Salone means Sierra Leone in Krio, one of the main languages spoken in Sierra Leone, and Sweet Salone is the nickname the locals have given their own country. We sailed to Sierra Leone in August and spent about five months there. During our time there we understood why this term is used. It was such a sweet place to be! The people were wonderful, the beaches were amazing, the lush landscape filled with trees and all sorts of greenery was beautiful. However, amongst all these sweet things was a level of financial poverty I had never seen before. Many people had to walk to the well and carry large buckets of water because they didn't have running water. They used coal to cook because they didn't have ovens or even electricity. There is a huge need for Mercy Ships to be there and everywhere we went we had people coming and asking us for help, others stop us and thank us, and many who were turned away at the port gate seeking medical attention. Some days it could be really heartbreaking. Every day we felt blessed because of where we were born and how different life would look to be born in Sierra Leone.
Mercy Ships has made a lot of connections in Sierra Leone because many alumni have chosen to dedicate their lives to helping the people there and stayed after the field service years ago. As well, English is widely spoken here and it was easy to communicate with locals and patients. This led us to some incredible opportunities to get out and explore the country and also go down to the hospital to visit the patients. Here are a few highlights with pictures that sum up the time we spent in Sweet Salone.
Building Project with We Yone School. Please see this video for more information about this incredible organization!
Celebrating Amayah's 9th Birthday
Amayah had the privilege of presenting flowers to the First Lady of Angloa when she visited the ship.
Sinterklass came to visit the Ship. This is a Dutch tradition and since we have a lot of crew from the Netherlands it is quite a big celebration!
You can check out this video on Youtube to see how he got to the Global Mercy!
Baking Christmas cookies
Making Gingerbread Houses
Lovely lunch with the Academy staff
Santalucia - a Scandinavian Chritmas tradition
The GLM Transportation Team
GLM Mom's Night Out
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh"~Luke 6:20b-21
Praise:
- All of the patients who are receiving life-changing surgeries.
-The opportunity for Shae to teach patients to read.
- Wonderful memories with friends.
- Being born in a peaceful country with access to everything we need.
Prayers:
- Continued protection and speedy recovery for the patients.
- Strength and energy for the crew.
- Continued peace as we navigate many upcoming transitions and changes.
- For Mercy Ships as an organization, there are many complexities and moving parts as they find crew for two vessels.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions or want information about Mercy Ships and the work we are doing. You can email us at attwatersinafrica@gmail.com or Shae at shaeattwater@gmail.com
We are so grateful for your ongoing prayers, love, and financial support. It is such a privilege to serve with Mercy Ships and be a small part of bringing hope and healing to the people in Africa.
With lots of love and gratitude,
Shae, Chris, Araina, & Amayah
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