Thank you for your efforts in keeping St. Laurence House operating another year. IT is so important to so many people. Mama Vicki tells me we are getting very close to reaching our goal. We lack only $2,050 - I am hopeful she will be happy to look into NHA mail box today. It will come..
One thing that you will always find common amongst the NHA family both here and abroad is the spirit of love, oneness and sharing even in our most difficult times. The other day's blog posts (scroll down past blog posts to read about Dyar if you missed it) showed the wonderful Dycar Internet Cafe Staff where I always spend time doing my emails and picture stuffs. It’s just a stone throw from St. Laurence House making it much easier for me to stroll easily to do my work.
There are only a few places around Freetown where I could find short comfort as if it were my home or office. When there is no electricity, Sanu or Pa Sorie are always there to get the generator on for me to finish off my work.
I recently saw a photo of a broken washing machine flying off the stairs at our Nazareth House Headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky.
Several years back, during his first visit to Sierra Leone, Fr. Seraphim had the guts to give away his only flash lights to a set of University Students that were keeping company with him till late at night. He did forget that the streets of Murray Town are different from those in Louisville. Few meters on his way back to his lodge, he ended in a ditch breaking his leg. The following day when asked where your flash light was, he said i “I gave it away............” Again, there is that "compassion" to benefit another, even if it puts yourself uncomfortable.
This spirit of love and sharing continues to grow more and more, everyday making us a big bunch of family following traveling the same journey.
Here in Salone, you will notice the Widow Mama Marianna sharing her last bowl of food
with us last Sunday and there was no room for us to shy away from this as this was her gift to us. She said she too wants to make us feel happy.
Taking you back up country where you’ll find hunger and poverty at its peak, these people are always ready to make you an offer to show their sign of love and appreciations. You could either be greeted with a goat, fowl, or Poyo (Palm wine)
especially amongst the Limba tribes living in the KAMATHUN village area. If you are lucky enough, you will be handed a whole deer leg
Thank God I have given up eating this kind of bushmeat due to some advice from a good friend. But you will always find it difficult to say no. Alie and Mako will attest to this from our last visit as we make our stops from village to village dropping treats and the handful of medications that we had to those who really are in terrible need.
Have a blessed mid week and see will visit through this blog again soon. Until then, keep up the good work. Please remember to support Nazareth House and the good work we all are doing. This is your work, too, you know! This family is growing, come join us. Be a part of changing lives for the better.
James.
PS NOTE: In Salone Up Country we have to live off the land, this is how we survive. Please do not be upset that we cannot shop at the Walmart for our meat - we do not have such a thing. We must hunt for our food. This is survival.