It Is What We Do

We Do Plumbing

This is the kitchen sink of one of the sisters apartments.  It is the only apartment with a double sink and the plumber who installed it used a double sink kit that would be used in the US with a sewage system.  You tell us if this drain would work in the US.  It certainly didn't here in Africa.  When ever the sinks were unstopped they either didn't drain at all or the water went all over the floor.  Someday we will tell you about having to vent a P-Trap.

This is the much simplified drain that works.  All drains in these homes that are not from toilets just empty into the yard or the street.  No sewage system.  It took us 3 weeks to find the simple parts that would let this drain work.  Oh for a home depot or even duct tape.  We are also into fixing toilets, and showers, and water supply pumps.

We Do Nursing

This is the leg of one of our sister missionaries.  She got a very serious burn riding on an okada(motercycle taxi).  Her leg touched the exhaust pipe.  (Where was the protective cover?)  We helped her treat it and were able to not have to go to the hospital.  We disinfected it, and covered it with a gauze pad to keep it from getting infected.  She is doing well now.  It is healing nicely.

We Make Friends

Here are some of Sister Sherwood's friends in front of the Elders apartment.  They come running even though she doesn't have sweets any more.
They like pass-along cards and they like being snapped(have their picture taken).

We Do Training and Transporting

Here we are in the mission home with the MLC(Mission Leaders Council).  Here all the zone leaders and sister trainers gather each month to review things throughout the mission.

We sometimes are called upon to transport some of them from Bo to Freetown.  These young missionaries are marvelous.  They are dedicated, hardworking, and diligent in doing the work of the Lord in their mission.

We Hate To See Them Go Home

Here one of the Elders who went home last week can be seen with a shirt that shows how long he has been in the mission field.  Look closely at his collar.  He was a great missionary in Bo and bore a powerful testimony in his branch 2 weeks ago.

We will miss him and the others who went home and those who are soon to follow.  We started with experienced missionaries from other West African Missions and they are now coming to the end of their missions.  They are the ones who re-opened the mission after ebola was over.  They have done well.

We Laugh A Lot With Our Missionaries

This was a sign put up in one of the sisters apartments.  Doxy is the anti-malarial pill we all take every day.  It kills the malaria parasite before it has a chance to destroy the red blood cells.  Those missionaries who do not take it usually get malaria.

We Love It Here 

We also teach temple preparation classes, literacy classes, and train the local members so they can teach these classes.  Sister Sherwood teaches music conducting courses and keyboard lessons.  That is right, she is now playing the keyboard!!!  Learning the keyboard so she can stay ahead of her students.  One of her students is also the choir director in her branch. In our keyboard lesson two weeks ago she expressed a desire to teach the choir a hymn they have never sung. Sister Sherwood taught her how to play each part separately so that each voice could hear their part and practice it.  We were thrilled this week to hear the choir practicing.  They were learning all four parts for Branch Conference.  We have never heard people singing other than the melody in Africa.

We do miss you all and love you.  God bless you all.