Week #41 - She Says

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Pretty low key Sunday with church at the Kissy 2 Branch then back home for a couple of hours before dining upstairs with the Ostlers, Jests and Burns. Very nice evening.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

We arrived home before the Jests after their “2nd day on the job.” I met Margaret in the hallway to give her a pineapple and asked how her day went; great question to ask! She had driven a part of the way home – mind you she is from England – so she drove home on the wrong side of the road with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the dashboard and the stick shift requiring the right hand rather than the left. She was excited to be in Africa and wanted to drive, but didn't take into account narrow roads, people on both sides of the road, cars broken down and just left etc. Needless to say, with her husband making noises beside her (like I did with Scott for at least 4 months), he exclaims, “You just hit that person!” “I did?”, which causes her to over compensate and she ends up driving off the side of the road about 2 feet down. Luckily, it wasn't one of the 20 + foot drops into peoples homes (shacks), or the Jest's mission might have ended within 72 hours of arrival. I was impressed she wanted to drive so soon on mission but my guess is, it will be a few more days before she tries it again.

This is what we resort to when our mila tanks are almost empty and we are waiting for a delivery.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Today was a very physical day of cleaning out the cage and moving out boxes and boxes of dated seminary and institute material that took up quite a bit of space that we loaned to Presient Charles who is over S&I; we need the space for storage and no sooner started to haul the boxes away in the mission pick-up truck, when Insons shows up with stoves, freezers, and generators. The vacant space is now filled with mission supplies. Rachelle was my side kick today and in spite of being so hot and dripping with sweat, we go a lot accomplished and with just a little more organizing, anyone will be able to find what they are looking for in the cage.

Elder Penia hard at it. His tie was soaked in sweat from wiping his face.

Elder Wootton helping out in the cage.

Shaka did not break a sweat. The elders looked like they had been rained on.

Friday, January 24, 2014

I made it over the ditch and more help was on the way to get down the gravely path because I lost my footing and grabbed on for life!

See that dirt road! We had just walked down then up. Quite a work out.

Busy day at the office with elders coming and going, a trip to the Nali's Beauty Salon where Rachelle and I had to wait beyond more than I was willing so I left her and went back to the office in order to get more work done and all the mail sorted for President Ostler to take it with him to Bo/Kenema tomorrow. Lots of mail and packages to get organized.

Quite a few missionaries showed up at the office around 4:30 pm for a correlation meeting with the ward mission leader at 5:00 pm; he didn't show so they talked with us for awhile. I received a package from my aunt LaRae today and at the bottom were some individual packages I decided to share with 4 of them; they got smooshed in the process of being mailed, but as I looked over at the missionaries, they were licking every last bit of chocolate off the wrapper and they quite enjoyed the treat.

Scott's mom had a slight heart attack yesterday but thankfully managed it and is now back home. With this information and my aunt sending me a package, I thought it was high time I called my mom and aunt and did so. Always so good to hear a voice from home though it increases the longing for home. My brother later emailed me that Mom was thrilled with the call even though she did not remember a thing we talked about! Sure miss her!

Tried to do a load of wash tonight, but the washer stopped with a code that insufficient water was getting to the machine. So I turned off the washer and pulled out a very tiny screen not much bigger than the end of my thumb; it was covered over with dirt or whatever and Scott pulled out another screen which he decided to clean. So while I was at the sink with my little project, I found a toothbrush and added liquid soap to clean out the screen; he comes over with his little project and somehow with timing and position, I brush the screen and the soap flies up into his eye! You would think he was going blind! However, when I took pictures of his face, along with the theatrics, it looked pretty bad...

Oh, my eye!

This is quite the look. Not one of Scott's more good looking moments!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Another Sierra Leone marriage celebration today – this time in Kossoh Town. Started at 1:30 pm and was going strong when we left at 6:00, getting home around 7:30 pm. So many beautiful women in this country; with their beautiful black/brown skin and the brilliant colors they just look stunning to me. When it is wedding time, they dress to the 9's. They love a party and they love to dance. 

Ali works for us. He is the branch president of Kossoh Town. Beautiful family

Best Friends!

Having a chat with beautiful, Feimata Doe

Sister Margay

Reception hall filled and waiting for the couple to show up

Sister Sivalie

Some of my favorite sisters - Sivalie, Dassama, Margay and Browne

Seems like I like to dance too – while waiting for the wedding party to show up, the reception hall was packed so we were outside where it was “cooler.” I had to get some information from one of the guests and he happened to be at the very front of the hall. Music playing, I stroll up the isle and just can't help myself – I start to move with the rhythm and it ignites clapping, and motion from the audience. I am certainly not a show stopper, but truly, the music here just does something to me and I love being part of this culture of dancing and celebration. We had a first with this celebration – we were asked to sign the “register” to witness the marriage. Quite a large document with little tiny squares to sign. There must have been at least 100 little squares for signatures.

The reception register!

Our signatures on the register!

 

Shout out to January birthdays! Dara, Herb, Mel, Melene, REX, Sherry, REX, and last but not least - Bethanne (my daughter-in-law)

Blessings to all!