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!
Monday, August 14, 2017
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Friday June 30
44 years ago today I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A sweet Spiritual 44 years.
The Clawson's have left for Guinea this morning to open the country to Missionary Work and Guinea will be part of the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission. It is a 6 hour trip there. It is really only a 4 hour trip but there are so many police stops it takes 6 hours.
Don is still in Kenema. I talked to him shortly after they left to do well evaluations and Lamin told Don they were going to do "small Africa" today. That means they are only going to go on roads that are paved. Yesterday was a nightmare for all of them.
"Just a friend thing" - I opened your card today because I miss you.
The Clawson's have left for Guinea this morning to open the country to Missionary Work and Guinea will be part of the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission. It is a 6 hour trip there. It is really only a 4 hour trip but there are so many police stops it takes 6 hours.
Don is still in Kenema. I talked to him shortly after they left to do well evaluations and Lamin told Don they were going to do "small Africa" today. That means they are only going to go on roads that are paved. Yesterday was a nightmare for all of them.
"Just a friend thing" - I opened your card today because I miss you.
Thursday June 29 - thats one way to find a bride
The rains have come and have hit hard. Many of the dirt roads are
washed out or have big ravines running down them. Don, Lamin and
Jonathan went to evaluate wells in the Kenema District today. They
have 40 wells to evaluate. They did 4 today. The wells were so far out
into the provinces and what was once roads are now just paths big
enough for an okada or are deplorable ruts full of water. I do not
understand why they forged on. I would have written up a report
saying this is the wrong time of year to do an evaluation telling them
why we need to wait until the dry season. Don says he is sure there is
damage to the underside of the truck. All three men are basket-cases
tonight from being on an adrenaline high all day.
Don shared one story from today. They were in a far-out village and they were asking the caretaker of the well how often the well has broken over the past 3 years and who they get to repair it. They told Don they have their own technician. REALLY!? Now the rest of the story: When the well crew were putting in the well, one of the men from the village paraded out several single women and asked if any of the men were interested in taking a woman to wife. Their was silence among the men and then one of them said "I am". He chose a woman, has stayed in their village, and maintains the well.
Don shared one story from today. They were in a far-out village and they were asking the caretaker of the well how often the well has broken over the past 3 years and who they get to repair it. They told Don they have their own technician. REALLY!? Now the rest of the story: When the well crew were putting in the well, one of the men from the village paraded out several single women and asked if any of the men were interested in taking a woman to wife. Their was silence among the men and then one of them said "I am". He chose a woman, has stayed in their village, and maintains the well.
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!
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!
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