Fancy Cooking Sierra Leone Style

There was a big meal after the graduation, so cooking began on Saturday!!!

 

 I helped roll very oily dough into balls for dough nuts!!

This reminded me of making truffles!!!

They were working together.

The food was Jalloph rice. It is a fancier version of rice and soup, but it has coconut extract in it!! It was very good, but spicy and oily.

The ladies used over 2 gallons of oil making all the food!!!:)

 

Leviticus 3:16c

...all the fat is the LORD's.

 

:)

 

Aimée

 

Snippets from Sierra Leone

 

Graduation Pictures

Getting Timo ready.

 Dennis with me

Me with Michael

 

Me with Moses

 

Alfred with me

Timo, me with baby Joseph, Johnboy

 

 

After Graduation!

That has been a common phrase around here for the last month. That time has now passed, and what a blessing it was to watch Alfred, Moses, Michael, and Dennis talk of the past four years and what it has meant to them. They have had many trials, and temptations that could have steered them off course, but they stuck it out and have finished. After watching how quickly excitement over a new “Event” rises and then plummets, I have great admiration for these four men that they kept going and did indeed finish!

Eight Cards

The Saturday prior to Graduation the Church ladies were beginning their food preparation so I wandered over to watch them cook. While watching the ladies at work I was enlisted by Yoseph and Elizabeth to play cards with them. They had a total of eight playing cards. (Two 7’s and 3’s and one each of a 10, 2, 8, and an Ace) For over half an hour I played cards, I did not have the foggiest idea of what I was doing, but they were pleased to tell me at the end of each round that they had won! It seems like a Sierra Leonean version of the card game war, but the cards were always stacked against the Oppatoo!

Thief!

 For my amusement, and that of the local kids, typically once a week, or more often when I am in a very good frame of mind, I try to go down to one or both of the Primary schools in town to read and play with the kids. There are usually kids hanging around the schools playing together so it makes it very easy to draw a crowd together.

  On this particular day, I was playing with some tennis ball sized balls. There were only a handful of kids and we were having a great time. The kids were in possession of the balls as I turned for a moment to speak with someone. When I returned my attention to the kids, I realized that not only was a yellow ball missing, but that the boy in the yellow flip-flops who had been playing with it was also missing. I soon figured out that the boy had stolen the ball and run! This was a first! In roughly nine months, I have never had any child steal a ball from me! They will beg me to give them a ball, or make hints, but I had never had anyone run off any of the balls. The fact that it has finally happened did not surprise me, but what did take me back a bit was the boy who had taken the ball.

I have only seen this boy a few times, at first I thought he could not speak, but soon learned otherwise. By looking at this boy, you can tell there is something not right with him. So it surprised me that it was this boy who had stolen a ball. I would expect if from the other rough and tumble, foolish boys, but never would have thought it of this boy!

I was thinking about later, that boy is all there, yet he still has a sin nature. He covets that which is not his and after he has stolen, knows to run and hide, then when discovered he tries to escape. That boy in his conscience knew that what he had done was wrong, yet he was not about to admit it!

Bible DVD’s

 The Holt’s had wanted to have a kid’s night once a month or so, to show some Bible story DVD’s and for one reason and then another that just has not worked out until recently.

Twice in the month of May, I was able to take my computer down to the Church and have the kids watch a DVD. We started with David and Goliath, because I had taught that recently in Sunday school and the kids were still talking about it.

This first time they had no idea what was going to happen, they just knew we were having a special Bible class. Before watching, we played a game of Pin the Rock on Goliath’s Forehead! They certainly enjoyed that game, and I had a great time watching them! Then I pulled out my computer to watch the DVD and their eyes became huge! I had never seen these kids sit so still for half an hour! The part they enjoyed the most was watching Goliath fall down, the next day in Sunday school the boys were copying how the DVD depicted Goliath falling to perfection!  

 

The children enjoy playing

"Put the Rock on Goliath."

(mom's note...

Aimee's Goliath looks a little like her brother Bear)

 

:)

A Verse

About a month ago, I found a note one of my brothers had stashed in my suitcase. I have no idea why it took me so long to find it, other than the fact that it was that day I needed to see it!

The note was merely a reference to a verse in 2 Chronicles 15:7 which says, “Be ye strong therefore, And let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”

 I needed that reminder to remain strong, doing what is right, not let my hands become weak from discouragement, or anything else that would hinder me from doing what is right. It is easy to become focused on the day-to-day life, the things of the world, so that the bigger picture (Eternity) is temporarily forgotten!

“For your work shall be rewarded” what better reward than to see the Saviour face-to-face, the one who died in my place, because of His great Mercy and Grace! What a day that will be!!

 

 

 

 

 

 Pekin, Pekin everywhere!

 

 

 

Aimée (Nyadavo) 

Psalm 113:3

From the rising of the sun

unto the going down of the same

the LORD's name is to be praised.

 

 

 

 

At Home in Africa

Here are some recent pictures of Aimée doing things in Africa

that we are used to seeing her do here at home.

Weed eating....

She spent 10 years working with her brother....

She knows how to handle lawn equipment....

(wearing a Tshirt from her favorite BBQ place....

Louis' BBQ)

She was tickled to put her weed eating skills to work in Africa.

Aimée has always enjoyed a bike ride at home...

She enjoyed a ride on Johnboy's bike in Africa!

 

We love to see that smile,

whether it is here at home,

or in a picture from Africa!

 

EOPD

;)

 

 

Colossians 3:23-24

And whatsoever ye do,

do it heartily,

as to the Lord,

and not unto men;

Knowing that of the Lord

ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance:

for ye serve the Lord Christ.

 

Evangelism Excursions

 

Between the end of November and the middle of January four areas of Sierra Leone were visited for Evangelism. (Kenema, Lunsar, Freetown, Foya and the surrounding villages) Each stop we made was a blessing and Bro. Stephen thought it would be good to visit some of those areas again. In April, we visited Foya and Lunsar, and the first week of May, we headed out to Kenema. It would be impossible to give all the details about those trips, so below are some highlights from those Evangelism Excursions!

Foya and beyond

  On this excursion to Foya Bro. Stephen chose to drive the truck up a very rough and rocky hill. We were able to drive up in one hour, which happens to be the same amount of time it takes to walk the hill. In fact, there was a woman at the bottom of the hill who asked us for a ride, she was refused due to the lack of room, but she made it into Foya walking in the same amount of time it took us to drive in!

During our three-day stay, we visited 3 villages that we were not able to visit last time. They were Kangahun, Njaubla and Keima.

    In the village of Kangahun, Bro. Stephen was presenting the Gospel and answering questions. While he was engaged in that, I was taking pictures and entertaining some kids. There was one boy, his name was Foday, he knew I did not speak Mende, but he would rattle away at me in Mende and then expect me to answer. I would just laugh at him. His is one of those faces that I do not think I will ever forget!

    There is always plenty of time waiting to find out what we are supposed to do next around here! One day I got bored waiting, so I fished a rubber ball out of my bag and proceeded to play with the ever present throng of kids. (I now perfectly understand the meaning of the word thronged - Mark 5:24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.) Typically, when I play ball with the kids we play in a field, but on this day a field was not available so the middle of the village had to work. The older spectators enjoyed watching, even when the kids raced into the cooking and working areas to chase the ball.

  On the 2^nd day of our excursion, we walked to some outlying villages. Two things really stand out in my mind from that day.

1.      I was teamed up with Michael and David and we visited the village of Kemia. In this village, we introduced ourselves and explained why we were there. When we were finished an older man spoke up, he said, “Jesus saved me from my sins.” That was amazing to hear. You must understand that people usually say they “have the faith” or something similar. This was the first time I had heard anyone mention Jesus, Saved and Sin in the same Sentence!

2.      There is nothing spiritual at all about this second thing, but I thought it was neat. While going from one village to another, we came upon the river! This part of the river was narrow, but quite deep and the local people have made a ferry to go across. The ferry consists of six ten foot boards lashed together. Spanning the river overhead is a rope. You board the um, boards, one person pulls on the rope and you begin across. However while you are in mid-river the person pulling swings the ferry 360 degrees then lands you on the other side! That was fun!

 

We were in Foya on a Sunday and I was able to teach a Bible class, with Michael as my assistant! Most of the older kids understood “My” Krio, but after I finished teaching Michael reviewed in Mende.  There were probably 40-50 kids in attendance, I had a great time and they seemed to as well!

Lunsar

   If you have ever been on a missions trip you understand all about “downtime”, if not you will just have to take my word for it that downtime can be very funny! And such was the case on this trip to Lunsar. Alfred, Moses, Michael and John (Aka the Baomahun Boys) were the members of the crew this trip and with those four together anything can happen. Such as a good-natured argument over biscuits! Which lasted for 2 days and long after the biscuits were gone! But also during our downtime one morning the guys grabbed the hymnbooks out of the truck and we spent a long time just singing hymns!! It was a blessing!

   Lunsar is dominated by the Muslims and the Catholics, during our time on the street many people would say they were Christian, but when asked what Church they attended they said the Catholic Church. Lunsar is in Temne territory and there is a wide difference in thought between the Temne and the Mende. We were able to have some very good and lengthy conversations with people in this city.

   Michael and I teamed up with Abraham and Margret, two young people from the Church in Lunsar. Sadly, they do not know much, but they took instruction from Michael well and seemed to learn some things. They went out with us one afternoon and I was pleasantly surprised with they returned the next day to go on evangelism with us again!!

                     

 

Kenema

  We spent 3 days in Kenema doing Evangelism each day and having services at night!

  On this trip, I was paired with Alfred and I was able to hear him preach. Our first afternoon on the streets of Kenema, Alfred and I begin talking with this man at his store. He is a Muslim but in looking for eternal life has investigated many religions. This man has more of the Bible memorized than I do and he is a Muslim! I was ashamed that I do not know more scripture! Alfred and I talked with this man for almost 2 hours, occasionally Alfred would look at me and just smile because we both knew the guy was wrong in his thoughts, but would not admit it! It is amazing to listen to Alfred talk, he knows the Bible well, in fact, he would put some American Christians to shame!

  On our last day in Kenema, a man mentioned to Alfred that we should so to the Prison and Evangelize there. We went but only to learn that the OC (Officer in Charge) was not there so we could not get permission to go in!

   I have heard about animalist behavior, but I have never really witnesses such behavior in people until this trip. Alfred and I, with a couple young men from the church, were passing out some Gospel of John booklets. Our intent was to only give them to people who could prove their ability to read. Good intentions do not work with a mob. The people see the “White girl” and suddenly people are swarming around me. Others see that the people are swarming so they join in the swarm with hands out stretched, in anything but a polite manner, grabbing for the booklets my hands contain. There is no room to move, no time to ask questions, no option but to quickly dispense what is in my hands so the crowd will leave! You will never have people in the States that eager to get a Gospel booklet, but in all honesty they were not that eager here. They saw “white” and thought, “I want.” They did not care if they were able to read what they grabbed, they just wanted it, Some even asked, “Where is mine?”  Then once my hands were empty, they turned full force on Alfred. Some already had a booklet in their hands, but they wanted more. I do not get mad often, but watching the people surrounding Alfred, not listening to what he is saying, but just sticking their hands in his face, that made me mad! It was an amazing scene to watch, but one I can do without partaking in again!

                                

We had a great time of Evangelism and fellowship during these three trips! Please pray that fruit would come from the many conversations that we had and the many tracts and booklets that were distributed!

Isaiah 55:9-11

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven,

and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud,

that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:

it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please,

and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 

 In Sierra Leone, West Africa,

Aimée

April Happenings

 

April was a busy month revisiting the areas we have done evangelism in previously! (That will be the topic for next time.)

 

   While there is much to keep me busy here, thankfully there is some down time. The Holt’s have quite a collection of books! Being a bookworm, I have enjoyed reading a multitude of their books, as well as others I have downloaded to my Nook. 

 

  I have read quite a variety of books, some Historical, missionary biographies, books regarding Sierra Leone; the war, diamond mining, etc. In the course of my reading, I have gathered a large number of quotes that I found to be interesting.

 

  So here  are just a few of the quotes that I enjoyed:

 

“Thank God for what you receive, thank God for what you do not receive; thank God for the sins you are delivered from; and thank God for the sins that you know nothing at all about, and are never tempted to commit.” (Mary Slessors’ Mother)

 

Mary Slessor's idea of the kind of woman most suited for Calabar – “….consecrated, affectionate women who are not afraid of work or of filth of any kind, moral and material….women who take everything to Jesus and there get strength to smile and persevere and pull on under any circumstance…surely such women are not out of our reach. There are thousands of them in our churches, and our home churches have no monopoly of privilege in choosing to keep them. Spare us a few. Induce them to come forward…help them to come forward.”

 

 “Africa is slow to change: the centuries roll over it, leaving scarcely a trace of their passing: the years come and go, and the people remain the same: all effort seems in vain.” (W.P. Livingstone) Written in the early 1900’s and still true in 2014

 

 “Don’t imagine that by crossing the sea and landing on a foreign shore and learning foreign lingo you ‘burst the bonds of outer sin and hatch yourself a cherubim.’” (Amy Carmichael)

 

 “Here I stand…I can do no other.” (Martin Luther)

 

“We must lose things to know the value of them. It is a dry well which makes people know the value of water.”

 

“Many are going about saying what they are doing for God; but who can tell what He is doing for them?”

 

“Dead fish go with the stream, living ones against it.”

 

“Children take more notice of what their parents do than what they say.”

 

“He was pierced by the nails and by the spear; by the nails to effect his death, by the spear to prove it; both of these, the exhibitions of man’s hatred, before and after death.”

 

“God has given man a book for a standard, not that he may speculate, but that he may not speculate, but believe.”

 

“The sea feels not the abstraction of a drop, nor the sun of a ray; the monarch of a mighty empire does not feel the departure of one subject, but God feels and mourns over the revolt and alienation of one sinner.”

 

“Pile in one mass the countless dead, from Abel to this hour, and ask, Who slew all these? The clear reply is, Sin.”

 

“Your best deserves Hell’s depths.”

 

“Sin must be known, before the grace of God can be prized.”

 

“The Law says DO, grace says DONE; the law says do and live, grace says live and do; the Gospel says to the sinner, “Come,” it says to the Christian, “GO.” (D.L. Moody)

 

“The reason why many get so little out of their Bible reading is simply because they are not willing to think.”

 

Only One Life

By Wilmoth A. Farmer

 

Only one life have I to live upon this earth below;

Only one chance to show to Christ, the love I to Him owe.

 

What if this little life of mine, which Christ so dearly bought

Is lived in sordid selfishness for vanity and naught?

What if it fails to realize the plans divinely laid,

By substituting those of friends, of schemes, which self has made?

 

What fruit can such a life produce, but bitter tears and grief?
The harvest of an ill-sown life for which there’s no relief.

 

But if in God’s appointed way and filled with light divine,

Some darkened spot of earth may see the Christ within me shine;

‘Twere not in vain to thus have lived and suffered toil and pain;

For though I pass from earth away, my life will yet remain.

 

Remain forever in the lives transformed by saving grace,

Because my life was lived for God, and in God’s time and place.

So God and conscience bid me rise, and with a purpose true,

Live for Christ my very best, doing all that I can do.

 

What praise and glory at the day, when shining as the sun,

I hear Him saying unto me, “Well done, thou faithful one!”

Aimée

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Psalm 8:1 (KJV)

A Girl's life in Sierra Leone

The Bible says in James 4:4, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”  My time in Sierra Leone is quite quickly vanishing away!

   There are things I would like to tell you about the life of the young girl’s here in Baomahun.

First, you must think about those things you take for granted each day.

·         Running water

·         Electric lights

·         A bedroom

·         A bathroom

·         Toys

·         Clothes

·         Books 

·         Parents that care for you.

  Running water - Each morning to wash your hands you move the handle on a faucet and water comes out, you turn the handle after supper to wash the dishes. You do not even think about it, it is a habit. The girls in Baomahun do not have that luxury! From my window, I can watch a steady stream of girls walk back and forth from a well, making numerous trips to get water. The well these girls use requires them to drop a bucket deep into the well and then haul it back up filled with water. Then they must carry a large bucket back to their home on their heads and they rarely spill a drop of water!  That is a lot of work. Here is what you should do. Find a 5-gallon bucket, just fill it half full with water, then you try to carry it and see how far you make it! They are strong little girls.

Electric lights – You wake up early one Sunday morning to get ready for Church, but your room is dark, you cannot see to find your shoes. What do you do? Turn on the light switch, of course. I have not seen a light switch in any of the houses I have visited here. In the school houses there are no lights. There is no flip of the switch to turn on the lights that enable you to see. No lights so you can read before you go to sleep. Not here! There are flashlights, but I do not see the children getting to use them.

Bedroom – Some of you might have your own room or you might share one, but I am confident you do not share your room with everyone in your family! Most houses have one room, shared by all the members of the family and any visitors that stop by! Most of the time the people do their work and cooking on their veranda (sometimes cooking is done in a hut type structure, that is shared with the neighbors) and the small inside area is reserved only for sleeping.

Bathroom – Let me keep this simple, there are no bathrooms in Baomahun like you have in the states! There are latrines, outhouse, but they are seldom used by the children. If you want to get clean, you either walk down to the river, or use a bucket of water in the front yard!

Toys – You might have a computer, a hand held gaming system, dolls, board games, and whatever else girls play with in the states!! Here, they can play football (Soccer) from dawn till setting sun and not get tired of it. (I have actually been invited to play football, but that is another story) Or they play with sticks and bottle caps to see who can knock their cap the farthest. One of my favorite toys they make is taking a thin branch, then sticking a long leaf through the center and running to make it spin. Almost like a pinwheel. I have also seen small plastic bottles made into cars. They have so much fun with the simplest of things!

                              Bottle car

Clothes – Every girl likes clothes, some not as much as others do, but you all like them. Try having only two sets of clothes and maybe one pair of shoes! Would you be able to still smile and be happy? Granted these girls have never seen the things that American girls have. They do not realize that things are any different in America than they are here. Still they are content.

Books – Most of you have a Bible and others books to read at any time you want to. Not only do these girls not have access to books, even if they had them, most could not read them. Just recently, I met two girls, about 12 years old, who could actually read very well, but they did not understand what they were reading. They have the order of the letters memorized so they know the word, but they do not know what the word means. Many girls are not sent to school, they do not have the opportunity to learn to read to discover the wonders that are contained between the covers of a book. They cannot read God’s word for themselves. May I encourage you spend time reading. Most importantly spend time read God’s word.

Parents –Many times a Mother will have more children than she can provide for and so will send a child to live with a relative. The relative will care for that child, in exchange for having the child there to do the work that relative does not want to do. Often not only do the children not know who their father is, they do not even know how old they are!  There is very little love shown to these girls. Their fathers do not hug them, or their mothers tell them they are loved. They do not get to hear those words!

   The life of the children here in many respects is very hard, but especially for the girls. They must be tough to survive in a male dominated society. Just the other night I watched a girl wrestling with a boy who had annoyed her, and the girl by a clever maneuver landed the boy on his back and won. 

 

 

  There are things I have taken for granted, but have seen that not everyone lives as I have had the ability to live. I thank God for the things mentioned that He has allowed me to enjoy and pray that I will not take them for granted any more.

  I hope you enjoy hearing a little bit about a girl’s life in Baomahun, if you have any questions I would be more than happy to answer them.

Aimée (Nyadavo)

1 Chronicles 16:8

Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

 

 

People

Here is another people report! This time I have several people to mention!

 

 

First off is Mohamed Sillah and wife Beatrice. They are expecting their first child in the a few months.



  Mohamed is a 26 year old, former Muslim who praise God saw the truth and has been gloriously born again! He attends the Bible school, teaches Sunday School and does a fine job on evangelism. To provide for himself and his wife, he buys chromite from the local miners and then sells it in Bo or Freetown. Mohamed, along with 15 other people, including his wife, was recently baptized and he has decided to change his name. Mohamed desires to separate himself from his Muslim background, because he is walking in newness of life, and is choosing to now be called Michael. While I like his reason for changing his name, I will always think of him as Mohamed, and it will take some time to remember to call him Michael. He always has the biggest smile, and enjoys teasing the white girl!

    Beatrice is one of the sweetest ladies, quiet, but sweet. She works planting (Braids) hair from home and she plants a lot of hair. It is amazing to watch her fingers fly through the hair, and some of the designs she does are astounding! Hair is big business here, not only hair, but wigs as well! Beatrice is kept busy as most ladies do not wear the same style for more than a week!

 

Moses Menjor Family

A while back, I told about Alfred Menjor and his family, this time it is his older brother Moses’ turn.



   Moses is in his mid 30’s, he has some major health problems that often leave him not feeling well but he is a great evangelism partner! Moses and I are both very quiet, but when we work together, we do all right! Recently we have been going to a business where many people lounge about and have been able to have several good conversations.

  One such conversation was with two men Gino and Mohamed. Gino is a loud, rough looking fellow who lost his left arm in the war; he is also the proprietor of the business where we meet, while Mohamed is a quiet, more thoughtful young man. Both have questions regarding the Bible, Islam, etc. And between Moses and me, we have been able to answer all the ones they have sent our way!

   If you would please remember to pray for Mohamed, he knows that he is a sinner, but as to putting his trust in Christ, he is not quite ready to make that step!

Moses has been doing a great job talking with people who want to know more about the Church, and talking with men who are trying to start new Church in Baomahun, but who Moses says do not know their Bibles!! It was not that long ago Moses was just like those men, with little Bible understanding, but God has made such a difference in his life!

 

   Moses’ wife is Juliet and they have a little girl Esther, who is just over a year and a half old! Moses makes his money charging cell phones, Honda batteries among other things.

(I do not have picture of Juliet)

  So there are just a few more people from Baomahun!

Aimée