I wanted to start this blog with a short story of my first
trip to the village:
The sun was out and the cool air whipped across my face. It
was Saturday morning around 6AM. I heard the constant turning of the motorbike
engine. I felt every bump and turn of the road. I saw streams of brown and
green as we flew passed the bush and farms. The road to the village Koindabaia
was about 10 minutes from my house. In front, was Sarah and Steven leading the
way. As the wheels of Steven’s Honda XL kicked dust in our faces, Lansana and I
were finally turning onto the road toward my three hours of indescribable
peace.
The dirt road was littered with pot holes, rocks, and big
puddles, but the motor bike was able to weave through all the bad parts so
gracefully. The road was surrounded by green plant life and trees bending every
which way zig-zagging toward the bright blue sky. All you could hear was the
sounds of insects and the faint buzz of the engine. I felt as if I were flying.
Bending up, down and around the hills of Kabala has an overwhelming sense of
peace and relaxation. I just sat on the back of Lansana’s bike and enjoyed the
cool breeze and sights to see.
About a mile from Koindabaia you can see the two huge trees
in the middle of the village. The trees are so big that even if ten people held
hands around the trunks of the trees you would not fit. If you were to outline
the trunk of the tree it would look like a star with 30 points. We were greeted
by Steven’s grandmother and Lansana’s grandmother. Because we were driving back
through we only stayed for about 10 minutes and were back on the winding dirt
road toward the village of Yara where Steven’s grandfather lives.
Steven’s grandfather greeted us with 3 chickens to take home
and some nice cold water. As his family prepared food we walked down a small
path to get to the river. Yara has the most beautiful winding river with goldmines
down the banks. Followed by 20 children we went to see the sites and to wash
our feet. The river was shallow and had many waterfalls. There was one point
when one of the kids was pushed in and could not swim, so I had to step into a
deeper part to help them out. The most beautiful part of the villages was the
ability to unplug from Kabala and the world and to just enjoy the beautiful sites
and people.
The ride back was just as peaceful and felt as if it went
fast. I was able to reflect on the people I met and the places I went. As we
came back to Koindabaia we met Steven’s mom and they gave us the gift of rice. The
village life is very different from Kabala and it was a wonderful experience.
***(some pictures on facebook)***
The rest of the week has gone very smoothly. Teaching is
getting easier, even though the kids are just as rowdy. I got the opportunity to
try and pound rice in the village, which was very challenging. On my ride back
to Kabala I named the beautiful chicken I was carrying Kevin. We ended up
eating him Sunday night when our guest, Kathy, arrived. Kathy has been a
missionary for over 20 years in Nigeria. She has come for two weeks to work
with accounting at CES and at CRC school. This weekend Krissi, Ansou, Sarah,
Steven, and myself are traveling to Freetown for valentines benefit. The
dinner/dance will support a women’s home that helps support teenage girls with
children. I am very excited for my first trip to Freetown and to go to the
beach.
Happy Easter!
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