1986-1989 – Sierra Leone Term 1

1986

We arrive in September. Jeff has his first airplane ride, and we celebrate his first birthday while attending a language class to help us learn Krio. I have my first pseudo bout with malaria. The medicine I am taking is actually creating the same symptoms and I am miserable.

School is over and we head for Gbendembu. The trip went well but I can hardly remember it because of my reaction to the medicine. Life is busy. Our hosts spend one day with us and then we are on our own. I am now a member of the local church board, the district board, and the school board as well as principal of the bible school and responsible for the mission property which includes about 20 acres of property, 6 employers, and many buildings, most need some type of repair and maintenance.

Nancy is responsible for supervising the dispensary, the nurse leaves in 3 months (when the nurse returns she is reassigned and so this becomes a more or less permanent role for Nancy). I encourage her to prepare a training program for the student wives.

Her first ministry is to act as chauffeur for a group of ladies who are attending a women’s conference. This means she has to learn to drive a stick shift and four-wheel drive vehicle in about a week. She passes her husband’s driving program with flying colors. This is an indication of how life will be, meeting and overcoming the challenges that come.

While she is away, I have my first of many bouts of malaria. I survive and so do the boys.

To allow for all the maintenance work and redoing many aspects of the bible school program it is agreed to close the school and provide materials for the six students to complete their training.

1987

I participate in a tour of a remote region and baptize over 140 people on Sunday.

We developed a new curriculum that will include a farming element. Many of the students will serve in rural communities. We are able to purchase about 25 acres next to the current school to develop a new campus and provide land for farming. With the purchase of land, we begin clearing the land and plant rice and peanuts. We also buy a set of cows that have been trained to plow.

The new program is developed and leaders from several other missions are invited to hear about the program with the hope they may be joint sponsors and send students. None of them do. The church leadership decides to proceed with the plans.

Nancy’s parents come to visit us at Christmas. I am just getting over hepatitis, and she is pregnant.

1988

We host our first team who helps us build a house for a future staff member. We accept 19 students in the new program. We also purchase another 25 acres with the goal of starting an oil palm plantation. The war that has been raging off and on in the south is becoming a concern.

Our daughter is born in the midst of a storm and thieves stealing $10,000 worth of drugs from the hospital dispensary.

Perry’s parents come and spend three months with us. His father teaches math classes and basic financial reporting. His mother does preschool with John.

In October we receive word that because of limited funds we will be laid off. The mission sends out a petition asking for an extension on our departure. They say if we can raise the funds for the new student dorm we can stay until the project is completed in February. The missionaries meet and raise the necessary funds, and we are given permission to stay until then.

At this time Perry’s father has an attack of glaucoma, which requires a trip to the hospital. During the night thieves break in and steal the generator used for the construction work. Within a week God opens the way for the thieves to be caught, the generator is found and returned in a timely manner. God is clearly working to be sure the development of the bible school moves forward.

1989

A team comes and we build the new dormitory and in March we return to the states.