Ow di day? (how is the day?)
What a crazy couple of weeks! We have been busy getting settled and David has been working on the site. He's happy:) and he's counting down the days until he has tools!
The house is coming together. Believe it or not, the shower with the sloping drain is a great idea! No pesky shower walls to clean, I can clean the shower and the bathroom floor while taking a shower! The sun beats down on the plastic pipe outside, the warm heats up and it's "almost" a warm shower. Haven't seen any spiders since our first night, word must have gotten out...our house is not safe for them:) Surprised we've seen no geckos in the house, number of lizards outside though.
David has been investigating all the little shops and villages surrounding us. He found a gentleman who is building us a few small tables, a chest of drawers and shelves for storage. The outdoor market in Waterloo (about 2-3 miles from us) has a mish mosh of everything. We may not be able to find all the food stuffs we want, but we would never have to go without underwear! Fresh bread, which is one of my weaknesses, is everywhere...I love it! Lettuce is very hard to find here and purchased by the leaf. Banana leaves are great for baking and help seal flavors in the food. ( I see a vegetable garden and some laying hens in my future). Brightly colored chitenge fabric (as in Zambia) is seen everywhere. Women here also use it to keep their children close but do not tie it over their shoulder. They tightly wrap it around their chest and waist.
We have added two new members to the family... Tillie, a cute white kitten with gray markings. She's still pretty skiddish and spends most of her time living behind the stove. Yesterday David got a cute black puppy with brown markings. Named him Walt, after a "whiny" friend of ours (we love you Walt, oops sorry Harv). We put both of them in a box together and they were cuddling for a bit. Hopefully they will both settle down. Last night we woke to find Tillie yowling while running up and down the screen on the window trying to escape while Walt whined and howled. Did I say I missed having pets:)
We have "some" internet service, USB modems through a company in Freetown and Africell phone/internet service. Unfortunately, our house appears to be in a dead spot so we are trying to work around that. Reminds me of our church camp in upper Michigan, need to stand in just the right place to get reception. If we get in the truck and drive down the road we can pick up fairly decent service. Think of the days of dial up.... but slower. But we are grateful we have any at all.
I had forgotten the "joy" of washing clothes by hand. I find myself daydreaming of the laundromat. David bought me a washboard but it did not come with instructions and trust me, they are not as easy to use as one might think...and I have the banged up fingers to prove it:) The land consists of lots of red clay and that makes for laundry nightmares. A family from our home church donated money for us to purchase a washer and we PRAY that it makes it through customs!
We successfully found our way from Newton to Freetown and back on Friday. During our first visit in June we purchased a map which proved useful in helping me navigate while David participated in a lively game of "dodgem cars/vehicles". All those years of professional driving are put to such good use. Our associates in Freetown claimed we were "brilliant" in our navigation:) We decided not to push our luck so once we arrived we had one of the First Step drivers take us around to many markets and stores while David followed the routes on a map. Next time I'm sure he'll try driving it. The streets are so narrow that in order to pass many of the street vendors actually have to move "their stores" in order to make room for a vehicle. Many of the actual store buildings are owned by Nigerians who stayed/returned after the war ended. They have reputations as tough merchants. I was in search of a Pyrex type baking dish/pan and when we finally found one the price was $45! Pricing is very inconsistent, David purchased a threaded 20ft length of steel pipe for only $10. Needless to say, I'll wait until customs releases the barrels.
The ship arrived last Thursday with our barrels and should be released sometime this week. Please pray all our items make it through customs! Today is a Muslim holiday so everything will be closed. It will take some time to learn all the holidays. So far.... the US is the only country we've seen that celebrates "Hallmark" holidays. The call to prayer is very different. Whenever you are in a village or town of any size, you will hear it. 6 am, noon, 2pm 6pm 7pm and 8pm. Close to 80% of the countrys' population are of Muslim faith
I've started walking in the mornings (to reduce the impact of all the bread). There is a small school about three quarters of a mile from our house and in the morning all the children make their way in bright orange dresses and shirts. So cute and so friendly! As in other countries, the initial greeting is made by me and that opens the door. After the first few days I have been joined by children and people on the roadside smiling and laughing while making jogging motions. Since they walk everywhere everyday I'm sure it may seem strange to see someone do it for "exercise" carrying nothing. The women are stunning. I notice it appears men here work helping perform family chores. In the mornings, alongside the road many people lay their rice out to dry in the sun. They tend it during the day and scoop it up in the evening.
While exploring the Newton/Waterloo markets we found a road that led to a small paradise. One of the most beautiful beaches we've ever seen, water not as blue as Caribbean but clean with gorgeous rock decorating parts of the coastline. On the way we saw a number of waterfalls with crisp clean water running, the country is beautifully lush and green.
These past few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster..up and down and up and down. We are glad we know it's "normal" from our last two placements but it's still a process. I was feeling very sad and lonely the other day until we drove by a futbol (soccer) field where amputees in wheelchairs and on crutches were in a hot and heavy game. What a humbling site, all of the sudden my issues seemed very superficial. They were having a great time and moving at quite a pace. What a blessing that God continues to teach and provide comfort to us in so many different ways. The last few weeks have found me in my bible more than usual and it's amazing what you find in there. He gives me just the right words... I opened up my favorite devotional the other day to find "Grow strong in the light of my presence. Your weakness does not repel me. On the contrary it attracts my power, which is always available to flow into a yielded heart. Do not condemn yourself for your constant need of help. Instead, come to me with your gaping neediness, let the light of my love fill you. A yielded heart does not whine or rebel when the going gets tough, it musters the courage to thank me even during hard times". How blessed are we for a roof over our heads, food and water. Making a gratitude list really puts things in perspective. We are missing our children and grandchildren but at the same time know that God has provided for all their essential needs too. His comfort is always available, all we need to do is seek it.
We do know that we are right where God wants us to be. His plans for our work here will continue to unfold and we pray to be open to his direction. Next week there will be a national investment forum being held in Freetown. Industrial leaders from a number of countries have been invited to attend and learn how they can establish business' here. There are many natural resources here and the government is working hard to improve the living standard of Sierra Leone people. Please pray that the forum proves fruitful.
Blessings,
David and Beth
PS The roosters in Sierra Leone don't know what time it is either:) (especially the ones outside our bedroom window)
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