About the Poverty

Sierra Leone is an extremely poor region. This was explained to me before I arrived; however, nothing could have prepared me for what I have seen. There is virtually no infrastructure. The roads are extremely rough. They feel more like trails than roads. We spend on average about two hours driving. The drives are almost painful. The sewer water runs through open ditches. Water for cooking, bathing, and drinking is taken from a public fountain. One day during our lectures, I watched a man brushing his teeth next to the church building. Garbage is everywhere. The smell of burning trash is practically inescapable. The people live in houses made out of tin, garbage, and whatever else they can find. On the first day, I noticed a hillside stacked with a wall of trash. While I was looking, I saw people walking inside. As we drove closer, I found families living inside the walls of garbage.

The people of Sierra Leone are poor, but extremely resilient. If they were not, they would just die. They have survived a horrific civil war. To hear the locals talk about it is chilling. They continue to survive the challenges of poverty one day at a time. Even more impressive is the contentment and optimism seen in the Christians at Priscilla Street. I wish you all could hear them sing! For me, their singing has told me all I need to know about these wonderful people. They have taught me more than I could ever hope to teach them. Surely, Heaven will be filled with souls from Sierra Leone.

David Flatt