June 1, 2010
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
-Matthew 5:14-16
Dear Friends and Family,
How are you all doing? We hope you are all enjoying the comings of spring and summer! Thankfully… and FINALLY it is cooling down here. Internittent rains have begun, which brings so much relief. It was a hot one this spring, to say the least. We are thanful for the breath of fresh air.
Chris has had numerous conversations and opportunities over the past few weeks to listen and speak into the lives of his youth. This past Tuesday evening, their small group sat around a bon fire at Ale’ Ale’ House. They talked about various topics including what qualities you should look for in a future wife. These times of deeper reflection and sharing are so rewarding, because we know the lives of these young men will have so much greater impact on Sierra Leone than ou’s ever will directly. It’s fun to see how Chris’ life experiences with dating and marriage can speak into their lives, even in such a different culture and context. Please pray for more and more of these kind of opportunities as we see this as a “harvest phase” in our work here, reaping opporutnities such as these from the relationships that we’ve invested into over the past two plus years.
We are getting closer to our time in the States this summer. Keyara is very excited to see boh her “Mama” and Bapa” again… along with seeing so many friends and family. We are looking forward to reconnecting with many of you during this time. Al and Shirley Harrell (Chris’s parents) will be hosting another open house on Sunday, June 27th from 3-6pm. Their address is 11442 Queens Drive in Omaha. We would love to see any of you that are able to make it. We will tentatively do a short photo/video presentation at 4 and again at 5 pm. There will also be lots of yummy snacks and drinks. Please stop by!
Thank you for your prayers for us this past month in response to our specific requests. Please continue to be praying for our community as we are coming up on another time of transition. Our field director, Cami, will be leaving for a seven-month sabatical while we’re in the States this summer. You can be praying for our community as we share her responsibilities and roles between us. You can also remember Cami in your prayers as she spends these seven months in study, reflection, prayer and counseling after seven years on the field here in Sierra Leone.
We will also be planning our summer camp together here in the next few weeks before we depart. Please pray for our team as we plan topics and speakers that will really minister to the youths’ hearts. Camp will be in mid-August this year. The week of camp is always a significant opportunity for us to spend more time with our youth and for them to grow and learn with us.
Thank you again for your continued prayers and support. Again, we will be back in the States from mid-June to mid-July and will be dividing time between Omaha and Rapid City. We are REALLY looking forward to seeing many of you this summer while we’re back. Please feel free to drop us a note on one of our email addresses listed below. We love hearing updates from you guys as well.
With Love from Freetown,
Erin, Chris and Keyara