Reflecting On My Time In Sierra Leone

The TL;DR is:

I am blessed more than I ever understood and I will make every effort to give thanks in all circumstances. Also, where God’s love exists there is always hope for something better.

As I continue to process my experience in Sierra Leone Africa I can’t help but feel like I spent a week in another world. What I find simply amazing is that in a place so filled with hardship, and circumstances I can barely begin to comprehend, there are people that still manage to find joy, be generous, and show love and kindness to someone so very much unlike them.

I chose this photo of children, not filled with smiles and laughter, but showing that theirs is a life of daily struggle. The village of Ronkorhun is fortunate to have a local school but unfortunate to be in a position of not having easy access to water during the long dry season. Despite everything they are faced with they still managed to show our team love and generosity.

Our team visited the village of Ronkorhun not with a well drilling team to put a well in, but only with a promise of support and a small amount of gifts for the school. The people of Ronkorhun responded with not only great amounts of thanks and praise, but then in turn showed our team generosity through the gift of a goat. To most it may not seem like much but when it is being given by those that have nearly nothing it equates to giving a fortune.

The biggest impact on me from the village of Ronkorhun is the woman that told me she wanted to give me her baby. Those words and the situation I found myself in, and feeling useless to help, it’s something I’ll never forget.

In the same light of feeling useless, was sitting and listening to the story of a mother with a special needs child talk about being rejected by her former husband, rejected by the community, and unable to work and provide for her family because of it all. The look on Hawanatu’s face as she told us her situation expressed a level of hurt and challenge I cannot fathom.

What have I learned through all of this? First is that even on my darkest, most stressful, and hard days it will likely not even compare to what some of those I’d met in Sierra Leone experience on a regular basis. And even on the hard days I can show love, appreciation, and generosity to others.

Secondly, through Christ’s love, there is always hope. I saw the worst of situations but then saw and experienced what comes out the other side when we show God’s love to people. To see a community come together to throw a huge celebration with a small group of people they don’t even know showed what God can do through us.

The final thing I learned is how much we are blessed in America and how much we take for granted. We take a lot for granted really unknowingly. There are a lot of things we take for granted because they are just a part of our way of life. However, God has blessed me with where I live and what I have, and I am more thankful than I ever have been before.

So what’s the point?

I am blessed more than I ever understood and I will make every effort to give thanks in all circumstances. Also, where God’s love exists there is always hope for something better.