School Children Singing to Us at Pujahun Clinic

Readjusting to Home Sweet Home

My last post was written when I was on the plane headed towards Washington DC.  I still remember the excitement I felt when we landed back in the U.S.  I was tired of sitting in an airplane and my knees ached.  Our first flight from Sierra Leone to Brussels had taken almost 7 hours. We had a six hour layover in Brussels before our next eight hour flight from Brussels to Washington DC. I don't sleep well on planes, never being able to get comfortable.  Some team members did sleep.  Rebecca covered her body from head to toe with airplane blankets and she slept alot. Several of us watched movies, a few read, and Carol drew. She finished several drawings, including one for me. She is so talented.

Rebecca and I started singing "America" as we prepared for the landing at Dulles Airport.  I felt so fortunate to have been born and lived almost 60 years in the U.S.  I had no idea of how hard it was going to be to readjust--how my experience in Sierra Leone had changed me so much.  I didn't realize that living in such a different culture for six days could affect my life so profoundly. Since returning I have had to find a way to bridge my culture with the one I recently left.  For the past five days, I have felt like I was straddling a huge chasm with one leg in Sierra Leone and one in Paris, Tennessee. More on that a little later.

After landing in Dulles Airport, we went through Customs, picked up our luggage (except for one bag of Carol's which had not arrived), and proceeded through security.  We continued on to our departure gate and waited for our final flight to Nashville.  Due to maintenance, we were almost one hour late in leaving.  We were all getting tired and anxious to get home.  We had family or friends already in route to the airport and wanted to meet them as soon as possible.  We were late but did make it to Nashville by 7 P.M.  We grabbed one final picture of the team and then headed to baggage claim and reunions with family and friends. Everyone but Carol picked up their luggage and she went to the United Airlines office to file a report for her missing bag.  Her bag was found and delivered on Monday.

I was thrilled to see John and reconnect.  I wanted to hear all about home and what he had done while I was gone.  I made it most of the way home before fatigue consumed me.  I was thankful that John had brought a pillow and blanket.  I fell asleep before arriving home and then made my way into the house.  I remember very little about coming into the house except noticing that my house looked so clean and orderly.  I went straight to bed and didn't wake up until 8:15 AM.  I meant to go to church and Sunday School but I didn't awaken in time.  I relaxed much of the day except for unpacking, bathing, and talking to my children.  We drove around town later in the afternoon so I could feel back in touch with my hometown.  I uploaded some of my pictures to the blog and talked to John about my experiences in Sierra Leone.  I began to realize how hard it was going to be to explain how different I see the world right now. We met out-of-town company Sunday evening for dinner and I had a hard time deciding what to share about my trip.

I decided to go on to Memphis on Monday to see my grandchildren, son, and daughter-in-law.  I typically go to Memphis weekly and I was eager to get back to my routine.  I also missed my babes and wanted to tell them all about my experience.  However, I was really tired and fairly "zoned out."  It may take me a few days to get over the jet lag but in the meantime, I'll drink more coffee and hot tea.  I went to my granddaughters' Montessori school and read a story to the children like I have done for the past 7 months.  I loved seeing those beautiful little faces.  I thought back to the faces of so many precious children I had encountered in Sierra Leone and how similar, yet different, these two groups of children are.  I couldn't wait to sit down and tell my grandchildren all about my trip.  I expected them to be much more interested than they were.  I have so much I want to share with people at home but I can tell that there is a limit to what people really want to hear and can comprehend.  Often, people seem to feel sorry for the children (and adults) in Sierra Leone and I find myself defending them and trying to correct people's view of them.  There are so many stereotypes of people who live in Africa.  In addition, I get irritated when people talk about people in Africa as if they are all the same.  Africa is a huge continent, not a country.  I feel frustrated when I see the huge focus in our culture on consumerism, realizing how little of it matters.  I struggle with all the waste I see around me.  Yikes!!!  Time to stop and pray that God will help me be patient, loving, and at peace. . . breathe too . . . okay, I'm better but will close for now, save this draft, and finish this post tomorrow or the next day.

I'm back.  It's Thursday morning and I am feeling more settled and rested. I returned from Memphis Tuesday in time to teach my evening belly dance class and I enjoyed being with them. I uploaded more pictures yesterday, went to see some friends and my mother-in-law, purchased a gift for an upcoming wedding shower, and cooked dinner.  I got a good night's rest and am now ready to go for a run in a few minutes.  All is wonderful in my life.  I appreciate all my blessings that I do not deserve.  The Bible teaches me that "To whom much is given, much is expected."  I am ready to live each day to the fullest, giving to others, loving them, and embracing/cherishing all that I gained from my time in Sierra Leone.

As I always tell my grandson when he goes to school, "make it a good day."  This is the day the Lord hath made. Rejoice and be glad in it." That's just what I'm going to do.

Jane  

Clinic 5: Our Departure from Njala, the Final Mobile Clinic and the Adventure Back to Freetown

After breakfast, a devotion and prayer, and providing medicine to several people who came to campus to be treated, we began sorting our medicines and supplies.  We were scheduled to go to one final village where we were told there would be about 30 children to be seen and treated.  We knew that 30 was a low estimate so we packed what we thought we would need to treat twice that number.  We prepared separate suitcases and boxes of leftover medications and supplies to be delivered to the Njala Hospital, Taiama clinic, and the hospital in Bo.  We loaded everything, including our personal luggage, said our goodbyes to the guesthouse staff, and left campus.  

Our first stop was Njala Hospital.  While there, we saw boxes of Tom’s shoes stacked in one room.  We were excited to know that the shoes really do make their way to areas of immense need.   A few days earlier, in Gola, we saw a group of children wearing their Tom’s.  These shoes will help protect their feet. Our hearts were lifted.  Americans who purchase these shoes are helping the children we have actually met.  

Our next stop was in Taiama to check on Baby Kenneth and to drop off medicines and supplies to the clinic.  Baby Kenneth was doing so much better—no fever, better skin tone, and more normal breathing.  I loved hearing his strong cry where there had been no sound the previous day.  The team's diligence and answered prayer had saved this infant.  We sang “Amazing Grace” before leaving.

Back on the bus, we headed for a nearby primary school to give them two soccer balls with pumps.  I was excited to see a classroom during the time we were there.  While very barren and drab, the space was orderly.  I learned that the schools are very disciplined and minimal creativity is allowed.  I wished there had been more time to talk to the teacher so I could have learned more.  The children were outdoors taking a break from a full day of exams that would determine if they would be able to move on to the secondary school.  A few children were pumping water, some were resting in the shade on the steps, and others were playing in the hot sun.

Within a few minutes, we boarded the bus bound for our final clinic in the village of Kawella.  When the bus stopped, we quickly surveyed the area trying to determine where the clinic was to be set up.  We saw a small group of people gathered in one space under one fairly large tree.  There was a bamboo bench in one corner and the “studs” for a second bench not yet constructed.  We wondered if that was to be our final clinic and were not surprised to find out that it was.  Pastor Francis managed to find two small wooden tables (very dusty and not really conducive to measuring out medications) that were quickly transformed into the pharmacy.  


In almost no time, we had many prescriptions to fill.  In addition, the small gathering of people multiplied quickly. We later learned that the word spread quickly through the jungle that we were in Kawella and people from three other villages—Kondorbothun, Sembehun, and Foya--had hurriedly walked to the clinic so their children could be seen.  As the number of moms and children increased, inversely, the availability of medications decreased.  I think the mothers sensed we were starting to run short and they began to come closer desperate to have their children examined by Dr. Debi and Tonya.  For the first time on this trip, my heart rate increased and I felt some anxiety.  There were so many people and they were closing in.  I wasn’t sure how many children we had seen but I knew I had gotten on the bus several times to get more medicines until all that was left were antibiotics.  The team met to pray and decide what to do.  The outcome: see only one children from each family and distribute worm medication, malaria, fever (until the medicine was gone) and give out vitamins until there was no more.  Ultimately, the clinic closed after a little over two hours and we had seen 129 children—a little more than the 30 we were told would come (lol) and more than double the number we planned for (50-60).  What did we come away with?? There is so much need.  God was sending us a message…we must return as soon as we can so we can do more.  While most of our team wants to return next year, maybe we can add more health professionals-a dentist(s) and optometrist(s).   There is so much people in Paris can do to be a part of this mission without leaving the country.  I pray that God will prick the hearts of every reader of this blog and each person will begin to ponder what s/he can do to help.

We returned one last time to Njala Hospital to drop off the remainder of our medicines and supplies.  They were most appreciative.  Then, we began the 3-1/2 hour back to Freetown where we would spend our final night before departing Sierra Leone.   The journey turned out to take over 6 hours.  First, the bus overheated and we rapidly exited the bus to allow time for the radiator to cool enough so fluid could be added.  We enjoyed visiting with about 15-20 children and their parents during the unplanned stop.  That stop turned out NOT to be our last.  We were stopped at a checkpoint where the guards wanted all of us to exit and go to an office to present our official ID cards which none of had since we were traveling on visas.  Ju and Suliaman insisted that we could not be made to exit the bus and at last, they let us move on. 

We continued on a well-paved, two-lane highway for a short distance until interrupted by a loud sound—a back tire had blown out.  The driver and Ju began speaking in Mende and although I had no idea what was being said, I could tell that Ju was not pleased with what the driver was reporting.  I knew we had a spare tire because the previous day it had fallen out off the back of the bus and the driver’s assistant had jumped off the bus and gone running after it.  The problem: there was no jack on the bus and we were not close to a village large enough to have one.  We had no choice but to proceed slowly hoping to locate a jack.  


About eight miles down the road, we stopped and were fortunate to find one.  So. here we were: seven white women and one white man with one Sierra Leone woman and a few Leonian men.  Although Robert probably felt concerned, I don’t think any of the women, me included, were anxious.  Instead, we enjoyed the “cookies” they were selling and I drank coconut juice directly from the coconut that a man with a machete carved for me.  Later, he also extracted the fresh coconut—yum yum.  Rebecca climbed a tree and Laura visited with the children and Suliaman stayed with her and photographed.   I was amazed at how quickly the tire was changed and in just a short time, we waved goodbye and headed on.

We finally made it to Freetown where we moved extremely slow due to the heavy traffic.  There are no traffic lights in this huge city and I only saw one stop sign.  There is a lot of horn-honking as motorbikes, taxis, cars, large and small trucks, and buses travel on a road barely wide enough for two vehicles. Most of the buses and vans are loaded with twice the number of people that the vehicle should hold.  I even saw four people in the front seat, with the driver sharing his space.  The motorbikes find a way to drive down the center of the street as well as on each side.  There is minimal shoulder before you encounter huge numbers of pedestrians and booth after booth where town people are selling their goods and services.  Wow!  I could never live in a city of this size and set up.  It is impossible to describe.  Seeing and smelling (since the air is filled with diesel fuel exhaust) is believing—it’s wild and it seems to go on and on and on.   I couldn’t believe that we didn’t see a single accident. 

After almost two hours, we made it across the city to the beach and our hotel, Family Kingdom.  I found out that this was actually the third reservation made for this final night in Freetown.  We had originally planned to stay in the same place (Tai Resort) we stayed on our first night in the country. However, they had doubled the price of our rooms from the first night and we cancelled the reservation as a result.  Robert and Ju found another hotel but earlier today when they called to confirm the reservations, they discovered something had gone wrong and we had no reservations.  That hotel suggested the Family Kingdom which turned out to be a real blessing.  It was a nicer hotel than Tai Resort and the proprietor gave us a great deal. Although it was dark and not visible, I knew the beach was across the street.  Interestingly, when we entered the country, we were officially here as tourists who wanted to see the beaches.  I haven’t yet seen the beach but plan to in the morning.   We came to Freetown after dark and returned tonight after dark.

After taking our luggage to the room, we went to the restaurant. It was 10 P.M. and we were very hungry.  We finished eating around 11:30 and dragged ourselves to our room—dirty, sweaty, exhausted, and ready for a hot shower, a little air conditioning, and a comfortable bed.

What a way to end our time in Sierra Leone!  Flexibility and adaptability are paramount when traveling in this country.  There has not been a single boring moment—you never know what will happen next.  I have loved the experience and will be ready to start saving to return next year.  I dread saying goodbye to Lucy, Suliman, and Ju.  I have come to love them so much.   Tomorrow we’ll eat breakfast and spend an hour in King Jimmy’s market so we can purchase a few gifts to take home.  We’ll eat lunch and then go to Aberdeen Bridge to catch the water taxi and make our way back across the bay to Lungi Airport.

I am ready to see John and be in familiar surrounding.  I can’t wait to see my grandchildren in Memphis and to talk with my grown children about this life-changing experience.  I know everyone will tire of my stories and I will do my best to refrain from sharing every tiny detail.  I have shared most everything within this blog except for the 1000+ pictures.  I look forward to organizing them into a slideshow presentation so anyone who is interested can come closer to Sierra Leone and hopefully, be touched enough to contribute in some way to future trips.

Jane    

Final Day in Freetown and Heading Home

After a wonderful breakfast in the hotel’s outdoor café, Carol and I took a walk around the hotel property.  Family Kingdom is a perfect name.  There are playgrounds, sports equipment, two pools, and a menagerie of live animals roaming the property.  We met the proprietor (he corrected us when we asked if he was the owner) and learned that he was originally from Dearborn, Michigan.  He is a Christian and explained that God owns the property and he oversees it.  Wow! I’ve never heard a hotel owner in the States say anything close to that.  When we checked out of the hotel, he had a staff member give us a bag in which he had placed a hematite necklace for each of us.  

As promised the night before, the bus pulled across the street and gave everyone a chance to go down to the ocean and put our feet in it.  I loved it but was surprised that no one was swimming in the ocean or even sitting on the shore.  I was disappointed that there were no shells but so happy that I got to walk in the water and along the shore for a few minutes.

From there, we made our way to King Jimmy’s market. The two-story building was huge and Carol, Lucy and I only shopped in a small portion of it.  Negotiating with each vendor is time consuming but expected.  In fact, it is considered rude to pay the initial price.  Nothing is actually priced so you have to ask.  There is one small booth after the other and many vendors selling the same items and competing for business.  Wow!  I would never have made it without Lucy.  I didn’t have time to shop for everything I planned on so I guess I will have to return next year.  I spent so little and came away with so much.

We returned to the bus and traveled back across town to eat our final meal at Family Kingdom.  Our waiter had on a gorgeous shirt and I complimented him on it.  I told Suliaman how much I liked it and he asked if I would be interested in buying it.  Carol told me long before I came to Sierra Leone that everything in Sierra Leone was for sale so I immediately responded with a resounding, “yes!” The next thing I knew, the waiter was removing his shirt, I was trying it on in the middle of the restaurant, I bought it, and gave the waiter the t-shirt I had been wearing just a few minutes earlier.  I can’t wait to wear it.  It will always be special to me partly because of how I obtained it. 

Time to return to America. We unloaded our luggage at Aberdeen Bridge and waited for the water taxi.  The 45-minute ride on the beautiful water gave me a chance to look back for the final time at Freetown.  I had seen the wealthier part of the city as well as what would be labeled as the “slums.”  I realized that Americans could come to this country and never see the reality of poverty and isolation of the villages outside the big city.  Yet, they could also miss the pride of these resilient, courageous, resourceful people who know the true meaning of community.  I feel like I have been to the birthplace of humanity and I am enriched or having doing so.  As James Taylor once sang, “I am going home by a different way.”  

We made it through every security checkpoint—7 from the entrance gate at the airport to the boarding of the plane.  Carol faced the hardest time of all of us—I guess her Bohemian look caused alarm.  She was questioned at every point more than the rest of our group but in the end, we boarded the plane and began our journey home.  After a 6-1/2 hour flight, we arrived in Brussels at 5 A.M. (local time) this morning (Saturday) where we had a 6-hour layover.  I hadn’t been able to sleep on the flight so I found a couch and took a two-hour nap.  Debbie Jelks awakened me and we proceeded through security with our carry-on luggage.  After a few more hours, we took off for Washington DC.  

As I sit here on the plane, I keep thinking back to the past nine days.  I have gained so much from the experience.  I know I will be more patient when I return home.  I know I will want less, realizing that things do not make me happy.  I will also enjoy and appreciate some small things so much more--like ICE.  On the plane, I asked for water but also a cup of ice.  I have decided that any beverage is better when it is ice cold.  It doesn't take much to make me happy--just a cup of ice.  

Since my computer is almost dead, I will share more of my thoughts in my next post.

Until then, take care…

jane       

Clinic 3 in Gola and Getting a New Adopted Granddaughter

The day started off with like yesterday with a few people waiting for Debi outside the canteen a little after 7 AM.  She took care of everyone and we got medicine for each one.  After breakfast, Rebecca offered the devotion and then we packed up again planning to go to Gola in the morning and Bo in the afternoon.  However, flexibility is so important on this trip.  For example, we know that we are supposed to have power from 7-9 AM and then again from 7 PM-1 AM but some days that doesn’t happen.  Water should be available 24 hours each day but I got to take my first “bucket bath” on this evening.  Then, of course, we must not forget transportation. Most trips via the bus involve at least one stop for water to put in the radiator.  And then there are hikes to our clinics that are only a tenth of a mile, give or take 2 -3 miles.  Speaking of clinics, flexibility is imperative.  While all of them lack the creature comforts Americans are accustomed to, no two spaces are the same.  Each clinic begins with deciding how to work within the constraints.  However, I really love the challenge.  The only difficult thing for me is rushing to open because moms and children have been waiting so long.  In the end, God works it all out. Also, there are clinics that are expected to last a few hours but go longer because there are so many sick children and adults.

On this day, Debi had been asked to see the President of Njala to prescribe medicine to help him.  We all ended up going in and were there much longer than originally planned which meant we arrived late at Gola.  As before, the clinic was overflowing with babies, children, mothers, and grandmothers. We quickly set up the pharmacy and began measuring out medicines so we could get started.

The Chief welcomed us and the people were so kind and warm.  And the children…I cannot say enough about how special they are.   In addition to the children of Gola, mothers and grandmothers from the village of Mokaba walked their sick children almost 3 miles to be seen.  As we were about to get on the bus to leave after the 3-1/2 hr. clinic, I looked down and saw a young girl who obviously had a serious eye infection.  She had not been brought to the clinic but we were able to get her medicine before we departed.  About this same time, a father and a grandmother approached us with three sick children.  They had actually walked over two miles earlier in the day and returned home because they thought we were not coming. He got word that we were there so they walked back to the clinic. We treated his children before leaving.   It had been a good day thus far.  We treated about 130 children at this clinic and done what we could to help them.

Tom's Shoes really Do Make It to Africa & to Remote Villages

Our next stop was in Bo, the second largest town/city in Sierra Leone.  We picked up a few medicines from the pharmacy and got to see and play with the pharmacist’s beautiful, healthy, nine-month old girl names Amelia.  Next stop was a Catholic orphanage.  Even before exiting the bus, I met Doris, Sally, and Josephine.  Debbie Jelks had brought each child rosary beads.  We presented the director with two soccer balls. Tonya and Laura passed out beanie babies and toys that had been donated by good people in Paris.  We also passed out candy and sunglasses with UVA protection that were purchased with a $200 donation from a couple from Knoxville, Tennessee. We played with the children for a few minutes, showing them how to play the musical instruments and games they had been given.  Visiting and giving to this orphanage has become a tradition ever since one team “stumbled” upon it several years ago.  Fourteen-year-old Doris stayed close by my side during the time I was there.  I loved getting to talk to her.  She did not know how long she had lived at the orphanage but she told me that she liked it and did well in school.  She doesn’t know what she will do in the future or when she will have to leave the orphanage.  Before we left, she went to her room and got a photograph of herself in her school uniform.  On the back, she wrote “To my grandmother” and signed it.  She asked me to come back before I left but she accepted the fact that I would not be able to return. She did run beside the bus to open the gate for us and we held hands for a moment before saying farewell.  I wanted to bring her with me but, of course, I recognized that could not happen.  I said a little prayer hoping she will rise to be someone great, that her sweet little soul will be protected.  In just a few minutes, she touched my life. I will write her, hoping my letters reach her.

We returned to Bo and had a wonderful dinner at Doho’s.  I ate roasted goat for the first time and it was delicious.  I also tasted some of Tonya’s Keppe which is a spicy beef meatball.  I love being adventuresome and trying new foods.  I am glad that I liked both of them.

As we journeyed back to Njala, I gazed out of the window into the darkness—pitch black.  I could see absolutely nothing.  I know there were huts along the way and probably people sitting outside talking and closing out their day but I could see nothing.  We just traveled on past in the bus with the wind blowing on our faces.  I searched the skies for stars and the moon but the thick dust from the roads blocks out the starry skies that I am accustomed to seeing at home.  What a metaphor for how I have lived up until now—these people were invisible to me.  I wonder how many of the people in Sierra Leone have felt hopeless.  They know little about the outside world for they have never ventured past their village and maybe another one or two.   So much of their lives are spent just trying to survive.  They are such beautiful people; they deserve an easier life.  I am grateful that our team is here to “see” them and do what we can to help them.

We returned to the Njala and unloaded all the suitcases so Carol, Debbie J., & I could reorganize and restock them.  We are always in a rush to pack up and leave after a clinic concludes so everything often gets just thrown into different suitcases and boxes.  It took a few hours but tomorrow will be a good day. 

This was the night that we had no water so I got to take my first cold water, bucket bath.  Another adventure.  Finally, I am calling it a night.  The clock has already rolled over to the next day and the power is off so I must make my way to bed by flashlight.  Thanks be to God for a wonderful day and the opportunity to touch and help so many people.