Hello from Freetown,
Sarah and I are Enjoying everything about this place. It is rugged, beautiful and crazy, the food is different to anything we have tasted before and the tummy’s are adjusting with the taste buds.
We are getting to know people and starting to make a few new friends and see the real character of the people.
There are dramas most days whether a crash on the road or a lightning storm in the sky. The people here shout at each other a lot, which at first seems harsh but then you just find its thier way of being and that they really care about one another. Its all about community here, when you are poor you really need each other so the sense of togetherness in the slum right next to us is like nothing I have seen in the world. Even tighter than Uganda.
We are very happy to be here and after 2 weeks we have visited a couple of churches, made 2 big holes, nearly 500 bricks, been to the beach, bought a bike to get around on and fixed a lorry.
A well known tool shop ? gave us 180 pairs of gloves and a load of shower heads for the container and We have got the new Stephill generator for the site in there too.
We are so happy to have Living seeds building across the road from us. They are building a social enterprise to train young people in Tailoring and sowing. They have a great guy called Tamba who has a lovely Spirit and is helping direct us with the team building and will possibly be following our lead on thier own construction of a new training centre. It is a great encouragement to have people of the same heart and mind so close to us at the site which is called Ma Browne area.
We will still be pushing for 10 000 bricks for November and start putting in the foundations for the chicken farm. This building will be our base for the construction of the first houses, then it will be transferred to its original intended purpose when we have more buildings up.
One little story to finish with:
We had Sunday lunch in an unfinished building this week which was pretty much street food of fish and rice or fish balls and rice. ( don’t go for the balls, trust me). Outside came what was at first 3 blind people led around by 3 small children begging for money (as is the way here if you are blind and cannot work). So Sarah said to get them some food, so we asked the lady if she could do 3 portions and send it out in one big bowl as we had the only table. So they all ate together and the kids shared and they also shared this massive bowl of fish and rice with another visually impaired person who turned up last moment.
You can do so much here with so little. I am telling this story because the bill to eat for all us 6 adults and 4 children was 25 000 Leones ….. or £ 3.12p, that’s 3 pounds and 12p!, there is great opportunity for you to be blessing in this world, to give a boost to people who really need it, and put a smile on the dial of a face you may never see.
Thanks for all you support and prayers
We love and miss you back home.
Joe and Sarah x
