Well, as I write this last blog, I am sitting in the NGO office that has become my home over the past 4 months. I am looking down over the hills that I have climbed and travelled, and the beautiful town that has surronded me, loved me, and cherished me more than I ever thought possible. I knew at the beginning of this trip that the time to say goodbye would come again...but I never imagined it would come so soon. Last year when I said goodbye, my heart was breaking because I was just getting to know these beautiful people. This year, my heart is breaking because I have to leave my family and my very best friends. Words cannot describe how much everyone here means to me...how much they have impacted me...how much their generosity has changed and impacted my life in so many ways. Tonight we are heading to our farewell party, where I will get to see and spend time with all the amazing people who have become such a huge part of my life. Monday we will leave Kabala for Freetown, and on Wednesday, our flight leaves to bring us back to Canada. I don't understand how this summer has gone so quickly...but since this is my last post in Salone, let me share some of the ups and downs of this trip..the things I will miss so much.
First of all, I have loved working with the youth. We had our final bible study on Tuesday, and it was amazing to hear young men and women -who had once thought of themselves as worthless and thought that it was not POSSIBLE to save sex till marriage- talking about their desire to stay pure, and how they know God will keep them that way until they get married. It amazes me how these youth just grabbed unto the little teaching I was able to give them and ran with it. We certainly serve a good God.
Second of all, my family here is incredible. They treat me like I am one of their own now, not a 'tubabu' (Kurunco for white man) anymore. It is amazing to be so loved, welcomed, and to have formed such incredible relationships with people who come from a totally different background and place.
Thirdly, I will miss the kids. I will miss the huge smiles on their faces when you give them something as small as a package of bubbles...I will miss them running after me anytime I walk to the office, yelling my name and asking me how I slept. I will miss their desire to learn, their love for people, their enthusiasm in church, and the way that they just look at you and LOVE you...regardless of your skin colour or anything else. They have opened my heart so wide that without them, there is certain to be a big hole left there.
Just this week, Katie and I got the chance to travel back to Yarah, a small village about 27 miles from Kabala, with one of our best friends here, Martin. I've been to Yarah 2 times before, so it was nice to be back, and really awesome to get to meet all of our friend's family and spend time with them. When we were there, we met up with Martin's sister, Kumba, and all of her kids. As soon as I saw her youngest daughter, I had to fight to keep the tears from falling (which they did anyway). Her youngest daughter is 14 months old, but looks like she is about 6 months old. In my four months here, I am not sure if I have ever seen a baby that malnourished. When I say there was nothing to her, I literally mean NOTHING...her arms and legs were just hanging off her skin. Within 5 minutes of holding her, I realized that we had to do something...God does not just put you in a situation like that so that you can walk away. Thank God for my beautiful sister Katie, who had the same thoughts going through her head as me...I am so blessed to have such a generous and kind-hearted sister here with me. I ended up asking Kumba (with Martin as a translator, since his sister doesn't speak Krio) if she knew how long the baby had been like this, what she was sick with, and if she had seen a doctor. She had no idea what was wrong - there is no doctor or even a nurse inside Yarah, even though a beautiful new health clinic has just been built - how ironic, a brand new health clinic with locked doors. Long story short, me and Katie offered to take her and the baby back with us to Kabala so that she could see a doctor, and we told the family that we would buy the medicine and also the Bennymix (which is a locally made baby food that is made especially for malnourished kids) to keep the baby alive. She could not even believe that we would do that for her...I can't describe how incredibly thankful this woman was for such a small thing for us. When we brought her to Kabala yesterday, we saw a doctor right away - and it turns out the baby is anemic, malnourished, and is suffering from malaria. We bought the medicine for her, which was about 3 different bottles of medicine, and 4 packets of tablets, all for 15,000 Leones..which translates to about 5 dollars. It is so heartbreaking that the medicine that might save this child's life (God willing) costs 5 dollars...yet her family would never have been able to afford it, or get it, in a hundred years. We bought over 2 months worth of Benny mix for her for about 10 dollars each. It is absolutely mindblowing how little it costs to quite literally save a life.
Last night we showed Martin's sister how to mix the food, and how to give the medicine to her baby. Today her and the baby travelled back to Yarah, so we can only hope that Kumba will get time to continue giving her the medicine and making the food...its not easy when you work on a rice farm 12 hours a day. But, one of my friends here likes to say that "If God brings you to it, he'll bring you through it." If God brought Katie & I into this child's life, I'm sure he will be faithful so that our small help can do something. We serve a good God..please pray for this little girl's life.
Anyways, it's time to head off to our Goodbye party now...and no doubt shed some tears for my beautiful home that I will soon be leaving. May God bless you and keep you all who have been reading till we meet again, back in Canada or wherever you are. Thank you for praying for me, loving me, and caring about me, no matter what.
Lots of love,
Krissi
Friday, August 14, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Purity & Integrity Poems
Breaking the Silence
A gentle heart and a kind character
Encompassed by a beautiful smile
It's hard to believe that someone this precious
Can feel worthless in such a short while
But she's been used and abused and taught to submit
By nearly every man who comes her way
They've taken her value and crushed her virtue
Leaving her with nothing to say
In a place where women aren't allowed to say no
And life without a man is seen as incomplete
Integrity and purity are stolen from you
And it's hard to get back on your feet
Tears run down my face as I think of the pain
My sisters have had to endure
They've been lied to and abused, decieved and hurt
And left alone, aching, without a cure
The situation seems hopeless, like it will never change
Respect has been trampled and left on the ground
Women have been told that they're not good enough
Left bleeding and bruised, yet they don't make a sound
Yet amidst this horrible silence
I hear a small voice
She's bruised and she's tattered
But she still makes a choice
She raises her voice
And she holds her head high
She finds her own value
Amidst the world's lies
She is only one person
What difference can she make?
Yet she's showing other young women
What path they can take
She's learned to say no to men
Cause she found that her real love came
A love that won't leave her pregnant
A love that won't forget her name
He's walking with her down life's busy streets
And wiping the tears from her eyes
He tells her she's precious, that she has value
He won't leave her alone when she cries
The road won't be easy, but she knows she's not alone
She has someone in whom she can confide
The lover of her soul, her very best friend
Her Saviour will never leave her side.
This poem is dedicated to all my beautiful sisters in Salone who have endured so much abuse and hardship throughout the years, being told that they are worthless and not good enough. I hope and pray that more of them will find their voices and break the silence.
WAITING ON LOVE
It’s easy to get caught up in things of the world
And get swept along in the tide
The world keeps saying she’s not good enough
That she’s incomplete without someone by her side
She vows she’ll wait for the perfect match
The one who will sweep her off her feet
But when she get impatient, it’s easy to forget
And wonder what’s wrong with all the others she meets
It seems the longer she waits, the harder it gets
The world laughs in her face, it seems
Sometimes she laughs back, but more often she cries
After all, love was always one of her dreams
The easy answer would be for her to give in
To find any man who could make her feel value and love
But deep in her heart, she knows that’s not God’s will
Cause true value’s got to come from above
She leans her ear to her heavenly father
And hears the words that he speaks
“My child, you are fearfully and wonderfully made,”
“Even though you sometimes feel alone and weak.”
“Don’t go searching for love in all the wrong places,
Because you’ll only end up broken and torn.
Turn to me for love, and I’ll fill your cup completely
I’ll walk with you through the world’s laughter and scorn.”
When she thought of love in terms of chocolate and roses
The road was a long and disappointing one
But she realized she had already received real love, God’s greatest gift
For which he had sent down his own Son.
Some people think that you shouldn’t wait
That love is only a temporary thing
But because of her Father’s perfect love she realized
That love’s about much more than a diamond ring
She’ll still wait for her prince for years and years
But now will always trust that God will provide
Her bond with the Creator is stronger than any romance
Cause she’s found someone who will never leave her side
A gentle heart and a kind character
Encompassed by a beautiful smile
It's hard to believe that someone this precious
Can feel worthless in such a short while
But she's been used and abused and taught to submit
By nearly every man who comes her way
They've taken her value and crushed her virtue
Leaving her with nothing to say
In a place where women aren't allowed to say no
And life without a man is seen as incomplete
Integrity and purity are stolen from you
And it's hard to get back on your feet
Tears run down my face as I think of the pain
My sisters have had to endure
They've been lied to and abused, decieved and hurt
And left alone, aching, without a cure
The situation seems hopeless, like it will never change
Respect has been trampled and left on the ground
Women have been told that they're not good enough
Left bleeding and bruised, yet they don't make a sound
Yet amidst this horrible silence
I hear a small voice
She's bruised and she's tattered
But she still makes a choice
She raises her voice
And she holds her head high
She finds her own value
Amidst the world's lies
She is only one person
What difference can she make?
Yet she's showing other young women
What path they can take
She's learned to say no to men
Cause she found that her real love came
A love that won't leave her pregnant
A love that won't forget her name
He's walking with her down life's busy streets
And wiping the tears from her eyes
He tells her she's precious, that she has value
He won't leave her alone when she cries
The road won't be easy, but she knows she's not alone
She has someone in whom she can confide
The lover of her soul, her very best friend
Her Saviour will never leave her side.
This poem is dedicated to all my beautiful sisters in Salone who have endured so much abuse and hardship throughout the years, being told that they are worthless and not good enough. I hope and pray that more of them will find their voices and break the silence.
WAITING ON LOVE
It’s easy to get caught up in things of the world
And get swept along in the tide
The world keeps saying she’s not good enough
That she’s incomplete without someone by her side
She vows she’ll wait for the perfect match
The one who will sweep her off her feet
But when she get impatient, it’s easy to forget
And wonder what’s wrong with all the others she meets
It seems the longer she waits, the harder it gets
The world laughs in her face, it seems
Sometimes she laughs back, but more often she cries
After all, love was always one of her dreams
The easy answer would be for her to give in
To find any man who could make her feel value and love
But deep in her heart, she knows that’s not God’s will
Cause true value’s got to come from above
She leans her ear to her heavenly father
And hears the words that he speaks
“My child, you are fearfully and wonderfully made,”
“Even though you sometimes feel alone and weak.”
“Don’t go searching for love in all the wrong places,
Because you’ll only end up broken and torn.
Turn to me for love, and I’ll fill your cup completely
I’ll walk with you through the world’s laughter and scorn.”
When she thought of love in terms of chocolate and roses
The road was a long and disappointing one
But she realized she had already received real love, God’s greatest gift
For which he had sent down his own Son.
Some people think that you shouldn’t wait
That love is only a temporary thing
But because of her Father’s perfect love she realized
That love’s about much more than a diamond ring
She’ll still wait for her prince for years and years
But now will always trust that God will provide
Her bond with the Creator is stronger than any romance
Cause she’s found someone who will never leave her side
A long & winding road...
As usual, time is flying by here...it's hard to believe that all that's left of my four months in Kabala is three short weeks. Although I will be glad to see my family & friends back in Canada, words can't describe how much I will miss this beautiful town...how much I will miss my friends here...how much I will miss my family here. The bonds that I had with this country have deepened so immensely over the past 3 months...which is a constant reminder of how BIG our God is. No matter where you are, you can find family...despite differences in culture, colour, and language.
Lately, I have been busy (surprise surprise) with work all over Kabala. My friend from Canada got here to join me in the missionary work about 2 weeks ago, and it has been such a blessing to spend time with her and also have a sister to partner with me in all the work I am doing. We have continued to go to the prison and minister nearly every morning, which has been inspiring...it's amazing the hope that these prisoners have, despite the fact that they are behind bars. They always sing and dance for God with all their heart, and welcome us warmly...whether they are Muslims or Christians. They always ask me to pray that God will bring them out of the prison, but they never fail to believe that he will. I think the hardest thing about the prison ministry is the realization of how different this prison is from one in Canada...in Canada, you would have wash facilities and food accessible every day, whereas that is just not the case here. The hardest thing is the fact that none of these prisoners are even sentenced yet...unlike in Canada, where if you commit a crime, you face a trial and then go to jail, these prisoners have not faced a trial yet. The prison is just where they wait until they go to court...and court here consists of all 28 prisoners going to a small court room once every 2 weeks to see if the judge will sentance them or let them free.
I am continuing in my work with CES, helping them set up new technology, writing reports, and traveling to villages to help them whenever neccessary. This weekend I will hopefully be making a trip to Yarah, a village I visited last year when I was here. It isn't a work trip, mainly just to visit my friend's family and show Katie (my Canadian friend working with me) a little bit of village life. It will be nice to have a few days out in the bush...and this time I'll make sure I bring PLENTY of mosquito repellent.
I genuinely think the most fufilling work (and the work I will miss the MOST) is the bible study I have been leading for the youth. Not only is it encouraging to be able to talk to youth about purity and integrity, something we all struggle with, but it is absolutely amazing to just see how their opinions about themselves are changing. It's amazing to see beautiful young women finally REALIZING that they are just that - beautiful, no matter how men have let them down or abused them in the past. And it's also amazing to see young men becoming committed to finishing their education and respecting their future wives, because they are starting to realize that women are a gift from God. It's impossible to put into words how much this ministry has touched my heart...I certainly believe that God could do amazing things through these youth, and through this country, if the youth in Salone really took this to heart. I really feel like God is going to do something big through this, and I feel like he has big plans for this purity and integrity ministry...he's really laid it on my heart, and I'm excited to see where He leads me with it. Imagine the possibilities if there was a group that encouraged young men and women to stay pure, assisted them with pursuing high levels of education, and more than anything, supported them when things went wrong - helping them to know that despite their past, they are beautiful and unique and DESERVE to be respected. It's a big dream, but our God is big...and I think he can make it happen.
In the above post I've added two poems which I wrote after starting the purity and integrity ministry in Kabala.
Stay blessed,
Krissi
Lately, I have been busy (surprise surprise) with work all over Kabala. My friend from Canada got here to join me in the missionary work about 2 weeks ago, and it has been such a blessing to spend time with her and also have a sister to partner with me in all the work I am doing. We have continued to go to the prison and minister nearly every morning, which has been inspiring...it's amazing the hope that these prisoners have, despite the fact that they are behind bars. They always sing and dance for God with all their heart, and welcome us warmly...whether they are Muslims or Christians. They always ask me to pray that God will bring them out of the prison, but they never fail to believe that he will. I think the hardest thing about the prison ministry is the realization of how different this prison is from one in Canada...in Canada, you would have wash facilities and food accessible every day, whereas that is just not the case here. The hardest thing is the fact that none of these prisoners are even sentenced yet...unlike in Canada, where if you commit a crime, you face a trial and then go to jail, these prisoners have not faced a trial yet. The prison is just where they wait until they go to court...and court here consists of all 28 prisoners going to a small court room once every 2 weeks to see if the judge will sentance them or let them free.
I am continuing in my work with CES, helping them set up new technology, writing reports, and traveling to villages to help them whenever neccessary. This weekend I will hopefully be making a trip to Yarah, a village I visited last year when I was here. It isn't a work trip, mainly just to visit my friend's family and show Katie (my Canadian friend working with me) a little bit of village life. It will be nice to have a few days out in the bush...and this time I'll make sure I bring PLENTY of mosquito repellent.
I genuinely think the most fufilling work (and the work I will miss the MOST) is the bible study I have been leading for the youth. Not only is it encouraging to be able to talk to youth about purity and integrity, something we all struggle with, but it is absolutely amazing to just see how their opinions about themselves are changing. It's amazing to see beautiful young women finally REALIZING that they are just that - beautiful, no matter how men have let them down or abused them in the past. And it's also amazing to see young men becoming committed to finishing their education and respecting their future wives, because they are starting to realize that women are a gift from God. It's impossible to put into words how much this ministry has touched my heart...I certainly believe that God could do amazing things through these youth, and through this country, if the youth in Salone really took this to heart. I really feel like God is going to do something big through this, and I feel like he has big plans for this purity and integrity ministry...he's really laid it on my heart, and I'm excited to see where He leads me with it. Imagine the possibilities if there was a group that encouraged young men and women to stay pure, assisted them with pursuing high levels of education, and more than anything, supported them when things went wrong - helping them to know that despite their past, they are beautiful and unique and DESERVE to be respected. It's a big dream, but our God is big...and I think he can make it happen.
In the above post I've added two poems which I wrote after starting the purity and integrity ministry in Kabala.
Stay blessed,
Krissi
Thursday, July 9, 2009
A picture's worth a thousand words...
Well, since I've rambled on for many more than a thousand words, I thought I would add some pictures from my life here in Salone. Enjoy =)
My friends Joe and Adrienne with their new daughter, Mariama.
The small hut I stayed in during my last trip to the village...one room in all!
Purity & integrity talks with the youth - this is only less than HALF of the youth group that came that day...I couldn't fit them all inside the picture!
Martin, Mr. Marah, J.T., and Rev. John finishing the first cement block for the new church.
Me and with Ruth & Mariama, my students at CRC Primary school.
My friends Joe and Adrienne with their new daughter, Mariama.
The small hut I stayed in during my last trip to the village...one room in all!
Purity & integrity talks with the youth - this is only less than HALF of the youth group that came that day...I couldn't fit them all inside the picture!
Martin, Mr. Marah, J.T., and Rev. John finishing the first cement block for the new church.
Me and with Ruth & Mariama, my students at CRC Primary school.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Building blocks & Stepping Stones
It amazes me how the things that seem so small are always the ones which impact me the most. Friday, I led another bible study about purity and integrity with the Kabala youth group. At first I was a little worried, because I hadn't prepared as well as the other 2...this one I just started talking from my heart and saw which bible verses God led me to. But of course, our God is good...and he managed to make it our most meaningful and incredible session yet. I started talking with the youth and emphasizing once again how we need to respect and value ourselves, and not involve ourselves in ANY kind of sexual immorality...cause not only does it hurt those around us, it can so quickly destroy our own future. After a while, Rev. John gave some input and started talking to the youth AGAIN about how valuable they are, and emphasizing that they are too precious to let anyone take advantage of them. Since I arrived in Salone, my heart has been breaking for the thousands of young women who have been abused and hurt, all because of power relationships: they've been told that they're not smart enough or they don't have enough money to become educated, and because of that they NEED a man. Unfortunately, where power is in play, abuse often comes too...when a man knows that his woman relies solely on him, he won't hesitate to beat her, abuse her, mistreat her, or cheat on her. Why? He knows she has nowhere else to go, he knows that no matter how bad he treats her, she still needs to eat. My heart has had a huge ache for this situation, but I have been overwhelmed about how to deal with it. Thankfully, on Friday, we were able to get the message across to over 30 youth...which may seem small, but you need a stepping stone before you can make a footpath. I discussed with these youth the incredible oppurtunities they have, and how they should all pursue their education...whether male or female, they can be INDEPENDANT, not dependant...and God has some amazing plans for them! By the end of the discussion, I was nearly in tears. Maybe it was because I had finally recognized the pain in my sisters' faces as told stories of abuse and relationships gone wrong...stories that could all too easily be their own. Maybe it was because I realized that this was the first time these youth has been told that they were precious, and that they could do anything they set their mind to. Maybe it was because I saw the glimmers of tears in their own eyes, but tears that were overcoming sadness and entering into hope... my precious brothers and sisters finally believed me when I said they could accomplish ANYTHING, believed me when I said they were unique and valuable. It was so amazing to see that something so small could actually have an impact on these youth.
Saturday, I went to CRC school with the entire church to help them build cement blocks for the new church building. Although I wasn't feeling 100% (I had stomach flu of some sort), it was such an amazing thing to see children, youth, and women and men of all ages come together to join hands and work! It was so incredible to once again witness the sense of community and love that is embodied here, such a huge part of why I love this country so much. It was awesome to get the chance to help lift cement blocks, carry sand, and just be a part of something that these church members will be so proud of in years to come. I hope that when I return in 2 or so years, their new church will be built, and I will be able to meet with them in a place we started together.
Although there has been a lot of encouragement lately, the road is not always easy. Right now my Canadian friends who are staying in Kabala, Joe and Adrienne Melissen, are going through a lot of trials. They are not sure if they will be able to take the one year old baby they successfully adopted a month ago into Canada with them. Unfortunately, the Canadian adoption rules say that you must complete a 3 month home study in Canada before you can bring a baby inside the country...which is quite hard to do when you are with your child halfway across the world. As you can imagine, they don't want to leave their new family member here without them...and they certainly don't want to go back without her. Please pray for favour for them as they continue to beg with the Canadian embassy, and for God to make a way when there seems to be no way!
As for me, I am continuing work with the youth groups, the school, the prison ministry, helping type reports at CES, travelling to villages, and of course, visiting the many friends I have in Kabala on a daily basis. It's tiring, but I am trusting in God to give me strength. On Friday I will be taking a one week holiday to go to Kono and then down to Freetown to pick up my Canadian friend, Katie, who will be serving as a missionary with me in Salone for my remaining month here.
Continue to be blessed and be a blessing.
Love you and miss you all so much,
Krissi
Saturday, I went to CRC school with the entire church to help them build cement blocks for the new church building. Although I wasn't feeling 100% (I had stomach flu of some sort), it was such an amazing thing to see children, youth, and women and men of all ages come together to join hands and work! It was so incredible to once again witness the sense of community and love that is embodied here, such a huge part of why I love this country so much. It was awesome to get the chance to help lift cement blocks, carry sand, and just be a part of something that these church members will be so proud of in years to come. I hope that when I return in 2 or so years, their new church will be built, and I will be able to meet with them in a place we started together.
Although there has been a lot of encouragement lately, the road is not always easy. Right now my Canadian friends who are staying in Kabala, Joe and Adrienne Melissen, are going through a lot of trials. They are not sure if they will be able to take the one year old baby they successfully adopted a month ago into Canada with them. Unfortunately, the Canadian adoption rules say that you must complete a 3 month home study in Canada before you can bring a baby inside the country...which is quite hard to do when you are with your child halfway across the world. As you can imagine, they don't want to leave their new family member here without them...and they certainly don't want to go back without her. Please pray for favour for them as they continue to beg with the Canadian embassy, and for God to make a way when there seems to be no way!
As for me, I am continuing work with the youth groups, the school, the prison ministry, helping type reports at CES, travelling to villages, and of course, visiting the many friends I have in Kabala on a daily basis. It's tiring, but I am trusting in God to give me strength. On Friday I will be taking a one week holiday to go to Kono and then down to Freetown to pick up my Canadian friend, Katie, who will be serving as a missionary with me in Salone for my remaining month here.
Continue to be blessed and be a blessing.
Love you and miss you all so much,
Krissi
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Village roads & Stolen dreams
Well, as usual, a lot has happened since the last time I wrote. Whenever I come to write a blog, I am amazed by just how busy I am here...hence the reason why I write these long blogs so sparingly! The amazing thing is, although I get tired, I always wake up rejuvenated and ready to go again...and I never regret any of the work that I did which MADE me tired, even if it is just walking 6 miles a day to go visit all the friends I have in Kabala. So since it's been a long time since I last wrote, I'd better start at the beginning.
About 2 weeks ago I got the oppurtunity to go to a small village called Momorimariya (say that three times fast) to help with a community leadership workshop CES was putting on there. Despite the fact that I was destroyed by mosquito bites, it was a really amazing experience. The village had a population of less than 1000, one small, badly kept primary school, and nothing besides that. In most of the small villages around Kabala, Krio (the main langauge that most people in Sierra Leone speak) is not spoken at all. Only the tribal languages exist in the village, usually because the elders and the adults never went to school or went far out of the village, so they don't have much use for Krio. This was an interesting obstacle for me, since I had just adjusted to understanding all that goes on around me, now that I can hear and speak Krio - but Koronco, the native language in this village, I only speak about three words in. So nevertheless, I wasn't able to have incredibly deep conversations with the people in the village. However, I found the workshop incredible...Foray, one of the CES workers, explained to me in Krio what was happening (since the workshop was held in Koronco) and I really was amazed at how much I could observe about what was going on just from the body language and the tone the people spoke in. One really amazing moment in the workshop was when the people were asked about the bad things in their community they wanted to get rid of, the good things in their community they liked, and the things they wanted to see in their community in 5 years. It was so encouraging to hear Foray explain to me that the people wanted to see better education, less teenage pregnancies, more respect, and a better future for their children. Those are the answers every NGO hopes to promote, but it's amazing to hear those answers coming directly from the people.
Once I got back to Kabala, I continued with my prison ministry and my youth ministry, which have both remained a constant encouragement to me. It's so amazing to realize that something so small can make such a big difference. This whole week, I have also been doing testing at CRC, to see what the kid's reading and writing levels are. It's been really encouraging to see the majority of them doing well - and I can assume it will only be more encouraging after I go to other schools where the class sizes are past 100 kids in one room. The results are a reminder not only of the good work this school is doing, but also the work that still needs to be done - after all, if there are still kids in a class of 25 who don't know how to read or write, imagine what it would be like in a class of 100, with a teacher who isn't qualified. More than anything, I want to see the kids of this town succeed, and I want to see them BELIEVE in themselves. So many kids feel like they aren't clever enough, like they aren't good enough...which really breaks my heart. A circumstance where this was really apparent this week was about 2 days ago, when I was teaching my little brother how to read. He's been in school for an entire year now, yet he still has no idea how to read, or even what the letters sound like. I started tutoring him recently to try and help him out, but he is a very emotional kid (as most 6 year olds are). We got through the alphabet okay, but once we came to trying to say a word, he got frustrated because he couldn't do it. Add on top of that the teasing of his older siblings, and we had an emotional breakdown on our hands. Now, my little brother cries nearly every day for one reason or another, so this wasn't a huge deal when he burst into tears. I followed him out on the balcony and tried to console him, telling him "Osh ya" (Sorry in Krio) and that he was clever, he could learn, and it was always hard at the start. Once his tears had resided a little, he said something that brought tears to my own eyes. I told him not to listen to what his siblings were saying, but he shook his head and said,
'Ah no clever. Ah no get sense. Ah no able fo learn...'
Which basically means...I'm stupid...I can't learn...I'm not smart enough. It was so heartbreaking to hear those words come out of a child's mouth...especially my dear little brothers. Realistically, sure, it was a 6 year old tantrum...the next morning he was all smiles and laughs again. But for me, that really hit home, not just for him, but for so many kids in this country. They've been told they're not good enough, they've been put in situations where it's nearly impossible to learn, and then when they don't succeed, they feel like they're stupid. This breaks my heart so completely...every child is SO precious, is SO talented, and has such a contribution to bring to the world...regardless of their reading level. This situation with my brother was really a reminder that QUALITY education is what this country needs, more than anything. And really, we need to believe in each other...to support each other. We need to make everyone feel like they are valuable and have something to offer. After all, if we can't do that, we're really forgetting God's most important command...'Love your neighbour as yourself'. It doesn't matter if your neighbour is black, white, 6 years old, or 100 years old...they deserve to be treated with love and respect, and encouraged so that they realize they not only CAN make a difference in this world, but they ARE the difference the world needs.
With love from Kabala town,
Krissi
About 2 weeks ago I got the oppurtunity to go to a small village called Momorimariya (say that three times fast) to help with a community leadership workshop CES was putting on there. Despite the fact that I was destroyed by mosquito bites, it was a really amazing experience. The village had a population of less than 1000, one small, badly kept primary school, and nothing besides that. In most of the small villages around Kabala, Krio (the main langauge that most people in Sierra Leone speak) is not spoken at all. Only the tribal languages exist in the village, usually because the elders and the adults never went to school or went far out of the village, so they don't have much use for Krio. This was an interesting obstacle for me, since I had just adjusted to understanding all that goes on around me, now that I can hear and speak Krio - but Koronco, the native language in this village, I only speak about three words in. So nevertheless, I wasn't able to have incredibly deep conversations with the people in the village. However, I found the workshop incredible...Foray, one of the CES workers, explained to me in Krio what was happening (since the workshop was held in Koronco) and I really was amazed at how much I could observe about what was going on just from the body language and the tone the people spoke in. One really amazing moment in the workshop was when the people were asked about the bad things in their community they wanted to get rid of, the good things in their community they liked, and the things they wanted to see in their community in 5 years. It was so encouraging to hear Foray explain to me that the people wanted to see better education, less teenage pregnancies, more respect, and a better future for their children. Those are the answers every NGO hopes to promote, but it's amazing to hear those answers coming directly from the people.
Once I got back to Kabala, I continued with my prison ministry and my youth ministry, which have both remained a constant encouragement to me. It's so amazing to realize that something so small can make such a big difference. This whole week, I have also been doing testing at CRC, to see what the kid's reading and writing levels are. It's been really encouraging to see the majority of them doing well - and I can assume it will only be more encouraging after I go to other schools where the class sizes are past 100 kids in one room. The results are a reminder not only of the good work this school is doing, but also the work that still needs to be done - after all, if there are still kids in a class of 25 who don't know how to read or write, imagine what it would be like in a class of 100, with a teacher who isn't qualified. More than anything, I want to see the kids of this town succeed, and I want to see them BELIEVE in themselves. So many kids feel like they aren't clever enough, like they aren't good enough...which really breaks my heart. A circumstance where this was really apparent this week was about 2 days ago, when I was teaching my little brother how to read. He's been in school for an entire year now, yet he still has no idea how to read, or even what the letters sound like. I started tutoring him recently to try and help him out, but he is a very emotional kid (as most 6 year olds are). We got through the alphabet okay, but once we came to trying to say a word, he got frustrated because he couldn't do it. Add on top of that the teasing of his older siblings, and we had an emotional breakdown on our hands. Now, my little brother cries nearly every day for one reason or another, so this wasn't a huge deal when he burst into tears. I followed him out on the balcony and tried to console him, telling him "Osh ya" (Sorry in Krio) and that he was clever, he could learn, and it was always hard at the start. Once his tears had resided a little, he said something that brought tears to my own eyes. I told him not to listen to what his siblings were saying, but he shook his head and said,
'Ah no clever. Ah no get sense. Ah no able fo learn...'
Which basically means...I'm stupid...I can't learn...I'm not smart enough. It was so heartbreaking to hear those words come out of a child's mouth...especially my dear little brothers. Realistically, sure, it was a 6 year old tantrum...the next morning he was all smiles and laughs again. But for me, that really hit home, not just for him, but for so many kids in this country. They've been told they're not good enough, they've been put in situations where it's nearly impossible to learn, and then when they don't succeed, they feel like they're stupid. This breaks my heart so completely...every child is SO precious, is SO talented, and has such a contribution to bring to the world...regardless of their reading level. This situation with my brother was really a reminder that QUALITY education is what this country needs, more than anything. And really, we need to believe in each other...to support each other. We need to make everyone feel like they are valuable and have something to offer. After all, if we can't do that, we're really forgetting God's most important command...'Love your neighbour as yourself'. It doesn't matter if your neighbour is black, white, 6 years old, or 100 years old...they deserve to be treated with love and respect, and encouraged so that they realize they not only CAN make a difference in this world, but they ARE the difference the world needs.
With love from Kabala town,
Krissi
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Walk & not grow weary, run & not faint...
Whenever I go to Freetown, I feel like time is passing by at an incredible rate...maybe because everything is so hectic in Freetown, maybe because the journey back to Kabala is so long, or maybe because I always feel so at home when I'm with my friends in Freetown that I never want to leave. Last week Wednesday, I travelled down to Freetown with Adrienne (A Canadian who has been working in Kabala as a nurse for the past 10 months) and her soon-to be daughter Mariama. Just to give you a little background on that story, Adrienne is the wife of my former high school teacher, Joe Melissen, and they have both been working in Kabala since July of last year. About 3 months ago, they made the decision to try and adopt a baby girl from here named Mariama Conteh. This girl's mom died when she was about 2 months old, and Adrienne helped nurse her back to health and became really close to her and to her existing family. Long story short, Adrienne and Joe have been working really hard the last 3 months to try and get papers, lawyers, court dates, and everything else in place so that they can adopt Mariama.
Adrienne and I went down to Freetown on the bus with Mariama Wednesday morning -and believe me, being on the bus with a 11 month old baby is quite interesting here, between the chickens pecking at your feet and the bumpy roads that nearly bounce the baby off your lap- to try and meet with her lawyer. Needless to say, their lawyer is not the most friendly person in the world...he made us wait for 2 hours before telling us that the papers 'weren't ready to be signed. Come back tomorrow.' Long story short, that same thing happened about three or four times, before the lawyer FINALLY showed up on Monday and they went to court...so Mariama is now legally theirs in Salone at least, but the Canada paperwork still needs to get all sorted out. The whole situation was a real reminder that patience is so neccessary here...things you expect to finish quickly rarely ever do. Please pray for favor for Joe and Adrienne in this adoption, so that everything could get finished quickly in time for them to head back to Canada.
I returned back to Kabala late on Monday night, and started my work again here on Tuesday morning. This whole week has been a real blessing...I find the more I do God's work, the more physically tired I get...but the more my heart and my spirit become rejuvenated. That's why I chose to title my blog with this verse in Isaiah, Isaiah 40:31. "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." What an encouragement when you find yourself growing tired! God has promised he will restore our strength...all we have to do is put our faith and our hope in him.
I've had a cold almost all week, and so my voice has been 'small-small' as they say in krio...meaning that it's hard to talk (combine a sore throat with teaching at a primary school everyday, and you'll understand why my voice was lost!). However, it's coming back slowly but surely, which is a wonderful thing. I've been continuing to do my prison ministry this week, going there almost every day to greet the prisoners, pray with them, and do a short bible study. This is some of the most encouraging and fulfilling work I've done here yet. I've never encountered people who have been so grateful for so small a sacrifice...it's really quite humbling, especially when these prisoners are able to encourage me! So many times we've been having a bible study and they will speak up with an insight or a hopeful word that I never would have thought of. It's a continuous reminder that God's family is wider than we will ever know.
I also got the amazing oppurtunity to meet with Dr. Joanna Kuyvenhoven this week, a professor who is teaching at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. I've heard a lot about her involvement in Salone (helping start up CRC, helping start up CES, she lived here for 5 years as a missionary) through my friends here and through my old school back in Canada, but never had the oppurtunity to meet her. She is such an amazing woman of God, and truly an inspiration for where I want to be in about 30 years from now. She feels the same way I do about teaching...it's really her passion and her calling, and it's so amazing to see what God has done through her. Despite all the incredible things she has done for this country, what is the most amazing about her is how genuine and real she is...she wants these kids in Kabala to succeed more than anything in the world, and she really believes in the power of education. She's got me doing some testing for the CRC school which will start next week...trying to determine the kid's learning levels compared with other schools in Kabala. This week has been an encouragement for me in terms of the hope education is bringing to this country. They like to say here that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for one day...but if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for his lifetime. Education is really the only way out of poverty, and truly the only way for this country to rebuild.
The last amazing experience I had this week was with the Kabala youth group. I started leading a bible study for them about purity and integrity, and we had our first meeting yesterday. It was really incredible...I preached on Galatians 5:16-21, and really encouraged the youth to not only be pure and practice abstinence, but to recognize how VALUABLE they are as children of God...and not let anyone spoil the plans God has for them. It was so encouraging to see the youth discussing this and really listening. Since I got here, God has really put a call on my heart for the youth of this town. Like everywhere in the world, Kabala is a town that is filled with infidelity and sexual immorality...but unfortunately this is especially true among the youth. Girls are having sex when they are as young as 12 or 13 because a man 'promises' that he will marry them...and then leaves them as soon as they get pregnant. And imagine trying to learn in a classroom of 100 people, in 40 degree weather, with a 3 week old baby on your back...it's nearly impossible. I really believe that if even one youth group in this town lived out lives full of integrity and purity, they could change their future, their town's future, their country's future. It breaks my heart to see beautiful young men and women giving themselves away because they think they aren't good enough. These youth are sons and daughters of the KING, our LORD...they are MORE than good enough! Imagine the difference it would make if youth respected themselves and valued themselves enough to WAIT until God brought them their husband or wife...imagine the difference it would make if youth walked through this town KNOWING that they deserved ALL the promises in God's word, so they didn't compromise for anyone. I can't even begin to describe how much my heart is yearning for that to happen for the youth of this country.
Here's a little bit of what I said yesterday.
If someone tells you you're not good enough unless you sleep with them, or you're nothing when you're alone, here's what you tell them. I am NOT alone. I am walking with my best friend, the lover of my soul, my confidant, and my encourager. He will never leave me nor forsake me. He won't get me pregnant and then run off to the villiage. He won't forget my name. He knew me before I was born...so unless you're willing to get by him first, you certainly aren't getting through to me. His name is Jesus Christ, and he's my everything.
Let's pray for the youth of Salone to value themselves, to respect themselves, and to wait for God's promises to be fufilled in their life. If the youth of this country pursued a high standard of integrity, they could turn this whole country around.
Lots of love from Kabala,
Krissi
Adrienne and I went down to Freetown on the bus with Mariama Wednesday morning -and believe me, being on the bus with a 11 month old baby is quite interesting here, between the chickens pecking at your feet and the bumpy roads that nearly bounce the baby off your lap- to try and meet with her lawyer. Needless to say, their lawyer is not the most friendly person in the world...he made us wait for 2 hours before telling us that the papers 'weren't ready to be signed. Come back tomorrow.' Long story short, that same thing happened about three or four times, before the lawyer FINALLY showed up on Monday and they went to court...so Mariama is now legally theirs in Salone at least, but the Canada paperwork still needs to get all sorted out. The whole situation was a real reminder that patience is so neccessary here...things you expect to finish quickly rarely ever do. Please pray for favor for Joe and Adrienne in this adoption, so that everything could get finished quickly in time for them to head back to Canada.
I returned back to Kabala late on Monday night, and started my work again here on Tuesday morning. This whole week has been a real blessing...I find the more I do God's work, the more physically tired I get...but the more my heart and my spirit become rejuvenated. That's why I chose to title my blog with this verse in Isaiah, Isaiah 40:31. "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." What an encouragement when you find yourself growing tired! God has promised he will restore our strength...all we have to do is put our faith and our hope in him.
I've had a cold almost all week, and so my voice has been 'small-small' as they say in krio...meaning that it's hard to talk (combine a sore throat with teaching at a primary school everyday, and you'll understand why my voice was lost!). However, it's coming back slowly but surely, which is a wonderful thing. I've been continuing to do my prison ministry this week, going there almost every day to greet the prisoners, pray with them, and do a short bible study. This is some of the most encouraging and fulfilling work I've done here yet. I've never encountered people who have been so grateful for so small a sacrifice...it's really quite humbling, especially when these prisoners are able to encourage me! So many times we've been having a bible study and they will speak up with an insight or a hopeful word that I never would have thought of. It's a continuous reminder that God's family is wider than we will ever know.
I also got the amazing oppurtunity to meet with Dr. Joanna Kuyvenhoven this week, a professor who is teaching at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. I've heard a lot about her involvement in Salone (helping start up CRC, helping start up CES, she lived here for 5 years as a missionary) through my friends here and through my old school back in Canada, but never had the oppurtunity to meet her. She is such an amazing woman of God, and truly an inspiration for where I want to be in about 30 years from now. She feels the same way I do about teaching...it's really her passion and her calling, and it's so amazing to see what God has done through her. Despite all the incredible things she has done for this country, what is the most amazing about her is how genuine and real she is...she wants these kids in Kabala to succeed more than anything in the world, and she really believes in the power of education. She's got me doing some testing for the CRC school which will start next week...trying to determine the kid's learning levels compared with other schools in Kabala. This week has been an encouragement for me in terms of the hope education is bringing to this country. They like to say here that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for one day...but if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for his lifetime. Education is really the only way out of poverty, and truly the only way for this country to rebuild.
The last amazing experience I had this week was with the Kabala youth group. I started leading a bible study for them about purity and integrity, and we had our first meeting yesterday. It was really incredible...I preached on Galatians 5:16-21, and really encouraged the youth to not only be pure and practice abstinence, but to recognize how VALUABLE they are as children of God...and not let anyone spoil the plans God has for them. It was so encouraging to see the youth discussing this and really listening. Since I got here, God has really put a call on my heart for the youth of this town. Like everywhere in the world, Kabala is a town that is filled with infidelity and sexual immorality...but unfortunately this is especially true among the youth. Girls are having sex when they are as young as 12 or 13 because a man 'promises' that he will marry them...and then leaves them as soon as they get pregnant. And imagine trying to learn in a classroom of 100 people, in 40 degree weather, with a 3 week old baby on your back...it's nearly impossible. I really believe that if even one youth group in this town lived out lives full of integrity and purity, they could change their future, their town's future, their country's future. It breaks my heart to see beautiful young men and women giving themselves away because they think they aren't good enough. These youth are sons and daughters of the KING, our LORD...they are MORE than good enough! Imagine the difference it would make if youth respected themselves and valued themselves enough to WAIT until God brought them their husband or wife...imagine the difference it would make if youth walked through this town KNOWING that they deserved ALL the promises in God's word, so they didn't compromise for anyone. I can't even begin to describe how much my heart is yearning for that to happen for the youth of this country.
Here's a little bit of what I said yesterday.
If someone tells you you're not good enough unless you sleep with them, or you're nothing when you're alone, here's what you tell them. I am NOT alone. I am walking with my best friend, the lover of my soul, my confidant, and my encourager. He will never leave me nor forsake me. He won't get me pregnant and then run off to the villiage. He won't forget my name. He knew me before I was born...so unless you're willing to get by him first, you certainly aren't getting through to me. His name is Jesus Christ, and he's my everything.
Let's pray for the youth of Salone to value themselves, to respect themselves, and to wait for God's promises to be fufilled in their life. If the youth of this country pursued a high standard of integrity, they could turn this whole country around.
Lots of love from Kabala,
Krissi
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