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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thoughts from team member, KC...
I traveled to the orhpanage at Banta Mokelleh to help build a playground for the children living there and to teach fire safety to the local community. I returned from it with something far more valuable and meaningful than I ever imagined. A deeper, more inspired faith... witnessing Christ’s amazing love in a way I have never seen before. A greater understanding and appreciation for the life God has blessed me with. A burning desire to help expand God’s work abroad and at home. A vivid and humbling reminder that material possessions are not a means to lasting happiness. An inner joy from the bonds formed with the children, the memories we shared and the hope that I will see them again.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thoughts from team member, Nich...
The Sierra Leone Mission trip was a trip that will never be forgotten, as it was the greatest experience I could ever imagine! To take a 50+ hour trip over there (which was an experience by itself) and then see 100+ kids, aunties and uncles just waiting for us at the COTN village, was truly amazing! We were then welcomed officially by the staff and kids of COTN, and were given African names; to this day I still want to be called by that name haha.
Within the next two weeks, I experienced life, culture, relationships, myself and God in a whole new way! To see how everything works over there, such as putting relationships first over transactions, was truly an amazing lesson. The children also taught me how to love and see God differently by the way that they worshiped Him every day.
The biggest lessons learned through this experience are to be thankful for what we have, as well as to have a great strength in work ethic and respect for one another. My life has been flipped a whole 180 degrees, from a selfish, blind-sunday christian who was so self-centered it was disgusting, to this man who has an idea about the world, who wants to make a true difference every day domestic or abroad. A man who will always put relationships, family and friends before any materialistic goods, as well as a stronger-faith christian.
We in the states have so much more than these children which we overlook, such as electricity, running water, tv, ipods, internet and blah blah blah. Yet these children have so much more than us here in the states, such as pure happiness, respect for each other and elders, amazing discipline, gratefulness for the opportunity to go to school, unconditional love for God and just pure love and hope. It has truly been a blessing to have the opportunity to spend time with these beautiful kids and learn the true meaning of life, as well as being able to open my eyes to the world and hopefully make a bigger difference every day, where ever i am.
Within the next two weeks, I experienced life, culture, relationships, myself and God in a whole new way! To see how everything works over there, such as putting relationships first over transactions, was truly an amazing lesson. The children also taught me how to love and see God differently by the way that they worshiped Him every day.
The biggest lessons learned through this experience are to be thankful for what we have, as well as to have a great strength in work ethic and respect for one another. My life has been flipped a whole 180 degrees, from a selfish, blind-sunday christian who was so self-centered it was disgusting, to this man who has an idea about the world, who wants to make a true difference every day domestic or abroad. A man who will always put relationships, family and friends before any materialistic goods, as well as a stronger-faith christian.
We in the states have so much more than these children which we overlook, such as electricity, running water, tv, ipods, internet and blah blah blah. Yet these children have so much more than us here in the states, such as pure happiness, respect for each other and elders, amazing discipline, gratefulness for the opportunity to go to school, unconditional love for God and just pure love and hope. It has truly been a blessing to have the opportunity to spend time with these beautiful kids and learn the true meaning of life, as well as being able to open my eyes to the world and hopefully make a bigger difference every day, where ever i am.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thoughts from team member, Dan...
I felt like I was in Hot Yoga for two weeks straight, sweating 24/7 and working hard with an awesome Eastlake Growth Group team. It was inspiring to witness COTN: what started with one couple and has affected hundreds of war torn kids in Africa – out in the bush – so far from anywhere - bringing a little heaven on earth to these kids, by providing food, clothing, protection, schooling, medical, housing, love, and hope for the future.
It was an honor and a blast to do our tiny part bringing some joy to these kids with the construction of not just any playset, but a top quality playset (thanks to Clint) that is dare I say better than most I see in the USA. And these incredible kids who have suffered unimaginably in turn gave us what money can’t buy… the true meaning of life. With just a hug, a smile, a tear they changed my world. I came away exhausted and motivated to be as successful as I can possibly be – not to add to my own comfort and security, but so I can be more generous. It’s amazing how much can be done for so little. I want to do much again and again and again.
It was an honor and a blast to do our tiny part bringing some joy to these kids with the construction of not just any playset, but a top quality playset (thanks to Clint) that is dare I say better than most I see in the USA. And these incredible kids who have suffered unimaginably in turn gave us what money can’t buy… the true meaning of life. With just a hug, a smile, a tear they changed my world. I came away exhausted and motivated to be as successful as I can possibly be – not to add to my own comfort and security, but so I can be more generous. It’s amazing how much can be done for so little. I want to do much again and again and again.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Thoughts from team member, Sheela...
Highlights for me:
- Watching the kids play on the finished play set was like watching a kids sports film - the Home Team just won the Championship Game, there's a celebration, and your trying to hold back the tears of joy. But in this case we were all playing for God's team.
- I'm not a morning person, but I loved waking up early in the morning here. We were in the middle of the "bush" of Africa, but sunrises were gorgeous from the distant forest. I found it peaceful even with the frogs rib-bit and dogs barking at night. We woke up to the roosters crowing and kids singing praise songs. Mornings were filled with kids doing their chores, heading to school, and greetings of "Auntie!"
- Dancing and learning some of the games and songs the children sing.
- Greeting the little kids during their recess time and all of them running after us just to be held and hugged. It were as if they have known us forever.
Funny moments:
- Dan's face covered in red dirt from the road trip over because he was looking out the window.
- Hearing Kelly and Tammy scream to finding large spiders and insects in the bathroom and bed, and come to find out they were fake plastic bugs planted by the boys on our team. (It was funny because it didn't happen to me.)
- Hearing about Payton trying to hug the security guard in London because he thought verbal cues of arms held out was a culture norm for a hug.
- Watching the girls braid Uncle Mahda's (Nich) hair like they braid little girls, and me - teaching the girls to call him "Auntie Mahda" instead.
Re-entry thoughts and quotes from the book Un-earth by Vidrine and Rogers:
- We have so much here in the US. The kids there were content with so little. Their hope and joy in the Lord is more apparent. I saw kids walk to school and play with no shoes and kick a rock for a toy. There is no electricity, no refrigerator to open when you are hungry, and no running water. I feel grateful for all that I have here in the US. Water will never be the same for me and I will always remember Quami's quote, "Water is life," and do not waste. The book says, "This invites us to explore our culture's struggle with materialism....There is a balance between humility of scarcity and the peace within excess." I am grateful that I was able to see both worlds as I now search for a new way to live and be a steward with what I am given.
-"My insecurities, doubts, and fears were quited as I turned my attention to others. Perspective is different here in the Western world; all I see and all I feel is me. When I was overseas, my map was larger. I could see nothing but their faces, feel nothing but their faces, feel nothing but their need. I loved it. We were made to live somewhere in between these two worlds. This glorious struggle teaches us about His grace and how to encounter more healing and wholeness." These sentences hit home to me.
- Watching the kids play on the finished play set was like watching a kids sports film - the Home Team just won the Championship Game, there's a celebration, and your trying to hold back the tears of joy. But in this case we were all playing for God's team.
- I'm not a morning person, but I loved waking up early in the morning here. We were in the middle of the "bush" of Africa, but sunrises were gorgeous from the distant forest. I found it peaceful even with the frogs rib-bit and dogs barking at night. We woke up to the roosters crowing and kids singing praise songs. Mornings were filled with kids doing their chores, heading to school, and greetings of "Auntie!"
- Dancing and learning some of the games and songs the children sing.
- Greeting the little kids during their recess time and all of them running after us just to be held and hugged. It were as if they have known us forever.
Funny moments:
- Dan's face covered in red dirt from the road trip over because he was looking out the window.
- Hearing Kelly and Tammy scream to finding large spiders and insects in the bathroom and bed, and come to find out they were fake plastic bugs planted by the boys on our team. (It was funny because it didn't happen to me.)
- Hearing about Payton trying to hug the security guard in London because he thought verbal cues of arms held out was a culture norm for a hug.
- Watching the girls braid Uncle Mahda's (Nich) hair like they braid little girls, and me - teaching the girls to call him "Auntie Mahda" instead.
Re-entry thoughts and quotes from the book Un-earth by Vidrine and Rogers:
- We have so much here in the US. The kids there were content with so little. Their hope and joy in the Lord is more apparent. I saw kids walk to school and play with no shoes and kick a rock for a toy. There is no electricity, no refrigerator to open when you are hungry, and no running water. I feel grateful for all that I have here in the US. Water will never be the same for me and I will always remember Quami's quote, "Water is life," and do not waste. The book says, "This invites us to explore our culture's struggle with materialism....There is a balance between humility of scarcity and the peace within excess." I am grateful that I was able to see both worlds as I now search for a new way to live and be a steward with what I am given.
-"My insecurities, doubts, and fears were quited as I turned my attention to others. Perspective is different here in the Western world; all I see and all I feel is me. When I was overseas, my map was larger. I could see nothing but their faces, feel nothing but their faces, feel nothing but their need. I loved it. We were made to live somewhere in between these two worlds. This glorious struggle teaches us about His grace and how to encounter more healing and wholeness." These sentences hit home to me.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thoughts from team member, Jeff...
It was eye-opening for me to take a 6 hr plane ride to DC, an 8 hr plane ride to London, a 7 hr plane ride to Sierra Leone, spend 3 hrs taking a ferry over to Freetown, and then take a 5 hr bus ride (where we were dodging both people and potholes on dirt roads in a fashion similar to that of an amusement park ride...except one that goes 4 hrs and 50 mins longer than I had planned on) into the rural "bush" of Sierra Leone (where I felt dumped right into a scene of Jurassic Park...just without the dinosaurs) and encounter people reading about, praying to, and worshiping Jesus - the same God I read about, pray to, and worship on a different continent so many time zones away and in a society much different than the one I had now just traveled into. I gained perspective on just how big God is. He's not just the God of America and He's not just the God of Africa, but he truly is the God of ALL nations and tribes.
Another area of culture shock I experienced was in the extreme conditions of Sierra Leone. Obviously there's the poverty - clearly seen when walking into villages I'd previously only seen on TV. It's like stepping into a picture in National Geographic with the mud walls and floors, the thatched roofs, the malnourished babies with the huge stomachs, and the tribes people staring curiously, and a bit guarded, in our direction. I felt as if I had stumbled into an outdoor steam sauna there, except that it's a 24 hr steam sauna without escape. The lack of running water and electricity meant no fans...no AC...nothing to cool down from the heat and humidity except for the hope of an incoming storm bringing a cool breeze. It was also my first experience having to dump buckets of water over myself for showering purposes. I knew what I was signing up for, so I never complained about the conditions. It was odd to be surrounded by such darkness. They have no street lights or house lights on during the night. There's just moonlight, candles, or flashlights. It quickly reveals the luxuries I live in back at home.
Lastly, I was impressed and inspired by the attitudes of the people there. I woke up daily at 6am to children singing and praying and then hurrying off to do their daily chores - such as 8 and 9 yr olds fetching water from the well (in which pumping was was fun for about 2 mins, until I realized I had to fill 10+ buckets of water, and my muscles were starting to burn up barely into finishing my first bucket) for drinking or cooking, or seeing children gathering water from the swamp for laundry and then carrying these buckets on their heads back to their homes - a good 100-150 yards away (where they would scrub their clothes using a laundry board and a bucket and then hang to dry all day long), or scrubbing down their bathrooms and sweeping out their house (not with brooms like we have the luxury of using, but with a group of small 12 inch sticks banded together with twine). It wasn't just the older kids doing all the manual labor...it was everyone. The amazing thing for me was the lack of complaining. At 6:30am, I saw 7 yr olds doing more manual labor in an hour than I do all day back in the States, and yet none of them were whining or wishing they were playing XBox, or spending time on Facebook, or texting their friends, or playing with their iPhone, or any of that. I was just humbled by the amount of discipline and joy with which these kids went about their daily chores. The people there also seemed genuinely grateful for things I mostly take for granted - a bed, a meal, the opportunity to attend school, the hope of a future, a stable government, their health, etc. They thank God for things I'm not used to thanking God for - a good harvest, the wind and rain, protection from fire, or simply the fact that their village isn't in danger of being attacked by rebels and other stuff that I've never stopped to give God credit for. The drive and determination the children show in their studies is also extremely inspiring. Because there isn't "state-sponsored" education there (even elementary kids have to pay fees to attend school), those children who are able to attend school see it as a privilege and an opportunity to learn and create opportunities for their future.
Bottom line: It was an incredible experience! I was fascinated by both their history and their culture. I enjoyed building connections and relationships with the people there. Even with the extreme conditions, I would do it all over again in order to gain their perspective on God and on life. I plan on remaining involved with the people in Sierra Leone through the work being done by Children of the Nations. I definitely encourage anyone with interest to go experience it as well! It will shake things up in your world and force you to find purpose in what you're doing with your time, energy, talents, abilities, and resources. It will also help you clear the air with God and work towards having a more genuine and authentic faith. All that makes it worth it, doesn't it?
Another area of culture shock I experienced was in the extreme conditions of Sierra Leone. Obviously there's the poverty - clearly seen when walking into villages I'd previously only seen on TV. It's like stepping into a picture in National Geographic with the mud walls and floors, the thatched roofs, the malnourished babies with the huge stomachs, and the tribes people staring curiously, and a bit guarded, in our direction. I felt as if I had stumbled into an outdoor steam sauna there, except that it's a 24 hr steam sauna without escape. The lack of running water and electricity meant no fans...no AC...nothing to cool down from the heat and humidity except for the hope of an incoming storm bringing a cool breeze. It was also my first experience having to dump buckets of water over myself for showering purposes. I knew what I was signing up for, so I never complained about the conditions. It was odd to be surrounded by such darkness. They have no street lights or house lights on during the night. There's just moonlight, candles, or flashlights. It quickly reveals the luxuries I live in back at home.
Lastly, I was impressed and inspired by the attitudes of the people there. I woke up daily at 6am to children singing and praying and then hurrying off to do their daily chores - such as 8 and 9 yr olds fetching water from the well (in which pumping was was fun for about 2 mins, until I realized I had to fill 10+ buckets of water, and my muscles were starting to burn up barely into finishing my first bucket) for drinking or cooking, or seeing children gathering water from the swamp for laundry and then carrying these buckets on their heads back to their homes - a good 100-150 yards away (where they would scrub their clothes using a laundry board and a bucket and then hang to dry all day long), or scrubbing down their bathrooms and sweeping out their house (not with brooms like we have the luxury of using, but with a group of small 12 inch sticks banded together with twine). It wasn't just the older kids doing all the manual labor...it was everyone. The amazing thing for me was the lack of complaining. At 6:30am, I saw 7 yr olds doing more manual labor in an hour than I do all day back in the States, and yet none of them were whining or wishing they were playing XBox, or spending time on Facebook, or texting their friends, or playing with their iPhone, or any of that. I was just humbled by the amount of discipline and joy with which these kids went about their daily chores. The people there also seemed genuinely grateful for things I mostly take for granted - a bed, a meal, the opportunity to attend school, the hope of a future, a stable government, their health, etc. They thank God for things I'm not used to thanking God for - a good harvest, the wind and rain, protection from fire, or simply the fact that their village isn't in danger of being attacked by rebels and other stuff that I've never stopped to give God credit for. The drive and determination the children show in their studies is also extremely inspiring. Because there isn't "state-sponsored" education there (even elementary kids have to pay fees to attend school), those children who are able to attend school see it as a privilege and an opportunity to learn and create opportunities for their future.
Bottom line: It was an incredible experience! I was fascinated by both their history and their culture. I enjoyed building connections and relationships with the people there. Even with the extreme conditions, I would do it all over again in order to gain their perspective on God and on life. I plan on remaining involved with the people in Sierra Leone through the work being done by Children of the Nations. I definitely encourage anyone with interest to go experience it as well! It will shake things up in your world and force you to find purpose in what you're doing with your time, energy, talents, abilities, and resources. It will also help you clear the air with God and work towards having a more genuine and authentic faith. All that makes it worth it, doesn't it?
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Crossing the finish line...
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
- 2 Timothy 4:7
We figuratively and literally sprinted our way to the end of this mission. Our final few days in Banta Mokelleh were work-horse type days. Our team worked into the darkness to complete the playset so that we could see the children use it before we left. What joyous chaos that was :)
We also sprinted to our gate in Washington DC after more than 24 hours of travel - boarding our plane with less than a minute before they closed the door. That was not entirely joyous, but it was chaos. I had bad thoughts in my head about the Dulles Customs department.
We arrived home Saturday night - tired and relieved, yet overwhelmed by the experience we just had. I cannot believe that it is actually over; Playset built. Eye exams completed. Fire safety taught. Sponsorship photos taken. Children hugged. Friendships formed. Memories made. Lessons learned.
Children of the Nations calls their travel program "Venture - where the journey never ends." If you travel to places like Sierra Leone, or most any culture different than your own, you understand the truth in that statement. When you experience what we did, your life is changed. Because of that change, the journey really, truly never ends.
Our perspective on life, God, love, church, family, wealth, work, opportunity and so much more has been changed. The challenge is to figure out what exactly has changed for us as individuals and how we will work that out in our everyday lives.
So, the journey continues. I'm glad...I don't want it to be over - because I love those children and because I love this team.
***
Stay tuned for more updates/stories from team members and MORE PHOTOS!! Thanks for reading :)
- 2 Timothy 4:7
We figuratively and literally sprinted our way to the end of this mission. Our final few days in Banta Mokelleh were work-horse type days. Our team worked into the darkness to complete the playset so that we could see the children use it before we left. What joyous chaos that was :)
We also sprinted to our gate in Washington DC after more than 24 hours of travel - boarding our plane with less than a minute before they closed the door. That was not entirely joyous, but it was chaos. I had bad thoughts in my head about the Dulles Customs department.
We arrived home Saturday night - tired and relieved, yet overwhelmed by the experience we just had. I cannot believe that it is actually over; Playset built. Eye exams completed. Fire safety taught. Sponsorship photos taken. Children hugged. Friendships formed. Memories made. Lessons learned.
Children of the Nations calls their travel program "Venture - where the journey never ends." If you travel to places like Sierra Leone, or most any culture different than your own, you understand the truth in that statement. When you experience what we did, your life is changed. Because of that change, the journey really, truly never ends.
Our perspective on life, God, love, church, family, wealth, work, opportunity and so much more has been changed. The challenge is to figure out what exactly has changed for us as individuals and how we will work that out in our everyday lives.
So, the journey continues. I'm glad...I don't want it to be over - because I love those children and because I love this team.
***
Stay tuned for more updates/stories from team members and MORE PHOTOS!! Thanks for reading :)
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