Day 5
Finally comes our day to visit our adopted village, Kenema Vaboi (also referred by Kenema Dasse – not at all related to the large town of Kenema in the east.) But we will just refer to it as Kenema for purposes of this report. George Samura, the Director for Church Relations and Evangelism for EFSL, met us at Bo and accompanied us on the trip to the village. Pastor Anthony (from the PCSL who helped us place the pastor) was not able to join us until later in the day since his daughter had taken seriously ill and was in the hospital (a matter for prayer for us all week).
After a long, bumpy, hot, dusty (and did I say bumpy) trip, we arrived in the village. Kenema is a village of about 400 people living in mud-brick and thatched-roof buildings. We were met by Pastor Frederick and Francis Sam (the teacher and village chief), as well as perhaps 75 villagers. The villages is predominantly Muslim (85%).
So we began with a worship service in the church building with music (accompanied completely by percussion) and praise. Then “Reverend Bob Collins” was asked to give the message, which he did faithfully, while being translated into the Mende language. After the worship service, a business meeting was called (basically dismissing the children to go out and play.) We presented the very large duffel bag of school supplies donated by members of Zionsville Fellowship, and the church was extremely appreciative. It was just what they needed as they said they had enough textbooks, but lacked writing materials. Praise the Lord for meeting the exact need the villagers expressed.
After the service, we moved to the renovated village well. This well was 72 feet deep with water being accessed by dropping a bucket on a rope. The renovated well has a concrete cap for sanitation, a fence to keep animals out, and a hand pump. The villagers showed great joy at the dedication, and we expressed to them how the Lord gave them two wells instead of just the one new one.
The new well was in construction – down to about 24 feet. We were able to see very clearly the process of hand digging the well with one man with a shovel and pick-axe down at the bottom of the four-foot-diameter hole. He would throw the rock and dirt in a bucket which was then hauled up with a rope and pulley mechanism to his comrade at the top who would empty it and send it back down. These two were employees of World Hope International. They were working very hard in 95 degree heat – with no air movement at the bottom of that hole. World Hope had committed to attempt at least two drills, but that was their only “guaranty.” But the Lord moved in their hearts to not only rehabilitate the old well, but dig a new one. We saw first-hand that this was above and beyond the call, and the clear work of the Lord in their decision-making.
We then went to village two-room medical clinic with one cot and a few old medicines on a small table. They had no refrigerator as their solar unit had been “re-assigned” to another local village. One of their two nurses has also been reassigned to another village. Their medical needs are very real. We are so looking forward to our medical mission there later this year or early next year. So we said our goodbyes (of course, after eating), and departed the village to head back to Freetown. We left the village at about 1:15, arrived at the outskirts of Freetown around 5:30, and due to the city traffic, actually got home after 8:00 pm ready for rest and a shower.
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