Into Sierra Leone

A boat ride to Mogponguba Village

2009-02-11T10:35:00.013-05:00

(Above: Hiking through the Sierra Leone jungle to reach Mogponguba Village)(Written on July 12, 2008) -- Today we went hiking in the African jungle. Sorry, but I just like to say that. It was a trip for many purposes. Andy’s sponsored child lives in our place of destination – Mogponguba Village. COTN also has a nursery school there with about 100 students who all needed their photos taken for

What did we actually do?

2008-12-15T20:40:00.013-05:00

Our time in Sierra Leone went by so quickly – partly do to the fact that we were busy! Though some things Scott and I didn’t participate in fully since our goal was to lead the interns in ministry, we were able to be a part of everything that went on in some way. Here’s a look at what we did the first month … (Pictured above: Intern Mark Drennan playing games with the children in his village)

What it's like to come home ...

2008-09-05T16:49:00.012-04:00

(Above: A few of the many goodbye letters that we received from the children on our last night in Banta.)It’s been about two weeks since we boarded the plane in Sierra Leone to make the long journey home to the United States. Two weeks since we’ve taken bucket baths or slept with mosquito nets. Two weeks since we’ve wandered through the African jungle. Two weeks since we’ve greeted the Sierra

It's hot.

2008-08-19T21:40:00.000-04:00

The moment we stepped off the plane in Sierra Leone, Scott started sweating. He hasn’t stopped since. To put it mildly, it’s hot. Going outside kind of reminds me of walking on a freshly-paved, black parking lot around noon in the Florida summer. The sun just beats down and without air conditioning, a refrigerator or a fan, you’re forced to simply get used to it. So, we

NGolala Village

2008-08-19T21:23:00.002-04:00

It seemed fake – the first time we walked into the village of NGolala [pronounced Guala]. Because it was really that – a village in the middle of Sierra Leone, Africa. Just like photos I’ve seen and movies I’ve watched, here it was right before our eyes and all around us. Across a road, down a narrow dirt pathway and through the jungle is how you get to NGolala Village from the COTN property.

An evening of hope

2008-08-06T12:54:00.006-04:00

Last night was a somber evening – one that intrigued us and saddened us. One where we tried desperately to understand reasonings for war and human cruelty. One that opened our eyes to the realities of injustice.Last night, Quami shared his testimony of how he came to know the Lord and how he came to work for COTN. Involved in that story, however, was the rebel war, which involved mass murder,

Internet in the middle of Africa

2008-08-06T12:39:00.003-04:00

(Above top: On the way back to Freetown from Banta to get the interns, we stopped at this junction for breakfast. Above bottom: Scott in the foreground and Laura in the background smashed into the puda-puda vehicle.) Who would have thought that getting on the internet to update a blog would be difficult in the middle of the bush in Africa? Scott and I had high expectations for our internet usage,

A silly side of Sierra Leone

2008-07-26T22:00:00.000-04:00

Today I experienced African tie-dying.

2008-07-26T21:39:00.000-04:00

On a small hill behind house five, Aunty Mariama was hard at work with a clan of other aunties and children helping her create the colorful masterpieces. The commotion attracted Scott and I and we stood watching the spectacle for a while – Aunty Mariama yelling instructions in Mende to her many helpers as the hot water hit the dye with only a few moments to soak the white garments. A fire had

Aunty Chris

2008-07-26T21:33:00.001-04:00

Scott says the difference between African food and American food is the amount of love that goes into African food – the time that goes into preparing it and the tedious detail that each ingredient is given to make it taste just right. Although, we are spoiled here in Sierra Leone. We have Auntie Christiana – or fondly known as Aunty Chris – as our personal cook for our two months here. Not only

Banta Mokelleh

2008-07-26T21:15:00.003-04:00

So, we are here – in Banta. This place is so very different than the capital city of Freetown. It’s the country – with clean air and lush jungle surroundings. The night is black with a magnificent view of the stars and the frogs croak loudly as we try to ignore them in our sleep. After being here almost a week, I understand why COTN wanted to bring the “home kids” here to live. Not only are they

Friends in the rain ...

2008-07-11T13:30:00.001-04:00

Scott and I were on our way back from a meeting at the office today when we caught site of a heavy rain headed straight for us. I looked behind us to also notice that we were being followed by three young, giggly girls I met yesterday in House 7. We debated making a run for it down the hill, but Scott convinced me that we should take shelter at the school until the shower had passed. There we sat

Hundreds of nieces and nephews

2008-07-11T13:16:00.001-04:00

In Sierra Leone, the customary term of respect for an older person as well as a term of endearment is to call them Aunty or Uncle along with their first name. So, the moment Scott and I arrived with the teacher team, we have been called Aunty Laura and Uncle Scott. Most of their African accents can kind of get Laura down, but when Scott introduces himself, there is almost always laughter and

Where we are: Our new home

2008-07-11T12:27:00.003-04:00

The compound or COTN property in Banta Mokelleh is growing at a fast past since the home children arrived here a little more than a year ago. Here’s a look at what’s here and what we get to be a part of every day (and the interns aren’t even here yet!): Off the main road: Office – the COTN national office staff is made up of about six people Guest House – attached to the office, this is where

The alarm went off at 4:30 a.m.

2008-07-11T12:10:00.004-04:00

My eyes opened to the canopy of the mosquito net that hung from the ceiling around my top bunk. My sheet laid at the foot of my bed, still folded and unnecessary on such a hot night. I grabbed my headlamp stationed next to my pillow and began to prepare for our long journey ahead. We were finally going to Banta Mokelleh – departure time: 5 a.m. Before we even arrived in Sierra Leone, Scott and I

A visit to school ...

2008-07-06T12:23:00.004-04:00

Today we visited the school right down the hill from the COTN guesthouse. This is the first building that COTN built here in Sierra Leone. The foundation was painstakingly laid by a team of American volunteers in 1997. In the midst of the war, the roof was still yet to be completed, but it finally opened as a COTN school and orphanage around 2003. The bottom floor was used for classrooms, the

It was the mother of all scavenger hunts.

2008-07-06T11:49:00.003-04:00

Arlene thought it would be funny to send Scott and I on a hunt to purchase some Sierra Leone items. The problem for us was that almost every item listed was written in Krio, so we not only were clueless on how to pronounce the items, we had no idea what they even were. Our national “guide” was John, a Sierra Leonean who was an intern for COTN last year. He was explicitly instructed to not say a

Waiting for the interns to arrive

2008-06-21T17:43:00.004-04:00

The idea was for Scott and I to come to Sierra Leone before the six college students so we could be prepared to lead them once they got here – instead of being just as confused, tired and overwhelmed as they will be (and as we once were) when they finally arrive. The plan has worked quite nicely for us – we flew in the same day as a short-term team that’s staying for about two weeks. They are a

What its like living without running water: (Its not as bad as it sounds)

2008-06-21T17:36:00.001-04:00

Peter is a student attending college who works for COTN. The job of this eager and friendly Sierra Leonean is fetching water for a houseful of people (that’s us) to use for drinking and bathing. Scott has already become good friends with Peter after helping him with this task quite often. You could spot the two hanging out by the water pipe quite a few times this week – Scott asking Peter

Our home in Freetown

2008-06-21T17:06:00.006-04:00

The COTN guesthouse where we are staying in Freetown is like an oasis on a hill. That’s how it felt when we drove up to it on the night we arrived and that’s the way it feels each time I return to it after being out. Located in a section of the cty called Marjary Town, it is two stories – the upper part is rented for the COTN Country Director for Sierra Leone and the bottom part is for teams that

Party on the water

2008-06-12T19:24:00.000-04:00

In order to get to Freetown from the airport, a strip of water must be crossed. This can be done by ferry, hovercraft or helicopter (when they’re working, which isn’t currently). Our way across was the ferry – a large vessel that holds the vehicles on the bottom deck and the people (with a special first class ticket) on the top, indoors. Scott and I were not expecting a party when we entered the

Our Introduction

2008-06-12T19:22:00.000-04:00

It’s only been one short day and suddenly, we’ve been exposed to a whole new world. It’s amazing how you can get on an airplane in one environment and step off it in one that you never imagined existed. In the movies or even a TV documentary, sure, but real life? Our flight landed at dusk in the middle of the jungle and lush landscape of Sierra Leone. We watched the green palms and mountains

A few cultural teachings from Koi:

2008-06-12T19:13:00.003-04:00

Children are instructed not to make direct eye contact with adults out of respect.A woman almost always does the cooking in the home. If a man is seen cooking, it shows that he is not dominant in the household.Always eat a little (even if you’re full) of what someone else has prepared for you – out of respect.Sierra Leoneans’ order of priorities are: family, community, region and then country.

A plane ride to Africa

2008-06-12T19:05:00.002-04:00

Koi sits down next to us on the plane. We ask him his reasoning for flying to Sierra Leone. He looks at us in surprise and says, “I’m from there.” And so begins a long question and answer period he allows us to control – about his country, his people, his customs. We soon realize that everything we’ve read and watched on videos is very real in Sierra Leone – for here is proof in the flesh sitting