www.therainingseason.org

The Little Things

2012-02-21T15:01:00.003-06:00

Do you ever have those weekends you wanna capture in a collage of pictures, sporadically arrange them on a memory board and hang them on a wall. Not that the pictures showcase some big event or memory that needs to go down in the family history book... but it was the little things... maybe the sun that seemed to shine extra bright that Saturday morning... maybe it was the extra caramel in that Starbucks latte that made you close your eyes and savor that moment when your taste buds made you sigh and take in all that yumminess! Maybe you want to capture the silly banter between your children, the way they argue over the channel changer... maybe you notice that extra wrinkle on your husband's brow and realize it may be you that put it there :) Or was it Sunday morning, when you were getting ready, curling your hair... when you overheard your husband singing in the shower... and you find yourself smiling... the crazy part... you haven't smiled all week.... or maybe you heard your daughter singing quietly in the pew next to you in worship service.... her tiny voice resonating in your ears.... a sound you never ever want to go away...a moment in time you never want to forget.

I watched a movie with my mom and Kelly this last week called The Vow. It talked alot on the subject of moments.... how many moments in our lives shape us into who we are... and at the same time...one moment can change us forever. I've been thinking alot about this over the last few days. Naturally I think through this theory in the order of small moments...as we grow.... then some significant event... changing our life... good or bad. Think for a minute .... back on your life... I am certain we all have a few small "moments" that may have somehow shaped who we are. As an example... Here are some of mine...

1. My mom tells the story of the day she almost lost me at 2 years old. I was in an inner tube... in an apartment complex swimming pool. She was swimming next to me... and decided to go under the water to rinse her hair... when she came up... I was gone... She frantically began screaming my name...and quickly dove back underneath the water looking for me... she said that she found me standing firmly on the bottom of the pool with my eyes wide open holding my breath... just waiting... waiting for my rescue :) ... She will tell you this was where I learned "stubborness" I wasn't about to let that water get the best of me... even at 2 :)

2. I first learned I was "worth something" through the eyes of my father. Everytime I would sing in the car... he'd tell me to sing louder... and I would... Everytime I put on too much makeup... or went a little overboard as I tried to find myself growing up...He would always tell me how beautiful I looked... even if I was a terrible mess... His encouragement gave me self-esteem... self worth.

3. My grandpa let me sing into his recording machine when I was about 8 years old. This was when I learned I loved the microphone.

4. One college math class made me realize I would NEVER be an accountant.

5. My parents encouraged my love of music by giving me my first record when I was 6. Music is still my safe place today.

6. My first visit to St Jude's Research Hospital when I was 12 years old... opened my eyes to real pain the world.

I could go on and on..... I guess for me... the BIG moment that changed my life... that changed my course... was the adoption of my daughter... and now... again another life altering moment... the death of Adama... is changing my course again.

Im sure, like me, many of you have had many small moments shape you and shape your life.... I encourage you to sit down.. with a cup of coffee...and make a list.. It really is amazing to look back on your life...recalling all the moments....the big...the small....

Back to the theory... when I think about this... I look at our children and wonder how it really relates to them.... for them it seems as though it works backwards... or maybe we intervene so that the theory will apply at all.....

For our kids at The Covering... their life began with the BIG moment.... the catostrophic event that put their life into a new motion... an event that "changed" their course. Their hope for a future changed before their lives ever really began. What were those events you ask? Well.... losing their mother in childbirth... parents killed during the war... raped and traded for food... abandonment... the list goes on and on.

Now... they are in their season of restoration... their season of growth... Take a look at some their "moments"...

1. Some are learning how to do puzzles for the first time... at 10 years old.

2. They have learned to celebrate birthdays... They can now tell you how old they are... and they know what cake tastes like.

3. They give testimony... for EVERYTHING... They have learned to overcome fear and celebrate God's goodness.

4. They have discovered books... the beauty of reading. Problem is... they think EVERYTHING they read is true :) This has resulted in some heart to heart talks with our 12-16 year olds over the fact that Superman, Spiderman, and the Chipmunks are not real... and that our cars in America do not turn into robots :)

5. One of our children has been given a radio and some have received remote control cars... talk about FUN! Now they didn't last long... but oh the joy of watching our boys...experience toys... and cars... and wrecking and tearing them up....

Slowly.... our children are being given a gift... the ability to recreate their childhood... something that was stolen from them... little moments they were never given. Much like the woman in the movie "The Vow"... the woman who forgot all of her memories with her husband... our children never had any to begin with.... they were never given a stable environment to dream in, to be creative in, to get in trouble in...

These last few months have seemed like a fog for me in many ways... I guess this kind of work can do that to you sometimes... I'm sure most of our volunteers would agree that this work can be daunting...but even so... in the midst of it all... I am being reminded... we have been given the task to recreate life for children... to establish hope... I hope that one day... down the road... our children will be blogging on a computer... or standing on a stage.. or maybe just sitting at a kitchen table with their family... sharing not only the BIG moments that put them in a world of darkness... but that they will remember their sponsors...and the moments they were given while living under the roof of The Covering..... It may not be perfect... but it is beautiful... There are 92 children and 50+ staff that have changed my life with "moments" and smiles I will never forget... I only hope with God's help... the commitment of our sponsors...and perserverence..we can continue to change theirs....

Now for all of you... Go make a moment :)

Much love!

Erica

The word that makes us all cringe....

2012-01-31T09:06:00.002-06:00

Forgiveness…

It’s interesting the kind of emotions one word can stir up in a heart… You would think this word would bring to us fond memories of relationships restored, marriages saved, hearts that are happy. But often times…when this word finds it’s way to us through an article, a book, a blog, or the bible… it smacks us in the face with pain. Maybe because we have refused to offer it to someone in our lives, maybe because we have sought it from another and they have walked away, or maybe because we don’t believe it can fully restore not only a relationship but our own heart… so we hold it tight and we do not give it freely. This results in that heavy sigh we let out EVERYTIME we run into the road of forgiveness.

I put out a “disclaimer” a few days ago J So as I continue to blog be aware… I plan on being honest… I’m working towards living authentically…. Meaning I’m the first to share my insecurities and weaknesses. I hope at the end of the day If I see you at Target or the gas station you can still look me in the eyes … haha!

Ok back to “THE word”….

I think it’s safe to say that each one of us..at some point in our lives .. have put another person on the “grading scale” of forgiveness. Depending on the “sin” and the type of pain they poured upon you… determines the level, or amount of forgiveness we are willing to give. You know what I’m talking about… the “ I forgive but I wont forget” kind… or the “I’ll forgive you but it’s gonna take years to build back my trust”… or how about this one… “I can’t forgive until they apologize”…. We forgive with condition…

Another dangerous road in the forgiveness journey is the path that results in never being the first to say we are “sorry”… Ya know the conversation where you admit you were both wrong but you never actually say the words… you never ask for the “pardon”. Most of the words that come from our mouth are reasons for our mistakes, excuses for our feelings. Admission to many of us is a sign of weakness…

You may be wondering what any of this has to do with TRS….

I can remember the first time I saw TRUE forgiveness in action. The kind without condition, the kind that holds no record of wrong.

There is a brother and sister that live in our center. I won’t say their names as I hope to protect their privacy… but they were 10 and 7 when they came to live at The Covering. You could tell they had a deep love for one another. They never left each others sight. When I got their background information, I sat in my office and cried. The abuse they had endured was more than my heart and head could process. Their mother sacrificed their innocence for food, their future for immediate necessities. They were left alone most of the time while she spent her days and nights with men… trying to make a buck. Take note…the mother had not always been this way. For the first several years of their life, the children had both a mother and a father… they lived in a family. After their father died, their mother began walking a dark road…and the children were forced to live with those consequences.

I remember meeting these children for the first time thinking… “Wow, how will they ever recover… talk about needing therapy, counseling… how will they ever get past what she has done to them.”

About a year later I was visiting the center… sitting outside in the courtyard watching the kids playing soccer. It was a Sunday afternoon, Visitation Day. One by one, very sporadically…. A birth parent or relative, would walk through the gates, sign in with the guard, and wait patiently, as their child made their way to the bench under the tree for their monthly visit. This was the day I saw the beauty of forgiveness in action.

A small-framed, thin, but beautiful woman walked through the gate. You could tell she was shy, and very uncertain of herself. She signed in and sat down. Her hands carefully made their way to her lap as she pressed and smoothed out her dress..nervously repositioning her head wrap, a sad expression across her face. She sat there for about 10 minutes as I watched her from afar… not knowing who she was at the time. Then from across the yard, I saw them…. the children… sibling 1 and 2… came barreling down the stairs… ran across the concrete… barefoot and smiling from ear to ear… as they threw their arms around her they almost knocked her right off the bench. As they embraced the woman cried tears… the silent kind, .. the "big enough to fill an ocean" kind..rocking back and forth… with that relieved smile etched across her face.

My first initial thought was “What the heck!” Do they realize who they are hugging? Do they remember what that woman has done to them, how she almost ruined their lives?.” I need to send her away… they don’t need to see her… it will destroy the progress that has been made in their restoration. They don’t need to recall those memories”….

What a jerk huh. It was at that moment God smacked me in the face with THE word. F.O.R.G.I.V.E.N.E.S.S

I felt him reprimand me as he made it clear to me…part of their healing process is to accept the power of forgiveness… not only for their heart … but for hers.

I cannot restore a broken heart, and honestly neither can he… if we don’t let forgiveness in and if we refuse to give it away. I guess that is where our will and choice comes in.

Watching those children embrace their hurt, embrace their mother, and let it all go… ALL at the same time.. with no condition… knowing very shortly she would walk out of their lives again.. reminded me of my own insecurities and hurts I have held so tightly to..and how important it is that I learn a lesson from these beautiful children… It was time I thought and acted as a child again…it was time I let him stitch the scars in my heart and more importantly, realize the scars I have given others.

One of my hopes for this year, 2012, is that I keep no record of wrongs, and that I can embrace those who have hurt me. I also pray I can make right the relationships that have suffered along the way. I want to model the faith and love the children of Sierra Leone have showed me. I realize it’s ok to admit we all have those strained relationships in our lives. After all we are human.

I thought about ending this blog with a scripture on forgiveness.. or some famous quote… but do we even really need that? We have heard them all before and still it hasn’t moved us all to action everytime we hurt another….I mean isn’t it obvious that forgiveness has to be part of the human equation if we are to finish the race of life well?

Instead I will end with this…

As I have written this blog…I am overwhelmed with the loss of one of my dearest loves… and while I will not name who it is or what our relationship is.. I will say out loud… in the middle of the blogosphere… that I love you… I forgive you…and above all...I hope you will forgive me.

Grief.

2012-01-27T10:20:00.001-06:00

Before I begin.. I should probably give a disclaimer to cover this entire blog from here on out... I have remained silent for some time on some of the journey we have experienced in Sierra Leone... mostly to protect the hearts and faith of others... or so that was my excuse... Trying to only encourage with each word spoken publicly... however, I have been in a place of stirring recently... knowing I am being called to tell the WHOLE story.... to be the voice of injustice... no matter what. In this fight there is no room for tact... for sugar coating the obvious.. the act of "sweeping things under the rug" is why our world is in the shape it's in... Soooooo.. having said that, you now have a disclaimer... and I have held myself accountable to share the whole story... no matter how much it hurts me to recall it.... and you, the reader, can keep reading... or you can turn your eyes toward an easier blog to swallow. Please do not misunderstand... this will continue to be a place of joy as we watch our children grow... and rejoice in restoration of the orphan... but I think it's important we share just how hard this journey really is.

Now for today's blog :)

Grief. It's debilitating. Grief. It throws you somewhere between moving on and the memory of what was. That space that seems somewhat like an abandoned field.. there you are... alone... traces of a battle lie all around... flashbacks in your head of what occurred.. you are standing smack dab in the middle of what remains...and everywhere you turn looks the same.. no way out.. just an empty field that goes on and on...

Grief. Nomatter what the situation.. regardless of the reason for the grief... it rocks your core... noone is immune... it is no respecter of age, race, or sex. It can hit anyone..at anytime...and most often you never see it coming. Once it grips you... wriggling from within it's grasp.. is almost impossible.

Before Sierra Leone I'm not sure I would have agreed that some reasons for grief are worse than others.. I think I would have just assumed that all grief is the same... no matter the reason behind it... it's a response to a tragedy or possibly a heartbreak. Nomatter what causes it..grief is grief...it is what it is...

I can remember just like it was yesterday.. getting the call on Thanksgiving Day that my grandmother had been killed in a car accident. The shock of that news... watching my father deal with the loss of his mother... it was almost too much for me at that age. I experienced for the first time what it felt like to lose someone you love without warning... I can remember thinking and even telling others over the years... that losing someone suddenly was probably the worst type of grief you could ever experience.. there is no preparing the heart... it just hits... like a tornado in the middle of the night... you never knew what was coming or what kind of mess it would leave behind.... When you are forced to look at the remains of your heart... when you assess the damage .. you begin to realize ... "Wow... a freak accident... no way to prevent it.. nothing we could have done to stop it... it just... happened".

Years later, after my first few years in Nashville, I lost one of my closest friends to cancer. Sometimes when I walk down my hall I get flashbacks of the moment I got the call... I can remember sliding down the wall... tears falling and letting out a cry that came from a place inside I didn't know existed. You see I knew that one was coming... After you see someone suffer for so long.. you almost long for their release. "God take them now... please do not allow them to suffer a minute longer." But how many of us are really prepared for that moment when the whole world stands still as the person you love takes their last breath. Thankfully, the day of her funeral, I also had my first session with one of the biggest songwriters of our time... Pat Alger... he walked me through the loss, using the art of songwriting... this is when I learned the importance of processing grief.

After experiencing the loss of my friend Elaine, I felt her loss may have been easier than the sudden loss I had experienced years earlier.... we all had a chance to say our goodbyes, once the reality sunk in... knowing she was out of pain and in the arms of her maker... seemed to ease the loss.. But then again, who was I really kidding... I quickly took on the opinion that all grief was the same.... no matter the circumstance. It hurts... we bleed... it leaves permanent scars.

Then I began working in Sierra Leone.

I have now learned and taken the strong opinion... that all grief is not the same.. I was wrong... I was wrong because I was inexperienced in the sufferings of the world... I guess God decided to give me a taste of his grief.. and he showed me a glimpse of it using "loss due to injustice" as his example.

I have watched children... of bones... little flesh... die right in front of my eyes. They had no last words, only sucking noises, one of the last sign of starvation. I have seen birthmothers collapse in the hospital floor ..broken... weeping over the loss... not only because it was her child.. but because it was her 3rd, 4th, or 5th child that she has buried. You see starvation is a senseless way to die... a preventable death is something you just cannot swallow. It's haunting..especially when you witness it in person.

I look at our last year... When we lost Little Q... if he had been in the states... he would still be here. He had a cold.. and was premature... that's it. But in Sierra Leone it was his death sentence.

Then I think about Adama... again not ready to share this story... but her death screamed injustice ... yet her story was buried in field along the highway.... her loss has been more than I can bear. The grief... comes daily as I think about the injustice that imposed itself upon our family... that took her from this world... It is sickening to me.

Most recently Aunty Jeneba... a sudden loss... again had she been in a waiting room in the US she would already be home... recovered from her infection. Planning her son's next school year... her daughter's wedding. Instead, she was laid to rest yesterday. Her family left with nothing... our center left in anguish as our children face another loss in their life.

When the team left last week I was scared for them. I knew it would be a very difficult trip. They were coming in at a very difficult time... they would be seeing the loss, the grief... firsthand. I wanted so badly to shield them from it. To protect them... to prevent them from experiencing the grief... the pain of injustice.

God made it clear to me that was not my job... in fact I would be hindering his work. I knew he had called each one of them by name.. for this moment.. and he would walk the road with them... giving them every tool they would need to wrap their arms around the pain and embrace the hearts of those that were suffering.

At this moment they are on a ferry... heading back to the airport... to get on a plane that will take them back to their homes... and Im sure that plane is quite a bit heavier as these passengers bring home the burdens of what they have seen and a heart that has grown... And while I wish they could have been protected... it's their experience that will now help ease the burden that TRS faces everyday.

Ya know...I hear advocates, adoptive parents, and other organizations screaming from facebook on a daily basis ... pushing their agenda on what the world should be doing about hunger, the orphan, poverty... the list goes on and on.. If I'm completely honest.. I am sure at times I was one of them. There is a deep frustration you feel when you experience all this first hand and the majority of the world turns away and pretends it doesn't exist. BUT... I now realize it takes time... if someone turns away from this story... from the injustice that plagues millions... it's only because their heart is not ready.. and that is a journey between them and God... When their heart is ready... God will call them... and they will step forward.. because they will realize it's time to help carry the burden... living for themselves will no longer be enough... but until then... it's not our responsibility... my charge is to tell the story... to present the facts.. and though l've shared with you ways you can change the world along the way... the rest will be up to you.

I do believe that as we work together.. the grief will be easier to bear... while it will never dissipate...working together gives us the strength to continue... a community to share the journey with... Once we all get "home"... I'm sure all the grief will be replaced with the presence of God and the burdens we have helped him carry will all make sense.

Please know I am not discounting any grief... in any form... just addressing the different kinds... and hopefully encouraging some to do what they can to prevent the grief that we can control... just by giving a little of what we have...to someone who has not...

I also want to encourage you to reach out to those who grieve... it can be a very dark and lonely road...it is not temporary... it will remain etched in their heart.. but sharing the journey with another does make the trip easier...

And for those of you grieving today...remember... when we grieve... he also grieves... and if he seems silent in the midst of your tears.. it is most likely because his tears are falling too.

Erica

A Place of Rest

2012-01-26T15:32:00.000-06:00

Today was the funeral for our dear Auntie Jeneba. The entire TRS staff, 60 of the TRS children and several U.S. team members attended the service and burial. I spoke with Kelly and Lori and they honestly had very few words to describe the day other than, "It was very hard"..."It was a beautiful service" and "It is just the beginning of the grieving process for our kids".

Rest in peace sweet Jeneba...you will always be in our hearts and never forgotten...

Counting Stock

2012-01-24T06:03:00.002-06:00

I was recently given some really good advice… I was told that when all is dark, and your failures and losses are giants looming over your shoulder.. take stock… count the times God has shown up…you may be surprised….So I decided to take that challenge… God knows loss and grief has kept a tight grip on my heart over these last 6 months.

In my everyday life… I hate numbers.. My son will tell you that math is my least favorite part of homeschool.. my husband will tell you I'm not so good with the checkbook….Ive never been interested looking at numbers on a daily basis… I'm sure many of you can relate! It’s funny how life works.. little did I know that when TRS began we would be staring numbers squarely in the face EVERYDAY.

The group of us that give our time to orphan care everyday are faced with all kinds of numbers, variables, and equations….. It started with looming statistics…. 163 million orphans… 350K+ live in SL.. less than 1800 are safe in care centers. The majority of care centers are operating in deplorable conditions…3 out of 5 children do not reach their 5^th birthday in SL…no wait… now it’s 4 out of 5… whewwwww okay this year we are back to 3 out of 5…making progress…

These numbers kept many of us awake at night… You see they were more than numbers …to him they were more valuable than that…

In 2009 we took the plunge…. Fought for 86 children living in an exploitation ring… only rescued 5… painful….heart breaking… yet redemption for those 5… a gift that’s irreplaceable…. A beautiful restoration, God allowed us to see from the front lines..

By December 2009 we had 53 children in our center and 30+ staff… this computes to 53 children rescued, 30 jobs provided, 30 families that can feed their children… 120+ children whose parents now have work in a country where 80 percent are unemployed.…

Slowly the numbers began to rise…our first mission team traveled… 7 of us… the next team…. 14…

In 2010 our center was turned upside down by a ferry accident that claimed hundreds of lives… resulting in dozens of families who lost their fathers and their children. After that accident our center grew from 53 to 85 Our staff grew from 30 to 40+…which included our first American missionary, Cari Logan. This means an additional 32 kids were given hope and 48 more people were directly affected by receiving a job … resulting in food and education…a future….

Today our center is home to 92 kids, serves as an emergency shelter to children who are recovered from being trafficked, and provides jobs to 60 staff and children… this computes to 352 adults and children whose lives are counted… who have been given hope and who have a future.

Now many of you may be wondering what any of this has to do with the current team on the ground…

Lets keep going… just stick with me…

In 2010 we sent 14 people to SL. Those 14 returned with a passion and heart set to spread the word… In 2011 the number of travelers grew to 121… Those 121 reached the heart of SL through their service and commitment… they not only loved on our children but fed more than 8000 people throughout the year, and shared the hope of Christ to hundreds. Those 121 returned and shared the stories of our children… increased our sponsorship support by more than 200% and through their support… provided a larger building for our growing family. In 2011 we also gained the support of 7 churches and had hundreds of thousands of meals delivered to our door from Kids Against Hunger.

This brings me to today….

As of now we have sponsors in at least 25 states… We have 95 travelers scheduled to land on African soil before July 1^st… 125 acres of land …. And the dream to create an orphan village …. Bringing hope to a new community and becoming home to 120 more children. The wells on our new property … will bring clean water to over 1500 people.

At this very moment we have a missionary family on the ground…18 travelers on the ground… who have just delivered food to 41 families in the outside community… they have delivered formula to dozens…women whose children are dying in a local “nutritional” unit for the malnourished. Tomorrow they step foot through the doors of the youth detention center… and will look into the eyes of broken abused children… Some out there may ask WHY? Why waste time in a unit or a hospital where the kids wont come out… Isn't that a waste of resources… to that I will carefully swallow…take a deep breath and respond by saying this…

Our charge as human beings… as believers.. is to share love and give what we have to the lost and dying world… the ultimate goal is Heaven… this life is fleeting… just a speck on the timeline God has for us… So we better make it count… and love those who are still here… even in their last breath.

I count the minutes till I’m able to talk to the team… count the days till I hear the voices of my children over skype…and pray for strength beyond their reach as the team continues their journey…

This “Counting Stock” is not at all meant to discount our losses… they follow us everyday… there is a darkness when fighting injustice.. even pure evil that threatens our own faith… our own lives…

This brings me to 3… lives lost along the journey…. Little Q, Aunty Jeneba….

And now 1…. My precious Adama…. I plan to share with you her journey but until those words come I will leave you with this…

Don’t ever believe 1 life… cant change the course for thousands… Adama proved she could…and she did. So can you.

Auntie Jeneba's Legacy

2012-01-14T14:53:00.000-06:00

Today I had a long conversation with Quami. I have been feeling so grieved at the loss of Auntie Jeneba and it is so hard to be here when our staff and children are so deeply grieving such a tremendous loss at our center.

Quami shared that the younger girls who were really close to Auntie Jeneba have been afraid at night and grieving the loss deeply. The staff are all also feeling the loss and there has been a clear shift at the center. A center that is usually full of laughter, smiles and pure joy is now a home where a family is bonded together as they experience the pain of loosing a dear family member. Quami stated that things are very somber and quiet.

Yesterday, Quami, Osseh and Mohamed went to visit Auntie Jeneba's home and the children she left behind. They reported that Auntie Jeneba was 46 years old and left behind 3 children. When the children were young, their father who was an alcoholic abandoned Jeneba and the children. Her story of bringing up her 3 children, her faith in Jesus Christ and service to others was remarkable....

Her oldest son, Augusin is 21 years old. Auntie Jeneba was so proud that she was able to save enough money to pay his first semester of college fees from the money she earned at TRS. Based on her salary from TRS, I am amazed that she was able to pull enough money together to pay his first semester. Quami shared with me that some of our staff had actually helped her by giving some of their personal funds to help. Augustin wants to be an accountant and is currently attending the IPAM University. He is currently a member of Christian Youth Fellowship and a devoted Christ follower. He is referred to as a promising child.

Rebecca Brima is her middle child and is 17 years old. She has finished high school and is awaiting entrance into Fourbay College. She wants to study economics. Again, I am amazed that Auntie Jeneba was able to fund her education to the point where she is ready to attend college. Rebecca's concern and worry at this time is how she will pay for college now that her mom is gone.

The youngest child, Josephine is currently attending Anni-Walsh Secondary School and is in Senior Secondary 1 Class. Quami described her as a member of her church choir and a devoted Christian with great potential. She is feeling the loss of her mother most deeply.

Quami was overwhelmed when he went to Auntie Jeneba's home to visit the family. He was taken back at the living conditions the family was experiencing. Her home was extremely small with her grown children, a sister and Auntie Jeneba all living under the same roof. He could not imagine that 4-5 grown people are all living in such a small space.

Quami also mentioned that when he met the children, Augusin was wearing a pair of flip flops that were completely worn and unacceptable as footwear. He was so grieved to learn what some of our staff are dealing with after they leave our center and return home. He offered to bring Augustin some of his own clothes to help him.

I honestly had the same reaction when I saw the photo of Jeneba's home. It astounded me even more to learn that all of Jeneba's children are fully educated regardless of their obstacles. I wonder how they study once the sun goes down...how did they buy school supplies if they couldn't afford a pair of shoes?

I learned that Jeneba had a small business of her own in addition to her job as a caregiver. She made gari, which is somewhat like rice and a by-product of cassava. Gari is a popular food. Quami said that she provided the gari to the center every Saturday as a special meal for the kids. She also gave gari to all the staff that were in need and allowed them to pay her when they could.

I think of the constant joy that Jeneba had every time I saw her at the center. She was always laughing, smiling, joyful and interacting with the children. She never seemed bitter or angry that she spent her days working in a place where our kids never go without...food, clothing, medical care, education, toys...only to go home to a place where her biological children have to go without every day. She was joyful about giving herself to our children at TRS each day she worked. I never saw a day where she was not smiling.

I am amazed at the strong leaders in Christ she was raising given her circumstances. She should be so proud of her children. When I read through her staff profile, it stated that her dream was "to see all of my children educated". I pray that during her last hours as she began to realize her time has come to see the face of Jesus, that she had some peace in knowing that she was part of a great family of Christian believers with TRS. I hope she had some kind of peace in knowing that TRS will not leave her children alone...they are part of us and we will continue to care for them in her place.

If you are interested in sponsoring the school fees to help Auntie Jeneba's children continue in the legacy that their mother began in their lives please contact us at tina@therainingseason.org

Rebecca, Josephine and Augustin

May you rest in the glory of Jesus Christ, Auntie Jeneba

2012-01-12T21:36:00.003-06:00

Auntie Jeneba, doing what she loved...

By: Jen Diers, Mother to Lucy

I sat on the edge of my bed. The kids were on the bus, Doug was working on his computer downstairs. My freshly brewed coffee with just a touch of Nestle's Peppermint Mocha cream was steaming on the little green table beside my bed. As I lifted the mug and took a sip, the words on the page soaked into my heart, into my soul, into my being:

"Let me prepare you for the day that stretches out before you. I know exactly what this day will contain, whereas you have only vague ideas about it."

Hmmm...my heart skipped a bit of a beat. I don't know what today will bring. I can fill my date book, chalk it up on our family chalkboard and plan ahead, but in reality I have no idea what lies ahead. The thought brought me excitement and fear all in one.

"Amma" Lucy's sweet little voice from the stairs below jolted me out of my devotional time.

"Ok Lord, here we go...you know what today will bring, I do not. My trust is in You."

The subject line just eeked of bad news...actually that was the subject line: "BAD NEWS".

I actually took a moment and opened three other emails before I had the guts to open that one.

It was from my friend Tina and I just knew it wasn't going to be good. She's not the type of person to just throw around that heading without having just cause.

"We received word today that Aunty Jenneba, one of Lucy's caregivers, died last night. She was scheduled to have surgery next week for an ovarian cyst, but developed a fever last night and died. She leaves a son who was to begin college next week and possibly other children."

Yep, the devo nailed it...I had no idea what today would bring.

My heart flooded with emotions. I opened the picture and remembered the day it was taken. It was our final goodbye at the orphanage. Lucy was dressed in her favorite pj's ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime, ready to leave the center and board the plane to America with me. Aunty Jenneba wrapped Lucy in her arms, hugged her and began to cry. I knew she was joyful at the prospect of Lucy's new life and yet she grieved over the loss of the little one she had cared for every day since her arrival at the center. On that day, in that moment, my heart and mind wondered "why me?" Why had God chosen me?

Again today, I come to that place. "Why me?" Why do I get to live in America, with open hospitals and qualified doctors? Why do I get so much when so many others get so little? Why does a woman like Jenneba, who has the same deep, embedded faith in our Savior die from a preventable disorder, and yet I get to live? "Why me Lord? Why me?"

Today when the news came, my heart was hurt. I cried out for her children, now also left to be known as "orphans". I cried out for our children, those at the center whom she loved and cared for. I cried out for her co-workers. Women of faith who despite having an abiding love in our Lord, must be wondering when God will hear their cries and send someone to help. I simply cried.

You see, this woman...AUNTY JENNEBA...well, she bathed my baby. She fed her and clothed her. She did all the things that today God has allowed me to do. It's just emails like the one about Jenneba...someone I have hugged, someone who cared for my baby girl, someone who cried out in grief knowing that Lucy was going to a better place but missing her in her heart before we even left the center...well, when I hear she has died due to something as simple as a cyst...it just hits me all over again.

And this my friends... this is why I fight. This is why I will never let the country or the people of Sierra Leone leave my heart. This is why I have become known as the "woman who won't stop talking about Africa".

This is why ... because Aunty Jenneba...well, Aunty Jenneba...she was our sister!

"Let me prepare you for the day that stretches out before you. I know exactly what this day will contain, whereas you have only vague ideas about it."

Exodus 33:14

The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

My ONE Story

2012-01-11T12:26:00.000-06:00

This is a story that was written by one of the TRS sponsors,

Rachel Britz from St. Peter, MN

Stories inspire us, teach us, move us. We have all experienced a time or two in our lives when that ONE story was so overwhelming, filled with such a powerful emotional feeling, that the yearning in our gut shook us and caused a movement unparalleled to anything we have ever known.

About two years ago our family began sponsoring a child from The Raining Season. His name is Musa and he is 8 years old. Like most child sponsorship experiences we first received a picture. Standing in my kitchen, I devoured every detail of this picture. From his smooth skin, to the color of his shirt, I just waited for the story in his eyes to leap into my heart. We tacked the picture to our fridge and thanked God for the privilege to be a part of this boy’s life.

A short while later I received a notification informing us that we could have the opportunity to Skype our sponsored child from Sierra Leone, Africa. All we had to do was sign-up. For those unfamiliar with Skype, it is basically an online application that allows you to dial in (make a phone call) from your computer to another computer. It's like having a live conversation along with live streaming video to the person on the other end of the line. Absolutely techno-amazing! From America to Africa I set up our first Skype session on a morning the kids would be home from school. I was tickled. My children were clueless.

Then came Skype day. Sitting at our kitchen table we met face to face with a little boy on the other side of the world. It was Musa. We watched him blink and breath and smile. His face was so timid yet he was so alive. During our time with him he showed us pictures he drew in school. He spoke in English. He told us that his favorite color is blue and that he likes to play ball. Even through broken sentences, a story, a life was being put together through the fragment of time we shared. In a short 20 minutes, our time was coming to a close. We waved good-bye, grinning from ear to ear. Then, in those last seconds Musa leaned into the camera and clearly said, "I love you!"

And that's when it happened, my heart shattered into a million pieces. Love sorta does that do you, especially when it’s staring you right in the face. It comes in softly and unexpectedly sweeps you off your feet. Sending $40 a month to help pay for an orphaned child's basic needs and schooling is one thing. An opportunity to look into the eyes of some ONE God has given you the privilege to cover is completely overwhelming. So that's my ONE story. What is yours?

Musa, the Britz's Sponsored Child

The Britz Children

September Team Recap!

2011-10-14T17:35:00.001-05:00

Our most recent team to travel has been home for almost two weeks now. The team was so amazing while in Sierra Leone and continues to support one another during the tough times that come from returning.

The team painted the center giving it a brighter, fresher look.

The team donated school supplies for the school at Bomeh.

The teacher and one of the students at the Bomeh school.

The team wrapped all of the Christmas presents for the children and filled Christmas gift bags for the staff.

The team delivered food, water and blankets to the children’s hospital.

This girl, age 11, is taking care of her baby brother while her mother (pictured above) is at the hospital with her other brother. She stayed outside the hospital and watched through the window.

The team visited the secondary school that our children attend. They were able to talk to the head master, the teachers and other students.

The team took the children out for ice cream on Lumley Beach. They got to run and play and eat ice cream outside of the center.

The team got to go to the beach with the children and the staff! There was a dance party, swimming, playing…just a joyful day!

The team was able to love on the children, to experience unconditional love of God through our amazing children and our staff!

The Ticking of the Sierra Leone Clock

2011-09-23T18:34:00.001-05:00

After spending most of the summer in Sierra Leone, it has been a whirlwind since I have been back in the states. There is fundraising, policy writing, board meetings, budgets, staff needs, marketing and day to day communication that seems to flood my desk.

Today, however, something crossed my path from my computer screen that reminded me of the urgency and calling to serve the most vulnerable children in Sierra Leone. It was a photo of a 4-year-old girl named Jenneba. Jenneba lived at our children's home for only a few months in 2010. Her father died in the boat accident that claimed the lives of over 200 people and the parents of over 30 children who are now part of the TRS family and living at The Covering. In March of 2010, Jenneba was brought to us in desperate need of care under the consent of her mother.

Only a month after her arrival, a relative uncle who lived in the Freetown area, was made aware of Jenneba's move to our facility. Without asking questions or becoming educated about our programs, he made the assumption that our only purpose in wanting to care for his niece was to sell her into some form of child slavery. Because he was the oldest of the family, it was his decision that Jenneba should return to Shenge to be with her mother who had recently become a widow. Jenneba's mother had no choice but to take her daughter home and try to provide for her.

Unfortunately, this decision would become a fatal one for Jenneba as she passed away from a "cold or fever" a few months ago. Jenneba is now part of the "1 out of every 4 children die in Sierra Leone before the age of 5" statistic. I pulled her photograph out of my intake files after I learned about her death and saved her photo onto my desktop a few months ago to remind myself of why we do this work.

As I came across her sweet face again today, it made me stop and set aside all the clutter on my desk for just a moment...to remember that each day, children in Sierra Leone die unnecessarily...that due to a lack of education decisions are made that are sometimes fatal...that women live without a voice and cannot give a voice to their children by advocating on their behalf...that a future and plan from God to live a life serving Jesus Christ can be taken away through a freedom that God always gives each of us...freedom to choose. God tired to save Jenneba through The Raining Season but it was a choice by her uncle that kept her from that chance at life.

The choice that Jenneba's uncle made is not all that different then the choices we all have the opportunity to make each day...we can choose to move and make a difference...or we can choose to stand by and do nothing. Are our daily choices all that different from the lack of education Jenneba's uncle used to make his decision to send her back to her village? The clock is ticking in the lives of these children...there is not time to waste...when we waste time, lives are counted and lost.

Jenneba's photo will be a lasting reminder to me that the clock is ticking...Tina

Home

2011-08-29T13:40:00.004-05:00

definition...

Home |hom|

1. the physical structure with which one lives

2. place of unconditional love and safety

3. an environment offering security, affection and happiness

4. a covering, a place of secure shelter

5. an endearing place to rest your heart

6. a dwelling place together with the family or social unit that occupies it

It has been 2 years since The Raining Season opened its doors and by God’s grace, a children’s home called The Covering was born. The Covering is now home to over 90 children and countless others who live in the community outside our gate. There is what we refer to in Sierra Leone, a “TRS family” that dwells within. This is a family that depends on our home.

The TRS family members consist of and consider us to be home in the following ways:

Over 90 orphaned children living at our center are learning what a true home looks like and what family really means.

Home…the physical structure with which one lives; place of unconditional love and safety.

57 staff members like our Social Worker, Mohamed and his family find home in TRS. The salary they earn brings security and a sense of belonging to their family.

Some of the TRS Staff celebrating new uniforms.

Home…an environment offering security, affection and happiness.

Neighbors in the community like this mother of twin girls who is unable to care for her children as her husband has abandoned them. Now Pastor Daniel who ministers to her and her children welcomes them into the TRS family bonded by Jesus Christ. This woman needs a home where she will be welcomed into for assistance with clothing, food or medical care.

This is a girl from the neighborhood that comes to TRS regularly with her siblings for a meal.

Her hair color of orange and her decayed teeth are signs of significant malnourishment.

Regardless of her physical appearance, her eyes sparkle and her soul screams out for the love of

Jesus Christ.

Home…a covering, a place of secure shelter.

Mothers who wait at the children’s hospital only to watch their children die because they do not have enough food...they have found a place into our hearts and mission. These women are given not only food and other assistance but are given a home within the hearts of TRS as United States team members, TRS staff and TRS children invite them in on a regular basis through ministry and prayer.

Fatmata, one of the children who has made her home living at The Covering with TRS makes regular visits to the local children's hospital to pray over and minister to the sick children. After this day, she begged the TRS Executive Director to bring this sick child into our center and even offered to give up her bed for this little girl. This little girl will forever be in the heart of Fatmata.

Home…an endearing place to rest your heart

Adults and children in the community who attend the TRS church are learning the gospel through Pastor Daniel have found a place in the TRS home as part of the TRS church family. They count on Pastor Daniel’s weekly bible study groups throughout the community.

Quami, TRS Country Director is ministering to children in the community during a feeding program.

Home…a dwelling place together with the family or social unit that occupies it.

As you can see, there are orphaned children, struggling mothers and lost souls who need to hear the Word of God who not only count on our presence in the community for food, shelter and other assistance but who also are learning the real meaning of “home” and how that relates to the love of Christ.

CLICK HERE to watch how the TRS Home has changed lives

Our lease is once again due. The annual lease payment is $34,000 and because of the gifts of faithful donors, we have already raised $19,000 but as of today we are still $15,000 short. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift designated to the TRS Home Fund before September 19^th.

Click Here to make a tax deductible donation to the TRS Home Fund

SPONSORSHIP CONTEST!

2011-08-18T17:32:00.001-05:00

We love our sponsors and we know our sponsors love our kids! To show our appreciation to you for continuing to raise awareness and help us grow, we are having a sponsorship contest!

Interested in getting our newest TRS baseball t-shirt for free? Get 3 new sponsorships and it's yours for free! These can be through one or many people.

Want something more, something unique from Sierra Leone for free? We have this beautiful Sierra Leonean quilt and the new t-shirt free for the first person to get 10 new sponsorships!

Just send an email to info@therainingseason.org if you are interested or for more inforamation.

Donate to TRS with Everyday Purchases!

2011-08-16T18:40:00.000-05:00

I just discovered this amazing new website called "Give Back" that allows you to donate to any charity through regular everyday purchases. You start by creating your own foundation. Basically, you set up your foundation which is completely free then after you are set up, you choose the charity of your choice (TRS is of course a listed charity). Now, you will be ready to fund your foundation...this is the GREAT part...you can fund your foundation with your own personal funds BUT you can also fund your foundation by making online purchases. There are over 450 retailers listed on the website that will give you back up to 30% of your total purchase to give away through your foundation. Retailers like Target, Sams Club, Gap...each of them has a different percentage they will donate back to your foundation but it could add up really fast if we are all making an effort to do our online purchases through this website. This is SUCH an easy way for all of us to help the children in Sierra Leone! Please sign up and let me know when you do. I would love to see if this is something that could catch on. Click here to get started Give Back. If you have questions, you can email me tina@therainingseason.org

The Pain and Tears that God's Work Can Bring

2011-08-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

Sunday began as any other day for our family at The Covering in Sierra Leone but soon turned into a heartbreaking day for everyone.

I need to back up to late June...

In late June, the TRS Country Director, Quami was with our visiting team at a hospital in the city of Moyamba which is close to our new land project. During that visit, one of the attending nurses told him about a newborn boy who had lost his mother during childbirth. The father had taken off and abandoned the baby. This baby was very premature and weighed about 2.5 pounds but he was eating on his own and was clearly just like Quami...a fighter. Without hesitation and without seeing the baby boy, Quami immediately told the nurse that he wanted to be his adoptive father. He stated to her "That is my son."

After speaking to his wife, Madonna and getting the consent from the living birth relatives and social welfare, 2 weeks later, Quami and Madonna were officially parents to the sweet little boy they called "Little Q". Quami's dear friend, Osseh drove them to Moyamba to bring the sweet baby home. Quami and Madonna had spent several years praying desperately to become parents. Two people who have dedicated their entire lives to saving, rescuing, caring for and restoring orphaned children in Sierra Leone would finally have a son to bear their name. This was an answered prayer for each of them and the joy they felt was contagious.

Quami shared a story of how he and Madonna spent time rearranging and cleaning their home in preparation for the new arrival. Quami even refused to keep his shoes in the bedroom because he wanted Little Q to only have the freshest of air to breathe. As he shared this story, he told a group of us about how Madonna teased him about his obsession to make everything perfect for Little Q and I couldn't help but hear the absolute joy in his voice over becoming a father.

After Little Q's arrival, there were many doctor visits to always be sure he was healthy. Quami had 2 family members helping them with the round-a-clock feeding schedule of every 2 hours. They were watching over Little Q every minute of every day. He was eating well and gaining weight with each passing week. Quami and Madonna were overjoyed at the blessing they had been given and were truly incredible parents.

Even with the best of care, tragedy will still be part of Sierra Leone. I am deeply saddened to share that Little Q was taken home to his savior, Jesus Christ on Sunday evening. It was not expected and came as a complete surprise to the entire family.

When I spoke with Quami today, he wept. He shared how blessed he and Madonna felt to have been part of Little Q's life. He talked about the joy Little Q brought to them and that he knew God had a plan in all of this and even with all this grief, they were grateful to be used by Him. We talked about some upcoming schedule commitments that I had offered to postpone. He refused the postponement because he has a deep need to continue the work for the children of his country and to postpone would only keep more children without families for a longer period of time. It would be unnatural for Quami to put himself before the need of a child. He is an amazing man who has surrendered his entire life to the work of the Lord.

I think of Little Q if God had not brought Quami and Madonna to be his parents. He would have lived his entire life in a hospital with a nursing staff. He would have died alone. Instead, God found Quami and Madonna...two people who were willing to say "yes" to His calling. So God brought Little Q into a loving home where he was held, monitored and nurtured 24/7. He got to experience the true love of Jesus Christ through his parents. Rather then dying alone he died knowing what true love, joy and peace really meant because his parents showed it to him daily. He went straight from the arms of his mother to the arms of Jesus and never missed a single moment of pure love. There is no greater gift that Quami and Madonna could have given to this precious child.

My heart is aching today for Quami and Madonna as I sit here in Minnesota. It was only a week ago that Erica, Hayley and myself boarded a plane and left Sierra Leone. We left behind a man who was overjoyed to finally be a father. We left a country where children die every day but I honestly never thought that Little Q would be one of them. I will say with confidence that this is a child who will never be forgotten. His parents are each such a blessing to this world that I cannot begin to describe and they will hold Little Q in their hearts forever. Their faith and trust in Jesus and commitment to serving Him no matter how painful it may be is humbling to me each time I am in their presence.

I look forward to the day when we as a TRS family all sing praises together within the gates of heaven and in the presence of Jesus Christ with Little Q leading the way to the place that has so beautifully been prepared for all of us to share eternity together.

God bless Little Q and rest in peace...until we meet again.

Tina

2011-08-05T17:40:00.002-05:00

Thanks to generous donors, over the past year The Covering increased to 96 children living at the center. That is 96 children learning the love of Jesus, 96 children eating three meals each day, 96 children receiving medical care, 96 children attending school, 96 children sharing the love they receive, showing the love of Jesus to others in their community and around the world!

The Covering employees 58 staff members. That is 58 people earning an income so that they can provide for their families, 58 families who get to eat, 58 people seeing and showing the gospel in action.

Pastor Daniel and the children have been reaching out to the local community. Community members are now attending church, receiving medical treatment and food while learning about Jesus. This is Matthew 25:35 being lived to this community. There are dozens of families living just outside the gates of The Covering counting on us to sustain life for them, people who have accepted Jesus as their savior because of the outreach of Pastor Daniel, supported by our generous donors.

The community outreach is truly a ministry for and by the children. They frequently beg us to let the local children move into The Covering. They offer their beds, their food, just so other children can have the same opportunities as they have.

Within the last few months, we have added another girls’ room to the second floor, allowing more space for them and employing three more staff. We also added a sensory play area next to the baby room. This allows for sensory play therapy, art projects, games and other activities for the small and disabled children in our program.

We are working toward adding another classroom and hiring a head master. These additions will make it possible to get our school registered and accredited in Sierra Leone. We are currently educating 76 children; some of these children live at The Covering and some do not.

The guest house has proven invaluable in the last year. This home allows the teams from the United States to stay a short walk from The Covering. Teams have more opportunities to spend time with the children and with the local community. The guest house is now facilitating a play therapy program, set up by a play therapist from Kansas City, as well as an activity center and play area where all the kids are allowed to play.

We are quickly approaching the end of our current lease. Based on all of the work that has been accomplished in the past year and all that God is currently doing, we want to stay in these buildings. Our lease for both buildings for an entire year is $34,000 US dollars. Last year we prayed, believing Genesis 22:14 "On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided!" and it was provided! Would you prayerfully join us in providing for this year? We cannot even fathom all that God has planned but we know it will be great and not to be missed!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

Children and team members playing "duck, duck, goose" at the center. The children have ample space to play and just be children!

Some of our staff doing laundry...a never-ending job!

Church service with the community.

Pastor Daniel and the children lead the services.

This is one of our classrooms. Our children love to learn from our dedicated teachers!

The view from the guest house. Thanks to a generous gift of sewing machines, the teen moms are learning to sew and other skills in the gazebo (on the left).

Following is an article written for the papers in Sierra Leone as part of our media campaign push.

2011-07-24T23:28:00.002-05:00

Freetown — The climate in Sierra Leone suggests that a child leaving the country is at risk for being trafficked. When in actuality child trafficking and exploitation occurs in the streets of Freetown every day. Children are forced to work, beg, sell items in the streets, all for adults who for whatever reason are unable to do so for themselves. Young girls trade sex for money all in an attempt to acquire basic necessities.

The current HANCI scandal has put a microscope on adoption, causing the Ministry of Social Welfare to shutdown potential adoptions, all in an effort to stop trafficking when in fact the scandal has nothing to do with child trafficking. This shutdown is currently denying forever families and future opportunity for many children who have little hope.

Adoption is a sensitive subject that is often misunderstood. It has been said that sending children abroad for adoption hurts the country of Sierra Leone, and children adopted will lose all ties to their birth country. This is not at all the case. In fact, adoption allows children the opportunity to study abroad, recover from their trauma and return to their home country when of age to make an incredible difference.

It is fact that there are more than 300,000 neglected or orphaned children in this country...most sadly as a result of the war that brutalized this country for an entire decade. The broken families and extreme poverty left behind is a heavy weight for the government of Sierra Leone to endure. If the government of Sierra Leone lifted the ban on adoption it would ease the burden they currently have in providing assistance to these children who need their support and allow them to better care for families and children who live in Sierra Leone not getting the assistance they need.

It is important to understand that adoption is the creation of family. It gives back to a child who has lost everything. Current parliamentarians, court justices, and even the Honorable Minister Dr. Denis Sandy, are all government officials who believe adoption plays an important role in any child protection plan.Whether the adoptive family lives in Sierra Leone or outside of Sierra Leone...giving a child permanent family security is a move that is to be applauded. We have had several meetings with the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs Dr. Denis Sandy, and are encouraged by his resolve and passion for putting an end to the HANCI scandal once and for all. We have partnered with the Ministry of Social Welfare to form a credible process ensuring that adoptions are done lawfully under current law and new law. Our current addition to the process is requiring DNA testing on all birth parents to ensure the true parents are relinquishing children.

The issue with current adoption is not that the old law is ineffective, or that the new law being written is a stronger statement, the issue is the paperwork process...we believe that regardless of the law, credible adoption can still take place under the current law or the new law.

A ban on adoption only hurts children who are waiting for families. We all know it can take years to put to rest a 10-year HANCI scandal, it can take years to pass a new law. There are children waiting for families that just don't have that long. We believe it's time the Ministry of Social Welfare lifts the ban allowing for adoptions to process under current law, a law that holds a 20+ year track record. This move will prove they serve the best interests of the child. We are optimistic that the Honorable Minister Sandy is just the man for this task. He is passionate, driven and fights for what is right. We hope he is listening and know he will do what is right for these children.

Submitted by
Erica Rust - Co-Founder of The Raining Season
Tina Schmidt - Executive Director of The Raining Season

2011-07-13T13:11:00.001-05:00

Most of the team has returned after an amazing time in Sierra Leone. Thanks to many generous donations, this trip impacted many people in Sierra Leone. As you know, the team went out into the local community and invited people to church. There were 160 visitors at the church service. After the amazing service, people received a meal, medical care and an afternoon of singing, dancing and games. Two teenage girls accepted Jesus as Savior then were baptized in the ocean!
The team went to Gray Bush Ascension Town in Bomeh to minister through praying with and for the community, feeding over 300 children and donating school supplies.
The men on the team visited City of Rest, a ministry for men struggling with drug addictions, mental health issues and severe spiritual issues.
The children, staff and team went to River Number 2 for beach day. Beach day is always such fun for everyone! It's the day when the concerns and sadness of all that you see are forgotten for a short time. The children are so happy to play and "just be kids" at the beach!
Please continue to pray for God's provision in Sierra Leone. Pray for wisdom and understanding for the leaders of that great nation.

Church Service

Lunch after church

First aid for local community member

Baptism!

Heading into Gray Bush Ascension Town in Bomeh

Gray Bush Ascension Town in Bomeh

Entertaining the children at Gray Bush Ascension Town in Bomeh

The hospital

Fun at the beach!

What a smile!

Acting out the story of Moses

At the center, the girls got new bathing suits and the boys got new ball caps.

An incredible insightin less than 8 minutes

2011-06-30T13:48:00.000-05:00

Sierra Leone

Above is the link to Katie Milazzo's video from her trip in May. Please take less than 8 minutes to watch. It offers a view of what teams see during community outreach projects as well as the great works done at The Covering. Thank you again for your support! These works are impossible without your faithful commitment!

"I need someone to take care of me"

2011-06-30T10:08:00.001-05:00

We met Lansana at the hospital recently. He had been living there for over a year with his father, who is in the process of having his legs amputated. His father was eager to have Lansana come to The Covering where he learn about God, attend school, have a bed to sleep in and play like the child he is. Lansana is so excited to be at The Covering! He was welcomed by the children and told many stories. He was quickly made aware, by the children, that they all have sponsors who love them, pray for them and support them. Lansana talked to Tina and told her "I don't have anyone to take care of me. I need someone to take care of me." Tina asked "Like a sponsor?" His response "Yes, a sponsor."

Our children are very aware of you and how much you care, so much so that Lansana wants his own sponsor to care for him. Friends, by sponsoring these children, we are showing God's love and provision. If you are interested in sponsoring Lansana, please contact Karen at sponsorship@therainingseason.org or Tina at tina@therainingseason.org.

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Many members of the team are traveling home today. Please pray for safe travels of each of them.

Lansana with his father at the hospital

God's hands and feet at work

2011-06-29T01:57:00.000-05:00

The team has been doing amazing things on this trip!

Saturday there was a community outreach. The team prayed with the local community and invited them to church. 160 of those community members attended church at the center on Sunday! After church there was a celebration as well as first aid given to many children.

Attending church were two 16 year old girls, one of them pregnant, who had been prostituting themselves to survive. During the service both of them gave themselves to the Lord! Monday the girls were baptized at the beach.

Monday the team went to Bomeh, a slum area, and fed 300 children! The team also distributed school supplies to a local school and local orphanage.

We do not have an update yet on "Baby Girl Mohamed". Please continue to pray for her and her mother.

Thank you for your continued support to "Save the Orphan". Your prayers, donations, willingness and commitment are showing the love of God to the people of Sierra Leone.

A life-changing visit to the children's hospital

2011-06-26T23:02:00.000-05:00

Today I received a report from Uncle Daniel from the children who went with the team to visit the local children’s hospital. It was a report detailing of the observations and feelings made by the TRS children as they prayed and ministered to the mothers and dying children they met that day…

Uncle Daniel writes:
“Most of the kids felt so sad when they saw the deplorable condition of the children at the Cottage Hospital. Some of the kids begged Mummy Tina to bring all of them to TRS and they even offered to give up their own beds to give the dying children a place to sleep. In her response, the Executive Director (Mummy Tina) encouraged each and every child to be praying for God’s will to be done and also for the speedy recovery of the children at the hospital. The TRS kids promised that they will be praying for the kids at the hospital. Their prayers were for God to heal the children they met and also for some of them to be enrolled in the program and take residence at The Covering.”

The following kids attended:
Foday
Momoh
Albert
John
Alie
Joseph
Fatmata F
Samienatu
Hawa K
Mohamed S
Fatmata J
Fudia
Saibatu

“That was my purpose in being here…it was for her.”

2011-06-25T23:41:00.000-05:00

There are so many times when God will use us in ways that we could have never imagined. The team that was here last week got to witness one of those situations that involved my adopted son, John’s oldest sister, Amie and my oldest daughter, Katie.
Amie has been living on the streets since August 2009. She believed that someone had put a curse onto her that kept her from returning home. Over the last few years, I have been able to see Amie on various trips but most often, she refused to come and see me. When she would come, she always held her head down in shame and rarely made eye contact with me. Her mother informed me a few weeks ago that Amie was 7 months pregnant. Amie is 17 years old and a child herself.

In Sierra Leone, childbirth is a dangerous time for an expecting mother as several thousand women lose their lives each year while giving birth. When Amie came to see Katie and me last week, she shared that she really did not care if she died giving birth. She had lost so much hope, that a future for her and her child seemed like something not worth looking forward to.

We asked Amie to come and see us because her brother John had a message that he asked Katie and I to share with her. The message was the beginning of his testimony of healing and restoration in Christ.

Katie and I along with Osseh, shared for over an hour the journey that John had been on to heal the hurts from his past. We shared about the victory in Christ that we all have available to us simply by saying yes. John has not only found healing in his acceptance of Jesus but he has been able to experience restoration and freedom in Christ by taking claim over the truth of who Christ has created him to be. It is so easy for all of us to believe the lies that the enemy tries to put on each of us and when we stand against the lies and claim the truth, we can begin a life of freedom. This has been John’s experience and his message for his sister, Amie.

After an hour of ministry, Amie accepted Jesus Christ into her life. Osseh, Pastor Daniel, Auntie Bintu and Auntie Marie all surrounded her with love and promised me they would follow her walk and continue to encourage her.

That evening, Amie agreed to go to a maternity hospital to have a pre-natal exam and get registered for the delivery of her baby. She was given vitamins and a full exam with education about how to care for herself and her unborn baby. As soon as Amie goes into labor, she will now have a doctor to call upon and we will pray for a safe delivery.
The next day, Amie came to visit Katie and I again. It was such a blessing to see her glowing face. She was talking to us with such joy and was no longer holding her head down in shame. This past Sunday, Amie showed up at The Covering for our church service. When it came time for testimony, she stood in front of all the TRS children and visitors to speak about her new life that she has found in Jesus Christ.

All of this because a brother that she can hardly remember who now lives in America has made the decision to take his past pain and share it to help others. John has taken a new beginning in his life that is to help the family and children he left behind in Sierra Leone. I feel humbled and honored to be the messenger to his sister and that God used his message to save another soul.

Before we left for Sierra Leone, Katie looked at me and said, “God told me that He has a big purpose for me on this trip but I’m not sure what it is.” After our week with Amie and when it was time for her to say good-bye to Katie, Amie broke down and wept uncontrollably. She said that she would miss her sister, Katie, so much. I then realized that the reason she came to visit me on this trip without a lot of persuasion was because Katie was there. During my past trips, I would beg Amie to come to the guesthouse but most of the time, she would refuse out of her built up shame and guilt. This time, she came because she wanted to see Katie. For some reason, that made her feel safe. After Amie left the guesthouse, Katie came to me and said, “That was my purpose in being here…it was for her.”

-Tina Schmidt

Amie and Katie in 2009

Amie with Katie after accepting Jesus

Amie's joy in Jesus Christ

Meet Elva and Please Pray with Us

2011-06-24T23:57:00.003-05:00

Cari and Elva

The Raining Season first met Elva in June 2010 at the children’s hospital in Freetown. We learned her story…she was abandoned at the hospital 2 years ago and we is diagnosed with a severe case of autism. We wanted to bring her to The Covering but were unable to due to the specialized care she would require. When Lucy went home with the Diers, there was room for Elva to come to The Covering! After working with the Office of Social Welfare, Tina went to the hospital to complete an intake for Elva only to get her heart broken. The hospital staff explained to Tina that the police had found Elva’s family, the family who abandoned her at the hospital, and had returned her to them.

Elva with her grandfather, siblings and mother

Elva's siblings

The TRS Social workers searched for, found and visited Elva’s family. Elva was with her mother, grandfather and four siblings. Twelve people total were living in one room. Elva’s mother explained that she abandoned Elva at the hospital in hopes that they would give her the care she needed. Elva’s mother and grandfather were not equipped to meet her special needs of autism. Elva’s family is a loving but desperate family who begged the TRS social workers to take the other 4 siblings. As of now, TRS will have wait for Elva's sponsorship to be filled before doing an intake on the rest of the siblings. Elva’s mother and grandfather were so relieved that The Raining Season has come into their life. Her grandfather prayed over before she got into Osseh's vehicle to be welcomed into her new home. He kept telling Tina that he believes God has a plan for her because she has been through so much in her life. Elva is now safe at The Covering, getting the care and extra help she needs to thrive! We are excited to see God’s plan unfold for this beautiful girl.

If you would like to help sponsor Elva with the extensive care she will need at The Covering please contact Tina Schmidt at tina@therainingseason.org

Elva at The Covering, her new home

Please be in prayer with us about “Baby Girl Mohamed”. Tina and her team saw her at the hospital last week during their visit. Mohamed’s mother told Tina that she named her baby girl" Mohamed" because every time she has a girl, the baby dies. The mother gave her a boy’s name to try to “trick the devil” from taking this daughter. Baby Girl Mohamed and her mother had to leave the hospital due to lack of money to cover medical costs. The TRS staff was trying to locate her today.

Lucy – God’s Graceful Light

2011-06-23T23:46:00.000-05:00

Many of you have followed Lucy’s story from the beginning. For those who haven’t, please let us catch you up! It’s a miraculous story! For those who have, you will be amazed at where she is today!

Lucy was abandoned as a baby, left for dead because of her special needs. In Sierra Leone, it is difficult to care for any child but nearly impossible to care for a child with special needs. The Raining Season learned Lucy’s story and was able to bring her to a safe place where she was fed and had a place to sleep. Her very basic needs were met but not much more. The Raining Season fought a long, difficult battle to move Lucy to The Covering when it opened. She overcame many administrative challenges but she was finally able to move in and get the specialized care she deserves.

Lucy quickly went from not being able to walk to walking with braces to walking on her own! She went from having no words and few expressions to bringing joy with her words, laughter and expressions! She danced and praised God with such purity! Her joy was contagious to everyone at the center – the other children, the workers and visitors from near and far!

As much as Lucy was thriving at The Covering, we knew there was more to God’s plan for Lucy. The Diers family felt called to Lucy. They knew she belonged in their family. Jen Diers was on a trip with a team in May and got to spend time with Lucy. Then with God’s guidance and divine plan, Jen and Tina went to the Embassy and were able to get a medical visa to bring Lucy to America! Lucy is now living with the Diers family, her family! She is receiving occupational, physical and speech therapy and is making great strides. She loves spending time with her brother and sister and extended family! Lucy continues to bring God’s light everywhere she goes!

Thank you for the faithful prayers for Lucy! God has a great plan for this precious one and it includes all of you who have prayerfully waited for this time!

The Tragedy of Loss When You are Young.....

2011-01-30T03:46:00.000-06:00

Many of you may not know this but we have several children that TRS provides food and education to outside the walls of The Covering. These kids live in the surrounding community and spend quite a bit of time with us at the center. One boy in particular, named Altin, was brought to us by missionaries who had been watching over him. They were leaving the area and wanted a safe place for him.... his mother had been sick and wanted to leave the boy, travel upcountry and die alone..... she did not want him to see her in her final days. So that's what happened... He was left under our supervision, and the mother went away.... Yesterday the girls and I were in the house uploading photos from the week when we heard a commotion outside.... when we made it to the door we found little Altin (11 yrs) standing on our porch with tears streaming down his face.... He was speaking Krio so fast I could barely catch what he was saying.... he had just found out his mother had died.... He was desperate for a phone because he wanted to call his family.... He sat on the porch and using Jessie's cell, bawled his eyes out, begging his family to let him come see the body.....begging them to bury her here and not upcountry.... saying that those upcountry did not know her like he did... he did not want her buried in a place unfamiliar....he also argued whether she should be buried with a Muslim ceremony or a Christian ceremony... I think the tears he cried were some of the deepest...darkest...saddest tears I have ever witnessed fall from the face of a child..... The hardest part for me was that there was nothing we could do.... I told him to find a relative and we would send him with transport money to go upcountry to see her body one last time and that seemed to console him.... but for us... our hearts were bleeding for him.... what 11 year old child in the US is forced to sit and argue funeral arrangements for their mother? What 11 year old in the US has to travel alone up country to view their mother's body? What 11 year old child in the US must fight for a burial based on his beliefs? So many adult situations.... so many adult decisions... children in Sierra Leone never get to be children... It makes my heart pound out of my chest.... It stirs so much anger inside of me... I guess because it is all so senseless.... Every trip I come into this country thinking I have seen it all... but then I am faced with another situation that breaks my heart all over again...knowing that God bleeds for us and feels every sorrow we carry... I am starting to wonder how he carries it.... how he handles the weight of this dark pitiful world.... how he must ache for his people to intervene.... not because he can't do it without us... but because through us taking the pain of others upon our shoulders.. we are made into his image... we are changed... we are one step closer to the person he has called each of us to be.... I will NEVER forget Altin's loss.... I pray I never have to see that pain upon the shoulders of another child ever again.

Our First Costume Party!!!

2011-01-29T07:09:00.000-06:00

VBS day

2011-01-29T06:26:00.000-06:00

Our team had such a GREAT time pulling off VBS for so many kiddos... I will say it is HOT!! But so worth it :)

Learning to play Bingo

Regina teaching them how to hear the voice of God...

Listening intently for the next callout....

Our little artists!

They adore coloring!

The bucket of slime

Through the eyes of Regina...

2011-01-26T21:30:00.003-06:00

Here is the blog entry from one the team members who is currently on the ground, Regina...many of you may remember Regina as she was also part of the June team. Regina really connected with Baby Allie who died at the hospital of starvation during the June trip...here is the continuation of Baby Allie's story....

Today our team went to the Government Hospital. We passed out bread, cheese and water to the mothers and sat with the children and got to know their stories. Some of these women are in the hospital up to three weeks (sometimes longer depending on the circumstance) and unless they leave their children they are unable to get food for themselves.
The night before we went to the hospital I was extremely anxious and (as hard as it is for me to admit) scared of how I would respond to walking into the hospital again after my experience there last time. My roommate wrote me a letter the night before I went to the hospital and said to me, “It’s okay to be devastated. But, don’t you dare let a single callous form on your heart. It’s a survival tactic for you, but a death sentence for those babies. Have God’s heart…and let his strength carry you through it.” But, I did not want my experience there to cloud my vision of what I was supposed to see today. I wanted the faces and circumstances of the children and women in the room to be my concern. But…inevitably I knew emotions would come back from my time with Allie. As much as it hurts to truly allow myself to feel…she has shaped who I am in a deeply profound way, but not at the expense of being able to be there for others in that hospital…it only strengthened my understanding.
I’ve said this before…I’ll say it again…it is not…it is NOT okay that children die because they do not have enough food. It is NOT okay that children die of diarrhea. It is NOT okay that children are dying because they have malaria or a “cold” or any other disease that can be cured in the United States at the snap of a finger.
Seven months ago I walked into this hospital and my heart was shattered. Walking in again there were a new set of stories that needed to be told. When you think your heart can’t be broken anymore…your hurt grows deeper. Last time I held child after child, but this time, for whatever reason...I felt God telling me to focus on the mothers. I still held babies burning with fever and writhing in pain from malnutrition, but I wanted to emphasize to the mothers their importance. Our team sat with them, asked them how they were doing and offering to pray for them if we could. I really wanted my words to convey to them how strong and courageous they were for standing by their child and taking care of them in their time of need. How easy it would be to just give up and leave. The fight seems too grave. I wanted them to know that they were loved and thought about as well. These people are forgotten. I wanted them to know…that we know. If you saw this hospital…you would say the same thing. They need someone…they need YOU…to fight for them!
The trip before we had gone to ICU, where I met Allie, but because things in there are rather hectic, Erica decided our large team should try to stay out of their way and serve the other rooms instead. But, as our team was nearing the end of our time there I looked over at the nurse’s station and locked eyes with one of the nurses. She got the hugest smile on her face and we both ran over to one another. She said, “You were with baby Allie so many months ago.” I nodded speechless. “You remember me??” “Of course I do,” she replied, “You loved her and cared for her. You loved her as your own. But we lost her.” Chills came over my body and I asked her if any of the other nurses I was with were there. She took my hand and took me back to the room where baby Allie changed my life 7 months ago. I saw the security guard who helped me while I was there and he remembered me too. Chills continued to cover my body as I walked with Monito, hand in hand. As I walked back into the room where the team was still visiting with patients, a woman and a severely malnourished little boy followed me into the room and asked the security guard if they could speak to me. The little boy was 4 and his mother had passed away. The woman had traveled from fifteen miles outside of Freetown to get this little baby treatment. You could see every bone in this child’s body. Every rib, vertebrae, every bone down to his pelvic girdle…he was a miniature walking skeleton. Erica gave them money to help get food while they waited for the doctors to see them, but before I walked away I asked the little boy’s name and the woman looked me in the eye and said, “Ali.” I’d like to say I immediately broke down crying but more than anything I was frozen. I placed my arm on the woman and asked, “May I pray for you and Ali?” I don’t think I’ve ever prayed such strong words over someone. I don’t think I’ve prayed such words over anyone as I prayed over these mothers, grandmothers, fathers, and children.
We have no concept of what it is like to go without. We have no concept of what it feels like to function around poverty like this. I cannot even presume to know the suffering and heartache that these people endure.
Each of us has brokenness. We have each experienced things in life that have hurt us deeply. All of those things shape who we are positively or negatively. And we each have a choice in how we respond to the difficult situations in life that we are faced with. We’ve each had to allow God to carry us through suffering. But I think we view our suffering in the U.S. a bit backwards.
I guess what I’m saying is…we all have calluses on our hearts. But what I see a lot is, that we never allow ourselves to feel the emotions enough to truly heal from something…to truly move beyond whatever tribulations we encounter. I think often times we spend so much of our lives getting over whatever tribulation we’re encountering that we put on our tunnel vision and only focus on ourselves. We cover our hearts with so many calluses we never have room to let someone else in…or…serve someone else who truly needs it. I don’t mean to be rude when I say this and I’m CERTAINLY speaking to myself as well…but…get over it! We need to stop letting our hearts be calloused and holding us hostage from being a stronghold to the world around us. Because these people need us! They need our brokenness. They need our hearts to be softened to remember that they are there and need our help! We need to get over ourselves.
I saw callused hearts in the eyes of so many today that truly need us! Callused hearts of desperation. Their eyes are glazed over, void of any emotion. How else do you cope while helplessly watching your child die?
I only hope they heard a word today from one of the 25 people in that room…to know that there is a God who knows and loves them. There are people who know about them and are willing to fight. Our team shirts say, “I will fight…for the one who is exploited, broken, trafficked, abandoned, stolen, abused, forgotten, orphaned…we will win.” We. Will. Win. These mothers need to know that they are known and someone is fighting on their side. Someone who says...this is NOT right! And, we will NOT be defeated.
When I sat with Allie 7 months ago, I quietly whispered in her ear describing the world she had awaiting her. All of the beautiful things she had yet to taste, feel and see. I prayed those words over every child I saw today. Because, it’s true…each life has a story to tell and “where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live” (Bono.) Know that the same is true for you…you have a story to tell through and in the midst of your brokenness. But where we live shouldn’t determine whether we only care about ourselves. I’ll leave you with the words to the song I sang that day to Allie…and know these words are true for all of us…and have the ability to move us to action to make a difference in a world that so desperately needs us to fight for the forgotten…
“Our God is Greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other. Our God is HEALER awesome in power, our God…our God. And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us and if our God is with us…then what could stand against?!” What could stand against us? Our own calloused hearts?

Praying my heart would be Softened,
Reg

Though Innocence is Taken…. All is Not Lost….

2011-01-26T17:18:00.000-06:00

We call these children “orphans”…. Children who have lost parents…suffered immense loss…parentless…. To think this is the darkest part of their life ….the only piece that defines them… would be naïve and quite an understatement…

I think it is fair to say that “orphans” are plagued by not only living life “alone” but suffer through pasts many of us may not ever feel we could overcome… How about the child who is not only orphaned but also a victim of child abuse… intense physical and emotional battery… what about the orphan who not only lost their parents but actually witnessed their untimely death first hand…. The child who has vivid dreams of the moment their parent took their last breath.. what about the orphan who works for a living and at 12 years old cannot read or write a complete sentence because they have never been given the education or stimulation to overcome their learning disability….what about the orphan who was born malnourished, was abandoned by their mother and left for dead in the “starvation” unit of a third world hospital… what about the orphan who was taken from her mother because her mother sold her little body … day in and day out to hungry dirty men…all for something to eat…what about the orphan that suffered such extreme hunger they now suffer long term eating disorders…or what about the orphan who was abandoned not once, not twice….but many times… what does that feeling of worthlessness and being unwanted do to a tiny little soul?

These are the orphans our team has spent their week with... the orphans we all sponsor.... these are their stories...

It’s easy to look at “Saving the Orphan” and think we can just “fix it” for them.... taking them in off the streets…or by adopting them and giving them a family… that everything else they have been forced to endure will just disappear… If it were only that simple… I do believe that a child cannot truly begin to heal until they have a family support unit… someone that they know will be committed to them through their healing process and when they come through on the other side… but it really is only the first step…There is so much work for God to do in these tiny little hearts… so much restoration that needs to take place…There will be uphill battles and valleys so dark you wish you had never started the journey to “save” them in the first place… because now it hurts you too much too… I think that is us in our humanness… but if we choose to love and parent these children through Christ… instead of not wanting to take a chance on loving an orphaned child and allowing them a permanent place in our guarded hearts… we instead realize that through our suffering comes healing to another… just like through Christ’s suffering we find redemption and forgiveness…a permanent place to rest our heart… straight into his arms as he spreads them wide upon the cross…experiencing the ultimate sacrifice….his very life…

I am leading a small group of families with hearts wide open praying God will open the floodgates and provide us the approvals we need to bring home 21 children and make them our own… that they will no longer be called orphans but our children… I am not naïve in realizing many of the children we have found families for have experienced the “lives” I shared with you above…. They are not only orphans but broken children with broken hearts and broken pasts… and although there are moments when they are hard to love…. I will not be scared away… I will not run when it hurts me to love them… I will not leave when the going gets tough… Why? Well because I know I am hard to love… I am also a broken person with a past God has also redeemed…. And he didn’t give up on me…. In fact he chased me… and he chases you… and he will chase us down and love us till we can no longer deny his presence in our lives…. I want to show that same “love” to my soon to be children… and thought the roads will be long and winding… we will reach that destination where true restoration will occur and they will find their healing… after all… although their innocence may have been taken… all is not lost. That is a promise we CAN hold onto.

Below is a boy I thought just might be one of those "lost causes"... too much trauma.... too hard of a past... walls built too high.... but I have seen a Dauda on this trip I have never seen before... a Dauda who smiles, who hugs, who loves, and whose eyes are shining with hope.... God is chasing him... fighting for him... and we will too!

Our team shirts state "I WILL FIGHT" on the front... below you can see the back...

This is our mantra.... We will win... why... well because the Victory is already won!

For you know all about it... the contempt, the abuse...
I dare to believe the luckless will get lucky someday in you
you won't let them down,
Orphans won't be orphans forever... Psalm 10:14

Children's Hospital Blog will be up tomorrow.....

Carnival and Beach Day

2011-01-26T03:18:00.000-06:00

We are having an amazing time with the kids at The Covering..... Take a look at a few pictures from the last few days!

First Time EVER to Hula Hoop! Thanks American Airlines for letting our hoops on the plane :)

Check out his concentration as he prepares to bowl a strike!

Golfing... or shall we say Putt Putt... was a hit!

Bobbing for money...Too bad our ducks wouldn't float!

FOOTBALL Toss....

The balloon toss was a favorite among the little ones...

Face Painting was sooo much fun.... Here is our Junior Pastor, Albert... getting his "Jesus" sign :)

The Prize table...

BEACH DAY!!!!

I have to say I think our boys are by far the coolest kids in town!!

Mr. Octopus got LOTS of play time!

Maligie...

He is getting stronger everyday and his smile lights up the sky!!

I REALLY think I should send this picture to HANES....
Im thinking a commercial and some TRS funding could come from it!!
SOOOO CUTE!

Salamatu LOVED the sand.....

Salamatu, Isatu and Bintu had a blast building their little castles...

Our head Pastor Daniel...just another BIG kid!

Last but soooo not least.... Little Lucy.... Check out her little leg muscles...
her progress is mind boggling.... SOOOOOO proud of her...

A Few Photos from the Kroo Bay Feeding Program

2011-01-24T23:50:00.001-06:00

Note.... Blogger will not completely load today so Im not sure what this blog looks like since we cannot preview it... Hope you get the idea!!

PREPARING THE RICE

Some of the first 250.... waiting very patiently!

We not only were able to feed them rice but also able to top it with additional gravy that provided extra nutrients!

They were pretty excited about the water as well!

Our team worked hard!!

A view of the crowd that began to lineup outside....

More families began lining up.... this was right before the chaos and trampling began... the calm before the storm...

This woman was sooo happy to get the rice for her kiddos!!

Look at that little girls smile!! She was running so fast I couldn't get a clear picture!

These boys were soooo happy!!!

Add caption

The crowd got so big it got to a poitn where we couldn't leave the building.... we wondered if Json faced clamoring crowds when his disciples fed the 5,000

I just thought he was the CUTEST!

Lining up for the hot food...

Moving Into the Neighborhood....

2011-01-24T16:34:00.000-06:00

I almost find it comical how God constantly “changes my plans” … It happens EVERY trip…. I almost think I should just quit planning a schedule altogether!

This morning the plan was to work at the center all morning…. Putting mattress covers on the beds, organizing supplies, and setting up the carnival. I woke up thinking about the amazing people that accompanied me here and felt very strongly that God was telling me that today’s plans needed to change… The team I have with me are people who have such a heart for serving and I knew that given the right opportunity God would use them in ways that would not only change their lives but reach those in this community who may have never felt the love of Christ….. So we switched things up and decided to travel by foot into the community and not only share God’s love but also meet the needs of those truly suffering by giving them an envelope with about $15 dollars inside… ( Thanks to a special donor in Kansas City, we were able to give this gift to over 40 families… I know $15 doesn’t sound like a lot… but trust me…. It was a HUGE blessing to these precious people… and just as I expected I watched my team come alive and for many it was their first time actually sharing Jesus Christ with others so openly… I must say it was absolutely beautiful to watch!! At first some of our team members were nervous… but slowly they accepted this new place where God had placed them and allowed God to speak through them …. Once they began ministering to the families… it was no longer the money that mattered… Don’t get me wrong… they needed it and they were ecstatic when they opened the envelopes… but they smiled just as big when a team member took the time to look them in the eyes and ask them their name… they lit up when a team member wrapped their arms around them and embraced them… they shed tears when we told them that in God’s eyes we are all the same…. My favorite part of the entire project was listening to the hearts of each team member… their words were so heartfelt and I felt privileged and honored that each of them had chosen to join TRS on this trip… they each have accomplished so much… so for all of you out there who donated to their trips… or who gave them project money…. Know God has used all of you to change the lives of so many…. Including the 40+ families right outside our gate…. One of our team members recalled a man saying that he had been praying for this day (the day someone would come to his rescue…..) I think it was humbling for all of us to realize God allowed us to be part of that answer to prayer… So many of the families said over and over… that they knew all about “the place on the hill” (The center)… it has been a light for them and that hope has been given to them because all of you continue to pour yourselves into TRS… giving us the chance to shine a little brighter!!! I hope you will enjoy these pictures…

I will post pictures of our carnival day soon… tomorrow…we hit the beach!!!

Baby Dolls…Cars…Baby Dolls…more Cars…..

2011-01-23T16:03:00.001-06:00

What a FABULOUS day we had today!!! First I want to say a BIG thank you to all who donated backpacks, toy cars, baby dolls, clothing, etc……

The kids had such a great time opening their brand new backpacks and looking inside to find all the goodies brought especially for them….Every child received a backpack, toy cars, baby dolls, a new outfit, jewelry, letters from penpals and sponsors, flip flops and candy! It was like Christmas all over again…. From the looks on their faces Im pretty sure they could get used to all this!!!

Tonight when we went back to the center for bedtime prayer and “lights out” the kids were still wearing their backpacks… I think they would have slept with them had it been an option…. They love owning their own things!!

When we had church this morning I think everyone on our team left realizing we Americans don’t give thanks near enough…. Everyone was shocked at how vocal and passionate the kids were as they sang, prayed, and worshipped the Lord…. We came to realize that it all comes from a thankful heart…. Their reliance is soley on Christ and everything comes from him… and through him…. They believe this and give him credit for EVERYTHING they have been given…. Something else that truly touched me was how hard they prayed over their sponsors…. They prayed protection, provision, blessings, good health… the list just goes on and on…. I hope you feel it… I hope you know just how much they truly love all of you….

Feeding Thousands....

2011-01-23T01:37:00.000-06:00

What a way to throw our team smack dab into the neediest area on our planet....

The team and I got up EARLY Saturday morning to head to kroo bay and launch our first ever feeding project for the community living there. We were all soooo excited... I was a little anxious...nervous... wondering how in the world we would safely feed so many ...and since in Africa...order does not come easy I kept having this visual of mass chaos...

Well for a time my vision did not come true...but eventually it became a difficult reality...

We started in a small community building...When we arrived and entered through the doors we were greeted by over 250 children....screaming and shouting and jumping up and down...you would have thought a celebrity had just walked into the room... but no....no celebrity... just the "white people" who had food...

We were all so overwhelmed by their anxiousness....

We began serving the hot food first...what had been cooked...We only had enough for 250 kids...the rest was bagged and ready to be sent home with the thousands starting to line up outside...Little did I know..just as God had multiplied the loaves and fish ....he was about to multiply our hot food as well!!... The children received heaping plates of rice and practically injested it in a few bites.... kids kept pouring inside and the rest continued to last and we ended up feeing over 400 children with what was only meant for 250... GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

When we began handing out the bags of rice... well that is when the order began to fall apart... within an hour we were surrounded on every side... you could barely get out of the building because the crowd was so big... and every time the doors would open the crowd would scurry and it began to get somewhat dangerous...the parents were yelling the kids were forcing their way in and before we knew it the children were being trampled....They were all fighting for the chance to enter those doors....I watched as kids would go through the line and get a bag and then return a few minutes later with different clothes on so they had they chance to go through again...hoping they would not be noticed.... I watched children fight over the bags of rice... one child was so severely choked you could see the marks from the fight around his neck..tears streaming...on his face and mine...

As I watched the chaos build I wondered to myself....did this happen to Jesus when he fed the 5 thousand? Was there mass chaos? Were people starving then? How did he feel at the end of that day.... I thought I would feel like something AMAZING was accomplished..... and don't get me wrong we did see a miracle... thousands of children received a meal that will get them through a few more days... but that's where this miracle ends... if someone doesn't follow in after us... After we were escorted out of the community I couldn't help but feel desperate and saddened.... saddened that children are forced to fight over food because their tummys are so hungry...sad that hundreds of children didn't get that meal...saddened that even though we watched a miracle take place today... these people will start praying again tonight for another miracle to come... this thought leading me to the question...."Who will answer the call and be that next miracle?" Because if someone says YES.... and follows this example of feeding those who are hungry... well then eventually what happened today would no longer be a bandaid... but a solution....but if noone shows up...if noone takes the lead...if noone counts the least of these as valuable enough to help save their lives...how many will eventually be lost? How many children that God placed here for such a time as this will have their lives snuffed out because of indifference.... well because so many have not "fed the hungry"... one in 3 children in Sierra Leone don't live past the age of 5... because they are not healthy enough to battle the daily grind of living ing the poorest country in the world....

So I am left feeling used by God and thankful I had the opportunity...but anxiuos to figure out how I can bepart of the solution....my prayer is that more people will join me in this fight....

As we walked through Kroo Bay people kept reading our shirts out loud as we passed by....

" I Will Fight".... hmmm "What are you fighting for?" They would say.... I replied to myself in a silent whisper..."We are fighting for you...and you....and you...and you....."

pictures to come....

The time has come... another team crosses the ocean!!

2011-01-22T12:23:00.000-06:00

Another trip, a new team…. A few seasoned travelers, our die-hard volunteers who do whatever they can to be on each trip…. And MANY newbies…. I LOVE newbies… I love being able to witness firsthand their experiences as many cross the ocean for the first time, as many wait anxiously not really knowing what they’ve gotten themselves into but beaming from ear to ear anyway… because they know whatever is ahead is about to rock their world… and what I love the most is they are all okay with that!

We had a very long layover in Brussels and while we waited I assigned children to each team member… kids they would be responsible for loving on all week… kids they would take pictures of, coral when there is chaos, hug and kiss and tuck in at night, kids who are about to change each team member’s life…and I wonder if they know it yet  I got a little choked up as I began handing them out, hearing ooohs and ahhs, listening to the excitement as they all shared pictures with one another… is was almost as if they were showing off their own biological children like any parent would… I love how LOVE crosses all lines, races, and cultures, how everyday people can just walk away from their everyday lives for 9 days and love an orphaned child like they are the only child on this planet…..

Then I boarded our flight I began flipping through that inflight magazine that sits tucked behind each seat and found an article on Mercy Ships…. The author talked about all the amazing work the medical teams bring to the ports they stop at and went on to mention the volunteers who give up their time to “make a difference”… He said “I am shocked that someone would not only volunteer in the poorest areas on earth but that they would actually pay money out of their own pocket to do it…” I found myself smiling… smiling because I’m not shocked at all… Because here I sit with 19 team members who have all worked their tails off fundraising and saving every dime they can to buy pricey plane tickets, sleep in uncomfortable beds, suffer through intense heat and “volunteer” in the POOREST country in the entire world…. And those who had to pay out of their own pockets…. I’m sure by the end of their trip they will see it as a small price to pay for what they are about to receive… and I do believe God has an abundance of blessings waiting for those who have sacrificed so much for “the least of these”…. Those blessings will be 80+ smiling faces who will make a permanent mark on the hearts of every team member… they will leave in 9 days forever changed, gloriously ruined and counting the days before they do it all over again….I will leave forever changed AGAIN… taking back with me the journeys of 19 more people that I will share with others… who in turn will become my “next team”…. And slowly in God’s mercy and grace… we will continue changing lives of orphans, and even so change the lives of those around us because we have been changed… Thank you God for 20 sets of hands, 20 open hearts and 7 days on the ground to do your work…. We humbly step out in faith believing that you will move mountains… thankful that you have already began a mighty work in us. We will finish what you have started.

They Landed!

2011-01-21T14:35:00.000-06:00

The January team has just landed safe and sound. I will do my best to keep you all updated as I get reports from Erica and Cari who are on the ground with the group.

Praying for all the bags to arrive just as safe and sound:))

True Miracle!

2011-01-11T15:34:00.000-06:00

As some of you know, Lucy came to The Covering after being left for dead, being labeled "abnormal" and given no chance to walk or communicate. Lucy was an outcast amongst the poorest people on the planet, people with no clean drinking water, no beds, no idea of where their next meal will come from.

We fought for Lucy, fought to give her a hope and a future. This video that Cari has posted on her Facebook page (we are still waiting for a video to upload from her that we can post here) is the proof that God has bigger plans than we can imagine in our finite minds. Lucy is walking, no braces, no walker, no assistance of any kind!

Video of Lucy walking

Lucy is one of over 85 children who live at The Covering. Through our sponsors, Lucy and her "brothers and sisters" eat three times a day, sleep on beds, receive medical treatment, have caregivers who love them and cuddle them and learn how much God loves them. They smile, laugh, play and walk when the world says the can't!

We know there are other "Lucys" out there; children who have been given no hope, no future. With your help, we can fight for each one of them too. The impact that Lucy has already made in her life is something that only God could orchestrate. What an honor that we all share to watch the miracles of Lucy continue!

So Much to Pray!

2010-12-16T12:15:00.000-06:00

It has been way too long sine Erica or I have posted here. We have been doing some traveling to speak at churches and having many long discussions with each other and the board about where we are headed in 2011. It is all so good and God is moving as always!

There have been so many children placed on our hearts over the last several weeks but the two starring us in the face today are Mercie and Altin and I would like to share their stories.

Altin is a 13 year old boy that attends church with a missionary woman named Jackie who Cari has connected with. We first learned about Altin when Jackie contacted us for help.

Jackie shared with us the following...

Altin's mother is quite ill and wants to return to her village for her passing. She is seeking assistance for her son before she dies as her husband passed away shortly after the war. Altin is a clever boy and does very well at school. There is a family who is willing to take in Altin if they can receive assistance for his school fees and some food each month. This family actually lives just below Jackie and her husband so there is a lot of accountability for them.

In one of Jackie's emails to Cari, she wrote...
"What happens now can determine if he remains in school or if he ends up on the street."

We told Jackie that we would do our best to find assistance for Altin.

Altin said good-bye to his mother last week and it is likely that he will not see her again. I am grateful that his mother can at least rest assured that God will continue to provide and care for Altin and I pray that TRS will be that link.

As much as I try to put myself into the shoes of Altin's mother, I simply cannot begin to imagine how it feels to walk in her shoes. I know mothers here in America who have passed away at a young age and left young children behind and I cannot bring myself to comprehend that pain. It is also an unwillingness to allow myself to truly go there mentally because it would simply be too painful to think about. The strength it would take to be strong for your children in that circumstance is amazing to me. Yet, it just does not seem to compare to the pain you would feel dying in a country like Sierra Leone and leaving your son to fend for himself. What will happen to him if the people who committed to caring for him stop their support? Who will teach him all the things that we teach our children about the love of God? I think Altin's mother is tremendous and special.

Then there is sweet little Mercie!

Mercie is an 11 year old girl who lives behind our center with many other people. Mercie would meet up with Jessie every day as she walked from the guest house to The Covering. Jessie told me that she noticed Mercie one day, selling chicken in the streets. After a bit of a relationship established, Jessie learned that Mercie came from the provinces to live with her aunt because her parents were too old to care for her. She now lives with her aunt and sells chicken to help support the family. Mercie begged Jessie to send her to school and often times, Mercie shows up at our gate asking for food.

Currently, we are seeking the funding and wisdom from God as to how to best proceed for Mercie. We are committed to bringing her to our center each day to attend our school where she will get lunch and a snack. The question that we have a prayerful eye over is whether or not Mercie needs to be living at our center or if it is best for her to remain with her auntie. I am trusting Jessie and Cari to keep a watchful eye on her and continue to advise us. Often times, in Sierra Leone, children who are living with relatives that are not Christian, the children are treated as second rate. They are forced to live outside the home and work in the streets to earn their keep. Although we have this concern for Mercie, if she is being treated well by her auntie, then it is best for her to be in a home that is giving her the love that she so desperately needs after leaving her parents. Erica and the team that is traveling in January will be visiting Mercie and getting know more about her. For now, we welcome her into our TRS school and pray that God will provide the small amount of needed funding for her...I have no doubt that He will!! The blessings He pours out for these children is remarkable and keeps me on my knees each and every day.

Our Calling

2010-12-07T15:40:00.000-06:00

Birthday Party Time!

2010-11-26T22:15:00.000-06:00

The TRS Staff...well, really Cari and Jessie...threw the kids at The Covering a birthday party today. All the July-December birthdays were celebrated. Read about it in her blog...

www.adventuresinlistening.blogspot.com

Thankfulness....

2010-11-08T21:36:00.000-06:00

You will be blessed to read Cari's blog of things she is thankful for and today she shared some thoughts of what the kids at The Covering are thankful for. To read all 200 things Cari is thankful for visit her blog at adventuresinlistening.blogspot.com
Here are some things she shared from the kids...I especially cried at #160...I love you Isatu!!!

142...
I had the kids help me with some today...i hope that's not cheating:)

142. I want to thank God for giving me a spiritual heart. A heart of love. Fallah
143. I love apples. Cats. Suwaju
144. I love Jesus. I love God. Chicken! Melvin
145. I just want to thank God because he has given me the knowledge to draw. Douda
146. I love you. Shoes! Amidu
148. I love my aunties. I love apples. Isha
149. I thank God for my life. Saffinatu
150. I want to thank God for coming ot the Raining Season. I want ot thank God for healing my heart and have a good mom and dad and wise borther and sister. Sam
151. Sweets! Abubakkar
153. A home. Joseph
154. I thank God for my life. I give thank to the Lord for my toys. Umaru B.
155. Square. House. Yusufu
156. I want to thank God because he have brought me to Christ and be a part of TRS and my life. Fatmata Sia Andipor
157. I thank God for my life. Lucy
159. Jesus me love. I love Jessie. God love. Rock. anonymous
160. I thank God for his goodness upon my life because he have taken me from Egypt and come with me to the Promise Land. Isatu K.
161. Fish and Milk and Chairs. I.B.
162. I thank God for my life. I thank God for this day and daily bread. Betty
163. I thank God for my cup is full. Adamsay
164. I thank God for the good he do for me in my life. I love God so much. Jesus love me. Rugiatu
166. I thank God for what he do for me. Kadiatu
167. Milk. Moses
168. Football. Square. Apple. Desk. Beans. Amara
169. I thank God for what he do for me. Abdul
170. I love Jesus. I love God. I love Mary. I love Joseph. I love Peter. Mohamed K.
171. I thank God for evey single child at the Covering. God has made each one so special and I love them all. Aunty Cari

True Ministry...the Kind that Jesus Called Us To!

2010-10-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

Andrew Kirk from Tennessee just returned from a 6 week stay at The Covering. I have felt so blessed to hear his heart and observations as he spent time at our center. One thing that has stuck out for me is that there has been a profound change among our staff during his visit that I would like to share.

The Raining Season currently employs 37 Sierra Leoneans and has a projected vision to hire at least 10 more for 2011. We look at our employees as family, therefore their families at home are part of the TRS family too. This is almost 50 families that are under our roof every day and under the influence of the Holy Spirit each and every day. It is 50 families that are receiving an income and a way to provide their children at home.

These are also families that face struggles each and every day that you and I cannot begin to imagine. We are a new organization with a big vision and high expectations for our staff. Because of our "newness" we have a staff that is required to make tremendous sacrifice along with us. We are not able to pay them a salary that is solving all their financial problems. Actually the salaries we pay are not enough enough for the single mothers at our center to pay school fees for thier children much less put a roof over their head. They still have to rely upon others in thier community and family memebsers for support. This is something that has been weighing heavy upon me these days.

It would be reasonable to expect that our staff would hold a grudge or even jealousy toward the children at our center. After all, the TRS children attend school, have clothing, sponsor gifts, a bed, medical care at the best facility in Sierra Leone and they get 3 meals a day. For our staff, these are things that they can only dream of for thier own children. I know that for myself, it would be difficult to work all day pouring myself into ministering to children that I would consider to "have it all" and then go home to a metal shack and struggle to feed my own children.

However, the change I am beginning to see in the staff at TRS is one that comes only from God working through people like Andrew, Cari and Jessie who are on the ground day after day showing love to the people of Sierra Leone. As our staff sees the sacrifice and commitment we have to serving the orphan, they too are learning what it means to answer God's call for the orphaned child. I am beginning to see a staff that truly understands what this ministry means. They are sacrificing more and more without acknowledgement or us even asking it of them. There is no grudge or jealousy that they hold against the TRS children...it is actually quite the opposite.

Last week our Country Director, Quami, held the monthly staff meeting. During this meeting the issue of lights at the center at night came up. For the most part we have electricity at our center but currently we do not have a generator that is large enough to run lights when there is no power. I have been at the center when the lights go out at night and it is pitch black dark! It is very dangerous when you have over 80 children going up and down staircases and trying to get to their bunk beds. The staff decided during the staff meeting that we needed to purchase more flashlights. The staff also realizes that the TRS budget is extremely tight right now so rather then asking us for more money to purchase flashlights (our current list of needs is quite long) they took a collection among themselves to cover the cost. Each of them pulled out a few dollars from their own personal money to contribute to the need for flashlights for the night staff.

I was humbled beyond words. It makes what Andrew shared on his blog even dig deeper into my soul as I hear God impress upon me the work he is doing in the hearts of our staff. God is also convicting me of the personal needs and struggles that our staff faces each day and how I live my own life. I must ask myself how willing I would be to give a few precious dollars to someone else when I really have nothing to give. Do I give out of my abundance? Is my 10 % tithe enough? Or do I give from a place of true sacrifice?

The staff at TRS is showing me what true ministry to the orphan really is...

Here is what Andrew wrote on his last day before returning to the Tennessee....

It's early in Sierra Leone, which makes it late in the US. I'm up too early again. Probably because I have so many thoughts that race through my head every moment I am awake here. In about two hours I will be sitting in front of the kids as they have a good bye ceremony for me. Yep, 6 weeks have come and gone. Some days it seems like time has just flown by and others it seems like I have been here forever. People in the states keep asking me if I'm sad. I take offense to that question most days. Yes, I am sad. A couple of years ago I realized that living in America was not my favorite thing. Each day there I am faced with stuff that angers me and what I believe God wants FROM his people. Each day in Sierra Leone angers me too, but it's because I don't think this is what God wants FOR his people. I know that when I get back people will not understand. They don't want to. No one likes to be convicted. We all would prefer to think we are doing our part to help the world.

This week as I have been preparing to leave I have had the opportunity to sit down and have long discussions about life with some of the staff and some of the kids. I feel like I am apologizing for what America is. Their view of America is so inflated. If they just knew how selfish we are, including myself. I found myself having to go back to a staff member and apologize because I said I wasn't rich. We want to be rich but not called it because it kind of makes you a snob. Here I was telling someone who will make less this month than I will make this day that I am not rich. Maybe I am a snob.

Well, off of that and on to better things, leaving! No I am not happy to go, but I am OK with it because I know "I de cum back." I smile each day when the things I have taught them are repeated to me. Even when It means I have to share my flavor-ice with all the guys because Sorie remembers "Uncle you said, God says if we have two we should give the other away." as he smiles and opens his mouth waiting for me to pour so "sweet" in. Well it may not be a direct quote from Jesus or even from me but they get it and they laugh. I will miss the laughs from a bunch of orphans filled with the joy of the Lord. I am ready to come home and start something new. My life is different of course, but it's more than that. God has allowed me to glimpse the difference than can be made. Now my job as his mouth piece is really just beginning. Today I hope to finish emptying out the stuff I don't want and allowing God's spirit to fill me with what I need to start over. It is the same message I will give the kids today as I leave. Remove the stuff that is stopping the spirit of God from filling your life and using you. It's time to go now. I leave with a smile knowing Jesus left his friends and he promised to return. He did it because he knew things were just beginning. I leave knowing I will be back and that my new life is just beginning too.

I pray today you choose2B the beginning of something great, something new, something Holy, something that changes the world. I tell my youth you don't have to change "the" world, just "a" world to make a difference. I am happy that mine has been changed.

Welcome to The Covering sweet little Mary!

2010-10-04T19:03:00.000-05:00

Read the blog written by Jessie who is currently on the ground with Cari and Andrew as they welcomed Mary into our center today...

http://anyroadanycost.blogspot.com/

Andrew shared with me that our social worker, Mohamed teared up when Andrew thanked him for never giving up on Mary until she was under our care. It is quite uncommon for men to cry in Sierra Leone but God's grace cannot be contained when he rescues the orphan in such a tremendous way!

This sweet little girl came into my sight when I was at St. George Foundation with the February team. Jen Diers and I began walking from room to room opening doors and looking around. We came across little Mary all alone lying on a bed. For reasons I cannot post here, we had to walk away and close the door and leave her there...alone...and in the hands of God. She had no voice and she had no way to fight for herself...but God never forgot her and he never left her side. He knew her place would soon be in the hands of the staff at The Covering.

Now, at age 4 and weighing about 10 pounds, she has been rescued and will forever be valued and loved. She will now have the opportunity to become the miracle God intended for her to be.

Thank you to Cari, Andrew, Jessie and the entire TRS staff for being the hands and feet of Christ in Sierra Leone to help God rescue his most precious children!

One Less

2010-10-02T08:24:00.000-05:00

Check out the words of singer/songwriter Matthew West...

One Less by Matthew West (The Story Behind The Song) from emicmg on Vimeo.

Thank you Tiffany for sharing this with us all!

From Cari...

2010-09-22T01:10:00.000-05:00

I Worry...

Yesterday, for the 2^nd time, I invited any of the children who wanted to talk more about the day's Bible Story to stay behind. The first time I did this I didn't really expect that any would stay. I thought maybe 1 or 2 who are hungry for God might be there; because the other option is free play time. What child would really choose Bible Study over football?!? But I had forgotten for a moment that these children are different. They depend on Jesus in a way that I can only hope to learn; that dependence leads them to want to know as much about Him as they possibly can. I think we ended up with about 12 who came with their Bibles ready to talk more about what they had heard.
The conversation with these kids is amazing and challenging. There is the language barrier and much of what is said must be translated; and then there is the difficulty of them not knowing simple things that I would usually expect children of their ages to know. Like how plants grow…they start from seeds, need soil, water and light, etc. But somehow (and I am sure it was the Holy Spirit) the conversation lead to one of the girls saying that she thinks about bad things happening (like the building collapsing) and she wonders how to stop that. Which lead to many of the kids sharing what they worry about. We acknowledged that bad things happen; there is a reason they worry about being hungry—"I worry about my belly" said one boy—because he's been more than just hungry before. They worry about people they love dying; because their parents are gone. They worry about what is happening to family members because they haven't seen them for months and don't hear from them. We all worry! I worry about falling down the hill outside the house again and if the food I am eating here will give me parasites. I wonder if the people I love are healthy and happy. I worry about the kids here growing up…will we be able to provide for them the best education, nutrition, and opportunities. We talked about all of this and then this amazingly, sweet, Biblical thing happened…each child and Uncle Andrew and I were invited to sit in the middle of the circle and each was prayed over.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6 & 7

A message from Andrew...on the ground in Freetown...

2010-09-20T19:15:00.003-05:00

LOVE

In the 11th chapter of John there is a story about Jesus raising Lazarus to life. I believe if you asked anybody they would consider this a miracle. I like miracles! I like looking for them. Sometimes, I find myself disappointed. Other times I am overjoyed to hear of someone’s miracle. Each day at The Covering, I am surrounded by miracles. I find myself thinking back to the intake photos for most of the kids. I think about what they looked like and where they are coming from, the stories behind their eyes. Each day the darkness fades more and more from each one of them.
I like to look people in the eye when I am listening. I found out this week it is a sign of disrespect here. I was talking with Sam and he wanted to know why I stare in His eyes. I am always looking. Looking for what isn’t on the outside. Looking for what is fading. I am looking for the miracles in their lives, and I find Jesus. I find hope. I find LOVE.
Sunday, after Cari had finished her message and worship was over, we again invited the kids who wanted to talk more to stay. This week our crowd was bigger. You never know where the conversation may go after the initial discussion is finished. On this day it did go somewhere deep, somewhere behind those eyes. Safienatu mention that she worries about bad things happening. We quickly asked everyone else is they felt the same way knowing their pasts. As we talked, more and more of them opened up about their fears and how could they overcome them. I was so excited to see these children open themselves up and let Cari and I in. However, I believe it was God who was breaking down the barriers on this day. As we talked through ways they could help each other, help themselves, and allow God to help, you could see them relax. We decided to pray for each person in the circle. They immediately jumped in and allowed everyone to pray and lay hands on them. God’s power and healing could be felt. The little miracles that call me Uncle every day, were receiving their own miracle as God removes the darkness from their eyes. I am so thankful to be part of it.
Oh you thought that was it too, didn’t you? Well, Sunday wasn’t over. One of my favorite things is when the kids all gather together and dance. Sam usually leads this. The kids form a large circle and Sam will call one child into the middle who will then dance. The beats are usually provided by Amidu, Big Dauda, Fallua, Joseph, or Abdul. Sunday we danced because was on hour 13 of 16 straight hours of rain. First, I love how this builds self-confidence in them. Can you imagine 80 American kids just calling each other out to dance in front of their peers? Second, I love the family atmosphere. The kids all clap, cheer, encourage, support, and love on each one who is in the circle while they are there and after they are done.

Sunday, one of our miracles struck me. In that same story in John, Jesus says in verse 40 “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Maybe, well OK sometimes, I just don’t believe. In I John 4:8 it states that God is LOVE! So love can bring about miracles. Clearly it was shoved in my face Sunday. Who was brought into the circle first and second you ask? Lucy and Moses were the first to be cheered on. Each one was lovingly carried in their chair to the center of the circle as everyone cheered. Moses and Lucy are both children with special needs. We all know that is something to overcome anywhere, but in Sierra Leone, it is even worse. I watched as Moses drooled! Then I watched Lucy concentrating, as all the other girls do, on the motions she made with her hands and her head. The older girls got real excited and laughed with pleasure. Each day I watch the girls pop into the nursery to love on these two. Lucy gets better every day. Can God, I mean LOVE, perform a miracle in her life? As the next to last beat was laid down and everyone was invited to dance, there was one more dance to be had. Isatu picked Lucy out of her chair and helped her walk to the middle for one more dance, this time on her feet. With the love of Isatu’s hands holding her, and the encouragement of the other girls, Lucy shook it for God!
It is nice to know that miracles are around us all the time. And thanks to the LOVE, I mean God, in those who work with The Raining Season and those living at The Covering there are many more to come. May you choose2 believe that you will see the glory of God in the miracles around you today.

Words I have been searching hard for

2010-09-17T19:11:00.000-05:00

Well coming home this last week from SL has once again turned my world upside down...as it always does...you would think I would get used to it...but I don't. I have to admit showing up at the new center and finding chaos and disorder..medical needs and more medical needs, children battling and dealing with the demons of their past...absolutely overwhelmed me....feeling inadequate, a little lost, and scared to death, I returned home worried about the next several months...knowing Rome wasn't built in a day...I have to tell myself...OUTLOUD...that we will get there....that we will one day be able to look back on all of these growing pains and see that it was worth it...however I am human and the messy things seem to fill my brain these days...I just now got online to ready Cari's blog...to see if she had any new news...something to make my heart feel better...a glimpse of the children...who I miss TERRIBLY...and I found the words I have been searching for...and it helped my heart to see that she sees it too....a beautiful beautiful mess :) Below are her words...Enjoy.

Erica

A Beautiful Mess

This evening I am sitting on the balcony overlooking the ocean (the sun is setting! WOW!), the ex-presidents peacocks, the roof of the orphanage and the houses large and small that cover the hills around and I am thinking about a book I read some time ago entitled a Beautiful Mess. Today I need to remember that God makes beautiful things from chaos and disorder; that the Kingdom of God is everywhere and He is often most present in the mess because that is when we need Him most.
Like now I hear the kids across the way screaming "Goal" and laughing because Andrew is playing football with them and it's beautiful; but yesterday the screams were from an all out preschool brawl in which 7 of our precious 3 and 4 year olds decided to riot in the hallway! I would pull one out of the pile and another would jump in. Oh how I am trying to turn the screams into joyful ones at all times! Our children a beautiful mess.
And then there is one of our 3 year olds--E (I will not put her name her in order to protect herJ), she is such a beautiful girl…but do you remember that rhyme…there was a little girl who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead, and when she was good she was very, very good, but when she was bad she was AWFUL! That's E. All week she has been kicking me, throwing rocks at me, poking and pinching and biting me. One day last week she peed on me. But today she sat on my lap and looked into my eyes and said "Aunty Cari, I love you!" and I replied, "If you love me don't kick, bite, pinch or hurt me and I love you too!" She is a little mess! BUT with time and attention and lots of prayer, God can make something beautiful out of E. She is a beautiful mess.
And Lucy…I always manage to visit her at lunch time and she is covered head-to-toe in rice and green kasava leaves and drool but I have then she smiles! And I forget all about the mess and see only the beauty. Lucy is our beautiful mess whom God has great plans for!
I visited the old building today…what a mess! There's dirt and water and shoes and broken things everywhere and I was reminded that sometimes we need to make a mess in order to make things beautiful. They are in the midst of painting and that means they are making a mess but when it is all done the building will be beautiful again and the next occupants will be blessed by it. AND then I came back to our new facility and it is so fine! Wow, God has blessed us with a new space to mess up with the stuff of childhood…curious boys who take things apart, little girls who have never used a crayon before so how would they know not to write on the wall, rice on the floor from 3 meals a day, and dirty laundry everywhereJ
Freetown itself is a beautiful mess. A city filled with beautiful people living in some of the worst conditions you can imagine. I see their struggle and the daily suffering but I also see their smiles. Their friendship of one another and the community they create. God's Kingdom is here, in the midst of this chaos and disorder and there is great beauty all around.
And then there is me…most days I feel like a mess beyond description. I have fallen down so many times in the last few days that I have scrapes on both knees, one elbow, and one arm! As well as one gash on my forehead and a bruise by my eye. I am always sweating and I have a sunburn. At any given moment I am not sure what I am doing or why! And although YOU might not be as big of a mess as me, I am sure that God sees us both as beautiful and through us, WHEREVER we are He can bring his presence and create beauty out of chaos.

speechless

2010-09-09T19:58:00.001-05:00

More words from Andrew's blog...

Speechless

It is very hard to put into words what has happened the last three days. It’s hard to say that you choose 2B speechless, but I def have been. Worship on Sunday morning with the kids was unbelievable. I cried many tears, but tears of Joy as I watched a roomful of children praising God for what he had done for them. Just the pure passion and joy in the room was intoxicating. Even as good as worship was on Sunday, prayer time before bed each night is even more powerful. We praise God through song, dance, and prayer. I find myself weeping most nights, as I am unable to reach the same level of passion. I am reminded of the quote “In America you believe in God. In Africa we depend on God.” I continue to find myself speechless when worshiping with the kids.
The Bible says that when we get to heaven we will find ourselves praising God continuously around His throne. I feel as though I am getting a clearer picture of what heaven looks like each day. I use to think I would like to talk to Jesus and ask him some questions about things, but now I’m pretty sure the whole worship all the time thing will be just fine by me(as if it has anything to do with me). I am grateful for what I have already learned about myself from the kids. I am grateful for the example of worship they are for me. Finally, I will choose 2B speechless many more times.

Pics from Africa!

2010-09-09T15:07:00.000-05:00

Shariff lost a tooth!!!

Andrew with Abdul, Shariff, Ibrahim K. and Abu M.

Betty and boys

New dining hall!

Fatmata J.

John

Shariff, Umaru, Ali

A word from one of the team members in Sierra Leone

2010-09-07T14:47:00.000-05:00

From Andrew's Blog:
"This morning we had our welcome ceremony. The kids were all dressed in their Firefleyes outfits and met us at the main road to walk us up. After all the hugs, they sang to us, prayed for us, introduced the staff, and welcomed us. Listening to them pray, makes me think about how little we give credit to God for. When was the last time you thanked God that you can go to the grocery store? We returned the favor with horrible dancing and singing. Afterwards we had the kids take us around the Covering on a tour. Each one of us has been assigned 8 kids to keep up with and be close to for the week instead of trying to get to know everybody."

Updates from the team in Sierra Leone...

2010-09-06T15:56:00.000-05:00

To all you sponsors out there...the kids raised
the roof tonight in prayer for all of you....I hope you felt their love
from across the world....
This makes me unbelievably happy and proud....our kids are amazing!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know....the team has little to no electricity so they're not getting to post many pictures or updates! Having a hard time keeping computers, cameras, etc...charged! Hoping to have better electricity and Internet connection soon!! :)

Day Two in Sierra Leone

2010-09-05T21:21:00.003-05:00

2nd day on the ground....Its been a GREAT day! The girls love their new curtains...cubbies...the BOYS have had a blast with the guys on the trip...and thanks to Sherri TRS had their first marching band!!! The kids saluted...and marched all over the center in perfect time!!

For those wanting an update on Lucy....she is doing great!!!!!!!!!!!! She has put on a lot of weight, we got her braces on today and she is walking with little assistance. She understands everything we say to her and she responds non-verbally. She never stops smiling and laughing! She is always laughing. Hilarious!!!

Team has arrived safely

2010-09-04T07:47:00.000-05:00

The team has arrived safely and everyone is settling into our new guest house at the orphanage! What a blessing that teams can stay right with the kids now!!! Thank you to all the donors!

The Move Has Happened!

2010-09-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

Word from Sierra Leone is that the kids have moved to the new buildings! We even heard that their were squeals of joy when they got out of the van and saw their new home!!! Our next team leaves tomorrow for Sierra Leone so please keep them in your prayers! We can't wait to update with pictures of our team on the ground at the new facility!

Thank you to all of you for making this new location a reality!!!

Five Days...

2010-08-28T18:39:00.000-05:00

FIVE DAYS until our next team leaves for Sierra Leone!

Please join us in prayer for their travels, their work as the hands and feet of God on the ground, and God's movement in their hearts. Satan hates to see us doing the work of Christ in our own backyards and in the country of Sierra Leone. Pray that God might place a blanket of protection over them. That He might guide their every step, their every interaction. Pray that God might bless their families while they are away and simply shine His love in a mighty way!

^"...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
       and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
       then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become like the noonday."

Isaiah 58:10

On the home stretch!

2010-08-18T22:34:00.001-05:00

These are pictures of the new buildings God is providing for us to lease! It is amazing! These two new buildings are next to one another..between the two we can house 100 kids...a few key staff...in field Americans..teams and our teen moms!!!

Only $4900 left in funds to raise for us to secure the lease for the year!!!

Genesis 22:14 "On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided!"

http://www.therainingseason.org/

Update on Lucy & Moses

2010-08-12T15:45:00.000-05:00

Cari, who is living in Sierra Leone right now, posted this update about Lucy and Moses to her blog:

"On a completely separate note, Lucy came home today. She is smiling and happy. It was fun to watch Sam, Betty and Fallah greet her and play with her. She has a small plastic, red chair that she sits in like it's her very own throne. That and her hot pink cell phone, purse, and napkin use after every bite of food earned her a new middle name...Princess. And as it turns out Moses has the same birthday as me…just a few years later"

God is so good! He has sustained these two precious children and is providing a loving home for them through The Covering. He has the ability to do this without any help from us. We just feel so blessed that He feels us worthy to be a part of it and will continue to obey His call to care for His children!

We pray that He might continue to call others to help us in this work...it is demanding, and tiring, and sometimes heart-wrenching, but then there are weeks like this week when we get smiles and laughter and a little girl who has never been properly cared for falling right into the role of princess!

Join our fight and DONATE NOW... kids, just like Lucy and Moses, arrive at our doorstep every day! You can make a difference in their lives and you might just end up surprised at the difference it makes in yours!

A Sponsor's Story

2010-08-11T16:53:00.001-05:00

This is our story...

just a normal family of five, living in Iowa, going to football games, enjoying our comfortable house and cars and life...but you see...God...well, He had different plans for us...

blessings we never could have imagined!

Thank you TRS!!! We will never be the same!
Doug, Jen, Kobe, Luke & Faith Diers
Pella, Iowa

Praising God for Yesterday...

2010-08-11T16:34:00.001-05:00

Lucy at the hospital with the toys & t-shirt from her sponsors!

Cari lovin on Lucy!

Moses at The Covering!

Mohamed, the TRS social worker, literally SAVING THE ORPHAN!

Moses being welcomed to The Covering by Betty who spent time with him at a former orphanage!

Mary, the little one we still intend to bring to The Covering...

Over $2500 raised in one day for these precious children...help us do more...

Donate now...

http://www.therainingseason.org/

"You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours!"

Psalm 128:2

What a day!

2010-08-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

Check out Cari's post about the exciting day for The Raining Season:
Lucy and Moses

"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up!"
John Andrew Holmes

2010-08-10T10:17:00.001-05:00

Over a year ago, we stumbled across an orphanage full of children. Children who were being neglected, uncared for, not loved. We made a commitment to God that we would be His hands and feet. We would be His voice for the voiceless. We would step out in faith only through Him and His will and His power!

Today...the Lord has overcome! He has given us a glimpse of hope for these children! He has shown His face, His faithfulness, His love!

Today...the Lord has given us Lucy and Moses. They are in a car being transported to a private hospital. Quami, Osseh and Mohamed are wrapping their strong arms around these two children who were considered outcasts. Love is being showered on them as they enter the hospital for what might possibly be their first ever true medical care.

You see, Lucy and Moses are considered outcasts in Sierra Leone. They have medical needs that their former caregivers would assume are the result of a curse. They have not been properly fed, clothed or cared for. But God...God is greater! He has pierced the hearts of so many people here in the U.S. and in Sierra Leone. He has shown that His power supersedes any belief of curse or hopelessness. He has brought hope today! He has a plan for these two lives. He will see it through!

But we need you!

We need prayer! Prayer for the provision of medical care. Prayer for qualified caregivers to support these two children as we bring them to The Covering. Prayer for God's grace and love to be shown above all else. Will you commit to prayer for us?

We need funds! $30 a day is what it will cost for us to treat Lucy and Moses in the hospital. $30 a day!!!! One new school outfit. A nice lunch with a friend. A half a tank of gas! Will you step up today and support them? Will you offer just $30?

We need madness! We need people who are so sold out for Christ's love of all people that they are willing to give up their own comfort. Will you get crazy with us? Think of the gifts God has given you. Will you let TODAY be the day that you step out for HIM, for His children, for His name!?

Today, I put out a challenge....can we spend an entire day in prayer? Can we raise over $2000 for the one month of hospital care for Lucy and Moses just through this blog today?!

Let's just see what God will do with our obedience today...

"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!"

1 Samuel 12:16

www.therainingseason.org

The Little Things

The word that makes us all cringe....

Grief.

A Place of Rest

Counting Stock

Auntie Jeneba's Legacy

May you rest in the glory of Jesus Christ, Auntie Jeneba

My ONE Story

September Team Recap!

The Ticking of the Sierra Leone Clock

Home

SPONSORSHIP CONTEST!

Donate to TRS with Everyday Purchases!

The Pain and Tears that God's Work Can Bring

Following is an article written for the papers in Sierra Leone as part of our media campaign push.

An incredible insightin less than 8 minutes

"I need someone to take care of me"

God's hands and feet at work

A life-changing visit to the children's hospital

“That was my purpose in being here…it was for her.”

Meet Elva and Please Pray with Us

Lucy – God’s Graceful Light

The Tragedy of Loss When You are Young.....

Our First Costume Party!!!

VBS day

Through the eyes of Regina...

Though Innocence is Taken…. All is Not Lost….

Carnival and Beach Day

A Few Photos from the Kroo Bay Feeding Program

Moving Into the Neighborhood....

Baby Dolls…Cars…Baby Dolls…more Cars…..

Feeding Thousands....

The time has come... another team crosses the ocean!!

They Landed!

True Miracle!

So Much to Pray!

Our Calling

Birthday Party Time!

Thankfulness....

True Ministry...the Kind that Jesus Called Us To!

Welcome to The Covering sweet little Mary!

One Less

From Cari...

A message from Andrew...on the ground in Freetown...

LOVE

Words I have been searching hard for

A Beautiful Mess

speechless

More words from Andrew's blog...

Speechless

Pics from Africa!

A word from one of the team members in Sierra Leone

Updates from the team in Sierra Leone...

To all you sponsors out there...the kids raised the roof tonight in prayer for all of you....I hope you felt their love from across the world....This makes me unbelievably happy and proud....our kids are amazing!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know....the team has little to no electricity so they're not getting to post many pictures or updates! Having a hard time keeping computers, cameras, etc...charged! Hoping to have better electricity and Internet connection soon!! :)

Day Two in Sierra Leone

2nd day on the ground....Its been a GREAT day! The girls love their new curtains...cubbies...the BOYS have had a blast with the guys on the trip...and thanks to Sherri TRS had their first marching band!!! The kids saluted...and marched all over the center in perfect time!!

Team has arrived safely

The Move Has Happened!

Five Days...

On the home stretch!

Update on Lucy & Moses

A Sponsor's Story

Praising God for Yesterday...

What a day!

To all you sponsors out there...the kids raised
the roof tonight in prayer for all of you....I hope you felt their love
from across the world....
This makes me unbelievably happy and proud....our kids are amazing!!!