Day 14

Today was our last full day of teaching on this trip. We went to the Crown Bakery for a quick breakfast – we have become pretty close to Fadi who has roots back to Belize but was born here in Sierra Leone. His father started Crown Bakery 22 years ago and Fadi now manages the one we go to downtown and they have opened another one on the west side of town – he has a brother who runs that one. Hannah who has been our waitress for the duration since we first went there on the very first trip in 2009 took care of us each time we were there. In fact on the first day we walked in she just ran up and hugged me and said “it is good to see you Steve” she was glad to meet my wife and Cindy and Mitch. We are thankful that we had the Crown Bakery on this trip – we had our final “lupper” there this afternoon and told Fadi and Hannah goodbye. The day sessions today were very tough – the last classes with the children left Connie and Cindy sad and the children just held on to them and would not let them go – the children cried – Connie and Cindy had tears in their eyes – very emotional. In the last class I had for the older children we tried to stay upbeat – they participated well – I kept my sunglasses on – no need to tell you why! Then Mitch and I moved on to the hall – the students were back again and we had some great discussions – Mitch taught about eternity and I explained to them about Ephesus in Acts 19 describing the city like I did yesterday about Acts 17 and Paul at Athens. The trip to Turkey and Greece earlier this year proved to be great tool to explain these and other scriptures more clearly – they all listed to Mitch’s lesson and mine very intensely. During the teaching one of the women Mary Tu who has been attending the studies made it know that she wanted to obey the gospel. Christian took her confession and off to be baptized at Priscilla Street they went. We kept teaching and then they returned and we had prayer. Then off to Crown Bakery as I mentioned for our final “lupper” of this trip. Then on to the hotel for final packing and preparing the things that we will be leaving here for the brethren. All of us will be leaving articles of clothing – the 325 story boards that the ladies spent hours preparing will be left for use of teaching the children – Mitch and I each are leaving the notebooks containing our outlines and power point lessons and the flash drives that we loaded for the teachers over here to use. We also left shoes as some needed them – we have left songbooks – tracts – Bibles – and our luggage has gone from 11 pierces plus four carry-ons to four pieces of luggage and the carry ons. We will not sleep much tonight as all are keyed up about catching the water taxi early in the morning and the chaotic venture through the Lungi Airport. We will leave the hotel at 6:45 A.M. and the plane leaves at 11:35 A.M. We are to arrive in London early tomorrow night. We will then catch some much needed rest in London. We all saved our personal money for several months so we could have some time in London at the British Library and British Museum to visit the many Biblical artifacts that are in both of these places. I can tell you that this group is tired and yet so thankful for the opportunity to come and teach and then to have time to learn ourselves more about the artifacts that just confirm the places written about in the Bible. We all want to thank you for your prayers and your financial contributions to this trip. 12 precious souls have been immersed into Christ – the brethren at Priscilla Street are starting a new convert’s class that will be meeting Friday night at 6:30 pm and Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm. They have invited anyone who has been baptized in the last 5 years the brethren here seemed to have been strengthened and many have been taught the un-perverted word of God. Tonight they prayed that we would not forsake them or leave them – they are learning and need more teaching. A touching farewell to us! Tears flowed – children hanging on tonight to all of us – our brethren tired but sad – we left them with uplifting lessons from Acts 27 and I Corinthians 15 – we encouraged them to keep working and their work would not be in vain if they stayed steadfast. Thank you for following the blog – after resting and thinking about this trip with a fresh mind I will post a summary of the trip – please give me about 10 days or so to do that. God is good! All the time! Today was not an exception! May God Bless You!