Freetown, Sierra Leone May 2022

President Moses of the new Wellington Stake in Freetown, Sierra Leone with us on the balcony of the stake center.  I think he is forty-two.

Our first visit to Sierra Leone was on May 26, 2022 to spend a few days training and counseling with the AAAs who live there and those who live in Liberia, the neighboring country to the east.  Solomon Agbo supervises the AAAs in both countries.  He is a former stake president and operates a construction company in Freetown.  A good man.  His latest project is a huge addition to the Freetown East Stake, next to the Freetown Mission Home.  There are some pics of it below.

But first, a summary of our arrival from Accra.  A smooth two-hour flight west over Ivory Coast and then over many rivers as we approached Lungi International Airport that services Sierra Leone.  Freetown has a lot of water around it.  The airport is even across the water from Freetown.  We had to register upon arrival and were told we didn't need a Covid test to enter the country, but did need one to leave (?).  Not normal.  

Atobora arranged for the water taxi across the open ocean to Freetown.  USD$40 each.  There was a lot of commotion exiting the airport and crossing the street to the water taxi offices.  I am glad we had our plans set, and our experienced friends to get through the crowd, avoiding those selling tickets on the other taxi (the one we were told to avoid by the Dukes who were here the prior month).  We linked up with the correct company with the better boat.  The bus ride from there to the beach terminal was crowded.  The passenger seat across the aisle from the driver doubles as the luggage center.  Handy.  The ride was only ten minutes from the airport.

The Sea Coach beach-side facility (sea taxi terminal) was fairly clean and we enjoyed the ocean view as we waited for the taxi to arrive from Freetown so we could make our voyage across.  The ride over was fairly smooth, the evening was coming on, with clouds pushing the sun out of the way and night coming.  It was a bit surreal listening to country music from decades past, along with a brief history of Sierra Leone as we voyaged across to the town.  

  

The view closer to Freetown.  The city is set on rolling hills, unlike any other we have seen.  It is beautiful to gaze at from the ocean.   

Agbo met us at the terminal. The Home Suites Hotel was a short drive away.  A very nice place to stay.  We met our AAAs there who had traveled from Liberia and from Bo, a city north of Freetown about three hours, and had dinner with them.  The dinner bill for the nine of us came to 2,140,000 Leones!  That's USD$171, or USD$19 per person.  

I took USD$6,000 to cover expenses if need be.  Much easier to carry USD around instead of Leones. We also requested some local funds (Leones) to cover costs at the Hotel.  The first day of training, we met the local Church financial rep and were given a little over 42,000,000 Leones in a box!  As soon as we returned to the Hotel, it was paid as a deposit for our stay.  I was not going to carry that amount of money around.  I failed to take a picture.  Dang.

The training went well.  We changed locations on Saturday due to a stake conference being held where we held the Friday meeting.  We thought something was going on when we arrived on Friday and saw a large cleaning crew that was hired to clean the building from top to bottom.  Good job.

Saturday's training.  It was hot.  We are used to that.  I mean we expect that.

Sunday was spent at a ward for sacrament meeting, and then we visited with three different stake presidencies.  Meeting the leaders is always good.  They like to see the guys from the Area Office and we enjoy seeing the faces of people who get the work done "on the ground" as my AAAs like to say it.  The local units need regular nourishing.  The Church is a work in progress here; the newest member and the unit leaders.  Still learning what it means to be a latter-day saint.  Accepting the gospel principles while shrugging off the traditions of their fathers that are not compatible.  My testimony of the restored gospel has been increased immensely seeing all of this first-hand.  The Lord is so patient and so long-suffering.  Nurturing the saints along as fast as they can handle it.  Our Area leaders are in tune know what the Lord wants done.  This is the way the Church grows.  The Lord is close to His children.  It can't be seen from the cozy homes along the Wasatch Front like it can be seen and experienced here in Africa.  The Spirit is clearly evident.  One just needs to listen for it.  We feel it.  Sometimes it is very strong.  

The people who live in these African countries are generally poor.  Very poor.  Day-to-day live and eat poor.  The latter-day saints still pay their tithing and come to Church, wearing the best clothing they have.  Some saints are better off, of course, and they help their fellow saints.  We all help each other. 

This is Brother David Bangura from Bo, Sierra Leone.  We take pictures of our AAAs and display them on the wall in our office.  We ask each to hold his name plate so we can tie the name to the face when we get back "home" from the trainings.  It is easy to forget sixty names.  We don't include the name plate for the wall picture in case you were wondering.

He and his wife have three children.  Two are small and one is eleven years old.  The older one was "adopted".  This is the story he told me.  One day his wife on some errands outside the home when she was asked by a woman to hold her baby while she went to the bathroom.  The woman never came back.  David and his wife reported it to the police.  The police suggested they just keep the boy and raise him.  They did.  They picked his birthday.  They gave him a name.  They also gave him clothes, food, a home and most important, love and a bright future.  These two parents are angels.  I want to meet Sister Bangura.  Life is tough and they make it softer for this little guy.  The boy is so very fortunate.  And, I suppose, they are too.  David said this kind of thing happens, and not infrequently.  I feel there is a special place in heaven for people like the Banguras.  We hope the woman has found herself in a better place by now.  And doing better.

Here are some pictures we took while on a walk near our hotel.

We attended Church on Sunday at a chapel I cannot remember the name of.  Here is a picture of the street in front of it with Agbo and his land cruiser (exactly what I would get if I lived here), and a picture from the window next to me where I sat in Sacrament meeting.  You can see the window is opened.  The breeze helps.  I was in the sun most of the meeting.  I should have noticed that when I sat down, but the view got in the way.

During that Sunday, we visited with the three stake presidencies.  All different personalities, ages  and employment.  All of the visits were helpful for us to understand what these men do for the Church and the challenges they have.  President Moses, the one with us at the top of this story, was a bishop in the Kissy Stake before he was called to be the president in October 2021 of the new Wellington Stake.  The Kissy Stake president is a thoughtful, young man, with vision.  He is looking at organizing at least two more wards in his stake and two branches over on the other side of the stake near the airport.  The saints there currently have to cross over on a water taxi every Sunday to attend Church.  Having a new District with those branches will be a blessing to many.  

We didn't sleep much Sunday night.  We had to catch the 4:00 am ride back to the other side, so we got up in time to ride the 2:30 am van to the terminal.  Why it has to be so early, I could not find out from anyone.  The flight was at 8:45 am.  We made it.  On the water taxi over we listened to what seemed to be a recording of a live performance by Elton John.  I was more sure than Elaine that it was him.  Another surreal event.  Rocket Man while cruising the ocean in the very wee hours of the morning.

On the flight home we were accompanied by 24 members on their way to the temple in Accra for endowments and sealings.  They took the other water taxi company across the ocean so we didn't see them until we got to the airport.  I didn't take a picture.  Dang.  They were happy.  Not well dressed, but very happy.