Breathe! You're really going to Africa!!

As we all scramble around to get ready to leave, I thought
this might be nice to hold onto....

It is 6 days and a wake-up until the journey to Sierra Leone.  I am trying to get everything ship-shape at home to be gone for 2 weeks, gathering things to pack and planning to start spraying clothes with mosquito repellant.  Lots to do.  Ha.  It may be relaxing just to sit for a while on the long plane rides there.  It's exciting. 
Jim Cox

From the Bunker

I am writing this blog from the bunker in a cold southwest Austin.  Along with my trusty helper, Daisy, we are performing our final configurations on the Internet cafe.   The biggest challenge is actually packing all this equipment up and bring it with us.  Maybe Daisy has some ideas on this.

Getting Ready

Just like the previous posters, I too am getting ready to go.   My biggest challenge is getting everyone else ready to go.  Last year, I was an attendee with Bob leading the ship and I was just a guy in the back along for the ride.  This year I am leading the Austin group and trying to get as much information about the trip from Bob and Carol as I can so that we are not a burden.  My mind is just swimming with stuff to do before we depart next week.

My not so private goal for this trip is to set up the Internet cafe for Sahr and T-boy.  I am praying everyday about these guys and their success in this project.  Maybe every year we can bring a "business in a box" to help the employment issue for Sierra Leone young adults.

I am very excited to see my many friends in Freetown like Johnny, Santos, Henry, Kenny, Malcolm and the rest of the crew too numerous to name.  I would love to see Pastor David at the church and go back to his wonderful community and Gospel message.   Seeing the kids at the school excites me and maybe this time I can sit in on a class or even help with a class.

I also keep thinking about our arrival at 5:30 in the morning this year.  Taking the ferry across on Thanksgiving morning at sunrise will probably bring a range of emotions.  To me it reminds me of some Biblical themes like Noah's Ark and God's promise.  Moses and the Red Sea.  Jesus calming the storms.  What is on the other side?  That is where the good stuff is.

Ok, enough rambling for tonight.  Back to the computers.

Chris

I've got various travel things assembled -- mosquito netting, bedding, lots of DEET spray, sunscreen, sun hat, sun shirt, etc.  I'm glad we're having the laundry done around the midway point -- only half as much to pack.  Also have camera, photo name pad, journal, Bible, etc. ready to pack.  I'm praying for the team here and in Sierra Leone.  It's exciting!  Only 8 days and a wake-up and we're on our way.  I'm also doing a Kairos prison ministry trip at the end of December -- so it is a bit of a challenge keeping the planning/work for each in its own mental "box" in my head.  Mosquito netting is for Africa, cookies are for Kairos, etc.  What a great spirit-filled time.

Thoughts from Jim Cox

Happy Veteran's Day...

..and speaking of veterans, here's a "veteran" construction team member, Santos Kargbo.  "Work like an African" is high praise (and not a wise goal for those a day over, oh, 25??), but here we caught Santos at lunch in Christiana's cantina.  We enjoy mid-day communion with John Tucker's construction team, eating together and getting to know one another better.

One of our projects....

One of our projects will be to connect the outpatient building to the Urban Center.  That covered walkway (covered for the sake of patients, family, staff since half the year it's rainy season) will begin about where you would be standing if you were "taking this snap" (Sierra Leonean for "taking the picture") to the building you see on the left hand side.  Physical Therapy and the Laboratory (and the cantina where we eat) are located on that side of the Urban Center.