the hospital though and send me photos, however I needed to go meet him for myself shortly after getting home.

Holly and Jackson
He truly is the best baby- so easy going and really does like to smile, that is until the camera comes out. Then it is always this wide-eyed look you see here. Jackson was born about than two weeks after my niece Koryn was born but was bigger than her the day he arrived and has continued to make her look like small.
I was able to stay for tacos with Holly and Aaron and just spend some time catching up. I love that they are not too far away and hope to get down there again sometime soon.