A Second Trip to Sierra Leone

Near the end of July, Elder Markham went to Sierra Leone. On this trip he was accompanied by Joshua Akomdo, an accountant in the Membership and Statistical Records (MSR) Department. President and Sister Thomas, who are still serving in Sierra Leone, "hosted" the travelers. President Thomas, a counselor in the Ghana Accra Mission Presidency, has been called as the District President of the Freetown Sierra Leone District. Elder Markham calls him President President Thomas.

Click here to review Elder and Sister Markham's first trip to Sierra Leone in September 2004.

Without Sister Markham along, the pictures are fewer and not as interesting. To augment Elder Markham's photos, we have acquired pictures from Elder Wilson who recently served in Sierra Leone and Elders Davis and Wall who visted there for mission business just before Elder Markham's trip. Thanks for the pictures, Elders.

President and Sister Thomas, with Joshua Akomdo, enjoy dinner
at the Kimbima Hotel restaurant

This is Elder Markham in first person with comments and commentary about my trip to Sierra Leone. We arrived Thursday evening and immediately went to the Freetown building for training. I met with the audit committee and auditors, while Joshua trained the clerks. Early Friday morning we headed to Bo in the four-wheel drive pickup truck assigned as the Thomas' missionary vehicle. It is very appropriate for their assignment. The truck was very full with four adults and baggage, six twin mattresses and other miscellaneous supplies for the young Elders serving in Bo and Kenema. It is the rainy season and heavy rain fell much of the way. Any dirt that had been used to fill the thousands of potholes had been washed away. Rain water filled the potholes, so the deep holes and the shallow holes all looked the same. In spite of the bumps, we made to Bo in the early afternoon. The missionaries were happy to see us and the members welcomed us warmly.

President Thomas unloading supplies for the Elders from his truck	Sister Turay, the Bo District President's wife

Friday afternoon, Joshua and I repeated the training we had done in Freetown for the Bo District leaders. I also did one branch audit with the District Auditors for on-the-job training. President and Sister Thomas visited missionary apartments in Bo and Kenema due for their periodic inspection and they delivered the supplies they had brought. We still had enough time to visit the construction site of the new Bo District Center. This is the first new Church building to be constructed in Sierra Leone.

Sister Thomas and Joshua veiwing the Bo District Center construction	The building is the standard plan used throughout West Africa.

The construction scaffolding is all hand-made.	Young women from the neighborhood were interested in us.

I had planned to do a second branch audit on Saturday morning, but we learned that the city of Bo had scheduled a city-wide clean-up activity for Saturday morning. All vehicular traffic would be banned for three hours, so we decided to leave for Freetown first thing Saturday morning. We had dinner Friday night and stayed at a local hotel.

For those of you who are concerned that I might be missing the "executive" life style, I am attaching a photo of my hotel receipt from the Friday night in Bo, Sierra Leone.  It clearly shows that I am still living in First Class style.  Note that the rate included not only breakfast (one egg, a small loaf of bread, and a cup of hot water with sugar on a saucer), but also bedding (pillow case and bottom sheet), a true executive extra.  The room was one of seven with its own bathroom in a 30 room hotel.  The bathroom had a flush toilet with piped water supply, a shower head in the corner---no curtain or enclosure--and a sink.  Hot water was not an option, but cold water was room temperature, so it provided an acceptable shower. There was no mirror.  The room did have a small window unit air-conditioner and a ceiling fan.  They worked well for a couple of hours until the hotel's diesel generator broke down and left me with only the flapping of mosquito wings for a cooling breeze.  This is the best available room in Bo---nothing but the finest for me! The total tab was 50,000 Leones---local currency.  Since you may not follow forex rates in Sierra Leone, that is about $17.00 US.

Receipt from Sahara Hotel in Bo, Sierra Leone

During the long ride back to Freetown, I began to ponder the changes I was seeing in Sierra Leone since our visit last year. The building construction in Bo; a successful 175th anniversary celebration; hard working, happy missionaries; some very solid leaders and a steady flow of new converts. We took a scenic route through Freetown and stopped to see a piece of land that has just been acquired. It is wonderful, large property in an excellent location. I could imagine a Stake Center and Church offices there---CES, Welfare, maybe a Mission Home. I thought of members no longer having to make do in poor rented facilities.

Elders Hodges and Orr	Elders Toone and Tucker

Elders Alaribe and Cochran	President Gay at a Zone Conference with the Sierra Leone Elders

President Turay of Bo District (left center) leads the 175th anniversary parade.	A large crowd enjoys the cultural activities.

Elder Wilson's opinion of serving in Sierra Leone, even in the rainy season.	The T-shirt says, "Life is an Adventure."

Behold the field is white... (Elders Wilson, Edwards and Inyang with new converts)	...already to harvest. (Elder Umoh in the font)

Be not weary in well-doing,
for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.

President and Sister Thomas

I will open the windows of heaven
and pour you out a blessing.

Windows of Heaven over Sierra Leone

I do set my bow in the cloud,
and it shall be for a token of a covenant.

Rainbow over Bo

Rainbow over Freetown

When I arrived in West Africa over a year ago, I would have referred to the pictures above as easily explained natural phenomena. But one can't walk among people of great faith without a little rubbing off. These are natural. These are phenomena. These are easily explained. But besides the physics, these are signs to the faithful.

Sunday we attended Church meetings in Freetown and afterwards I audited two branches. The spirit from my ponderings during the ride from Bo continued to run through my heart and mind as I interacted with leaders, members and missionaries. Monday I flew home to Accra---likely never to return to Sierra Leone, but definitely never the same due to my visits there.

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