Connie Niemeier's summary of trip

When asked if I would consider going to Africa, I was hesitant to answer immediately. Because of the trips Steve had made through the years, I realized the conditions were not what we are accustomed to here in the states. I had traveled to the country Moldova a few years ago and enjoyed teaching the children and women. It was an interesting experience to be a part of their lifestyle and customs as they are so different from ours, but, not as overwhelming as one might think. It was amazing to stay with someone and relate to them even though we could not understand each other's language. Overcoming cultures is such a small factor when the rewards are so great. Getting to know people who are eager to learn more from the scriptures and realizing their whole being is to serve God is an extreme joy. After talking with many who had been to Sierra Leone, seeing pictures and hearing Steve say so many times that the ladies asked for us to come and teach, I agreed to go! This was almost one year before the actual date of the trip. When Steve told me Cindy Hill was interested in making the trip, much of my anxiety and concerns were over. Cindy and I have taught together and I knew with her abilities and knowledge we would make a good team. With a limited time frame, how do you start choosing the right lessons for the children? What is most needed? What do they already know? There is always a beginning to everything one does and this was no exception. We met many times over many months making visuals of the lessons we had selected for the children. Each laminated "storyboard" had a color visual of the lesson and the story formatted on the backside. Although we made more than we could possibly teach, we wanted to leave them with lessons to build on for future classes. In preparing for the women classes, we started with the basics of why we believe the Bible to be true, building our faith in that belief and differences in the Old and New Testaments. We followed that with studies of how we can be an example in all areas and preparing for death and the judgment. We finished with how we can learn from women in the Bible and the power of prayer in our daily life. The day finally arrived and it was time to leave for Sierra Leone. After a very long journey, we stepped off the plane and suddenly everything I had seen in pictures and had heard from different ones had not prepared me for the things I saw. There was no organization at the airport-just chaos! There were so many people we just tried to keep each other in our view and get into a line to try and speed the process as timely as possible. I soon learned everyone wanted to help you with whatever task necessary but always for a price, of course. Once we had managed to find our luggage we located Christian. I was relieved to see him. He helped us secure and load our bags on a bus to catch the water taxi. By now I had realized the weather was not going to be a good thing for our duration. The bus was crowded and hot! We traveled on dirt roads that were muddy from the rains and were full of holes that we continually tried to avoid. As we continued it became dark and the lights from the bus only revealed shadows of the area. The water taxi ride was dark and long. I sat quietly listening to people talking and found myself thinking about how the next few days would be? When we reached the hotel, we met people we would see daily during our stay. We were tired and just ready to get settled in our rooms. The next day's light reveals more than I can visually take in. While the views were beautiful of the water and palm trees, I cannot miss the sights of impoverished areas. As we leave the hotel to go into the city I could not take it all in. So many people on the street carrying water pots, coal baskets stacked on their heads, selling food or novelty items, children walking alone or crossing busy streets while some are in uniforms, going to school, mothers carrying their babies tied on their backs, people sitting in open doorways all having a purpose to their day. As we try to maneuver in the traffic, I realize there is no system for driving here. Car horns continually sound as a warning to move out of the way. Motor bikes dart in and out as others go the wrong way to get through the traffic. We learn quickly that it is essential to have the best driver possible who knows the city well and can get you safely to your destination. These things we experienced every day, never changing. Our first meeting at Priscilla Street was such an eye-opening experience. I did not expect the building to be located in what I considered to be one of the worst areas. I found myself that first couple of days continually asking myself how can I possibly adjust to the heat, the food, the smells, the unsettling drives and the poor conditions of the area? But, it happened! When we walked into the basement of Priscilla Street and the voices of those sweet little children said, "Good morning, Auntie Connie, good morning Auntie Cindy" I could truly say, as my daughter Rachel has said so many times , "It’s all good!" These precious children, ranging in age of3-8 years old, were sitting on small wood benches shoulder to shoulder waiting so patiently for us to arrive. When we began teaching the lessons and songs they joined in and learned so quickly. Their little faces with their big eyes were such a delight. Oh, yes it was still hot, there was no air-flow, it was dark and dismal but soon I realized that is what they are use to and I could ADJUST! Every day as we would leave, once again, their little voices would say, "Thank-you Auntie Connie, thank you, Auntie Cindy, we love you." After leaving them we would go upstairs and teach the 9-12 year olds. If we could have put them in our suitcase we would have taken them with us. These children were so attentive, anxious to learn and so knowledgeable in so many ways. What a joy and absolute pleasure to teach lessons from God's Book to sweet children whose eyes were opened by the "storyboards" and who enjoyed singing songs. We taught them bible verses that coincided with the alphabet. They knew them all in 5 days. They were so receptive of everything we would teach. Every day they would beg us to stay and teach them more stories. They never complained of the heat or hard benches. Two of the students would come back every night to listen to Steve and Mitch. They would walk home together in the dark. We found the ladies to be very interested in the studies. They asked many questions and wanted know and understand the scriptures. Many attend alone because they are not married or their husbands are not Christians. Maybe because of their lifestyle, we found them to be strong convicted women who were eager to do what is right. Umu, or Angela as we called her, was good to stay with us as we taught at the school and was kind enough to walk with us each day to Jarelee Lewis Hall where Mitch and Steve were teaching so we could be at the afternoon bible study. As I reflect back on the trip to Sierra Leone, I feel very fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of the work at Priscilla Street and at the school. I will never forget the children and their desire to know the bible. I found the Christians willing to learn and to do things according to what is found in the scriptures. Because of the civil war, many things changed for the people and it is taking so long for the country to build back and to make things better. For the most part the Christians are happy and working hard to improve their lives. I pray for the children as they mature that the church there can help in molding their lives. I feel enriched by my experience and enjoyed working with Steve, Mitch and Cindy. We should always be mindful of other Christians in less fortunate areas.

Cindy Hill's summary of trip

This trip to Sierra Leone began a year ago. Here I am back at home and can't believe it is over. I have never seen such poverty, people living in thrown together shacks you would think they would just give up and sit around and do nothing, but, that is not the way it is. The streets are always full of people trying to get by, working where they can or selling things in the street or even off the top of their head. We watched each day as cute children whose parents could afford it walked to school in their little uniforms. There were other children wondering around who could not go to school. We saw some of them playing with sticks and cans for toys there were no other toys to be found! The very first day we saw a young girl I would say about 6 or 7 in the middle of the road trying to pick something up as we got closer we saw she had dropped her coal on the road there was a man trying to protect her from the traffic so she could pick it up, I am sure she could not leave it because she either needed it for her family to be able to cook or she was trying to sell it. Connie and I thought of our granddaughters and counted our blessings Still in the midst of what we think of as a terrible situation they laugh, play, work, clean (dirt floors) wash dishes and do laundry, and raise their families as best they can. In a very impoverished neighborhood, on a dirt road, there is a bright blue building called the Priscilla Street Church of Christ. In that building were wooden benches with 2 by 4 backs and no air conditioning just a few fans and I quickly learned how spoiled I am (and thankful) for what we have. I learned that here was a group of people with a hunger to learn how to live their lives according to God's word. They wanted to share this with others and do there were 12 precious souls baptized in the time we were there and the members at Priscilla Street were starting a new convert's class when we left to encourage and help them to grow. They want so much to do things the right way and are full of questions as Steve said they have knowledge of the bible but are still learning to change it to wisdom for application. The members there prepared for the meeting by word of mouth, hanging banners, passing out fliers and the TV message Steve sent. That message is what brought a man named Solomon the first night. He was searching for truth when he heard Steve's message on TV he said he had never heard teaching like that before. He told me he did not have his own Bible so that night I shared mine and the next day we gave him one of the extras Steve brought. He was baptized that week. Solomon taught a college class and brought his 15 students and son Moses to the day time bible studies. Moses was also baptized they both want to know everything. I pray they keep their zeal for knowledge and wisdom. Connie and I quickly fell in love with the children there. It was a blessing to study and sing with them each day. The younger children 3-8 yrs. in the dark HOT basement loved to sing and look at the picture lessons we brought. They really liked the creation song and sang it with such enthusiasm, it was beautiful! Every morning we came they would all say at the same time, "Good morning Auntie Connie, Good morning Auntie Cindy" and when we left they said Good bye Auntie Connie good bye Auntie Cindy God Bless you we love you". We went upstairs for the children 9-12 they brought tears to our eyes with their zeal for learning and their deep thinking. There was no complaining they wanted to soak up everything we said and they learned so fast! When we talked to them about praying and Connie asked them what they would pray for they said things like wisdom, knowledge, understanding, blessings, peace and family. They thought nothing about themselves and there were many things they could ask for because they had nothing! Some of the older children lived in the neighborhood, Narome a 9 year old girl, Daniel a 10 year old boy came every night to the meeting walking by themselves and back home after dark, what a love they had for God's word! Daniel wanted to know what to do to be baptized but his parents would not let him they are Baptist. I know Theophilus will watch over these precious children and help them as best he can. We shed many tears with them I when we left, they will be in my heart and prayers. Our ladies studies went well, I wish we would have had more time with them and I pray the next ladies to go can work out a good schedule to have more study time. They are hard working women who when they see something that needs done they do it. They do not look at each other and wait for someone else they do it together. I pray the lessons we took will be a help to them in teaching the children's class. They also are in my heart and prayers. I am so thankful to have gone and to meet these wonderful people who have many struggles but do the best they can with what they have. While we were there and talking one evening, Mitch pointed out a verse I now have on my fridge. Lord, help me to be thankful for what I have! Proverbs 30:7-9 7 Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): 8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches- Feed me with the food allotted to me; 9 Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.