In my first trip to Sierra Leone I was overcome with many first impressions. Each trip has brought new experiences, new memories and new friends. Each time I leave I am left with lasting impressions. It never gets easier to say goodbye.
Today was short, but exhausting. We started with church at the center. Pastor Daniel shared 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Often times this verse is romanticized, but it goes so much deeper. We live in a time with so much evil surrounding us. God is the one who can truly move mountains to show us His love. The sermon and verse were very appropriate as part of my heart stays in Sierra Leone each time we leave. There may be a lot of poverty in Africa, but God is certainly present. No place is perfect, but while America has a lot of wealth, there is an incredible amount of spiritual poverty. (Thank you Ronnie for that insight) Often times we rely on our money and our things, not God. However, here, especially at the center there are not a lot of things to bring hope. They solely rely on Jesus and prayer...an absolute beautiful approach. It really challenges me to step back and reconsider myself and my own spirituality. So simple. So powerful.
Isha sang a solo at church…
After church we moved right into the goodbye ceremony. I sat through it listening to the aunties, uncles and children bid us farewell with a huge lump in my throat, most likely fighting off a very ugly cry. After the goodbye ceremony we had a few minutes to say goodbye to the kids before we headed back to the hotel to gather the rest of our things.
Today was one of the prettiest days I remember in Sierra Leone. Clear blue skies for miles and miles…
Our one and only full team picture. We came from Illinois, Nebraska, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Colorado…
Now, as hard as it is to say goodbye, we have begun our 30+ hour journey home. The Lord continues to be at work in Sierra Leone whether we are there or not, but I am oh so thankful for the time we got to spend there. Sierra Leone has faced hardship after hardship, most recently Ebola, but it continues to come back stronger than ever.
As someone mentioned in the goodbye ceremony, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.
Until then...
{The Launes}
No comments:
Post a Comment