6/1/2014 Great Sunday

Well today is (Was) Fast Sunday and we attended church at the Waterloo Branch in Waterloo. It was a great Sacrament Meeting. The testimonies were fantastic. The branch Presidency almost could not stop the members from coming up to the podium. I took some pictures on the way to church and it does not do the area justice. It is simply magnificent. The morning sun was out, it had rained in the night, so it was cool (75) with a nice breeze. The boys on the Okadas (motorcycles) were even wearing hoodies. We could see and smell little trickles of smoke winding their way up through the trees as meals were being cooked. We even had to overt our eyes as we came upon morning bath / laundry parties. These people are completely at ease with their bodies.

Morning mist

 Down the valley to the North

 This is a pile of rocks that people make into little rocks with a hammer

or anything they can strike with. They get paid by the basket full.

 More small rocks ready to load up.

 We have to drive through this to get to the Mission Office 

 Mango Tree in one of the Missionaries yards

 This is cool... this guy is helping this little old lady across a busy street.

We see this all the time with the elderly, little school kids, and the handicapped.

As soon as they walk up to the side of the street, someone will help them, and the traffic will stop.

 This is a lady walking with a load of charcoal to sale for cooking

 Sister Barney will assist Sister Kargbo with her #2 coming delivery.

Sister Kargbo is the wife of the Branch President.

 The Kargbo's front door.

 Sister Kargbo and their almost 2 year old daughter

 The hill to their home is unbelievably steep.

 Kargbo's in the very center (brown)

 A zoom in.

 This is the Kossoh Town Chapel

 This is inside of the New Mission Office Apartment where the Barney's will

be moving in a couple of weeks.

 New Bedroom

 Old sign, but sort of catchy... don't you think?

This is the dinning area looking into the living room. Bowling anyone?

This is a typical "PodaPosa" sort of large taxi.

An interesting sign that has appeared in the past few weeks.

5/22/2014 Hospital Visits

We have been out in the countryside for the past two days evaluating medical facilities with Elder (Dr) and Sister Elmer from Ghana. Elder Elmer is the Area Medical Advisor.
We started by visiting two facilities here in Freetown and going to Bo and staying in the "Dohas" motel and convention center. Wouldn't you know it, there was in fact a convention there. A Christian/Muslim cant we all get along conference. Notice all the flags in the grass area of one of the photos. We got up early and headed to Kenema and visited the Government Hospital, a small Lab, and a Dr. Office. Took two of the missionaries out to lunch and headed back to BO. There we visited and a German Hospital. The German Hospital was the winner for the area.

Here are some pics so I don't have to wright a thousand more words.

 The water heater in the hotel room...

 Restaurant at the Motel

 Courtyard and lawn area with flags from the convention.

 Hotel Room

 Community shower behind the Hotel. (not part of the Motel)

 Pool, as if you cant tell

 Check out the cool fridge...

 Not sure what this is. I have an idea, but my lips are sealed.

 Room shots

 First class...

 The government hospital

 Front of the building parking...Ambulance in background

 Elder and Sister Elmer

 Not sure, but I thin an administrator...Anyway she arranged a tour.

 All outside doors are metal and lockable.

 That means outpatient stuff

 Walking to another department...Open campus is the order of the day.

 Isolation set up in case EBOLA is diagnosed...Notice the tarps.

This nurse lit up like a kid when she heard Sister Barney is a nurse.

Dental Area

Seat anyone

Work area

Technical Stuff.....

X-Ray

Old but operational equipment... and they are proud.

Next Department

OR

Surgery straight ahead

Washing area

Main Surgery Room

Laundry on bushes from patients...I assume

The garbage was in it's proper place.

Another kindred spirit...A midwife.

Nurses Station

Planed Parenthood...can't describe whats on the table :-)

Off to the Lab

Lab receptionist.

Lab instructions

Birth and Death records office

Plasma anyone.

Plasma Cooler

Typed and X-matched and organized

Labor and Delivery

Our tour guide...notice the Utah Jazz hat.

Front Entrance.

Elder Barney usually does all of this, but I wanted to tell my chicken story. 

Upon arrival to this "wild and crazy" place where nothing is like home...on the very first night, I walked into my kitchen, completely void of decorations, looked through the glass doors on the kitchen cabinet and there on the shelf were these two little metal chickens. 

Some of you will recognize them. I have the exact same chickens in my kitchen at home in Idaho.

A "tender mercy" from Heavenly Father, helping me to feel at home in Africa. Sister Barney