Mountains and Valleys

I find it hard to write on most nights, one because of pure exhaustion and another because our days are so full of emotion. Some moments there is so much joy in seeing a child walk that no one imagined they ever would, and the beaming smiles of kids who are so full of life- something I recognize very fondly as being the same look my sister Mindy often has. There are families who love their children so dearly that they carry them to school (sometimes miles away) on their backs even when the child might weigh 60+ pounds. A father who looks on with pride as his son is now able to play a stacking game that before wasn’t able to coordinate his hand movement. These are families who amidst struggling to survive find the time to do a few exercises or spend a few moments teaching their child every day. They are the families who have decided to keep their disabled child despite the overwhelming stigma that these children are demons, a curse. It is a very sad reality that many of these children are abandoned or sacrificed. Yet we have over 200 beautiful kids in our program whose parents, aunts or granny’s decided that these children are worth giving a chance to. And Oh! What an opportunity these families have to show their culture how valuable children with disabilities are and to see what purpose God will make known through them and their testimonies.

I’ve really struggled to not take some of the less fortunate of our patients and run away with them in my arms. A sweet little boy we have seen twice since I have come has been found lying, dirty, on the cement both times with no one immediately around him to care for him. The back of his head there is no hair because he is left lying most of the day. We fixed him up a nice little chair for him to sit in this last time and placed him in it before leaving. We did our best to encourage the sister to give him toys and help to sit and lie alternatively throughout the day. Yet even this child beams from ear to ear- just to be touched to be a part of something for a moment seems to make his life joy-filled. There is also sweet little Grace who is probably around 2 years old who was abandoned at the children’s hospital here in Freetown because she is a floppy Cerebral Palsy- unable to move herself independently. I have seen little Grace 3 times and she is about the size of an infant and left often hungry, thirsty, and dirty. The nurses sit at their station with no idea of how this little life suffers. I try to spur on the patient’s moms who are in the bed next to her to try to see that she is cared for. I sit and hold her little body and just pray for her to one day not have to suffer like this whether on this earth or in God’s kingdom- I know that she is promised that and that God does in fact see her suffering.

I enjoy the work we have been called to do here in Sierra Leone and yet I feel like a messy wreck daily- so full of emotions. God is my constant, he understands, he sees, he knows better than I and he reminds me that he is in control. That I am to just remain in him.

It is really special that with each family we end our session with them in prayer- bringing our petetions and thanksgiving to him-it is a time of peace and surrender.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Oh how I missed this! I never doubt that my passion is to work with kids with disabilities. I just love kids, Isha and Mamayo  the girls pictures above, pile on my lap as soon as I sit down and God's love and joy just washes over me. I tickle them, dance with them, tease them and watch their faces light up when someone wants to just be with them. I have known these two from 2011 and Isha especially touches my heart as she has physical limitations to her right side. Often these children are outcast and in fact I believe Isha was not accepted by the community 2 years ago because of her disability. It overjoys my heart now to see her better cared for and the neighbors knowing her and the children including her in to play with them. I set Isha up with Enable the Children in 2011, the organisation I am now working for.  Today I was able to play a clapping game with her, she used both of her hands! Something she wouldn't have done when I was here before! God is working in her life, he is changing hearts in the community and Enable the Children has been an amazing instrument in His plan. I miss my family and my friends back home but I feel God has me on this journey and it is for his purpose. I pray that each day I will continue to put my faith and trust in my Great God who has shown me today a changed life and community! Let my eyes be open to what you will have me see.

2013-2014 Budget

I haven't found a way to link my actual budget to my blog but I will give you all a rough outline below.

One Time Expenses
*Airfare (2 Round-trip Tickets):  $4,000
Mult-entry Visa: $204.95
Resident permit: $188.00
National ID Card: $100.00
Water taxi (transport to and from the airport): $200.00
12% Charge for Ripe for Harvest Support and Financial Services: $1,920

Monthly Exepnses
*In Country Travel Expenses (taxis and gas): $50.00
In Country Lodging (Rent): $300.00
*Miscellaneous (food, giving, other): $290.00
Medical Insurance: $168.00
-----------------------------------------------------------
Total Expense for 24 month trip = $26,004.95


*Estimations: based on previous budget with World Hope International

I have contributed to the above 31% of the total cost. Current commitments at 69% of total expense.

Prayers

"So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer." Ezra 8:23

God continues to open the door for me to head back to Sierra Leone this January. I am going to be volunteering with an organization called Enable the Children an organisation reaching out to families of kids with disabilities by providing care and basic teaching of therapy and health practices. You can read of the amazing stories and more about the organisation on their website: http://www.enablethechildren.org/

As God begins to prepare my heart and Vez the founder of Enable the Children and I communicate back and forth in preparation of my trip I want to bring my family and friends alongside this journey and ask that they be in prayer with us. My trip is planned for two years, January 2013-December 2014, I also will be returning to the USA once for 3-4 weeks. In these two years I will be working alongside Abu and Ambrose two of the Sierra Leoneans who have been trained in physiotherapy and Ana a physical therapist from the UK. God has intricately placed my footsteps and as I continue to step I pray that I am always seeking his will. I would love to have the following things kept in prayer.

* Seeking his will, his word, and wisdom in all the preparations.
*Keeping Sierra Leone in prayer and all my dear neighbors and friends as I communicate with them a few times a month, that our relationships will continue to grow and branch across the cultures.
*Prayer on discernment to where I will be living- I have two options to return to the previous house or to live at the Enable the Children Team House. Both are a huge blessing!
*Prayer for Enable the Children- specifically Abu and Ambrose who I have met before while in Sierra Leone, their hearts are no doubt loving and caring for these children day in and day out as they face incredibly difficult situations that they will continue to be encouraged and Enable the Children will grow in the relationship with these families bring God's light to sometime very dark places.
*Prayer for an easy transition of returning to Sierra Leone and joining the team. That my gifts in nursing will be used to bring more health care- triage and teaching and that in it all I will be working alongside and learning from Abu and Ambrose as well as Ana.
*Finally that I remain humble knowing it is God not myself that has lead me here and he does not need me to do His work and yet he choose me.

God placed a passion on my heart long ago to work with kids with disabilities. I never imagined that might someday mean living in a foreign country, climbing mountains to visit a little child with Cerebral Palsy. Now it is hard for me to imagine doing anything else, yet wherever he chooses to move me I will go, sometimes after dragging my feet a little but I ultimately come back to being in awe that I have a God who desires his good and perfect will for me.

Faithfully and In Love,
Jaimie

This is James.

He loves trucks and motorcars.

I had the opportunity, or else asked for the opportunity, to stay the night in the village of Masongbo. It is the village of one of my Sierra Leone "Families". Mohammed is a driver with World Hope International and has been the one who has looked after me for nearly all of my travels in Country. He has become my Sierra Leone father as he watches out for my safety and has helped me in many cultural situations. When I asked about sleeping in his village he was very excited and immediately began planning the menu and activities.
After arriving it was not long before nearly the whole village gathered to warmly welcome me and voice their surprise of a white woman sleeping in the village. However, it was not the excitement of a white woman in the village that drew James near. His eyes had seen the truck and all he wanted was a ride! Many in the village have never rode inside a vehicle as many we have offered rides to are unsure of how to open or close the door.  James had never rode in one but he had seen them before and without doubt his little kid mind was positive that riding in one was going to be great! Of course I asked Mohammed to let us give this little boy a ride and I sat beside him videoing the moment. I captured a priceless video of this little boys happiness but the joy of that moment is not on video but inscribed on my heart.

This little boy was very sure of what he wanted and the joy and contentment that rested on him after this moment in the truck was clearly visible. A picture of our needs being met in Christ comes to mind. He gives us inexpressible joy, one that rests deep in our souls. In moments like this I am reminded of how grateful I am to Christ for this gift. Sometimes it just takes a little boy and a pickup truck to show us this.

Philippians ^2:1-4 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Moments

So I am going to share with you what I just read, such an odd story in 1 Kings 13…. We have Jeroboam, the new king of the Israelites (excluding the house of Judah which remained in the house of David still ruled under David’s grandson) this Jeroboam was given Israel because Rehoboam (David’s grandson) had missed his chance to receive God’s grace. So Rehoboam becomes fearful of David’s God and makes new gods for Israel. These influential people begin to worship two gold calves and in comes this Man of God (MOG) from none-other than Judah. The MOG speaks against Rehoboam and Reho gets upset and extends his arm to seize him and then his arm shrivels! So Reho becomes distraught, asks the MOG to pray for him, he does, Reho is healed and the MOG heads on his way listening to God’s rules not to stop and eat. However, on his merry way home the MOG is stopped by an old prophet, who lies, and brings back the MOG to come eat at his table. God then talks to the old prophet to make him tell the MOG that he will now die because he did not listen to the word of the Lord to not eat, and it happens, the MOG does die, killed by a lion! Then the old prophet has the nerve to say, “he was killed, as the word of the LORD warned him.”

WHAT?! This certainly does not seem fair? Seems like some major injustices here. We have selfishness, fake repentance, lying… and guess who dies?!  I am not sure what God is trying to say in all of this but I feel confused after reading this. Who am I in this passage? I know at any one time I could be any of these men. I selfishly and grudgingly argued with my taxi driver the other day because there was misunderstanding and I ended up paying a whole 50 cents instead of 25 cents for my taxi ride! Come on, that’s double the price of everyone else who paid! Not fair! (I know… How ridiculous I am…)

Looking at the MOG it seems that he did everything right on the surface. He went and told Reho he was in the wrong to be worshiping gold calves, God was obviously with him as he was able to heal Reho’s hand, and then when asked to eat and drink with the king, he declines knowing the Lord asked him to continue without refreshments, even if they were served at the kings table as tempting as that would be. Then as he is minding his own business, on his way out of town, a prophet stops him and tells him it is all right, God told him to come back and eat.  It is not always easy to discern when you fall into the traps that the world has set for us. It is likely the MOG very well thought of this as a good intention, surely he can trust this prophet. This was not the case, however, and the MOG paid a high cost. We do not know the full story of this Man of God but underneath it all he listened to the world instead of God’s instructions. I am guilty, falling into many traps of this world, praise God for his mercy and lack of lions here in Sierra Leone. It is not an action that leads us away from the God. It is when our heart turns towards the desires of the World instead of God’s but in those moments we can be covered by grace and the more we recognize this grace, we continue to learn and grow.

 Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works, if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

I do not know how things would have went if I would have given my 50 cents joyfully instead of grudgingly to the taxi driver. Maybe it would not have made a big difference but I pray that I can continue to learn from these moments. In a country in so much need to break free from persecution, corruption, and poverty, God can use the small moments to build into bringing his Kingdom to earth. Moments like when I first met David, a moment of deciding whether to speak up and ask the father for their address or should I just leave them be. It was the Holy Spirit who led me that moment and has led me through so many amazing God moments here. David was very ill just a few months ago, nearly dead you could say. However, this little boy is now full of the life a little 18 month old life should be! His smile can light up a room and his laugh captures your heart. What an incredible story of beauty this boy has been through. The family is Muslim but from the moment I met them I have been praying for this little boy and have had many others praying for him and his family. They are a beautiful family and have a love and devotion to one another. I pray that one day they will recognize the devotion that Christ has towards them, his grace and love at no cost.

I also have met some incredible young people with disabilities here and have, of course, a special place in my heart for them. What a whole new level of glory I have seen revealed through them here. I have never seen someone at such a disadvantage in their setting and still remain so full of ambition to overcome it. I am privileged to have had the opportunity to get to know Hannah and James, two kids who live out in the villages. They and their families are setting a huge example to those around them to demonstrate that, these are the ones who will inherit the kingdom of God with their ability to accept circumstances way before you and I would. Like my sister they not only accept their disability but utilize it to become a strength, an opportunity, a way to grow and extend, to make a difference and to challenge their families, neighbors, their society to rise to this same occasion. I cannot imagine the difficulties faced by them here but am totally in awe of what many of them have chosen to do with it. As my last three weeks is coming to, I pray for moments. Moments to have my eyes open to God’s movement and the beauty of those he is moving in. 

"My Power is Made Sufficient in You"- God

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 

2 Corinthians 12:9

Maybe it is all too big for me to do on my own… no it is all too much for me to do. Even if I tried to do it, I would fail. Things would be left undone. Maybe I should remove myself from the work or the situation(s). That’s not the answer though either. “Then what is?” I’ve been asking God a lot lately. What can you do, what can you feel, when you are surrounded by those who long not for wants but even the basic needs, needs to survive.

It is the rainy season here and up country rice is becoming scarce. Many scrape together what little they have to divide among their family and friends. The idea of being selfish during your needest time simply does not happen. Our families in the sponsorship program are eager to receive their bags of rice but right now school tuition is our first priority as school is beginning. Many of the families are in need; I feel the pressure to get tuition paid quickly.

Payments for school tuitions are moving forward. I will be taking an 8-10 day trip up country next week to offer my help where needed. The Scan Drive Sponsorship program is benefitting 26 kids this year. Our house at Scan Drive has been a blessing to us and to the community as our work in this community is intertwined in many beautiful ways. As I am filled with Joy that many kids, that may not have opportunity otherwise, are beginning school this week. Many others approach or look on with their own sad story to tell. Primary education is supposed to be free in this country; secondary education is supposed to be of minimal cost…

So many are overlooked, children on the streets selling instead of in the classroom learning. The hundred of beggars, I pass downtown two or three times a week. What can I offer them but a smile and a small greeting as I hurry on to do whatever else may seem important at that moment. Or those with disabilities, not able to access the buildings in the city for lack of ramps or handrails; their life full of inconveniences. It is easily seen by many that they are ignored by their government and sometimes even their families.

 The country has very affectively ignored those affected by trauma, drugs, abuse, and psychological problems. Laws can be passed but easily ignored that if good intentions were applied would greatly benefit many who are overlooked. It is encouraging to see that there are many who feel lead to bring about a change themselves. One such place is where I volunteer as a nurse twice a week. City of Rest is a drug rehabilitation and psychological rehabilitation center. A church and several pastors started City of Rest with a holistic approach to healing. People searching for attention, love, and care find a bit of comfort at City of Rest. The need is overpowering when you first enter City of Rest and at first it is hard to see past the chains on the ankles of many of the guests. The pain that rests behind the eyes and in the souls of these guests is overwhelming.  Though my time there is often very short and often very difficult, God has faithfully showed glimpses of his pure beauty in moments of prayer or conversation with the guests.

I stand in awe of God’s work here in many lives from housemates and friends who have left their homes, family, and friends to come here and passionately love and serve to the many Sierra Leoneans who are going above and beyond their means to sacrifice what little they have to make a difference.  Though, I have been struggling and continue to struggle with how to give not only my situations or plans to God but to give myself wholeheartedly to His work. How that I, broken and weak, can boast in my weaknesses knowing that God’s grace has made me wholly sufficient. That God’s power is made perfect in my weaknesses, that His power is the one displayed, and He is the one to receive the Glory. I am meant to be here, I am meant to be in every situation, every plan He has for me because though I am not enough and the need is Great He is enough and our needs and the needs of others who can be encouraged by faith in Christ will be supplied from his glorious riches. Though, like Moses and those he led, I and many others may not see the riches here on earth but we have a promised land and that is what we can Hope for while we wait.