December 10th
I quite enjoyed today on the whole. I got up at 5:15 and had to go
down to make sure Rebecca was up and getting around because
she accidently left her phone (and therefore her alarm) at the
house so Karen didn’t think she’d be up. It was still pitch black
outside at 5am. We had a quick breakfast and then Rebecca was
packed into the car and ready to go by a little past 6am. I am very
sad to see her go. I’ve been here 9 weeks and she was here for 7 of
them so she was here for a significant portion of my time here and
we spent quite a bit of time together. I laid back down after we
saw her of tried to sleep but I wasn’t feeling very well and so it
didn’t work out. So I got up and went to chapel 10 minutes early, I
was still late… she just kind of starts when she feels like it. Anyway,
afterwards I wandered down to the market to get a couple things
and failed on all counts. I needed bread, none for sale anywhere… I
wanted C batteries, hey only carry AA and D sizes here… Oh well, I
was going to take a break from doing boxes for the day but I
couldn’t help but feel like I was leaving a job unfinished so I did
some more boxes in the morning after the fail trip to the market.
At lunch time Emma came up and told us about how one of the
ladies from OB ward gave her a gift, a live chicken. Haha. So she
gave it to Solomon and Sunday we are going to have African
(courtesy of Solomon who is apparently a good cook) and chicken.
After lunch I went down to the hospital to try and find Solomon, I
don’t get to see him much because he spends so much time in the
hospital so I thought I’d pay him a visit there, of course, he wasn’t
there this time. Strike three on looking for something/ someone.
Anyway, so I went by his house to see if he was there, he wasn’t.
He had gone out to a village so I went up to the house and typed
for a little while and read some before going back down to try to
find him again. I needed to find him this time because him, Samuel
and I had been invited by Zoey (through Emma) to a little get
together tonight since Zoey and Laura leave for Freetown
tomorrow and won’t be back until January some time. After I
found him and invited him I had to get back to the house and
change. All the visitors (the Ashers, me, Emma) had been invited to
the engagement ceremony for Pastor Saidu Sesay. I have to say
that it’s the shortest engagement period I’ve ever heard of, the
ceremony was today and the wedding is tomorrow. The ceremony
was really about paying the bride price (African tradition) and just
plain having fun. And the ceremony/party was awesome and very
fun. It’s so hard to put into words, the joy just overflowed from
these people. So many of them have so little and I think they are
more joyous people than pretty much any American I have ever
met. This experience is priceless; I wouldn’t trade it for all the
diamonds in the world. If only you could come experience this for a
little bit, but even 7 weeks isn’t enough as Rebecca could attest, she
did not want to leave. After the ceremony part of the party they fed
us, it was really good. It was African without fish (YES!!!) though still
spicy I think I’m starting to get used to it because I didn’t mind so
much. Following that we watched them dance around a bit more and
then we left them to their party. After all the fun and joy it was
rather sobering as we reached the hospital, a lady had died and
many of her family were out front mourning. The women’s cries are
just heart-wrenching. The hospital staff tried but it was just too late
for her. We got home just in time to get ready to set up the projector
down at the hospital to show the Jesus film, this time in Limba. After
that I got a hold of Solomon and he told me he and Samuel were at
his house. So I went down there to meet them to head over to Zoey’s.
Solomon doesn’t have power in his house (the generator capable of
producing enough power for that is apparently broken again. I asked
why they were there instead of up at Samuel’s since he has power.
Solomon told me Samuel had come to visit him and since he was
sleeping Samuel decided to go to sleep too. The two of them are
just crazy. They are pretty much the closest friends I’ve ever met,
it’s pretty cool. Anyway, we walked down to Zoey’s (Emma already
being there). We spent a few hours there, Zoey fed us African (rice
with soup, and a fish but I gave that away). It was really great and I
got to talk a lot with Solomon and Samuel. I really like the both of
them, they got on well with Rebecca and Emma but they spend a lot
of time at the hospital, it’s harder for me because I have the teaching
and the other things that I do. But I hope to correct that in the future
because they are both really fun. Anyway, we left at just past 11 and
headed home. I had another wonderful night. I know I said I wanted
to leave a lot when I first got here and even until recently but I’m so
glad I didn’t because I am really loving it here. I already dread the
day that I leave and that’s quite a long time from now. How quickly
the tables turn.

Blessings from Kamakwie Wesleyan Hospital,
Ryan Brooks