I've just heard from James in Freetown, I've been worried. No word since Friday. He's been doing photography work to generate money to live on and aid his neighbors. Our financial assistance has been a bit short due to everyone taking all the extra they had to sustain the rent for St. Laurence House one more year. The school in Kabala is almost complete, we still need 5 more bundles of zinc for the roof. We are trying to scrape that together so we can at least get the building done. Then we have to start on all the benches, teacher desks, supplies, uniforms and ongoing monthly support ...sigh... I am hoping tax refunds might help generate a little extra towards our work in Sierra Leone. We'll see.
New videos are frequently added on You Tube at our channel: www.youtube.com/SaloneNHA. Give them a look and share them with friends. The latest is one of the precious students of Nazareth House School, Kabala. The children are singing a welcome song. These kids are just beautiful. It is so hard to review these videos and see the faces of loved ones so far away... and be here in Louisville. I want to be with them very much. Hopefully, things will work out for a trip back very soon.
You know, there is so much sadness around the people of Sierra Leone: poverty, illness, hunger, death, violence, theft, death...its everywhere...but yet, AND YET, I find more truly happy and generally accepting people there than anywhere else in the world. There is such a great degree of dignity, of love for thy neighbor - A people of so little that GIVE so much! On our last visit, each time we noticed our brother or sister in need we'd buy food, rice (whatever the need) and bring it to them. By dinner time a meal was prepared and brought to us at St. Laurence House - they wanted to share with us what we had just given them. Its incredible. For many, simply knowing that God loves them and that God is aware of their pain...is enough...its all they need. Of course, every culture has those who don't love their neighbor and are consumed in greed. Sierra Leone is no exception. But on the whole, you'll find Sierra Leoneans to be a gentle, loving, welcoming people.
