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
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Fighting the Good Fight
Wow, hard to believe it's already June! Time has really been flying by way too fast since I arrived in Salone...which explains why my blog posts are so few and far between. So I will do by best to try and explain the last couple weeks, which have been...well, interesting, to say the least.
I travelled down to Freetown again last week and took part in some really amazing evangelism while I was there. My friends in Freetown are so welcoming, caring, and more than anything, dedicated to God's word - which is so incredible to see and really inspiring for the future of this country. I feel like these 5 new brothers I've aquired in Freetown are family members that I've known my whole life, not for just a month. Anyways, while we were in Freetown I helped one of my friends who volunteers to give out Polio treatment do his daily rounds - which consisted of a 4 hour walk around Aberdeen, giving pills to kids under the age of 5 and hearing them scream for hours on end because they thought we were coming with injections. The white woman card was 50/50 that day...some kids were so amazed by my blue eyes and blinding colour that they didn't realize they were taking a pill till it was in their stomach, but other kids thought I was one of the scary white doctors who come around with big needles to try to stab them. Anyways, that day really taught me about the amazing commitment of some people in Salone - they walk around in the blazing heat and volunteer their time in order to try and save some of the kids who could grow up to be future leaders of this country, and the only reward they get in return is the hope that some of these kids won't get sick (at least from Polio).
My week in Freetown was very relaxing, but went too fast - I'm amazed at the new love I am developing for Freetown. It's amazing how much we attach our feelings about a place to our feelings about the people there - because I have such close friends in Freetown, I don't worry nearly as much when I come into the city, and I really enjoy being down there - although it's not as peaceful as my little Kabala hometown.
Since I have been back in Kabala, I have been starting to really do some serious evangelism and ministry, and have been so encouraged by hoe good God is. About 2 weeks ago, I went to visit the Kabala prison for the first time - there is 23 prisoners in total, 22 male and 1 female - a place that has been seriously forgotten by visitors and Kabala residents alike. I was amazed not only by how welcoming and friendly the prisoners were (really not the terrifying image you might have in your mind of 'inmates'), but even more, by how grateful they were that I came to see them. Since my first visit, God really laid it on my heart that I needed to go back, and on Monday this week, I conducted the first of hopefully many bible studies I will be leading for them. I was so blown away by God's goodness - first of all, I was somehow able to preach in Krio, and they were able to understand me, which is a miracle in itself. Second of all, they didn't see the difference in skin colour or the difference in situation - they were just glad to hear God's word and even more glad to have someone who seemed to care about their situation. I hope to continue going back to the prison 2-3 times a week to encourage the prisoners, talk with them, and lead bible studies. The one female prisoner, Porre, has been such an encouragemnt to me - she never attended primary school, so does not know how to read or write, but her willingness to learn is amazing. Although she was a Muslim, she has now accepted Christ, and I have started giving her writing lessons - meaning, teaching her the ABC's. It's a very humbling experience to be teaching a full grown woman something I was blessed enough to learn when I was just a child.
Despite the encouragement I recieve from my evangelism, there has certainly been some serious strongholds. Although I realized this a little bit last year, it is becoming even more clear now that Kabala is a town that is heavily involved in spiritual warfare. The same day I started bible studies and began doing evangelism in town, Satan began throwing distractions and strongholds at me from the left and the right. Not 3 hours after I preached, I had too many men to count coming up to me and proposing to me, telling me they loved me, and they needed to spend time with me - including a couple of my friends I really respect and trust. It's crazy how Satan tries to distract us, and how worried he gets once he knows we are doing God's work! However, I rest in the sssurance that He who is within me is GREATER than he who is in the world - including all the men in Kabala. Despite the struggles, I will continue to perservere and do God's work. Please continue to pray for strength and protection for me, and pray that ANY weapon the enemy forms against me shall not prosper...including marriage proposals!
With love from Kabala town,
Krissi
I travelled down to Freetown again last week and took part in some really amazing evangelism while I was there. My friends in Freetown are so welcoming, caring, and more than anything, dedicated to God's word - which is so incredible to see and really inspiring for the future of this country. I feel like these 5 new brothers I've aquired in Freetown are family members that I've known my whole life, not for just a month. Anyways, while we were in Freetown I helped one of my friends who volunteers to give out Polio treatment do his daily rounds - which consisted of a 4 hour walk around Aberdeen, giving pills to kids under the age of 5 and hearing them scream for hours on end because they thought we were coming with injections. The white woman card was 50/50 that day...some kids were so amazed by my blue eyes and blinding colour that they didn't realize they were taking a pill till it was in their stomach, but other kids thought I was one of the scary white doctors who come around with big needles to try to stab them. Anyways, that day really taught me about the amazing commitment of some people in Salone - they walk around in the blazing heat and volunteer their time in order to try and save some of the kids who could grow up to be future leaders of this country, and the only reward they get in return is the hope that some of these kids won't get sick (at least from Polio).
My week in Freetown was very relaxing, but went too fast - I'm amazed at the new love I am developing for Freetown. It's amazing how much we attach our feelings about a place to our feelings about the people there - because I have such close friends in Freetown, I don't worry nearly as much when I come into the city, and I really enjoy being down there - although it's not as peaceful as my little Kabala hometown.
Since I have been back in Kabala, I have been starting to really do some serious evangelism and ministry, and have been so encouraged by hoe good God is. About 2 weeks ago, I went to visit the Kabala prison for the first time - there is 23 prisoners in total, 22 male and 1 female - a place that has been seriously forgotten by visitors and Kabala residents alike. I was amazed not only by how welcoming and friendly the prisoners were (really not the terrifying image you might have in your mind of 'inmates'), but even more, by how grateful they were that I came to see them. Since my first visit, God really laid it on my heart that I needed to go back, and on Monday this week, I conducted the first of hopefully many bible studies I will be leading for them. I was so blown away by God's goodness - first of all, I was somehow able to preach in Krio, and they were able to understand me, which is a miracle in itself. Second of all, they didn't see the difference in skin colour or the difference in situation - they were just glad to hear God's word and even more glad to have someone who seemed to care about their situation. I hope to continue going back to the prison 2-3 times a week to encourage the prisoners, talk with them, and lead bible studies. The one female prisoner, Porre, has been such an encouragemnt to me - she never attended primary school, so does not know how to read or write, but her willingness to learn is amazing. Although she was a Muslim, she has now accepted Christ, and I have started giving her writing lessons - meaning, teaching her the ABC's. It's a very humbling experience to be teaching a full grown woman something I was blessed enough to learn when I was just a child.
Despite the encouragement I recieve from my evangelism, there has certainly been some serious strongholds. Although I realized this a little bit last year, it is becoming even more clear now that Kabala is a town that is heavily involved in spiritual warfare. The same day I started bible studies and began doing evangelism in town, Satan began throwing distractions and strongholds at me from the left and the right. Not 3 hours after I preached, I had too many men to count coming up to me and proposing to me, telling me they loved me, and they needed to spend time with me - including a couple of my friends I really respect and trust. It's crazy how Satan tries to distract us, and how worried he gets once he knows we are doing God's work! However, I rest in the sssurance that He who is within me is GREATER than he who is in the world - including all the men in Kabala. Despite the struggles, I will continue to perservere and do God's work. Please continue to pray for strength and protection for me, and pray that ANY weapon the enemy forms against me shall not prosper...including marriage proposals!
With love from Kabala town,
Krissi
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