08 Feb Work Progresses at Centennial School

Global Ministries, the Sierra Leone Conference, and the Lehigh Valley chapter of Engineers Without Borders have been working to bring a number of upgrades to the Centennial School in Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone. To date, new modernized latrines have been built, lighting is being installed to allow for evening classes and study, and very soon a drilled well will be installed.

One worker at the school shared this week that the students really like coming to class at night versus the late afternoon, as they have more time for chores and other work that can only be done during daylight hours. With Sierra Leone’s proximity to the equator, sunrise and sunset occur at approximately 6 am and 6 pm all year round.

Rev. Joe Abu is planning another trip along with engineering volunteers this spring. If you would like to donate to this project, you can do so by sending your gift, mark “Centennial School” to Global Ministries. If sending a check, be sure to make it out to Global Ministries.

07 Feb John Pessima, Sierra Leone’s New Bishop

Steve Dennie, Communications Director

On January 16, 2011, John Momoh Pessima was consecrated as the new bishop of Sierra Leone Conference. The service was held at the Au Memorial church in Kissy, a neighborhood on the east end of Freetown. Rev. Pessima grew up in that church and had been its pastor.

At the installation of John Pessima as bishop. L-r: Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries; outgoing bishop Billy Simbo, John Pessima.

The Council of Ordained Elders, which consists of all United Brethren ordained ministers in Sierra Leone Conference, recommended Rev. Pessima to become the new bishop. Their recommendation was referred to the National Conference meeting in December 2010, where it was unanimously approved.

Bishop Pessima succeeded Billy Simbo, who served three years in Sierra Leone in a transitional role under the umbrella of Global Ministries.

Bishop Pessima came to the United States in October 2011 to meet with the Global Ministries Leadership Team. During that time, he sat down with me for an interview.

Growing Up with Rev. Ali and the Kissy Church

John Pessima was born and raised in Freetown. His mother and father were both Christians. However, it was a polygamous home. John’s mother, the oldest of four wives, gave birth to 12 children. Only three of those children are still alive. Of those three, John is the youngest, and the only son.

John grew up in the Kissy United Brethren church. The pastor was Rev. Henry Ali, who in 1985 became the first General Superintendent of Sierra Leone Conference—the first Sierra Leonean, as opposed to a missionary, to oversee all of the United Brethren work in that country. Interestingly, Rev. Ali was blind. Yet he was a highly respected leader in the Sierra Leone church.

“Rev. Ali discipled me,” says Bishop Pessima. “He was a very good leader. Some of us young guys looked at his leadership qualities and decided to become pastors. We talked with him, and he encouraged us. Three of us went to college together.”

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07 Feb Canada Goes to Haiti: Day 6

A team of 8 persons from UB churches in Canada has been in Haiti since January 30. Joan Sider (right), a retired schoolteacher from New Hope church in Toronto, is sending back daily reports. Here is Joan’s report about attending church on Sunday morning.

The service begins with the singing of a hymn or two and Scripture reading. Then the worship team leads in a time of singing–the difference in tempo is quite remarkable. The volume is as high as it can be. We know–we were sitting directly in front of the speakers.

It is interesting to hear the singing–often the leader begins and then the musicians catch up and finally find the key we are singing. It sounds somewhat discordant and it bothered me at first. But God reminded me that often my life is out of tune with him and I need to catch up and get on the same page as he.

After the time of worship, visitors are welcomed and each visitor, Haitian or Canadian, is given an opportunity to speak. Announcements and offering come next. Pastor Oliam Richard is trying to encourage his people to be givers and not just takers. Once a month, a special offering is taken and the people are to give 100 Haitian or 50 Gourdes–half of which will go for Delmas 33 church and the other half to our general church in North American for projects outside of Haiti. I think this is very commendable. Today’s offering was the special one.

A guest speaker spoke on Psalm 23. Of course, we couldn’t understand it, but it was a familiar passage upon which we could reflect ourselves. It appeared that the message was resonating with the people by their laughter at times, and very loud and frequent amens.

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06 Feb Canada Goes to Haiti: Day 5

The area where our Gonaives church is located still hasn’t recovered from the affects of several hurricanes.

Top: Working in a salt basin. Middle: The team and a few Haitians outside a salt storage hut. Bottom: a salt basin ready for harvesting.

A team of 8 persons from UB churches in Canada has been in Haiti since January 30. Joan Sider, a retired schoolteacher from New Hope church in Toronto, is sending back daily reports. Here is her report for Saturday, February 4.

The team visited the salt-harvesting project, an exciting money-making project for the Haitian churches. Pastor Wedemarc started a business harvesting salt, and used it to support himself and 50 schoolchildren, and also provide some funding for the church he had planted. Seeing that this was such a viable business, it was expanded with the help of micro loans from UB members in the US and Canada–about $50,000 so far. The salt buyers include the Northwest Salt Company, out of of Kansas City, and a for-profit salt venture in Port Au Prince by Notre Dame University in South Bend, Ind. Pastor Wedemarc is now looking for a manger so he isn’t involved in the day-to-day operations.

We left the hotel around 9 or so, and set off for a part of Gonaives which was very obviously the poor area of the city. We drove out to the area where the surface salt harvesting happens.

We passed a lot of basins until we came to ours. We have 5 done–3 shallow ones and 2 deep ones. A reservoir of salt water is used to fill the shallow basins. It is pumped from the reservoir.   The shallow ones have a depth of about 10-12 inches with a surface area of about 450 sq. meters.  One of the guys paced it off and he feels it is larger than what Pastor Wedemarc said–more like 1200 sq. m.

The harvested salt is bagged like this.

There are three salt colors–pink, gray and white. It fetches the same price and the quality is equal, but maybe a slightly different taste.

We saw men digging the basins–such hard work whether a deep or shallow one.  Women gather the salt with baskets or just use their hands.  Imagine yourself standing in a knee-deep saline solution!  Imagine digging one of these basins–having to throw the clay-like soil up and out of the basin!  We were able to watch several basins being harvested.

One knows when it is time to harvest the pink salt when the water turns a reddish color.  I guess the other colors have water that turn gray or white.   Our basins will be harvested in March.  It is expected that our storage crib will be filled twice a year off the harvests.

After our visit, we began the journey back to Port au Prince.  Even with an air conditioned van, it was a hot trip.  We were well packed in.  We ate lunch and then relaxed most of the time. Oh the men went out and began tuning up Pastor’s car by changing spark plugs and air filter, and caulking around the sun roof to keep it from leaking.  I think they want to try and do something with the fan belts at another time.

The men went for a walk to see George, a man who owns a little corner store. We have befriended this sightless man for a number of years.  He lost a number of fingers during a robbery where a machete was used on them.

There is a kitten in the yard here.  I have been making friends with it–not touching it, but talking to it and seeing that some water is out for it. The male helper here takes the cat inside with him at night.  I sure am glad to hear that.