The Cotton tree is the center of town and a landmark since the last 1700's. They have now built a fountain around the cotton tree. It is not unusual to see a large gathering around the Cotton tree.
We share the road with all sorts of foot traffic. Many items get delivered to various shops by way of carts pulled/pushed by 3-4 men. They get in with the traffic and move along as the cars try to dodge the motorbikes which are a law unto themselves. It can make it a challenge to get around on a 2 lane road, especially when taxis and poda podas stop anywhere along the road to drop off and pick up passengers. Traveling down Kissy Road (which is about a mile long) can be a challenge at times. The longest we have spent on Kissy Road is an hour and 15 minutes. The best time to travel Kissy Road is between 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. No one has their little shops set up and the road aren't congested yet with people traveling to who knows where. Having traffic wardens at various points along Kissy Road has helped alleviate the congestion and in helping to figure out the "jams" that vehicles get into as they try to get around the parked cars. It is not uncommon to have the cars 3 abreast on the road--with one of them being a stopped taxi (loading/unloading passengers) or container trucks (unloading the things into the local shops).
Lots of people will have a little clothing "shop". They get their merchandise in a bale--you get what you get. Here are a group of people waiting to get their bale of used clothing.
Most people have to go to a central place to collect their water. This man is carrying a number of yellow rubbers to get some water. They are all tied together and carried on his head--as most things are.
As was shared earlier, there are always lots of taxis (like the red and yellow car on the far left side of the picture) as well as poda podas (like those lining the street behind the taxi on the left).
Lots of various shops on the side of the street as you drive from Kissy to Freetown.
One Saturday while we were at Goderich where we teach piano on Saturday afternoon, Elder Jones went for a short walk and happened along a track meet. It was in a large open field across the dirt road where we teach at the local church building.
At the track meet, they also had a tug-of-peace. They don't call it a tug-of-war because of the reminder of what they have so recently been involved with.
We see a lot of elders come and go. When elders are leaving for the MTC in Ghana, the elders often are set apart on Thursday evening since President Squires is leaving to go out of town. A lot of times they will spend the evening with us at the Mission Home (in the apartment next to ours) and we feed them dinner and breakfast. We then take them to the Mission Office to spend a few hours prior to getting them to the motorboats that will take them across to the airport. These are 2 of the latest elders leaving to go to the MTC. Elder Fofanah is from Bo (on the left), Elder Milton is from Freetown. Elder Milton will come back at the end of the 3 weeks and serve in this mission. We have 3 elders from the Congo Cross branch in Freetown serving in this mission.
It is hard to believe that we are at our year mark. Much has happened and we have grown a lot. We truly love the people here in Sierra Leone.
Lots of various shops on the side of the street as you drive from Kissy to Freetown.
One Saturday while we were at Goderich where we teach piano on Saturday afternoon, Elder Jones went for a short walk and happened along a track meet. It was in a large open field across the dirt road where we teach at the local church building.
At the track meet, they also had a tug-of-peace. They don't call it a tug-of-war because of the reminder of what they have so recently been involved with.
We see a lot of elders come and go. When elders are leaving for the MTC in Ghana, the elders often are set apart on Thursday evening since President Squires is leaving to go out of town. A lot of times they will spend the evening with us at the Mission Home (in the apartment next to ours) and we feed them dinner and breakfast. We then take them to the Mission Office to spend a few hours prior to getting them to the motorboats that will take them across to the airport. These are 2 of the latest elders leaving to go to the MTC. Elder Fofanah is from Bo (on the left), Elder Milton is from Freetown. Elder Milton will come back at the end of the 3 weeks and serve in this mission. We have 3 elders from the Congo Cross branch in Freetown serving in this mission.
I don't have a picture of this. But it has been interesting for Elder Jones to be doing some audits at the various branches. Not often in the Church do you get to have the opportunity to do an audit by candle light. The audit was about done by the time it got dark, but just needed to complete a few things. The clerk said there was no electricity, so he lit the candle and they finished the audit. Things definitely are unique at times here. You learn to adjust!!
It is hard to believe that we are at our year mark. Much has happened and we have grown a lot. We truly love the people here in Sierra Leone.
No comments:
Post a Comment