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Our team and Faye are going on a retreat for about 5 or 6 days. We’re heading out of Freetown, Past Makeni to a wildlife reserve up near the Guinea border. Birds. Brunos. Monkeys. Hopefully, oh hopefully I’ll get to see a real elephant.
All in all, I’ve been grateful lately, and that’s helped a lot with being here. Thanks for checking in… I’ll be back in sec.
Just when you thought it was safe to go outside.
Math question for the day:
Thirty Monkeys have escaped from the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Six monkeys have been caught. How many monkeys are on the loose in Freetown? How do you spell Bananas?
Chimpanzees are on the loose in Sierra Leone. I’m serious yall. Check out this article .
Pastor Zizer warned us that we should stay home on Sunday but I didn’t believe him. Turns out he was telling the truth. It seems crazy to doubt a Pastor’s integrity but it’s also crazy to have someone tell you that the American Embassy called and you should be warned: there are Chimpanzees on the loose. So stay inside because they could be dangerous. I have to appologize to him for doubting.
According to Cami, there’s one Chimpanzee named Bruno who’s really mean. At the reserve, he chucks mud rocks at humans. Before you go to see the chimps, the guide will warn you about Bruno’s bad habits.
It’s nuts! Bananas!
Turns out Bruno’s been a bad monkey. It’s not funny but it makes me laugh. I’m having way too much fun with this one…
I’m finally able to get to the internet cafe to post some info and email. Today is Africa Malaria Day. Kind of funny considering all that’s happened in the last week.
We were supposed to go on our retreat on Tuesday, but it’s postponed because Michelle got sick with Malaria. Then Micah got real sick with something unknown (diarrhea and fever). Then the next day, Matt’s Malaria kicked into overdrive. Matt and Michelle got it the worst. (You can read more about it in their blogs- they’ve got some good stories to tell) I thought I was in the clear but I got sick from Malaria on Thursday.
Tired.
Achey.
Headache.
Diarrhea (is that how you spell it?).
Feels like someone’s pinching me all over my body.
So I did this sweat – thing, the going to the bathroom – thing, and the “my head hurts like a %&(*$%”- thing and after about 2 days of good rest, it subsided. Good rest, good medication and praying can do a lot of good. I’m glad my case of Malaria was detected early, and I didn’t suffer as bad as my fellow friends.
Special shout outs to Matty and Mama Faye for hookin up the thermometers, Chicken soup and a trip to the Chinese Hospital. Thanks to Micah for delivering the day-old Shishtawook and hug, and Michelle for sending it. Yikes!
A good thing about getting sick was that I was able to rest. I stayed at home with the Zizer family, and it was actually really fun. I got to know the kids and Dad (Mom had to work this week) a bit better, and I’m really grateful for that. They’re good people. (I’ll write more about them another time) When I get sick, I don’t really have any energy to think, so then I don’t worry or get anxious. That was a plus. I like being OK with whatever’s in front of me. It’s something I need to get better at.
So that’s the short end of it. We’ll probably be leaving for our retreat (up North to the border of Sierra Leone/Guinea) on Friday.
This is a picture of Saidu. He’s part of a group of 6 kids that Michelle and I tutor twice a week in Kroo Bay. Saidu’s a krez bobo (crazy boy). He’s always moving around , making these insane faces with his big old eyes and toungue. It’s great! I think he’s one of my favorites. For all I know, he’s doing OK in school. I’m really greatful for his joyful and playful attitude. You might say: he’s a kid, so of course he’s playful! I’d agree that most kids are playful, but Saidu’s super fun. When Joseph’s M.’s rapping, he’s the dancer and when it’s time to call for justice, he’s Spiderman aka Saiduman, he’s ready to fly and sling those webs around.
That’s why I like going to Kroo Bay to tutor, and to go help out at the Good News Club on Saturdays. There’s something really special about these children: they posess such great potential for change, for the future, and in essence, they embody hope to me. Kids have this sense about them that seems to turn the world upside down. They’ll say what’s on their mind, they’ll laugh easily, cry easily, ask quickly, and smile on a dime. I think they children are closer to a reality that we adults seem to always want. A reality of freedom, and not fear. Hope and not Anxiety.
The kids in Kroo Bay fly kites made out of plastic garbage bags and sewing thread. On a windy day you can see a handful of itty-bitty pink or black kites flying way-way-way up in the sky. I smile when I walk by the kids who are holding onto those strings. Others might see garbage bags, sticks and thread floating in the sky. I see hope reaching up the heavens. I see freedom in flying. I see flags of joy waving for all of Freetown to see. Maybe that’s what people mean when they talk about the “upside down Kingdom”. God’s Kingdom is a place where the last become first, where the neglected are honored, where the meek inherit the earth. We adults are in control, we have power, we can do things, but children have those things we long for: freedom to love, freedom to hope, joy for Freetown.
On Tuesdays, we meet together as a community to pray and worship together in the morning. We usually meet around 9ish ( us guys have been late the last couple weeks ) have breakfast together, sing, pray, spend quite time and share. Matt usually plays the guitar and sometimes I play the mini-djembe. Joe usually leads the prayer time.
I really like Tuesdays because it gives me some room to breathe a bit. I’ve struggled a bit internally. First, I just felt disconnected from life: a weird state of not having very strong feelings. So writing in the blog didn’t really happen. Actually, writing in my own journal hasn’t really happened much, nor has anything really contemplative. I think I’m feeling again, and that’s good. I’m still struggling to contemplate and think and just be quite. I’m aware of it, and that’s a good step. Tonite I’ve got some ‘homework’ to do: writing some stuff down about scheduling: what my priorities are, and what brings me joy here. Also I’m gonna try to do some art stuff. It’ll be good.
I’ve felt the strain of busy-ness out here in Africa. Between working at Lighthouse, tutoring at Kroo Bay, Krio classes, church, book discussions, and trying to hang out with the youth at Lighthouse, it’s hard to be still and quite. It’s humbling to learn the same lesson out here in Africa: that compassion is more about quality time with people, not a large quantity of service. Micah reminded me about our purpose: to serve Jesus amongst the poor. I feel like I’m serving the poor and Jesus is in backpack: sitting in my bible. It’s hard to work backwards, but I think it’s a good step. I’m too busy, my priorities are a bit out whack, and I’ve got a god-complex to give up.
This one’s a bit rough on the edges but it’ll have to do. I’ll try to write more.
Special thanks to Jenny Kang for sending me mail. And thanks for your email about the underwear business. Please continue to consider the dilemma and send aid pronto, if you’d like to. Thanks to those who’ve commited to keeping me clothed!
JK send me some good stuff: art supplies, and candy (ring pops , pop rocks and skittles!) but the best the part was the note. I was talking to Joe aobut it (staffer here in Salone) and he agreed: it’s cool to get stuff, but the best things are notes and reminders of support / friendship.
