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
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.
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