October 17, 2016

At 6:45 this morning there was a knock on the door. There was a friend wanting to talk to "Elder Carley". Don visited with him and the man wanted Don to go with him to help settle a domestic/business dispute. Don counseled with the man and sent him on his way. He was not going to get in the middle of it.

At 9:00 we went to the PVA to pick up Saidu Thoronka to go visit a school that wants handicap ramps and toilets. We were just leaving when President Sesay (the district president) called and said he was at the PVA and wanted Elder Carley to come and have a discussion with him and a man in the community but who is also a member of the Church. We were going out the exit and President Sesay was going in the entrance and there is a building separating the two. So we went around the building and back into the compound. The man is a man who is probably the wealthiest man in the entire PVA. He owns a tailor shop, has 3 men working for him, he has a car, and you see him all over downtown Freetown. But somehow he thinks we should pay for his children's school fees, get him a generator, new sewing machines, material, supplies and build him a new building. He was given a generator and his children's school fees were paid by a previous humanitarian couple and he spoiled the generator by not taking care of it. He was trying to use President Sesay to get us to provide these things for him. It was not a pleasant meeting. We are not going to fund this man.

We went over to the school that wants handicapped ramps and handicapped toilets. It is a very worthwhile project and the school leaders have thoroughly thought through their ideas. We will start collecting the contractors etc. and get some bids. While there, I was approached by a man who has a terrible toothache. The whole side of his face was very swollen. He wanted 40,000 Leones to go to the dentist to get medication to reduce the swelling and to have his tooth pulled.

It was brought to our attention by our site manager of the New England Site #1 & #2 that things were not right on Site #2. The work of the platform, basement, and plumbing were complete but the vendor says the Milla Tank would not be available for 4 more days (Friday). We had already paid for the Milla Tank and was guaranteed the tank was available. There was no reason for the Milla Tank not to be delivered. We have the performance invoice and the signed receipt from the vendor saying he had received the money. We gave the vendor until Friday to produce the Milla Tank. He was not able to produce it. We gave them until today (Monday) at noon to produce it. He was not able to produce it. The Site Manager indicated that he felt there was a money issue. We asked the contractors to come in this afternoon to discuss this issue.

 In attendance were Elder and Sister Carley, humanitarian couple, the site manager, the vice-chairman of the community, and the partner of the contractor (the contractor has an absessed tooth and was at the dentist). It was a very intense meeting. We started and ended with prayer. Don asked for the truth. The workers were not being paid and threatened to stop work. Instead of coming to us to get the labor payment we owed them, they went back to the vendor who sold them the Milla tank and requested the money back and then used that money to pay the workers. They were intending on using the labor payment to pay the vendor for the Milla tank. The timing of them requesting the money from the vendor and receiving the money for the labor did not coincide so the vendor did not get money for the tank. We were very relieved that the money for the Milla tank stayed within the project and there was no theft. Unpleasant consequences were given for the manipulation of money and keeping the truth from us. But, they are temporary and a spirit of honesty and trust is being developed.

9:00 this evening there was a knock on the door. There was a woman wanting to talk to me. We sat together and she bore her soul to me. She is so depressed and feels so hopeless she is suicidal. Her problems are too big for an untrained person, such as myself. I asked her if she would accept some professional help. She said she would. I told her I would get a contact for her tomorrow and e-mail it to her.