It is only a few weeks that I arrived to Sierra Leone but it feels if I have been here already for years. The journey was long and stressful; not only the elevated airport security measures drained me out, but the fact, that I didn’t have any idea where would I spent the night after my arrival. The original plan was that I would move as soon as possible to Makeni and settle down there, but the house that we rented was not ready yet, and the money for the work that we sent in advance didn’t arrive. So I guessed instead of going to Makeni I should spend some time in Freetown.

Trying  to overcome fear of the unknown  I meditated on  encouraging words of the Bible and deep in my soul I prayed again and again with the fragment of a song “Make this journey be a blessing…” I was sure that somebody would wait for me, if not at the airport at Lungi, than at the other end of the helicopter line, in Freetown. Just before I left Budapest, my supervisor from Detroit informed me that maybe Hans, the Dutch missionary would pick me up, though he was not sure about that. As I was waiting for my suitcase I wanted to give a call to Hans but my mobile phone didn’t work. Celtel, a Sierra Leonean telephone company disconnected my phone because of the five months inactivity.

I checked in at 5.30 AM at the airport in Budapest and arrived to Sierra Leone around 21 PM at local time. It was already 11 PM in Hungary so I was pretty tired. I had to wait long for my suitcase so I reached only the last helicopter. It was dark and raining when I arrived to Freetown, but I have seen from far that Hans was there.

He took me to EBM compound. I didn’t expect this because a few month ago it was said that the guesthouse would be occupied by a new missionary family from Norway and by two new German volunteer.  However, one of the German volunteer was not able to make the mission trip, so there was an extra room waiting for me; exactly the one where I slept a few months ago.

I was very thankful for Hans and his wife, Aisha that they “rescued” me and allowed me to stay with them though they were very busy with the new missionaries. Since I am not EBM missionary anymore I was not encouraged to participate in their activities. In this way I felt a little bit isolated but at least I had more time to prayer and preparing for the work.

Though it is raining almost every day the weather is pretty hot. In spite of that in a few days I became so sick, that I had to stay in room almost for a whole week.  No, it was not malaria, but  kind of flu; sneezing, coughing, running nose…I am much better now, thank God.

It is time to count my blessings as well…

Not only my suitcase, hand luggage and computer arrived together with me, but in a few days the “lost” money for the rent as well. The landlord now is busy renovating the house and I have a good hope that in a few weeks I can move there.

The car that I left in Freetown is still working though I had to have repaired a few things on it. The leader of the Bible Institute in Freetown and Gibril, the mechanic took good care of it.

The BBI in Freetown doing well, they just had a break but they will resume the lectures this week.

I already met the superintendent of the Makeni Baptist Area Association and sent with him the application forms for the next course of the Baptist Bible Institute (BBI) that we plan to start there. Next week I would like to visit them and meet the other pastors as well there.

Though one of the great supporters of the BBI in Makeni and assistant inspector general of the police a few days ago had a serious accident  he is quite well now and keeps his eyes on the renovation.

Knowing that I became sick Hans and Aisha immediately visited me and everybody at the compound came to tell me “osh”, that is the expression of their sympathy and the way of wishing speedy recovery. One of my old friends came to help me with cooking to make sure that I would have enough to eat.

Please, pray that I would gain back my health soon and the BBI could be started the work at Makeni. Pray for faithful and reliable coworkers, for good fellowship with the saints here, for lots of strength to overcome the hindrances. Most of all, for grace and heavenly protection of my life and ministry.