On the 31st, we left our friends in Lungi and headed for Bo. Rather than taking the more direct route by ferry to Freetown, we went overland from Lungi to Port Loko (a very bumpy, dusty 40 miles) before we met up with paved road. The journey was worth it as we saw many rural villages as well as gained a perspective on the pace of development in the country: we passed numerous road construction teams led by Chinese supervisors as well as passing long trains with rail cars filled with what looked like iron ore heading for the port of Pepel.
Five hours later we arrived tired, dusty and glad to be at the United Methodist MTC (Missionary Training Center) who is hosting the Deeper Missions team for the next two weeks. The team attended New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day church services at two local churches and has spent time exploring the local area and getting to know the MTC manager, Fudia, and her two teenage daughters.
Groundbreaking sanitation project at the school for the deaf
Today, we began our work at the Deaf School. Half our team experienced some traveler’s illness, so Emily, Josh, and Derek were the first to go out to the site. We discovered that, in hopes of getting ahead with the work, the contractor had started the hole which was too deep and in the incorrect location. After touring the school’s 1-acre farm plot, about 1/2 mile from the school grounds, we returned to the MTC for lunch. In the afternoon, we returned to the project site and started digging a new hole in the correct location. We’re breaking ground!
Muva hoe (Goodbye for now, in Mende),
SL Team
