Photos property of Nazareth House Media, JBM, 2008
REPORT FROM JAMES MANSARAY, FREETOWN:
As the school construction draws near to conclusion, I have been spending more time in Kabala - not only to help them finish the work but also getting the students ready, finding the right seamstress who will do the uniforms properly, and again meeting our new President in Kabala for the second time. Unfortunately, one of our contractors, Mr. Foray Kamara, happened to lose his two year old child to illness in a nearby village so I had to spend more days waiting and have the other workers continue from where he stopped.
With the windows and doors all ready, Joseph, our long gone Carpenter (he made our altar at St. Laurence House), happened to visit Kabala so he, too, now is playing his own part - doing the whole ceiling of the school as part of his own contribution - letting the other guys concentrating on final touching and maintenance on this huge structure. I promise it will be all done soon. We are all ready for it.
Since Fr. Seraphim (Hicks) and I met the then Opposition Leader and now Head of State, His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma, a little over a year ago at the Parliament Building, I had been longing to meet him again. Fortunately for me this time, I had another chance and it happened in Kabala where Nazareth House Apostolate is building a school. He was opening a new community bank and as usual calling on all to work together to help build this nation. Speaking in our local dialect (Krio) at the Kabala Community Centre, the new President seems to be doing what Father Seraphim told him some time ago - bringing himself to the poorest of the poor. Kabala needs help like what we all have been doing and this was part of the President speech. Oh how I wish Father Seraphim was in Kabala at this particular time, but Fr. Seraphim & I look forward to greet him again in the next visit.
Thanks to you all for your relentless support and prayers while I was away. And to you, Mama Vicki, I must commend you for all the phone calls checking on my welfare. I must say this time I returned with less trouble only a bad flu, continuous fever and a few aches in my stomach. Not too sure what it is, I guess from a cup of water that I drank. Pa Foday recovering from his illness and with my presence there has more time (for him) in his farm planting rice.
Back home at St. Laurence house all seems well. ROO looks much healthy and happier than ever. This is how it should go - not only for ROO -- but for all poor kids here in Salone.
With part of uniform money in, I now start working on that project, too before the week ends. I get back to you all soon.
Once more - thanks to you all.
James.