Last week in Tongo, I was sitting under the Mango Tree speaking with Rebecca Koroma. She got up to go to her home to retrieve some paperwork and I stayed sitting with 2 year old Grace sleeping in my arms. After a few minutes I looked down to retrieve something from my backpack and I … Continue reading Driver Ants!

At Buckingham Palace in London, the Changing of the Guard is the ceremony where the Queen’s Guard hands over responsibility for protecting Buckingham Palace to the New Guard.    This begins at the forecourt of Buckingham Palace following a march by the detachment of the Old Guard from St. James’s Palace and the new Guard led … Continue reading Changing of the Guard

This week while in Tongo I met the husband of Rose, a woman we met last fall who serves as a Kenema District Councilwoman residing in Tongo.  Her husband Edward is a principal at the Muslim school in Tongo (albeit he is a Christian).  I think he may have had a bit too much palm wine as … Continue reading Islam in Salone

Almost a year ago we arrived in Kenema and we were met with some of the worst roads we have ever driven on. Whenever it rained, the potholes would fill with water which only made the holes deeper as vehicles would drive through them. Traveling on the main road through Kenema (Hangha Road on the … Continue reading Change

Death is all too common here in Sierra Leone.  This was brought home in a big way this week as we were asked to help carry the body of a 12-year-old girl who had mysteriously died in her sleep, from her home to the cemetery in the back of our truck.  Kadie Feika was an active vivacious … Continue reading Death

What a week it has been! We have been fortunate enough this week to have Sister Jean B. Bingham, the general Relief Society president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with us here in Kenema. Sister Jean B. Bingham Sister Bingham is very interested in helping to move Gospel Literacy forward in … Continue reading Literacy 2.0

Last week was the 5-year anniversary of the first Ebola case confirmed in Sierra Leone as the initial infection was reported in Kailahun on May 25th, 2014.  Seven days later there were 7 more confirmed cases and in less than two months there were 442 cases and 206 deaths.  At the time, new cases were being reported … Continue reading Ebola!

10 new members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Kenema District Last week the title of our post was Daniel’s Stone.  Today we carry on with that same theme as Daniel’s Stone continues to Roll Forth here in the Kenema District in a big way.  On Saturday in Kenema we had a joint … Continue reading …Rolls Forth!

On Saturday, May 18, 2019, seven more amazing people were baptized in Tongo.  Lansana Massaquoi, Mary Brima, Peter Komanda, Hannah Brima, Kadie James, Sahr Lahai and his 15 year-old son Daniel Lahai.  What an amazing day!  On Sunday, May 19th, all seven were confirmed in sacrament meeting. There were 56 people in attendance at the meeting including Elder Roche … Continue reading Daniel’s Stone

To say that healthcare in Sierra Leone is not the greatest would be an understatement.  It is not unheard of for lab results to be confused or misinterpreted, x-rays to be misread and then mislabeled, unnecessary medications to be prescribed, simple surgeries (e.g., hernia) to be botched and premature babies to have a high mortality rates.  Having … Continue reading Healthcare