Brief Update.

We are enjoying the company of my (Joel's) parents and a friend.  I've just come up to the office to use the internet with them and am smiling as they mutter about the speed (lack thereof) the internet loads their email.  We are having a wonderful time with them and hope to travel to Freetown and River #2 with them tomorrow.  We will be away until Thursday.  Sorry for no pictures, but those should be forthcoming.  It feels like when we return we will have much to do and little time to do it in ... hopefully we'll be able to keep you informed of what's going on.
Peace,
Joel

Goodbyes and Hellos.

Tomorrow I will travel to Freetown and then Lungi airport.  On Thursday I will receive my parents and friend, Gail, who will be with us until May 4.  I will also leave Zach Adams and John Phiri at the airport.  Zach will be travelling home to Denver.  John will be travelling to the United States for 6 weeks, attending a major missions conference and meeting with supporters of the CRC SL.

John speaks with CRWM's Joel Hogan.  A powerful preacher,
dedicated prayer and servant leader, John will return to Zambia
within the next year.

Yesterday's Youth Thanksgiving program made me laugh out loud when I saw that it included a "Meller Drammer." But, at the risk of sounding melodramatic, I may never see either of these brothers again.  Both have had a significant impact on me and I am thankful for the opportunity to get to know both of them.

Zach sports a new hairdo after Ella 'barbed' him.  Zach has been a good friend to me and an uncle (of sorts, strange sorts) to my children.

I have slept in this man's home and he in mine.  "...we are all one in Jesus Christ."

By the grace of God, John's prayers and preaching have moved my heart and, hopefully, inspired my service.  John is from Zambia and has been here in Sierra Leone as head of this mission for six years.  Although his time is coming to a close, his presence continues to inspire and guide the church here.  Hopefully, following the June Conference of the CRC of SL, there will be a local constitution and the path towards greater local leadership will be more clear.

Despite his 'tender years', Zach is well-read, articulate and dedicated to ministry.  His charisma and language skills cause many in Sierra Leone to suggest, "Dis na Krio man!"

Zach Adams is from Denver, Colorado.  He is worked for 9 months with CRWM (Christian Reformed World Missions) and the Peoples' Foundation for Sierra Leone.  Zach has started a blog entitled, "Faith in Action," which highlights events in the CRC in SL.

Needless to say, this will be the first of numerous difficult goodbyes....

Some links:
The Peoples Foundation for Sierra Leone:
https://sites.google.com/site/bcslpartnership/recentnews/krissibucholtzthepeoplesfoundationforsierraleone
http://www.tpfsl.org/
The blog Zach created, which will now be run by local contributors:
http://crcsierraleone.blogspot.com/

AKK's Swamp.

On Thursday we went back to see our neighbour AKK's (Abdul Kareem Koroma) farm.  It is a project he is doing with the help of numerous youth, including some of his own children.  He has some support from friends in Canada, but the going is not always easy for this innovative project.  He is enlisting the help of youth, utilizing solar irrigation, planting diverse and innovative crops and attempting to market crops in fresh ways.  He was proud to show off his swamp (farm) and we were privileged to be shown around.

In the shadow of a Canadian flag, AKK and his assistants proudly stand in the middle of their farm.

As we arrive well before the heat of the day, everyone is busy irrigating, cultivating, raking, weeding and transplanting.

Someone has to be at the bottom of the well when the water table is low.

AKK proudly displays the solar panels which enable him to fill two huge tanks in about 45 minutes.  The panels are stored safely and securely when not in use.

Right now, we are neighbours with AKK.  In the future, he hopes to be able to live (at least on weekends) here at the farm with his family, about 3 miles from our house.

Composting takes less than a month.  Did you hear that, those of you who try to compost in BC?

There have been a few setbacks in building the farmhouse, but here is evidence of progress.

Posing in front of the solar panels.

Bitterball, I think.

John relishes his job collecting grasshoppers. 

They are trying to grow peppers, cabbages, bitterball, beans, cassava, watermelon, pumpkin, pineapple, bananas, mangoes, avocados ...

The nursery.

Watering.

An incredible amount of work goes into a farm like this.  There is no machinery.  No livestock is used to plow.  Everything is done by hand.  It is inspiring to see the satisfaction that AKK, a Muslim, derives from his work.  Like the Christian farmers I have met, AKK is interested in the fruit of his labour.

This is what God does.  He gives his best - the sun to warm and the rain to nourish - to everyone, regardless ... Matthew 5:45 (The Message)

(Maria's) Ultimate Kids' Guide to Kabala, Sierra Leone

A City on a Hill: Sengbeh Bendugu.

We visited the village of Seduya, where there is a CRC and Family Farm is also quite active.  On the return trip to Kabala, along with us Ringmas, we had Rev. Ezekiel Sudu, Abu Jalloh (Family Farm), the pastor from Seduya CRC (plus a bag of rice and 4 chickens) and our night watchman, Sullaman Mansaray.  We had designs to drop by Sullaman's home village of Sengbeh Bendugu and meet his family.    

Sullaman's 'post' outside our door, on the veranda.

Really just a big kid, Sullaman and our kids get along well.

Not happy with the first picture, Sullaman insisted Ella retake his portrait. 

We discovered we could take a 'corner-corner' route (short-cut) along a motorcycle track and all reports were that the route was passable for a motor vehicle.  The reports were innaccurate.  We had to rebuild/go around/go through at least 3 difficult crossings (dry now, but still big ditches).  We also had to balance precariously on some pretty flimsy log bridges.  Ella closed her eyes too many times to count.  I felt like I was back in Northern BC driving decommissioned logging roads.

We had to go around the washed out bridge here.  

You can almost hear the gears turning as we figure out a way through/past/over/around the next obstacle.

It was a beautiful trip.

Fortunately, you cannot make out just how sketchy our re-built bridge actually is.  We made it!

More gorgeous scenery.

Abu and Ezekiel clear the road of debris.  You can see that it is little more than a goat path.  When we asked the person on the horizon how the road was, he said, "No problem."  It was clear that he meant the bridge 150 meters later would need to be re-engineered.

I wish you could see the hill that led up to the village, but Ella's eyes were shut and I was busy downshifting mid-hill from 2nd to 1st in 4 low ...  It was a stunning entrance to a remarkable village.

Sullaman with his niece just after we entered the village.

Chants of "Mani!  Mani!" rang through the air when we arrived in the motorcar.  Mani is Sullaman's nickname.

Sengbeh Bendugu family and friends.

The warm breeze coming up from the valley was inspirational.

The picture cannot do justice to the view from this city on a hill.

The Message's version of of Matthew 5 (A city on a hill cannot be hidden.)
"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."

Sullaman.