letter 47 – Christmas with family in Sierra Leone

Nancy’s Parents

We sure had a terrific Christmas. It was so nice to have mom and dad here and show them our friends, home, school, etc. I hope you get a chance to visit with them. I think they had a nice time here, too. They really enjoyed all the fruit. They brought us lots of fun stuff.

It was a challenge at first because Perry was still recovering from hepatitis and couldn’t do much. That meant I had to go to the airport to pick them up. It is a five-hour drive from here. The plane arrives at about 5 pm but immigration and customs can take a long time, as much as 2 hours. By the time that is all done, it is dark out and usually we head straight back from there. Fortunately, another missionary was able to go with me and help with the driving.

Mom and dad had a bit of a struggle with the customs part. It is hard when you don’t understand the language and when they speak English, it is with an accent. If you are not used to their accent, it can be a challenge to know what they are asking. The good thing is we have a contact person who can go inside and help with the whole process. He works with several mission groups and we pay him for this service. That was such a blessing for them.

The trip home went well. The usual process involves a stop at the K’s for a potty break and a light snack before the last 2 hours to our house. Generally, you arrive very early and we send visitors right to bed. Between the 7-hour time change and the long trip, we are usually all really tired. So naps all around.

Perry was so thankful for my dad’s help. It was harvest time for the rice and dad drove the truck back and forth to the field to bring the harvest in to where we live. What better work for a farmer than farm work? A bit of a surprise to see how much farming we are involved in here with peanuts, rice, cassava, and other crops.

Mom helped me with some sewing, taking care of the boys, and we did a lot of visiting. We went to the primary school, clinic, and visited people in our town. It was fun to introduce my mom to our friends and national coworkers here. She was fascinated by the kerosene fridge and the outdoor kitchen. She also got to meet Grace. I told you about her in a previous letter.

They also got to go to church with us and attend the wedding of our good friends K and M. It was quite a mix of local traditions and things borrowed from the west. It is fascinating to see how the missionaries of the past have influenced certain aspects of life. A traditional marriage here is all done in the home and the groom is not present. Many Christians do that and then want a church wedding, with a wedding gown, vows, and other features learned from the missionaries.

The pastor is usually present in both. He is at the traditional wedding as a witness and to pray for the uniting of the two families. He is at the church wedding as the official who performs the ceremony. It would be interesting to learn why they want both and how they chose what ideas from the west to incorporate into the church ceremony.

We had a great time on Christmas and enjoyed boxing day, a British holiday. It was started as the day for the household servants to have a day off and for people to repackage some of their gifts to give to the less fortunate. It is a fun holiday and celebrated with almost as much enthusiasm and food as Christmas. Many times the church organizes a picnic and uses the mission property for the picnic. We have a large area with a lot of shade.

Wow. A lot has happened in the two weeks mom and dad were here. And it ended all too quickly. It was so good to have them. By the time they were ready to leave, Perry was feeling much better and was able to go with us to Freetown and did the driving. I took them around town to do some souvenir shopping. Always an interesting time as you barter for everything. Then off to the beach where they stood in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. Finally, we took them to the airport and said good-bye.

We stayed a couple of days extra to rest and do some shopping. We have two teams coming soon and needed to buy supplies for them. As a result, we had a fairly full truck as we headed home. We are both feeling better, my morning sickness passed just in time for their visit, and Perry is slowly getting stronger. Hopefully he will soon be back to normal.

The bedrest requirement of the doctor has been really hard on him. I will admit he has been very obedient. He doesn’t like sitting still.

Trust you had a wonderful Christmas and celebrated the coming of our Savior.

Nancy

Are you looking forward to having friends and family visit? How will you care for them and what will you do while they are with you? Is it good to have such visitors?