My good friend, David, is sitting here with me at the internet cafe tonight and wants to say hello to you all and he prays you are doing well. To my family, he has seen your pictures and says that you look fine. He couldn't figure out which one was me in the picture. David has really helped me learn Krio, aside from the Krio lessons we have three times a week with Sabina. Once we had been here for one month, he decided I couldn't talk English anymore. We have laughed a lot at my valiant attempts.
Today was so great! This morning at 10am we went to lighthouse for a meeting. All the lighthouse youths' parents/guardians/shop keepers came for a "family meeting". We had several people speak and we sang together, always a good time. After the meeting part of it, Aunti P (Patrica) served ground nut stew with coos coos (how do you spell that?). She cooks 3 times a week for all the lighthouse kids. The kids love her and she has such a great personality. I went to her house after the meeting and got to talk with her. She's hilarious! But that's a whole different story. After food had been served Jeremy got his camera out to take pictures of the youths with whomever came for them. After the "formal" pics were taken we spent a good 15 minutes takin silly pics. I loved it! I love being around the boys when they are totally being themselves. I couldn't help but think of how much I loved them all and how much I will miss them.
It is such a blessing to get to have the priveledge to be a part of these youths lives. It's easy to forget that they are children at heart when they are showing me things about myself and God that I have failed to see before. Like myself, they can have their moody days, but those are far out weighed by their contagious loving spirits. I have already had dreams about being back at home and crying because I miss them. I do not look forward to those days. But for the next 2+ months I get to love them in person and that is SO sweet!
Haley

Hello my blog family. I feel that I have neglected you the last week or so. I appologize that I have been distant. I have been having a hard time processing all that I am experiencing and learning. That is no new thing for me but it's been harder than normal recently.

Don't get me wrong, it is a really good thing. When i am having a hard time processing, that means that God is teaching me something bigger than myself. For that I so greatful! I count it a priveledge that God is choosing to show so much to me. Just today I was reading an e-mail from someone who is lookin at going on a Servant Team trip with WMF as I am currently doing, and I started asking myself, "Am I doing enough?" Am I putting 100% of myself, and then some? Or am I simply surviving? Doing the minimum? I have come to understand here that doing God's work is not always easy and comfortable but through putting ourselfs out of our norm, God is able to use our displacement, vulnerability to connect with people and bring them into community with our Father. I pray that I would strive to give 100% of myself and then some to the glory of God. I am not sure I have yet done that...but I want to. So please pray with me in that.

As I think about going back to the states, I am lost as to what that is going to mean for me. Wait, stop. I not going to get into that now, because I am not supposed to worry about tomorrow. No, I am going to choose to live today instead. I know that looking too far ahead and looking back too often can get me in a lot of trouble because I miss today. So, I will worry about being in the States when the time comes. For now, I am going to live for God in the best way I know how today. It is so simple but it something I have to choose daily. I know I have written about that before but admittedly it is still something I am failing to do.

This afternoon, I was sitting with some of the lighthouse boys and their friends just enjoying the coolness of the morning. I was jokingly told them that I knew Krio perfectly but I choose to act like I don't becuase I didn't want to make them feel bad. So they had a great time making me translate things for them into english b/c they said they didn't know how to say. Admittedly, there was many a time that I had no freaking idea what they were saying! So, I'd just make up the most outrageous thing I could come up with. Just hearing them laugh and seeing their beautiful faces makes my heart melt. I wish I did know Krio better so that I could understand their hearts better. It is easy for me to look at all the dark faces and miss the differing features. What I mean is that sometimes it's easier to group them all together, instead of looking at the beautiful things that make them different. I love them all so much and I hope that I am able to get to know them better. That is going to take my effort and God's guidance. But I look forward to it.

Well, feel like I"m sort of babbling so I'm out. Have a blessed weekend and we'll talk next week!
Love you all,
Haley Kate




Prayer requests:
I would ask that you pray with me for discernment. That I may always hear the Spirit and respond to Him in a way that would bring Glory to our Father.
I would have no hesitation in the Spirit's leadings. (I hope that makes sense)

photos

ok, I finally have pics up. They don't even come close to giving you a good idea of what life is like here but they are what I have so far. I have not taken many pics of my friends yet because I first want to earn the right to take them. I will worn you, having pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes does not look good with out makeup so view at your own risk.

http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/65608/overview
if this doesn't work go to www.bubbleshare.com and search for sierra leone and you'll find my album.
More pics to come... love you all!
Haley Kate

So it's been a week since we last talked and tomorrow marks one month of being here. WOW! I cannot believe it has gone so quickly. I admit there are days where it seemed so slow but today I can only feel how quickly my time is passing. It is strange to me because the last time I went out of the country I was gone for three weeks. At the end of those three weeks I felt like I had done so much and had done it well. It is much different for me here. As I look back on the last 4 weeks it is easy for me to see all the opportunities missed. Am I discouraged? Honestly, yes but here and now I choose to let go of that and take hold of today. My trip to Kenya was life-changing but here I want to change lives for Christ's sake, both my life and the life of those I am with. I ache here to be more. Just articulating this tugging of my heart to you brings tears to my eyes. I want to leave this place with as few missed opportunities as possible. I feel the tears come because I know the love of God and the power in it; and just the thought of seeing another person finally know it for themselves is a beautiful picture I hope God will grant me the priveledge of encountering here.
I feel like looking back and only seeing our failures is something we can all relate to. Whether our living condition, lack of time, abundance of distractions, or whatever seems to be the cause of overlooking these opportunities we must learn from themand move on--to dwell on it only hinders today and the opportunities we will be given in the present. So we must not get overwhelmed by yesterday but look instead at today and what we can do to bring the Kingdom today.
Our team is reading a book about compassion and what it truly is and looks like and how to live compassionately. Basically, it's showing me how uncompassionate I am and how far I missed the target. It is an excellent book and I am learning a ton but I have not yet been able to articulate what it means for me in my life. Once I have been able to understand it better, I look forward to sharing it with you.
All I have so far is what I wrote in the book after reading the first part of it:
"After reading this part and in response to other times God has met with me, I cannot help but see how far I hve yet to go. Yet, I look forward, trying to reach this goal of imitating Christ-which I will never fully accomplish. That is beautiful in itself. My love is imperfect, my faith sometimes wavers, my motive can be selfish but I continue knowing that I only have more to gain--to know more intamatly God's love.
Even still, being given this knowledge I cannot renig on the stirring in my heart taht tels me I must be more. I must be more love and therefore more obedient to God. I must walk in faith knowing that His unfailing, perfect love and my yearning to love Him more perfectly will allow me to do anything in Christ's name, if I only ask."

that's pretty sweet to think about
Haley Kate

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC

There are few things more exciting then an African church gettin their praise on. Last night we went to "Gospel Night" at the church I've been attending here, Robert Street Baptist. It was SO much fun. It started out with some rather interesting choral parts, let's just say they should stick to what they're good at. Then they had a time of real gospel music. Everyone was hollerin, dancing, singin at the top of their lungs. The energy was like that of a youth event at home, not a service in our sanctuary. I think that the American church could learn a lot about what praising God in church can really look like. This little paragraph doesn't do it justice.
I was so blessed to get to call my mom today. Eric found this little microphone/head thing that we can use to call people through the internet so I had about a 1/2 hour conversation with my mom. It was so good to hear her voice and get to ask eachother questions without having to wait days to get an answer. I told her how to make an account so that I can call her for free so soon we're going to set up a saturday that I can call and talk to my mom, dad, and sisters. I can't wait to hear their voices.
Yesterday Jer, Eric, Katie, and I did a devotion time together at 7am as well as today. this is what we hope to be able to do everyday for the rest of the time we're here. we've just been talking about how we really have an opportunity and situation here that we may never have again. we dont' want to waste anytime and leave with as few disapointments as possible. so we're doing this to challenge eachother and develope this discipline. so far i've really enjoyed it. it makes me really tired for the beginning of the day but it's worth it. we know gettin up early will suck for a while but once it's a habit, it can only be more of a blessing for us.
Today is Eric's 21st birthday so tonight we're going to Mombo Point, a very western, expensive resaurant, to celebrate. We're basically going to make him get a steak b/c that was the first thing that came out of his mouth when we asked what he'd eat if he could eat anything. Now he's sayin he won't b/c it's too much money but we're not goin to let him worry about that.
Have a great week. talk to you again soon.
Haley Kate

There is a possibility that by tomorrow, Sierra Leone will have been destroyed by a fire....we're attempting to cook again tonight. If you care at all for the people here pray for their lives tonight. :) Actually, we are improving. Marvel, taught Katie and I how to cook African fried rice for real.. It was so much better than our pathetic attempt--I write about food alot, I think it's because I'm always online right before a meal, so I'm really hungry and food is just on my mind.

I'm doing really well, today. It is very up and down here. Most recently I have been disapointed because I feel like I am not stepping out in faith enough. I want to start to schedule one on one time with some of the youths I'm working with. Particularly the girls because they are really hard to read. Thta surprised me b/c I thought it'd be easier to talk to them then to the boys but it is proving to be the other way around. The hesitation comes from fear of stepping out of my comfort zone. Being at the staff's house feels like a safe little western bubble sometimes. I am so thankful for the comfort and love of the staff and my teammates but at the same time I do not want to let it be a cause for complacency for me. I want to push myself to go into the city by myself with the soul purpose of hangin out with my friends there. I would ask that you pray with me that I may not search for the comfortable but for the uncomfortable where I know God will best be able to use my weakness.
I'm very hopefull for what the future holds for our team though. Basically all of my expectations have been thrown out the window and I'm just goin on in faith now. God's gonna use us and our friends in a powerful way to help grow eachother. That I'm sure of.

Haley Kate

Sorry about the novels I posted last time. There is just So much I want eachone of you to know and not nearly enough time. I am doing great today besides being pretty exhausted. I'm not sleeping well for no reason in particular. Yesterday was Kroo Bay, perhaps my favorite part of the week. Jeremy wrote a beautiful piece about what Kroo Bay is and I'd encourage you to read his post about that. he entitled it "God Bless the Little Children" I think. www.xanga.com/jlzerkle
Man, I seriously don't even know what to say today because there is SO SO SO much i want to share. I wish you all could see it here. The beautiful things are amazing and the ugly things are hideous but there amoungst it all, in the faces of the poor is Jesus. That's really the only way to even attempt to explain it. That's all I'm goin to say today. I am so at peace today that I think I just want to take it in, instead of try and put it to words. I love you all. Your support has been amazing!
Haley Kate