"12 days of Christmas"

The whole "12 days of Christmas "thing never made much sense so me - can't remember the words and only recently found out it's actually the 12 days from 24 Dec to 5 Jan, but .

In any case that, song was the inspiration for this blog, with some obvious variations and no tune what so ever.

It was quite the busy time...

On the 12th day to Christmas - I went to County Lodge (complete with Christmas Lights), had a steak and had a good time with friends.

On the 11th day to Christmas I had drinks on the beach, did some shopping on the beach and waved off a Stef at the Helipad!

On the 10th Day to Christmas - Spent a great day at River No2, and said good bye to Morgen at the Helipad!

On the 9th day of Christmas - I spent a fun day at the orphanage in Calaba Town, fun and games, Christmas story and Ice Age 2

On the 8th day of Christmas I mostly worked!

On the 7th day of Christmas I mostly worked again

On the 6th day of Christmas I helped pack gifts for the staff party and sang Carols at Bible study

On the 5th Day of Christmas I spent a few hours at Bunkers, with Vez and Sandra

On the 4the Day of Christmas I chopped ham and eggs and had a great staff party at AWAFC.

On the 3rd day of Christmas I wrapped some gifts and relaxed.

On the 2nd day of Christmas I watched the kiddies of Regent do a nativity play (and I also played a small roll in the Prov 31-sketch with the ladies)

On the 1 st day of Christmas I had full Turkey dinner with friends at the D.O.V.E. Children's home.

On actual day of Christmas day I chatted with all my family on the phone, had a brunch with all my friends and took off to River No2.

On the first day past Christmas I relaxed on the beach and ended it with a bonfire under the stars!!!

Unusual Christmas Gift

So, Santa (or Father Christmas as I like to call him ) came to S'loene as well. On Christmas morning everyone in the house had a stack of gift in front of there doors. The 3 of us staying outside the main house had make-shift stockings (pillowcases hooked into a drawer in the living room).

What treats - nice things for showering, nice smelling things, some African jewelery and crafts, a zebra, books, lots of candy, chocolates, stationary, a flashlight, a plate of home made cookies and a very unusual, but extremely thoughtful gift...

On top of the other gifts

a single piece of green paper folded in three

Merry Christmas in red

A gift to all in the house - 24 hour electricity (or more precisely the fuel to run the generator)!!!

As most know by now, we only have electricity when our generator runs from 18:30 - 7:30 (weekend until 10:00). NPA (National Power Agency - also well known as No Power, Always) has been promising 24h electricity to all of Freetown as of 21 December (?2007?). No sign of that yet, so today we had almost 5 hours of our "Christmas present".

Of course I spent most of the time on my laptop under the gazebo, but did take a break to watch a movie in my room with the AC on at 18C.

Thanks Susan!

Feeding Centre

Thought a few times before posting this blog, but here it is after all.

Visited the Children’s hospital feeding centre on Friday – only place in Freetown that admits and manages severely malnourished children. And with severely malnourished I mean just that, entrance criteria is much lower (or is it higher) than we ever had in SA.

On Fridays we sometimes visit there just to see how patients we referred were doing. Sometimes good news, often not. Friday, due to unusually good traffic flow, we arrived there earlier than usually – just as they were doing the weigh-in. It’s amazing how much clothes can generally conceal. Here were 15 kids all naked - mostly skin and bones and a few puffy with kwashiorkor. I could not get myself to take picture of them – although I’m sure they would have made it into some newspaper before Christmas time.

I’m used to seeing malnourished and underweight children – after all spent 6 years in a Barberton’s children’s ward. But this is different, in Barberton we would maybe one or two a month admit a little one with pure malnutrition – usually the kids had HIV and/or TB and a lot of the weight loss was more due to disease that pure lack of food. But here AIDS isn’t that common. Here just poverty, poor (almost non-existent) health care and absolute ignorance of what a child needs is at the forefront.

This time we actually went to hand out something small for Christmas, but even though the mother, grannies or aunties that was there with the children looked grateful, there wasn’t much joy in it. Mothers gladly smile for photos afterwards - for some of them possibly the last ever to be taken.

A little silver lining around the cloud of that day was at least 2 happy babies, ready to go home after spending a more than a month in the centre.

The one in the picture was being discharge – and definitely looks like she and Mom both discovered the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding.

What can I bring...

I just spent a great afternoon as a "Christmas Party" with some kids at an orphanage in Kalaba Town, Freetown. What a wonderful present they were to me.

On the road back this song by Matt Redman was playing, so I will let someone else's words and a few photo's speak...

I will Offer up my Life

I will offer up my life
In spirit and truth,
Pouring out the oil of love
As my worship to You
In surrender I must give my every part;
Lord, receive the sacrifice
Of a broken heart

CHORUS:
Jesus, what can I give, what can I bring
To so faithful a friend, to so loving a King?
Savior, what can be said, what can be sung
As a praise of Your name
For the things You have done?
Oh my words could not tell, not even in part
Of the debt of love that is owed
By this thankful heart

You deserve my every breath
For You've paid the great cost;
Giving up Your life to death,
Even death on a cross
You took all my shame away,
There defeated my sin
Opened up the gates of heaven
And have beckoned me in

A first....

Thursday I did 2 (usually quite common) things for the first time since coming to Freetown
That is, the first time in 18 weeks
I wore jeans
and I ate a steak!

Occasion: farewell dinner for 2 Mercy Ship team mate/house mates/ friends, Stefani and Morgan
Location: Country Lodge – most expensive hotel in SL, not too far from our house and with a great view overlooking the town/sea

“Sweet Basil Steak” came recommended
I chose the local beef option (Le10 000, $3,30 less than the imported beef)
Medium rare
Grilled perfectly
Filled with mozzarella cheese
Not too spicy basil sauce
Fries and veggies on the side

My mouth is watering again…

What a model...

On Saterday's outing I found this little model.

Kati (her mom works at the orhanage) .. she just loved having het picture taken and looking at herself on the camera and video camera.

17 days and counting..

No shopping malls, no decorated street lights, no electricity in most houses, so no Christmas tree with flickering light. No Santas dressed in red suites and face beards. No competition for "the must have toy/gadget this Christmas".

Stuck in slow creeping traffic for more than 3 hours with "Holy night" playing in our Landy, I couldn't help but notice the absolute contrast to the outside. Shopkeepers and hawkers still selling the same old goodies from their baskets ( cookies, cotton ear swab, cassava, plantains, lanterns, candles, boiled eggs, flip flops etc.), amputees and the blind begging at car windows, dirty kids running, playing, laughing - the usual. No, wait - there's someone selling a big Santa face decoration, a few Christmas lights and a few illegal copied Cd's with Christmas songs.

But I knew it was almost Christmas when 60+ orphans started singing Christmas carols at the top of their voices then we visited the Wellington Orphanage today.

It was a great day and I look forward to a true Christ feast in Sierra Leone!