Lessons from the Heart, Tearful Goodbyes...

Well, it's officially my last weekend in Kabala. I'm headed to Freetown on Monday, and then flying to Zimbabwe next Friday, August 6th, for a couple weeks to visit my 'big sister' and be there for my goddaughter's baptism. It's hard to even write this blog because I don't want to face the fact that I have to say goodbye to my amazing family and friends here once again, for the third time in the past 3 years. I love hellos, I love reuniuons...but I hate parting with people you love, especially when you have worked so closely with them for the last 3 months!

I am thrilled at the way the program is running, and I am confident that we are leaving it in the capable hands of the youth, church leaders, and Reverends here...so I cannot wait to return next year and see what God has managed to do through this program! Honestly, it is bigger than I ever could have imagined, and the impact it has already made is hard to grasp.

I have realized that investing in people is the most worthwhile aid you could ever give. When you empower people to recognize their value, strengths, beauty, and simply enable them to start building a better life for themselves and their family, you will never be disappointed. I have also realized that the gratitude and love people here have shown me is the most wonderful, amazing, and humbling thing in the entire world. I took a motorbike trip to Yarah this week, a village where Martin Koroma, one of the scholarship recipients is from, to say goodbye to my friends and family there. As we were saying goodbye, Martin's whole family gathered and asked me to come sit down, and his Auntie started talking about how immensely grateful she and her whole family are for Katie and I, the program we've started, and the hope we've brought to their family by giving their son a scholarship. She proceeded to say that their family was not rich, they had nothing to give me, nothing that could even begin to compare to what Katie and I had already given them, the hope we had put back into their lives. But she said, "What we are giving you is nothing in size, and it may seem meaningless, but know we are giving it with our whole hearts", as she offered me three chickens, a huge bowl of rice, and a huge bag of groundnuts (peanuts). There was tears in my eyes as I listened to her apologizing because the gifts they had given me were too small...because in my heart I knew these were the such precious, wonderful, and heartfelt gifts, and I did not even deserve them, because this whole program is God's work...Katie and I are just the servants who were asked to do the task. I am so amazed, humbled, and constantly thankful for the fact that God opened my eyes and my hear to this country...I know my life will never be the same because of it.

I wish I could express in one blog what I've learned this summer, but it would be impossible...even if I wrote a whole book, I couldn't express it all. I hope to talk to many of you about my experiences once I get home to Canada in August! But to sum up what I've learned, I think I could say this...

1) The community is SO grateful for this program, believes in in, and really needs it. Every day I have parents thanking me and crying because they believe their child will now go to University...and these are parents whose children haven't finished high school yet! This is inspiring, and also a challenge at the same time...let's keep working on this program and make it bigger and bigger, so that everyone who needs a University Education here in Kabala will get it.

2) Love is the most universal, beautiful, and wonderful thing on Earth. The love I have experienced from my family and friends here has literally kept me alive when I have been exhausted and tired, and the love God always shows to me has given me the strength to keep working even when I feel like it's not making a difference. We can never change the world unless we start believing in the power of love.

3) Walk by Faith. I tatooed this on my foot in April, and I did not realize how incredibly important and essential it would be to my life. There has been days when I literally didn't know how I would get my work done, or what I would lead a bible study on, or how I would find the strength to do third year University in fall and fundraise over $8000 and work at the same time...but everytime I see this writing on my foot, I am reminded that faith is a staircase...you just have to take the next step. Honestly, God has brought me through everything, and will continue...this summer has taught me so much about my own faith, and has pushed me and encouraged me to not trust in my own strength.

So, thanks to all of you for reading, believing in this dream, and supporting it. I will see you in August back in Canada! God Bless

A Brighter Future is on the Horizon - 4 Scholarships Awarded to 4 Amazing, Deserving Youth!

I cannot even think of where to start as I write this blog, with tears in my eyes and the most joy imaginable in my heart. This morning, I had the wonderful oppurtunity (along with Rev. John, Rev. Ezekiel, and Pastor Maxwell, my wonderful Zambian, Nigerian, and Sierra Leonean brothers who are helping run the program on the ground here) to award scholarships to four wonderful, amazing, and very deserving youth in Kabala.First of all, I want to offer a HUGE congratulations to Saio M. Jalloh, Martin Koroma, Foray Sesay, and Martin Jonal Lisa, the first 4 recipients of the scholarships from The People's Foundation for Sierra Leone! You are all amazing, deserving, wonderful youth, and I am SO SO excited about the great things you will do for your families, community, and your country! I also want to offer a HUGE thank-you to everyone who has contributed to make this dream a reality - whether through financial support, prayers, thoughts, or simply spreading the word - we could NOT have done this without you, and I am eternally grateful for your past and continued support. Let's keep it going...believe me, this program will make a difference in the lives of these youth and the lives of people all over this country! I also want to offer a huge, heartfelt thank-you to my beloved sister, friend, and partner in this organization, Katie Jenkins, for working so hard to help make this dream a reality, and not laughing at how ridiculous the idea of sponsoring youth for university seemed for Canadian two girls who hadn't even finished their own schooling - Katie, you are amazing, and I am so so thankful for your love, support, and hard work on this project! I could not and cannot do it without you!

I am absolutely unable to express how blessed I was to be apart of this amazing dream becoming a reality...it was probably one of the most joyful, wonderful moments of my entire life, to see 4 beautiful youth so happy, fufilled, and enabled to reach their dreams.It is impossible to express through words the pure, genuine joy that these 4 youth conveyed after I told them they had received the scholarships...but I have added some pictures to try to express it as best I can. When I return to Canada, Katie and I will be making a video with some of the footage I was able to take of the interviews and the awarding of the scholarships - what wonderful, encouraging, inspiring moments! The best part about doing this kind of work is seeing how valuable and how needed it actually is...NEVER ever think that the work you do for others, or the work you do without pay, is unimportant...it is the most life-changing, beautiful work imaginable!

The only girl to receive a scholarship this year, Saio M. Jalloh, made some incredibly powerful and encouraging statements during her interview. When I asked her what she wanted to do as a career, this is how she responded:

"I want to be a teacher, because I know that there are very few people who want to teach in this country. Teachers are not paid well, and they are often looked down upon...people laugh at me when I say I want to be a teacher, and say I should find money in something like accounting or business. But I want to be a teacher because I want to change that in my district and my country. I want to help develop my country by improving the basic levels of education, and I want to come back to my community and teach so that the children here can have a brighter future. Eventually, I want to be the minister of Education in Sierra Leone, so we can make a change all over the country."

What an incredible, emotional, moving, and amazing statement from someone who just finished secondary school! I was so encouraged and inspired by this to keep pursuing my own dream of becoming a teacher! I am so amazed at the heart, the dedication, and the love for their country that the youth in this town express. I truly believe that if they can pursue education, they will contribute to their community in ways we cannot even imagine now! I am so excited to see how Saio grows in the next years, and how she will come back to her community and change lives for the better!

I could go on forever about how incredible this interviews were, and how inspired I am, but there will be time for all that when I am home in Canada, and I don't want to make you all read a ten-page essay here :) But please know that I am SO thankful for everyone who reads this blog, contributes to this project, and will continue in the future...and please know that this project is truly changing lives beyond our wildest dreams. How good is our God...He makes the impossible possible! I am so blessed that he has chosen to use Katie and I to bring hope through education to this wonderful community, and I am so blessed by what this community gives us in return - the most love, care, and gratefulness imaginable. I truly believe that the youth in this country CAN and WILL change this country...so let's keep believing it, and working towards it! I am so excited about the amazing things the youth we have sponsored will accomplish this year and in future years. I think this is all summarized best by the words of Martin Koroma, one of the scholarship recipients:

"Why do I want to pursue education? I want to be independent, so that I can be a blessing to others just as they have blessed me. Give me a challenge, and I will handle it."
What an incredible statement! So from the bottom of my heart, thank-you...and lets accept this challenge of bringing University Education to even more wonderful, deserving youth in this country in the years to come. It is blessed to be a blessing.

With more love and gratefulness than I could ever express,

Krissi

A Dream to make a Difference!

Hey all,

Life is beautiful and God is good as I enter into my final 2 and a half weeks in this amazing country. Just wanted to give you a brief update. I am still working on the Manual for the mentoring programs, and should have it finished this week. On Friday, I made up our first ever scholarship application forms and distributed them, and I am THRILLED to tell you that we will be interviewing the first 4 applicants EVER for this program on this Wednesday, July 21. I am so amazed and excited that everything came together in time for us to carry out these interviews this week! I am anticipating an exciting time of encouragement, inspiration, and sharing to take place on Wednesday, and I will be sure to update you all with the names of those who have received the scholarships as soon as the final decisions are made. It is simply incredible to think that a dream that began so small could actually take place, become a reality, and really make a difference in the lives of these youth. I wish I could express to you the raw emotion and joy that I saw on these 4 youth's faces when I told them they were to be given an interview for the scholarships on Wednesday. I have never felt so humbled or grateful...it seems impossible that such a relatively small amount of money for those of us in North America, only $4000, could mean so much to 4 youth in Sierra Leone.

We haven't even awarded them the scholarships yet, have only mentioned that they have the opportunity to come for an interview...yet it is as if I have taken the moon down from the sky, wrapped it up, and given it to them as a present. The way their faces broke out into smiles when I told them the time for their interviews is not even something I can express in words...it is a constant reminder of how God continues to humble me and remind me that the work we are doing here is HIS work, and is beyond what is possible for man...who would have thought that such a small thing could bring such incredibly great joy? That is the wonder of our God. I am encouraged and truly inspired to work even harder fundraising once I return to Canada, so that the youth we select this year can continue going to school next year, and we can send even more youth to university. Never underestimate the power of education...it is something many of us in North America and Europe take for granted, but something that literally changes the lives and future of people here in Sierra Leone. And never underestimate the power of our God...impossible things are made possible through Him! I am so thrilled to have been granted the opportunity to do this work, and I sincerely hope that I can continue maintaining my connection with my family and friends here and working in this beautiful community,country and continent for as long as I live, God willing! What a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow, and to recognize that the whole world is one family. Thanks for your love and support, and I will be sure to update the blog on Wednesday or Thursday, as soon as we know who has been awarded the scholarships!

Much love,
Krissi

Time is Flying By...

Wow, hard to believe two weeks have already passed since my last entry! It is crazy how fast time is flying by, and very bittersweet...I never want to leave my friends and family here, but I am excited to be reunited with everyone back home in Canada. It's difficult having two homes on opposite ends of the world!

Last week was so inspiring, challenging, and amazing! We held the mentoring interviews on Wednesday for the youth, which were basically a question panel made up of me, Rev. John Phiri, Rev. Ezekiel, and Pastor Maxwell, asking the youth why they wanted to be in the program, what their goals were in life, and what they wanted to acheive, to see if they were ready to be mentors. What an encouraging time to take a whole day to sit down with over 20 youth and learn from them, and hear about their experiences and challenges! So many of them inspired me and challenged me with their words, and it made my confident that no matter how hard it is to keep this program going, I must make every sacrifice to make it possible...because truly, it is something that could change lives here. How amazing God is...I didn't even know the needs of Kabala, but he simply placed a call on my heart for this town, and then he placed a ministry on the heart of me and my friend Katie...a ministry we could never be fit or prepared to do, but He has called us anyways. Our God is so good!

One of the youth said something very inspiring during the interviews. I always began by asking each youth why they wanted to be a mentor (or why they wanted to have a mentor, if they were too young to start mentoring). One of the girls being interviewed responded like this:

"I want to be a mentor because I want to see the lives of youth in this town change for the better, and I want them to learn from my experiences. What is the point of going through trials in life if you cannot get back up and help others to carry on through the same things? I want to be a mentor so that we as youth can learn from each other, grow from each other, and work together to develop our country."

What inspiring words, and what a challenge to hear from someone who is in the program...it gives me great encouragement and never fails to amaze me how much the youth truly believe in this program. I am in awe of how good God is, how big his call is, and how unfit I am to carry it out. Thank God for His grace! What an amazing thing to be a part of. This week, I will be trying to finish the manual for the program, so that the sessions and mentoring training can carry on after I leave Sierra Leone (which is in only 3 and a half weeks! Time is FLYING!). After that, I will be making up the scholarship applications, so that once WASSCE results come out in August, mentors can begin applying for scholarships. I can't believe that this dream is really becoming a reality!

Thank you all so much for your loving thoughts and prayers! They are really needed and really felt.
Much love,
Krissi

Pressing on, Pressing on

Hey all,

So has been a very hectic week. Last week, I was teaching at the CRC Primary school every day, helping the kids prepare for their first annual Thanksgiving, which took place on Sunday, June 27th. A lot of hard work but what a blessing...it was incredibly emotional and amazing to see how far the school has come in just a few short years! And it was even more amazing to see the impact it has made on the children, the community, and the country as a whole. CRC Primary school is still the only school in all of Sierra Leone to have class sizes of 30 students per teacher (the norm is over 120 students to one teacher), and a desk for each student. Because the class sizes are so much smaller, and actual textbooks are provided for the students, the quality of learning is immeasurably better. Since 2007, CRC has consistently ranked the highest in the whole country in terms of letter recognition and literacy among the kids. What an amazing thing to think that a seemingly impossible dream that started with Mr. Degroot, my old principal, and the community here, could make such an incredible difference. I remember wondering why we always had to fundraise money when we were in high school, and feeling like our teachers and principal were always pressuring us for money for some unknown country in Africa. If only I had known then, and my friends had known, what an incredible impact the money we raised has had on these children, this community, and this country. It is so unbelievable to think of how grateful people are for this school, and to realize the magnitude of what it is accomplishing here in Sierra Leone. I can only hope and pray that I will one day get the opportunity to teach here too :)

I was also meeting with the CES national director last week, talking about what training we could do with the staff (for those of you who don't know, I am here running The People's Foundation, but I am also volunteering with CES, a local NGO in Kabala). I will be putting on 4 workshops for the staff over the next couple weeks, based on what I've just studied in my course back in Canada...training them how to write effective field reports, write grant proposals, develop groups they are in, and recognize and acknowledge gender differences. It's amazing to be blessed with the opportunity to share some of the things you've learned with others, and to learn from others' experience at the same time. It's so humbling to see how excited the staff are about these workshops...what a reminder that I am so not qualified or deserving to do this work, it is only by God's grace it is possible!

In terms of our own project (The People's Foundation), things continue to be going well. I am sometimes discouraged when I think of the relatively small time I have left here and the immense amount of work I have to do, but I know that God never gives us anything we can't handle, and it will all get done. We are trying now to partner the program with the CRC church formally, so that when Katie and I are not in Sierra Leone, the program can still run smoothly and continue developing. We hope to carry out mentoring interviews next week with those who took part in the mentoring training, so we can find someone for them to mentor and help along through life. We started group sessions on "How we can plan for our future" last week, and the result was very inspiring and encouraging. Next week, we will be doing HIV/AIDS education and sensitization. I will also need to make up a "manual" or a guidebook to leave here in Kabala, so the program can continue to run all year. It's so exciting to see a dream taking form and becoming a reality, but it's also a reminder that it takes hard work and doesn't happen overnight! You can't give up just because you aren't seeing results right away or you're tired. Perseverence and patience are always needed.

One of my favourite quotes that always encourages me in this type of work is "God grant me the peace to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." What an incredible reminder, to think about the fact that we cannot fix everything. Sometimes I become discouraged in my work when I feel like it's not changing anything, or I am working hard and seeing no results...but it is always critical to remember it's not the success of the action, but the love behind it. Little things done with great love will always accomplish something...even if it is not the size or the scope you had first hoped for. I was very discouraged earlier this week because of some emotional problems some of my friends were going through, because no matter what I did, I couldn't help them feel better. Sometimes its hard to accept that you can't fix everything...but it's a reminder that as a missionary, God did not call me here to save everyone in this country and make them all feel better - that would be impossible!He simply called me to do the work with great love, no matter the results. So I am trusting him and casting my burdens at his feet, knowing any emotional hurt or frustration I am feeling is something I must work through, not something I can use as an excuse to give up. When you give God the heartaches of your past, the problems of your present, and the uncertainties of your future, you'll be amazed at the result.
Much love!

Krissi

Have Faith through Trials!

Hi all,

So my friend and sister who was helping me for the last month has returned safely to England, thanks so much for your prayers. Unfortunately, her laptop was stolen from her luggage in the Freetown airport, which is a big shame and inconvenience...it's really disheartening when you put so much time, work, love, and effort into a country, and grow to love and trust the people, only to have something like this happen and make you feel like no one can be trusted. However, I am remembering that people are human, and especially in post-war countries, where hardship is everywhere, things like this happen often...it is not a reflection on the people here that I love and trust so much, nor on the future this country has. The missionary pastor from Nigeria, who is working here in Kabala just had his motorbike stolen, and he went through the same emotions...a loss of trust, disappointment, and discouragement...but this morning, as we were talking, he really encouraged me by saying that things like this often happen as a way of trying to discourage us from the work. "Never lose your love for God," he said to me, "or what they have stolen from you will be far greater than what it actually was." This is so true...it's sometimes hard to have faith and trust when things like this happen, but we must press on and continue the work..disappointments may come, trials may come, but we must continue. Please keep Katie in your thoughts and prayers and pray God would provide for her, either by someone returning the laptop somehow, or through giving her the opportunity to find another one.

As for the work, this is an exciting week! We are continuing with the HIV/AIDS and sexual abuse education this week, which I hope will prove to be encouraging and empowering, although difficult at first. I am also having several meetings this week with the CRC Church staff here, in terms of partnering our program with them, so they can run it and head it up when we are not here. We are hoping to partner the program with the CRC church here, as well as CRC churches in BC, because there is a group of CRC churches in BC already interested in providing funds and help to Kabala, especially in the areas of education and HIV/AIDS counselling. So pray that all these meetings go well! The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few...I am praying that many of my SIerra Leone colleages and friends will help to partner with us and take owndership of this work. I will update you all after the meetings take place.

Thanks so much for your love & support! It's amazing to have such a strong network of people who care and are interested in this work back home in Canada.
Much Love, Krissi

Keeping the Faith :)

Sorry for the delay in blog posts, we have been hard at work here in Kabala! But it is such an encouragement to know that people are waiting for news from us and praying for us, thank you so much :)

We introduced the mentoring programs at the beginning of June, and ran our first two mentoring training sessions last week. What an incredible display of God's grace and power...over 35 youth showed up to both sessions, which is more than double the number of youth we usually have at youth meetings! It was amazing to see them talking to each other and discussing the importance of having mentors in life, and sharing ideas about how they could become better mentors in their own life. It is such an inspiration to see the young people of this town so excited and supportive of this program...it really gives us the courage to keep going. The support we have received from the NGO I work at, the church, and all the people we know in the community is really beyond description...another incredible reminder of how amazing God is, that he can provide us with a 'family network' on the other side of the world from where we grew up.

My partner in the program and my "sister" Katie will be heading back to England this week, so please pray for safe travel for her on her way home and for strength for me as I continue the work here. It has been such a blessing to have a friend and sister here to work with, to talk with, and to share with, and I am so grateful that she gave her time to come here with me. She will be doing some fundraising in England for the project, so pray that God will go ahead of that and bless it richly! After I take Katie to the airport and return to Kabala, I will be starting the HIV/AIDS and sexual abuse education sessions next week, and running bible studies on the call in God's word to stay pure and avoid sexual immorality. I am really excited to be starting these programs up, and am confident that God will go ahead off them...programs that deal with these topics are greatly needed here, but rarely discussed, so pray that the youth would have an open mind and be willing to learn.

I am reading an incredible book this week called "Against the Wind", which is a call for missionaries and those serving God with their lives to live differently and finish well in a world of compromise. It is an amazing inspiration, but definitely hard to read, because it makes me realize how I sometimes long for "home comforts" and do not fully rely on God...but there is a part in the book that discusses the certainty of knowing God's call for your life, and having faith in that when all else is lost. This is such an encouragement, because from the moment I stepped foot in Sierra Leone, I knew I had found God's call for my life - to work in Africa as a missionary, a teacher, and whatever else he has planned for me. Sometimes I think in 'realistic' terms and realize it would be much easier to just stay at home in Canada, where I have my family, friends, and everything I could ever need...and it doesn't make any sense to get up and leave for a place that I never knew before three years ago. However, when God calls you, there is a certainty that overshadows all doubt, so while I may miss my friends and loved ones back at home in Canada, I know that for now, I am fulfilling my calling...and I pray that God will reveal it more fully to me as I walk with him this summer, as to where he wants me to go next. Really, it is incomprehensible to think that somehow I am able to eat food I had never tried in Canada, walk miles under heat I am not used to, and speak a language that I never grew up with...hard to understand if you don't realize the greatness of our God. He has brought me here for a purpose, and as long as I stay committed to that, he will allow me to finish it. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"...I pray that wherever you are, you would experience the revealing of God's plan for your life

Much Love! -Krissi

God is good, all the time!

We are hard at work in Kabala now, making up the mentoring sessions and counseling programs, and working with the local youth and pastors to make sure everything runs smoothly. Last weekend we got the chance to travel to Firawa, a village about 4 hours outside of Kabala, to take part in a church youth gathering and introduce the program there. I explained the program to the youth and took down the names of those who were interested in becoming mentors and taking part in the program, which nearly all of them wanted to do. I will be traveling back to Firawa sometime in June to run mentoring workshops, teach the youth about HIV/AIDS, and parter them up with younger kids they can act as mentors for. We will be starting the mentoring group in Kabala next week, and we have already made up the material for the first two mentoring training sessions, as well as three group sessions with the youth about sexual immorality and HIV/AIDS. It's amazing how fulfilled you can become just from doing the simplest work that God has set out for you - there hasn't been a moment where I have felt like this work is meaningless, even though it is tiresome and difficult to start up from scratch. Even though this program can't change the lives of every youth living in the villages, or Kabala, even if it helps just one, it is all worth it.

On Sunday, I had a moment of crashing to reality when I saw one of the girls I mentored last year come to church with her new 2 month old son. It was a reminder of how needed these education and mentoring programs are in Kabala, but also a reminder of how big God is...he can bring a new life out of a painful situation, and bring joy where there once was heartache. Seeing the smile on that new mother's face erased all the tears of disappointment and hurt I was feeling for her, because I knew God has a plan in everything.

Really, the more I am in Kabala the more I recognize that God's grace is so powerful and all encompassing - just the fact that I am able to live in a place that I never knew before three years ago, have such an amazing family and community surrounding me, and be able to do the work God has called me to is nothing short of amazing. Doing this work is a constant reminder that God can use anyone - it's not like Katie or I were meant to educate youth about sexual immorality and HIV/AIDS, or like we are more capable than anyone else - we were just in the right place at the right time, and listened to what God was asking from us, as crazy as it seemed at the time. To think that God brought me to this town in the middle of Sierra Leone, and has made me feel so at home and so at peace is nothing short of incredible. It's a good reminder that everything happens for a reason, and you never know where you will end up. If I had simply chosen to take the easy way out and travel to Europe in high school instead of Africa, none of this would have happened, and I wouldn't have met any of the friends and extended family over here...or have even met Katie and many of my other friends in Canada. God is good...all the time. Whenever you are walking by faith and trusting him, there is no mountain too high for you to climb.

Back Home in Sierra Leone!

Well, we arrived safely back in Sierra Leone last week and now we have travelled up to Kabala, where we will be working for the summer. It's great to be back and reunite with friends and family, and everyone we worked with last year - I am always amazed and how genuinely happy people are to see you when you come back. The weather is much cooler in Kabala too, which is a nice change from the blistering heat of Freetown. We've already had two meetings with community members about the Foundation - one with our friends in Freetown, and one with Pastor Maxwell, the youth Pastor here in Kabala. Both meetings were really positive, and we gained a lot of feedback and support from everyone, as well as a lot of excitement for the program. It's great to see that the people here are so receptive and willing to work with us, and it's even more amazing to see that this program will hopefully deal with one of the biggest needs in Sierra Leone - both groups we met with said that this is something that is really needed in this country. We hope to start introducing the mentoring program in Kabala on Friday, which means today and tomorrow we will be doing a lot of work to come up with program initiatives and outlines for the youth to follow and implement on their own. We want to make sure the program is really sustainable, so we will be concentrating on empowering the youth and providing them with basic mentoring and counselling skills so they can take ownership of the program and continue to run it even after we have gone back to Canada. We're really excited to start working with the youth of Kabala again, and to receive their input and feedback about the program. Pastor Maxwell said something today that was a real encouragement to us - he said "Even if you think the work you are doing is small, really, its not. This is a big thing for us." Its an encouragment to know we're making a difference even when it's tiring and doesn't feel like it.
Much Love,
Katie & Krissi

Heading out to Africa

Well, I spent a nice week in Birmingham, Scotland, and London, and now I am catching my flight over to Africa! I will be flying through Kenya and then arriving in Sierra Leone Thursday afternoon. I'm so excited to be heading back, and even more excited to see where this summer takes the program and all the plans God has in store for it! I had some great planning meetings about the program with Katie, the co-founder, and Charles, my 'big brother' in London who is going to really help us develop this program into a sustainable, functioning, and hopefully well funded reality. I'm looking forward to being back in Africa and hearing what everyone in Sierra Leone has to say and contribute to this dream! Much love, I miss everyone in Canada so much...I will be sure to post once I have arrived in Sierra Leone. Katie gets in on Friday, so please pray for safe travel for her as well.

Leaving on a Jet Plane...but do know when I'll be back again :)

It is amazing to think that 8 months have already passed since the last time I was in Sierra Leone...and so much has changed since then! Two girls who had a seemingly impossible dream to empower and educate young people are well on their way to achieving that dream, and will be seeing it take root throughout the summer. First of all, I want to thank EVERYONE who has so graciously supported this dream of The People's Foundation in Sierra Leone. (For those of you who aren't familiar with our work, please see the website...

The People's Foundation for Sierra Leone Website


We were able to raise $4300 this year alone, which means between 4 and 5 youth will be receiving University Scholarships in September! What an incredible reality this dream is becoming. As I sit writing this, going over my checklist for my flight tomorrow, I am amazed at how good God is. Not only has he enabled me to travel to Sierra Leone for the past two years, and last year, to share my experiences with an amazing friend, but he has allowed the dream Katie and I had last year to become a reality - through hard work, loving support, and a firm foundation. I am excited to see what this summer has in store, and though I will certainly miss all of you in Canada who mean so very much to me, I am confident this summer will be an experience that will enable me to grow deeper in my relationship with God, and fully follow the will he has for me and Katie to do with this organization. Always remember that you are never too small or insignificant to make a difference - it only takes one rock dropped into an ocean to create a ripple. Who could have imagined that two Canadian girls with no real knowledge or experience other than their love for God could see a dream of empowerinf and educating youth become a reality? I certainly couldn't, but that's how great our God is. So although I am sad to be leaving Canada, I am thrilled to see what God has in store - and I am looking forward to spending the next week in England with Katie, the co-founder of this program, making our plans and goals for the summer. I love you all & will miss you all very much! Stay tuned for updates about our work - we will be arriving in Sierra Leone on May 13.

Much love,

Krissi