“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,
and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you
seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13
Dear Friends and Family,
Hello again from Sierra Leone! We hope that this finds you all well and enjoying the last few days of summer. I can't believe how quickly it has flown by. We are really looking forward to seeing some of you in a few short weeks!
We are doing well here. It is difficult to capture all that happens in one month in a short update letter. 🙂 First, an update from camp… We had a wonderful six-day camp with our youth at the end of July. The camp was held at a seminary campus just outside of Freetown. It was very beautiful and peaceful there (except for the bullfrogs keeping us awake at night). We had some amazing speakers that really challenged our youth. The focus of the camp was 'Finding My Identity in Christ'. We hope and pray that our youth will continue to reflect on what they learned and that God would help each of them as they make choices for their futures. Along with speaking sessions and small groups, we had lots of fun playing games, futbol, sharing meals together, and jogging in the mornings. Chris even taught some of the youth to play ultimate Frisbee!! They are better than me after just a few sessions!!
George, one of our Sierra Leone servant team members left on August 9th to study for three months in Togo. He will be taking several Biblical studies courses. Please pray for him as he begins this new endeavor. We will sure miss him. Please also pray for Chris as he takes over George's duties as small group leader. Chris will be visiting his seven boys weekly in their schools, shops, and homes. He is so excited to go deep in the relationships with the boys and really speak truth into their lives. Three of these boys, along with five others from Lighthouse, were recently accepted into a wonderful school. This school, called Educaid, is run at a higher international standard with better trained teachers than most schools in Sierra Leone. We are so excited for the youth to get this wonderful opportunity.
Lighthouse celebrated it's first academic graduate this past month, as Papanie graduated from high school on August 11th. Cami and I were able to attend the graduation ceremony and cheer him on. We are so proud of him and the accomplishments he has made. Right now, he is awaiting exam results to see if he qualifies for entrance into a university. Please pray that God would continue to direct his path.
I am continuing on with my physical therapy home visits. I have several new stroke patients down in Kroo Bay that I am working with. I am thoroughly enjoying getting to know each of them and their families, along with helping them recover some function and strength. I am continually amazed at the lack of knowledge (in regards to health) of most people in Sierra Leone. All of my stroke patients were never told what had happened to them. I don't even think that most doctors here understand what causes strokes, along with signs and symptoms of those who have suffered a stroke. I hope that I can, in some way, begin to bring about some awareness in the Kroo Bay community. The kiddos that I work with are also doing well. One little three-year old girl is almost walking!! Her family is so excited. I am hoping that within the next few months, she will have taken her fist steps. On a separate note, I also want to thank each of you for your prayers for Kadija's family this past month.
We will welcome a new servant team to Sierra Leone on August 15th. They will be serving alongside us for the next four months. We are looking forward to getting to know each of them. Please pray for their time in Sierra Leone.
And finally…. We are coming home on September 23rd!!! We are so excited to see each of you. We will fly into Omaha on September 23rd at about 9:30 pm. We plan on being in Omaha at least through October 8th. We will then travel out to Rapid City, South Dakota for 1-2 weeks to spend time with my family. We will e-mail you to let you know specifics as we get our schedule more finalized. We sure do love you guys and are so thankful for you!
Many blessings,
Chris and Erin Harrell