Lenten Mission Trip: Sierra Leone, Day One.

During our recent trip to Sierra Leone, we started our first day in Freetown in the usual way.

James and Fr. Seraphim began their day sipping their favorite “Goatlip Tea”

and I started the day out

with a leggy critter in the shower.

Later that morning, we went into the city

to stock St. Laurence House

with some fresh fruit

and vegetables.

The colorful markets in Freetown are great and I love the people.

The people are so friendly and eager to have fun.

When she saw my camera,

this particular lady asked me to take her picture.

She said that she needed a husband and if I took her picture she would get one.

A good man would see her hard at work at the market and seek her out for marriage.

So …here is her picture, I hope her future husband is looking at this blog. She is definitely a hard worker and a lot of fun.

We chatted with the women in the market for a bit,

when another lady said

“Take my picture, I need TWO husbands!”

After picking out, bargaining (talk talk) and paying for the produce,

it was time to go get Roo from school.
Roo’s school is on top of a road that had a steep incline.

An ice cream vender was struggling to push his cart to the top of the hill so that he could catch the children as they came out of school.

I ran over to help him and was surprised at how heavy the cart was.

Together we both struggled to get the cart to the top of the hill just in time for the school’s release.

Just as we get it to the top, here comes Emily and Kadijah with Roo and Jillian (Our neighbor, Maranda’s little boy).

Once we collected Roo, we went further into the city to pick up more supplies.

Fr. Seraphim noticed a man down on his luck

and gave him a few leones to help him out.
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Lenten Mission Trip: Sierra Leone, Day One.

During our recent trip to Sierra Leone, we started our first day in Freetown in the usual way.

James and Fr. Seraphim began their day sipping their favorite “Goatlip Tea”

and I started the day out

with a leggy critter in the shower.

Later that morning, we went into the city

to stock St. Laurence House

with some fresh fruit

and vegetables.

The colorful markets in Freetown are great and I love the people.

The people are so friendly and eager to have fun.

When she saw my camera,

this particular lady asked me to take her picture.

She said that she needed a husband and if I took her picture she would get one.

A good man would see her hard at work at the market and seek her out for marriage.

So …here is her picture, I hope her future husband is looking at this blog. She is definitely a hard worker and a lot of fun.

We chatted with the women in the market for a bit,

when another lady said

“Take my picture, I need TWO husbands!”

After picking out, bargaining (talk talk) and paying for the produce,

it was time to go get Roo from school.
Roo’s school is on top of a road that had a steep incline.

An ice cream vender was struggling to push his cart to the top of the hill so that he could catch the children as they came out of school.

I ran over to help him and was surprised at how heavy the cart was.

Together we both struggled to get the cart to the top of the hill just in time for the school’s release.

Just as we get it to the top, here comes Emily and Kadijah with Roo and Jillian (Our neighbor, Maranda’s little boy).

Once we collected Roo, we went further into the city to pick up more supplies.

Fr. Seraphim noticed a man down on his luck

and gave him a few leones to help him out.
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Lenten Mission Trip: Sierra Leone, Day One.

During our recent trip to Sierra Leone, we started our first day in Freetown in the usual way.

James and Fr. Seraphim began their day sipping their favorite “Goatlip Tea”

and I started the day out

with a leggy critter in the shower.

Later that morning, we went into the city

to stock St. Laurence House

with some fresh fruit

and vegetables.

The colorful markets in Freetown are great and I love the people.

The people are so friendly and eager to have fun.

When she saw my camera,

this particular lady asked me to take her picture.

She said that she needed a husband and if I took her picture she would get one.

A good man would see her hard at work at the market and seek her out for marriage.

So …here is her picture, I hope her future husband is looking at this blog. She is definitely a hard worker and a lot of fun.

We chatted with the women in the market for a bit,

when another lady said

“Take my picture, I need TWO husbands!”

After picking out, bargaining (talk talk) and paying for the produce,

it was time to go get Roo from school.
Roo’s school is on top of a road that had a steep incline.

An ice cream vender was struggling to push his cart to the top of the hill so that he could catch the children as they came out of school.

I ran over to help him and was surprised at how heavy the cart was.

Together we both struggled to get the cart to the top of the hill just in time for the school’s release.

Just as we get it to the top, here comes Emily and Kadijah with Roo and Jillian (Our neighbor, Maranda’s little boy).

Once we collected Roo, we went further into the city to pick up more supplies.

Fr. Seraphim noticed a man down on his luck

and gave him a few leones to help him out.
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Emmaus Day picnic

This year for Emmaus Day, some of the Kentucky NHA chapter members journeyed to the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky.

As the normal tradition, we enjoyed a picnic on the grounds,

this year in front of the Retreat Center.

We enjoyed the traditional menu of fish, herbs, spring onions and colored eggs.

The grounds were beautiful

and the Spring flowers

were in full bloom.

For more information about the NHA tradition

of Emmaus Day/Sham el Nessim

read our blog post from the past.

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Emmaus Day picnic

This year for Emmaus Day, some of the Kentucky NHA chapter members journeyed to the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky.

As the normal tradition, we enjoyed a picnic on the grounds,

this year in front of the Retreat Center.

We enjoyed the traditional menu of fish, herbs, spring onions and colored eggs.

The grounds were beautiful

and the Spring flowers

were in full bloom.

For more information about the NHA tradition

of Emmaus Day/Sham el Nessim

read our blog post from the past.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Emmaus Day picnic

This year for Emmaus Day, some of the Kentucky NHA chapter members journeyed to the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky.

As the normal tradition, we enjoyed a picnic on the grounds,

this year in front of the Retreat Center.

We enjoyed the traditional menu of fish, herbs, spring onions and colored eggs.

The grounds were beautiful

and the Spring flowers

were in full bloom.

For more information about the NHA tradition

of Emmaus Day/Sham el Nessim

read our blog post from the past.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Goats & Chickens & Roo, Oh my!

On this particular night in Kabala, I wanted to check on some livestock that had been given to villagers as gifts through Nazareth House via One Love Foundation.

The recipients of these gifts

lived a good distance down the road

which enabled us to enjoy a nice Evening walk along the way.

Upon reaching the house, the family eagerly came out to greet us.

They proudly showed us their gifts – the goats and chickens.

They were very happy and thankful to have received such fine livestock. The chickens were happily pecking on the floor of the steps

as they listened to the radio.

As we gathered the fowl

and goats

for a group photo,

we found out something

we didn’t know about Roo.

He is terribly afraid of goats! What a Freetown city boy he is!

This is something he will have to overcome very quickly. I am sure the move to Kabala will take care of that.
Posted in chickens, Education in Kabala, farm animal gifts, goats, NHA, One Love Foundation | Leave a comment

Goats & Chickens & Roo, Oh my!

On this particular night in Kabala, I wanted to check on some livestock that had been given to villagers as gifts through Nazareth House via One Love Foundation.

The recipients of these gifts

lived a good distance down the road

which enabled us to enjoy a nice Evening walk along the way.

Upon reaching the house, the family eagerly came out to greet us.

They proudly showed us their gifts – the goats and chickens.

They were very happy and thankful to have received such fine livestock. The chickens were happily pecking on the floor of the steps

as they listened to the radio.

As we gathered the fowl

and goats

for a group photo,

we found out something

we didn’t know about Roo.

He is terribly afraid of goats! What a Freetown city boy he is!

This is something he will have to overcome very quickly. I am sure the move to Kabala will take care of that.
Posted in chickens, Education in Kabala, farm animal gifts, goats, NHA, One Love Foundation | Leave a comment

Goats & Chickens & Roo, Oh my!

On this particular night in Kabala, I wanted to check on some livestock that had been given to villagers as gifts through Nazareth House via One Love Foundation.

The recipients of these gifts

lived a good distance down the road

which enabled us to enjoy a nice Evening walk along the way.

Upon reaching the house, the family eagerly came out to greet us.

They proudly showed us their gifts – the goats and chickens.

They were very happy and thankful to have received such fine livestock. The chickens were happily pecking on the floor of the steps

as they listened to the radio.

As we gathered the fowl

and goats

for a group photo,

we found out something

we didn’t know about Roo.

He is terribly afraid of goats! What a Freetown city boy he is!

This is something he will have to overcome very quickly. I am sure the move to Kabala will take care of that.
Posted in chickens, Education in Kabala, farm animal gifts, goats, NHA, One Love Foundation | Leave a comment

Nazareth House Apostolate, Freetown prepares for Easter

Here in Freetown, Sierra Leone, NHA is busy preparing for Easter. They won’t be hiding colored eggs for Roo (and Simba) to find,

they won’t be shopping for fancy clothes to wear on Easter Sunday,
they won’t be planning a big family feast for the day.

Instead,

they have went to the store to buy

RICE!…

Lots of Rice.

The whole family struggles

to load

the heavy bags of rice.

One bag,

maybe two bags of rice at a time

– they load them into Sanu’s tiny red car. (Special Note: NHA is so very grateful to Sanu for his offering of his car to us to use for the work)

Once the car is loaded, it is then unloaded at St. Laurence House.

Everyone pitches in

– even poor Joseph who is recovering from a severe bout of Malaria and Typhoid –

to distribute the rice to the neighbors.

An added treat was the arrival of another box of medication and supplies

that we assumed was lost in the mail!
This enable our staff to hand out more treats and needed supplies for Easter!

So what is NHA doing for this Easter Sunday?

– they are showering their neighbors

with bags of rice.

Although rice is a staple food in Sierra Leone, it is very expensive and not too many can afford it – opting to buy it a cup at a time.
This Easter,

NHA is gifting their neighbors with rice

……and their neighbors are gifting them with something even more special –

they are giving out huge smiles!

This is what it is all about.

Truly what a blessed and happy Easter it is.

Glory be to God, go …spend this wonderful day well.

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