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