Freetown, Sierra Leone

Friday night, September 2, 2011

Dear Family & Friends,

I didn’t think I’d have anything else to write about but tonight Jim and I had dinner with the Mission President and his wife.  Someone asked me earlier to send information about how the church was doing here.  We’d been praying that we would be inspired as to where we ought to do another water project.  We decided to do some rehabs in Waterloo (near Freetown) and more new wells in Kenema since that project had been so successful. The President is thrilled with these areas for projects because both are expanding areas of the church.  He is putting more missionaries in Waterloo and Kenema Branches will soon be divided again.

When we were in Sierra Leone last time, the former Mission President (Squires) was having quite a time of it with all the Branch Presidents living on the church (cheating) and getting threats and other not-so-fun stuff.  The new Mission President tells us that they laid the groundwork for the growth of the church today and that they are reaping the benefits of the work of the previous Mission couple.

When we were here a year ago there were nine Branches of the Church in Liberia—now there are 16.  In the near future he is hoping to create a Stake in Liberia—what a change! He wants us to do another project in Liberia, so we’ll turn one in for this year or next along with the one here.  So we are pretty excited about working here in the future.  And compared to some other areas like Nigeria, this is a pretty calm place.  No one seems to be in a violent mood these days (a cheating one, of course) but all petty crimes.

As for us, we’re enjoying exercising and showering twice a day in warm water.  Jim had purchased a mosquito zapper that has batteries and looks like a tennis racket.  We look for kills and we are not disappointed because there is an abundant supply.  It makes a crackling sound when you get one—it’s so cool!

Tonight we have dinner with the office couple, the Patterson’s.  Just to let you know, we still have some pillowcase dresses left and didn’t want to bring them home.  We are going to give them to the Mission President to take to Liberia with him.  There are many orphanages there where we are going to do wells and latrines in our next project, and he can give them to the couple there to pass out.  Hopefully they’ll send us pictures.

Back to my paperwork…oh, joy.  See you in a few days.

Love,

Jim & Karen, Mom & Dad, E/S Greding