War Widows For Christ

I had the chance to visit a few ladies at the War Widow's Camp yesterday. This group consists of 86 women, their children and an orphanage that houses 26 kids (one severly handicapped). The organization was formed after the civil war and has continued to grow. It is common in Sierra Leone for people with similar concerns to band together. It gives them the opportunity to petition the government for assistance. Their leader showed me their gardens in Grafton which are made up of 12 acres, and they have access to 50 acres near Waterloo several miles away (they have to travel by poda poda (taxi/van service)). Although the women work hard, they barely have enough to feed the camp. A part of the project we will help with will provide a high yield seed for better crops. They will also be given food supplements for several months to help get them over the hump until crops come in.

The picture above shows one of the ways the women are learning new skills to help provide additional income for the group. A couple of ladies from Arlington came in October and taught them how to quilt American style, but with African fabrics. They picked it right up and have made some beautiful things. They work in a downstairs area of our apartment building with tables that have been set up for the women to come 4 mornings each week. The items they are producing are very out of the ordinary here in Sierra Leone, and we hope they will draw interest in the local market.

Please be in prayer for the War Widows. While founded by a Christian woman, about half are Muslim. The chaplain for the Hope Center has started a Wednesday afternoon Bible study. We trust that God's Word will not return void!

Pa' Hassan...Our Day Guard (Mon-Sat)

Looking at Hassan's gardens in the backyard of the apartment.

Gabe & Sada

Words can't describe what Gabe and Sada already mean to us. They have been a part of the Restore Hope Project as far back as January 2009 when Gabe came to Sierra Leone with an advance team. They moved here in April '09, and have been instrumental in planning and development. They've been a part of the construction of the Hope Center, and today the dental clinic officially opened! Gabe saw his first patients TODAY!! When I think of the hard work they have done, which has made our adjustment so easy, I can only praise the Lord!!

View From Kitchen Window

The kitchen window is fast becoming my favortie place in the house. The view is spectacular! Mountains as far as you can see in either direction. Hassan, our day guard, likes to keep busy, so he has done all the work in the flower beds and gardens inside the security wall. We love Pa' Hassan already!

Apartment Kitchen

As mentioned in the update below, the apartment is furnished and stocked with kitchen necessities. We are blessed!

Apartment Living Room

One of our daughters requested photos of our apartment so she can picture us about our daily routine.

Sierra Leone Update 11.15.2010

Day by day, we are settling into our new home…Sierra Leone. We’ve been blessed by Gabe and Sada Herrera as they have cared for us and helped us get familiar with our surroundings, permits, banking, grocery shopping, etc… Everything takes time here. On Friday we went into the city and I later counted 7 different places we visited just to buy groceries. THERE ARE NO WALMARTS HERE! Small stores and street stands sell specific things, not a variety, so numerous stops are necessary. Today we marked 2 more significant things off the list, and Tom went to several shops for plumbing supplies. Once again, there is no one-stop shopping for building materials.

We’ve met most of the people we will be working alongside at the HOPE CENTER and look forward to getting all the loose ends tied up so we can dive into the action. We also can’t wait to visit old friends that we’ve met over the last three years at Hosetta School and other organizations, as well as Alison Marsh of Mission Direct.

Our apartment is very nice. FBC Arlington has sent crates over the last 18 months with supplies for the Center and clinic, and furnishings for three apartments. We are quite comfortable and have more than we need. The kitchen is stocked with dishes, pots & pans, etc…and there is even a refrigerator. A generator is run from 7pm till 7am, so if we avoid opening the frig door during the day things stay plenty cold and we can buy food for several days as opposed to daily for perishables. We have a water filer that cleans the tap water, but we also keep bottled for when we go out.

We’ll close for now, but please know that we thank you for your prayers and support! Without YOU none of this would be possible!! It’s all for the Kingdom!