Monday, August 14, 2017

Mudslide

Monday, August 14, 2017
Good morning all!  This is not an official post from Jeanne and Dad.  However, if any of you have seen the world news this morning, you'll have heard about the devastating mudslide that has struck Sierra Leon in the area that Dad and Jeanne serve.  Cho got a text this morning from Dad assuring us that they are safe and sound but several in their area and congregation have been killed.  I will keep you posted if we get any other pertinent news.  Just keep them and those they serve in your thoughts and prayers!

Sunday July 9

I saw President Sesay this morning at the Forut Branch and he told me about the boy drowning (which I already knew) but he added "They found the body this morning and removed it from the river but the fish had eaten his eyes, nose and parts of his face. The funeral is today because his body has already started to decompose."

In Sunday School today the lesson was on "Establishing the house of the Lord". There were about 20 people in the class and I was the only one who had been to the Temple. The young man was doing a great job until the class members started asking questions about the Temple and the young man, with the help of some of the men who only imagined they knew what they were talking about, was teaching false doctrine. I let it go so far and then I asked if I could explain about the Temple. Every person in that room was glued to my every statement. They were sponges, soaking it all in and were in awe of what beautiful blessings await them. I apologized after the class to the young man who taught the lesson for stepping in. He said, "Oh, no you are part of the class and you can make contributions. I learned from you. Thank you." Gracious!

Saturday July 8

OH NO! Tragedy! Today a group of teenage boys were at the river playing as they often do and one drowned. A 17 year old boy jumped off the bridge into the river but the Chinese are building a road and pushed all the loose sand and dirt into the river. When the 17 year old jumped into the river, feet first, he sunk up to his waist in the soft dirt and was lodged and could not get out. He drowned.

tuesday july 4th

Happy Independence Day America! We miss you!!

 No celebration in Africa. We all worked hard all day.

I taught my second Temple Prep Class tonight and it was very good.

July 3 Monday

We went to the office today and Don was beside himself. He is so tired he is grouchy and impatient.

He is working hard on writing up reports on each well he evaluated and 4 of them another NGO came in and painted our well with their colors and put their logo over the top of ours. These local NGO's are hired by very large NGO's from other countries. What the local NGO's do is paint someone else's wells, put their logos on them, and send pictures to the foreign NGO's billing them for the construction of the well plus their workmanship. When they get paid they pocket the money and all they are out is paint and the workmanship for painting. Don is so angry, he says he IS going back to the WASH meeting in July and confronting the local NGO in front of the entire committee.

Sunday July 2

Geneba's 60th Birthday - my African friend.

 A very nice Sabbath. Don came home from Kenema. He got all 58 wells evaluated this week. That was quite an undertaking. He is exhausted and went to bed at 7:00. At 8:30 he came out wide awake and can't turn his brain off. He is thinking about his victory vision and the farm and how to reorganize our facilities to make them easier on two people getting older but who don't want to throw in the towel quite yet.

 He brought me another nice batch of cocoa beans and two pineapples, We cut one up for supper and ate the whole thing, It was very sweet and so delicious.

Saturday July 1

Is there anything sweeter than getting an e-mail from your 5-year old granddaughter. Don left two of his favorite goats in the care of the Sodens and one of them delivered twins. Elizabeth fell in love with the little female and asked her grandpa if she could do work to buy the little goat. Grandpa told her "yes, we will discuss the terms when I get home in November".

 Elizabeth named the little goat Uptown Girl. Don received the following e-mail from Elizabeth this week: "I walked and brushed uptown girl. I walked her from the dog place in the yellow place where the sun is shining. And I found a place to get ready for the fair, And I got all my stuff that I need for uptown girl. And grandpa I want to do all the same things brushing walking and halters every day. Signed Ellie