Saturday

Well, we've had an impossibly busy two days and the internet is being rather noncommittal, so I thought I just check in to say that everything is going well. We had baptisms today, including Ramatu and Yanoh!

-Megan

Salone at last!

Well, we have arrived. Our flight came in yesterday and we spent the night at Robert and Ruth's new house in Lungi! (We are so grateful!)

We had a long day today. We took the morning ferry, picked up Pastor Nat, stopped a various places along the way to Makeni, finally got to Makeni, went to Makambo to say hello, checked it with the local officials (new law), and then finally came back to eat dinner!

Tomorrow is also going to be awesome. We are going to attend the dedication for the new toilets in Makambo. These things are absolutely brilliant. Robert and Ruth designed them and they are both hygienic and easily sustainable. I'm sure you'll see photos when I get back. They are as cool as bathrooms could be. haha

Anyway, thanks for your prayers. And please pray for Ruth and Mariatu (their daughter). Both have had typhoid recently and are not feeling well at all.

Hopefully, I will check in again soon (the internet is a bit spotty)!

-Megan

P.S. My dad's bag somehow got left behind at Ruth and Robert's. Being the awesome people that they are, they are finding a way to get it us. It should be here later tonight or tomorrow!

London

We're in London right now!

Everything is going well, but please pray that our gate numbered is assigned semi-soon -- so that I don't go CRAZY. haha

(Also pray that there is enough space in the over-heads for our carry-ons. We've had a couple of close escapes!)

Our flights so far have gone really well and we are excited to get to Sierra Leone.

-Megan

And we're ready to go!

We're leaving for beautiful Salone tomorrow morning (early. much too early in the morning). And the team (Dave, Megan, Robert, and Peter) is very excited to go!

We'd really appreciate your prayers for this trip and thank you to everyone who has already prayed and supported us.

We'd especially appreciate your immediate prayers that travel would go smoothly. We just found out today that one of our team members cannot go because there was a problem with his visa application. :-(

So, your prayers in this area are definitely wanted!

Here are a few basic goals we have for every trip:

• To share Jesus' love and hope!
• To help the children understand that they are not alone or forgotten or unwanted. So that even when we're not there, they'll understand that Jesus is always with them. And that He loves every single one of them and knows each of their names.
• To witness Jesus' healing of hearts and bodies.
• To visit some recently finished wells / scout out locations for MORE wells!
• To teach the girls about their importance and worth as an individual, to society, and - especially - their absolute worth to God. Encouraging them to pursue an education and to reject the lies that they are not important and don't mean anything as people.

We also will be doing other things like handing out the hundreds of beautiful, hand-made dresses and hats that so many have worked hard on!

And, of course, God always have some unexpected stuff planned. Please pray that we are open and EXCITED for the unexpected!

And, again, we all appreciate your prayers and support so much! Thank you!

-Megan

Kushay!

We had a great day yesterday and an even more wonderful one today!





We got to visit the village of Mabarie, where a school was recently build. We had to drive 7 miles down crazy roads that were NOT meant for a car. (Cody just said that it seemed more like 50 miles.) For the entire 7 miles and all around it, there is NO school. None of the children in the area had ever gone to school. The new school now has 170 students!





We got to give out some frisbees and soccer balls and also the remaining sunglasses.





The kids were seriously awesome and it was super-fun playing with them.





Tomorrow we are leaving Makeni and I am soooo sad. Tonight we're gonna go hang out at Maligie's house with his family and Yanoh. Tomorrow we are saying goodbye at Makambo and heading out to Freetown. Tomorrow afternoon we have an appointment to board Mercy Ship, so that is really exciting!

I have so much more to write! I can't wait to see you all and tell you in person!

-Megan

INTERNET FINALLY.

Finally, I have internet access. It's been killing me. haha

Well, so MUCH has happened it would take me hours to type up. I guess you all will just have to come to our teams' talks to hear it all.

A lot of awesomeness has occured. GOD IS WORKING.

Also, Cody and I were sick yesterday -- thanks for praying (we're both still a bit sick)!

Today, I did the talk/video with the women and girls in Makambo. It went REALLY well! I'm super excited about what's been happening. We also gave out the dresses and there were enough for every girl!

We are showing the JESUS video in Makambo tonight. It went amazing in Masapri on Tuesday. It was a completely Muslim village AND it was Ramadan, so for the people to come out was a huge sacrifice (during Ramadan, they fast all day and only eat at night. So, to come to the video meant they weren't eating). Something happened that I've never seen before, the people started clapping when Jesus rose from the dead in the video! Maligie met with the village elders the next day and they told him that if he could get them a pastor THEY would build a church themselves!

Tonight, when we go to the video we will be taking two Muslim guys who came into the hotel to sell stuff yesterday when I was sick. Please pray!

Well, I have to go!

Thanks for everything!

-Megan

TUESDAY! (I think. It's not Wednesday is it..or Monday?! haha)

Well, another SERIOUSLY awesome day!

We visted two villages that recently had wells completed.

The Boy Scout well (Ryan and Cody helped to put the pump in ALONG WITH SIERRA LEONEAN SCOUTS!!!) and the WTPF well. The people in both villages now have clean water and were also given hygiene training. We are taking the JESUS video to the WTPF village tonight (there is no possible way I could figure out how to spell the name of the village right now...haha). Please pray!

God has just been so awesome and faithful. And the trip is really going wonderfully.

Tomorrow we are back in Makambo! SO EXCITED! (Btw, when we stopped there really quickly yesterday, my Dad was informed that he is now Grandpapa of Makambo. haha)

Thanks for all the prayers and support!

-Megan