Hi from us in Freetown for the first time!
It is always interesting to see how after being in a new place for only a few days it can have so much packed in and so many new people and places that it feels like a lot, lot longer.
Day 3 here in Freetown and today we visited an Ebola centre that has now been allocated again as a hospital. It was so sad to see the special beds they had to make with holes in the middle because of the violent Diarrhea that is part of the awful disease. There are no new case in this area now thank God, but the stigma and feel of the hospital was very unusual like the mix of a ghost town and a concentration camp.
Today we also surveyed the topography (heights) of about 6 acres of the 20 that we are to build on with a new laser level. It is a great bit of equipment and we were able to tell that the land has a good shape and falls ready for the first drainage and sanitation phase. Thanks to all the team who concreted in all the data bars and measured out the sections of 50m.
Last night we had a telephone call saying that we might meet the president to give a quick talk about homeleone (no really) anyway it was changed at the last min and we went to see the Chief of staff instead. He was great, gave us 10 min’s to share about what we are doing, gave him a card and off we went with Sierra Leone’s Equivalent White House in the rear view mirror. Very Surreal for a Wednesday morning.
The day finished with a visit to a Vocational school that Nigel (director) has been helping periodically for many years. There are 600 students here and the first ones were Child soldiers from the war. These boys (now men) have a testimony that will make your Jaw drop, their testimony is that God has restored them and now they are running the home that took them in all those years ago in the name of Jesus. I met one of them today called William, he reminds me that no one is so far Messed up that God cannot heal over time.
Pas Moses with the kids
BACK TO THE UK
Sarah and I are very excited to be coming back in 3 weeks to serve the people with HOMELEONE in SL. We have been really touched by the kindness and warmth of the people and see the new plans being drawn up as a real improvement for thier lives.
Now to fill the container to get up and running.
ON WARDS AND UPWARDS.
JOE AND SARAH XX