Pastor Phil’s Sierra Leone Blog – Day 9

Saturday, February 14, 2009

 ”People came to him from every quarter.”

In tomorrow’s Gospel we read the following:  “Moved with Pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose.  Be made clean!”  Immediately the leprosy left him and he was made clean.  After sternly warning him, he sent him on his way at once, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”  But he went out and began to proclaim freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country, and people came to him from every quarter.”

The people continued to come "from every quarter."

 

While I believe I have intellectually understood Jesus’ experience, I know that I never understood it from the level of my own experience…until now.  This now has been the experience of the Medical Mission Team in Sierra Leone.  The people continued to come…”from every quarter.”

Medical Mission Team members continue to see the people.

Part of the reason this is only my third blog (and my last from Sierra Leone) is that the people continued to come.  When we finally reached the point that we had to stop, we then would embark on a journey back to the hotel that could take anywhere between one and one half to three hours.  Then we would join together for dinner, which could take at the very least another two hours, and then it was off to bed to get ready for the next day.

It was originally planned that our group would travel to the Village of Njala to visit congregations in Njala and also in Bo.  It was also planned for us to provide a morning clinic for the Village of Senehun.  Since our arrival was cut short by the snowstorm in London, and the need was so great in Freetown, we split into two groups.  One of the groups remained behind to serve those in Freetown, while another group went on and traveled to Njala, Senehun and Bo.

sierrale (Click on this link for a map of Sierra Leone.  Freetown is on the Western Coast.  Bo is about 100 miles inland to the east-southeast of Freetown in the Southern Region.   Njala and Senehun (not on map) are along the way, about 25 miles to the northwest of Bo along the Taia River.)

Work continued in Freetown but at a much more manageable pace.  Those that traveled experienced long distance travel in Sierra Leone which was an adventure in and of itself.  the road was sometimes paved, often filled with potholes and sometimes only dirt.  Sometimes we drove on the right side of the road and sometimes the left in order to avoid the holes.  Sometimes we drove extremely fast, and sometimes at the demand of the group we traveled at an acceptable speed.  At all times we felt the presence of God.

A view along the road to Njala

When we arrived at Njala, the group was greeted with a reception fit for a King – literally.  Drummers, dancers, acrobats and a large crowd entertained the Mission Team. 

Dancers welcomed us to Njala.

An exquisite dinner was later served.  The Mission Team retired to their rooms to prepare for the next day’s clinic and it was off to bed just before midnight, as the generators were turned off at that time.

The next morning we left to set up a clinic at Senehun, where we were told 800 people had signed up to see the Doctors from America.  With only 3 Nurses, a lay leader and 2 Pastors, we reached out to do what we could.  As in Freetown, we were overwhelmed, but this experience was different.  It was a country experience as opposed to an urban one.  The language was different.  This time the people spoke Mende.  The illnesses also were different and the people seemed much more intense in their desire to see the “white doctors.”  We did what we could and it was off to Bo.

Perhaps one of the most interesting experiences of the clinic was serving a man who said he was 120 years old…that’s correct, 120 years old!  He was extremely proud and honored that the whole group wanted their pictures taken with him. 

My new 120 year old friend.

 

Life is tough in Sierra Leone, and it’s really hard to imagine anyone living to be 120, much less someone from Sierra Leone, but here he is…

 

The sign in front of the children's hospital.

 

After our return to Freetown, we rejoined the group for tours of local hospitals, including a children’s hospital.

Pastor Kate Warn is installed by Bishop Barnett

Later that day, the community gathered at the Lutheran Center for the Installation of Kate Warn as Missionary from the NTNL Synod to the ELC Sierra Leone and to dedicate her newly built residence.

Today provided a visit to the Jubilee Center.  The Center remains under construction and, while we’re learning not to predict its completion date, we remain hopeful as a new contractor has been hired to move the project forward and bring it to completion.

Construction continues on the ELCSL Jubilee Center in Freetown

Tonight the Medical Mission Team will be hosted by Bishop Barnett at his home for dinner.  Hopefully we’ll return early for bed and rest for our final day in Sierra leone.  In the morning we will be sent to different congregations for worship and then return to the clinic for its dedication.  Later in the afternoon we will ferry to the Airport in Lungi for the long trip home.

It is truly hard to describe the experience we have had in Sierra Leone.  It has been challenging, exciting, rewarding, overwhelming, joyous, heartbreaking, and the list goes on.  I am certain that every member of our Team has grown in ways they cannot fully comprehend.  I am also fairly certain that everyone is looking forward to sharing not only what they have learned, but also the love they have received from our sistes and brothers in Sierra Leone.

As we return home, I ask for your prayers, not only for a safe journey home (and no snow storms in London – if I may be so bold), but our continuing ministry in Sierra Leone.  God bless you and we look forward to seeing you all soon!

Pastor Phil

Pastor Phil’s Sierra Leone Blog – Quick Update

Friday, February 13, 2009

(Posted from a quick email sent to Anna and Steve) 

I’ve made it back to Freetown from the back country and what a trip it was. We have no clue what isolation is like in the US – we were truly isolated for the last couple of days. The journey to and from Njala and Bo were just a portion of the adventure.

We also ran a clinic in Njala for a couple of hours and had over 800 people waiting to be seen. It was a wonderful opportunity to help but a little hair-raising as well.

I’m afraid that my next official blog entry will have to wait until tomorrow as I’ve been living on limited sleep, I’m wearing down and have been diagnosed by our team with bronchitis, and now I’m the one taking antibiotics.  Actually, several others have developed similar symptoms and the good news is we have antibiotics and they appear to be working.

It’s 11:00 p.m. now and I’m heading for bed. We’ve got another early morning tomorrow for our last day, but the afternoon is free so I hope to write a final blog tomorrow.

Take care and will see you soon.

Pastor Phil.

Pastor Phil’s Sierra Leone Blog – Day 4

Monday, February 9, 2008

What a day! 

We opened the clinic today and by 8:00 am, when the first half of the Medical Team arrived at the clinic, the patients were already lined up to see the Doctor.  The line never ended.  Patient after patient came.  Illness after illness was diagnosed.  Some things were easy to treat – “take two Tylenol and come back in a week.”  Others took more serious medication.  Still others were asked to come when more medication arrived from the States.   Even some were sent away without treatment because they needed surgery and we could not help them.

If you remember from my last blog, due to our late arrival, we had 1,500 appointments scheduled over the next 3 days.  That’s 1,500 appointments for a team of 1 Doctor, 4 Nurses, 1 Medical Technologist, 1 Bishop, 3 Pastors and 3 lay leaders.  To help with this mission is a team from Sierra Leone including 1 Doctor, 1 Nurse (who is the Director of the clinic) and several medical students.  Needless to say we are facing a tremendous challenge with a wonderful opportunity to make a difference.

The primary goal of our trip is to establish an on-going clinic in Calabatown (sort of a borough in Freetown), a secondary goal is to see patients, and the final goal is to connect with people throughout the Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone to offer a level of hope.  As we journey, we also plan to see a few other clinics to learn more about the opportunities and resources that might exist.

The original plan (after our delay shortenend our visit by 4 days) was to see patients over 3 days, so we began the day with the overwhelming challenge of seeing 500 patients today!  While none of us felt that goal was realistic, we did finish the day seeing over 350 patients.  We’re optimistic that, with the systems we put in place throughout the day, we will be able to see even more tomorrow.  We are also adjusting the schedule for the remaining 3 days in Freetown so that every one of the 1,500 patients will be seen by a Doctor before we leave. 

The line of 500 people outside the clinic to see the Doctor was long.

Next time you’re frustrated for having to wait and see the Doctor, remember our brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone.  The line was never shorter than in this photo, and at 6:00 pm, in darkness, we had to reschedule the remaining 150 patients.  There was not one complaint and, to be honest, a few of us thought there might be a riot as they waited so patiently for so long and didn’t get to see anybody.  They expressed real appreciation for what what we were about and everyone is more than willing to make do with what they have. 

A patient receives a pre-exam.

 

The nurses really provided relief, taking care of the minor afflictions, leaving the more serious cases for the Doctors. 

 

Look who's the newest Pharmacist!

And next time you wonder about the medications you have just been given, remember who the Pharmacist could be if you lived in Sierra Leone, and give thanks to God (and maybe a special prayer for those in Sierra Leone)!

It’s time to wrap this up and go to bed.  The days are getting longer, the work is becoming a little more challenging, but the rewards continue to grow.  Again, thank you for your thoughts, your prayers, and your support – God is making a difference though our work!

Pastor Phil.

Pastor Phil’s Sierra Leone Blog – Day 3

Sunday, February 8, 2009

The Blog resumes…hopefully…

I am sorry to say that this blog has not come together as I’ve intended. Some of the reasons are technical but far more are human. Since we were stranded in London, I did not have much to share. On Friday, we finally got off to Sierra Leone, but our flight was delayed and we did not arrive until midnight and again, there really wasn’t much to share. Saturday we set up the clinic, and while there was not much to write about, there was much to show…unfortunately, I left my camera at the hotel, so I didn’t have any photos and chose to wait until today (Sunday).

I’m afraid to say, however, the user errors continued. Following a wonderful worship experience, where my heart was touched in ways it has never been touched before, I returned to the hotel to get ready for a fellowship event on the beach in Sierra Leone and to download the many pictures I had of the people at St. Paul’s. Unfortunately, instead of pushing the download button, I pushed the delete button and within seconds all of my photos were gone! Needless to say this blogging thing has not turned out like I expected.

With the help of Steve Brandt back home, I hope to have this blog posted soon and I’ve even got a few pictures taken on the way to the fellowship event. But first let me talk a little about worship. To begin with we worshipped using the liturgy we use from the Lutheran Book of Worship, but with a different beat – it was clear we were in Africa. It literally brought tears to my eyes as we sang, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” The love of God was clearly evident in their voices and in their faces. Even though we may be a world apart, we are clearly one in Christ.

The church in which we worshipped was made of poles tied together and covered with grain sacks split open with the word UNICEF printed all over them. It is obvious that everyone in Sierra Leone has little (I’m including a photo taken on my way to the beech to give you an idea of what the streets of Sierra Leone are like), but that does not diminish the joy that is in their hearts. I was truly moved by the way our brothers and sisters have received us. As worship drew to a close, I had the opportunity to shake everyone’s hand and what I found most interesting was the children would not let go.

Later today, we went to the beach on the ocean at the mouth of Number 2 River. On our way I took the following picture from the streets in downtown Sierra Leone.

The streets of downtown Sierra Leone.

Before we arrived at the beach, Bishop Tom Barnett had a surprise for us. We stopped at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Baw Baw to bless a well that had just been dug. While we were able to bless the well, we were not able to witness it in action as the pipe was three inches short of the water. They hope to have it extended in a day or two. It’s amazing how long it takes to complete anything in Sierra Leone.

Blessing the new water well at Christ the King in Baw Baw.

Following the Blessing of the Well, the children from the Christ the King School sang songs for us. Again it was a wonderful experience and again the children did not want to let us go.

The children of Christ the King Church in Baw Baw.

It is really hard to express all that I have experienced in just a few short days. To say that I was unprepared for the poverty experienced in Sierra Leone is an understatement. I have never seen so many people with so little in my life. Yet life goes on – they, “Make do with what they have,” and they shared that with us today. We were blessed.

Tomorrow the clinic opens and we are expecting more than 1,500 people. Please pray for our Medical Mission and the people we will meet. I’ll let you know how it goes and hopefully I won’t delete my photos!

Pastor Phil’s Sierra Leone Blog – Greetings!

For Rejoice:

Greetings to everyone at Rejoice. If you haven’t had the opportunity to read my blog you may not be aware that our two hour layover in London became a four day layover due to the worst snowstorm to hit London in 20 years. We made the most of our time in London and finally arrived in Sierra Leone around midnight on Friday.

Over 1,000 people came to the clinic before our arrival and because we were delayed they had to be sent away. Today we set up the clinic and we will begin seeing patients on Monday. The people in Sierra Leone have high expectations and I’m concerned that with our limited supplies and limited time we will not be able to accomplish much. Visiting with the Director of the clinic she shared her thoughts and I was blessed with them. I share them with you as you begin worship that you too might be blessed: “We will make do with what we have.” So simple but so true. These words are more powerful when you realize how little these people have and yet they continue on with joyous hearts. I believe this is how the people of Sierra Leone live day by day and as we now make do I am convinced we will be blessed by God.

Now that we’re finally on the ground in Sierra Leone I hope to get some blogs, with photographs, developed so that you can get a good picture of the work we are doing.

Earlier today I worshipped and preached at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone. I sent them your greetings and they send you theirs. Please know that you remain in my thoughts and prayers and I am blessed knowing that I remain in yours.

God be with you!

Pastor Phil

Pastor Phil’s Sierra Leone Blog

Temporarily Postponed

 

Many may not know that Sierra Leone was at one time a British Colony and I could not believe the view from our hotel on the first day of our stay…it was unbelievably British.

This is the view outside of our London hotel.

 

As you can see, we are not in Sierra Leone…yet.  The above photo is a picture of the House of Parliament as it is directly across the Thames from our hotel…in London and what was to have been a two hour layover in London on our way to Sierra Leone has become a four day layover. 

 

As we arrived, Heathrow Airport was closed as a result of what we have learned was the worst snowstorm in 20 years.  As we arrived, we found ourselves diverted to Manchester where we waited out the clearing of the runways at Heathrow.  When we finally arrived at Heathrow, six hours later, we discovered that our flight to Sierra Leone had been cancelled.  The next scheduled flight to Sierra Leone was Wednesday and unfortunately that flight was full so we are booked for the next flight which does not depart until Friday.

 

Essentially, we are stuck in London until Friday waiting for the next available flight.  While it’s hard to think of laying over in London for four days being stuck, and I suppose there are far worse places we could be, it is frustrating for everyone to have the purpose of our trip put on hold for four days.  Also, it is very cold with a good deal of snow on the ground and none of us brought warm clothing. 

 

The good news is, however, we’re safe in a wonderful city and our entire luggage, filled with supplies, is with us.  We’ve also been able to buy warm clothing and there is plenty for us to do and see while we await our flight.  As I said, there are far worse places we could be “stuck.”

 

We further understand that Kate Warn, the Pastor in Residence from NTNL, was on a different flight which was diverted around the storm and she has arrived in Sierra Leone.  We’ve also learned that the container filled with medical supplies has also arrived.  So we know that when we finally get there, we will be able to get started and with intentional effort we hope to make up for much of the lost time.  It’s not what we imagined, nor what we prepared for, but we’re making the best of it.

 

P.S.  To my dear wife, I’m finally getting paid back for the snoring of which you often say I’m guilty.   While I have a hard time believing you, since I’ve never heard myself snore, I guess God has decided to provide me with my just reward.  My roommate snores like a freight train – I hope you’re enjoying your peace and quiet!

The 1st Sunday after Christmas, December 28, 2008

As we stand bathed in the light of the baby Jesus, newly born in the manger, the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 2: 22 - 40) brings a powerful message and gives direction for our journey as we study the life of Christ.  We are challenged to view the cross from the manger, as a reminder of the suffering to come.  God’s love given to us in Bethlehem is linked by the horrible reality of our sin to His eternal love given on the cross. 

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The 4th Sunday in Advent, December 21, 2008

In today’s message, Pastor Phil explores the real story of Christmas versus the pop culture version, the scandalous version versus today’s sanitized and clean version.  By ignoring the scandal, we miss the direction to which Christmas points, to the greater scandal to come, of Jesus, the sinless Son of God, beaten, betrayed and crucified for the sins of all.  But there is hope in the birth of the Christ child, in that He came amidst and to experience the scandals of life, to save us from it, to lift us up, and to give us hope.

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The 3rd Sunday in Advent, December 14, 2008

Sometimes our world may seem torn apart by things like economic collapse, death, and the dark and confusing times of great loss.  But there is a light in the darkness that replaces sadness with joy, pain with enduring love.  John 1:6-8, 19-28 tells us that light is the light of Christ, bringing hope and life eternal in the baby Jesus.

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Christ the King Sunday, November 23, 2008

Pastor Phil continues his discussion of Stewardship and the challenges that God presents to us not only in being generous givers, but in growing in our giving.  The Gospel Text (Matthew 25:31-46) reminds us that God is not just “out there” in some far away place, but that He is right here, right now and right with His people and their daily struggles.

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