Africa!

Well I'm here. I landed late Sunday night and while our hostel has internet access, I've just had too much in my mind to write.

So far things have been great. My fellow volunteers are all amazing people with such great stories and so many interesting things to say. I'm a little bummed that most of them leave to sites in Ghana and Zambia on Monday, but excited to start work here.

Sierra Leone is, in general, very different- there are just so many new things to see and try to understand. In the same way- parts of it are very familiar. At meals they have glass bottles of Coke, Fanta, and Sprite. The night here sounds so much like home with the insects and frogs. However instead of Highway Five, there are howling dogs- who are very loud. It's weird- there are dogs everywhere just walking around here. Today we were in a taxi on our way to the United Methodist House and (since driving is incredibly different here, it's CRAZY and no one ever really stops and they just honk) there were some dogs and a tiny puppy in the middle of the street. Our driver just about ran over the puppy. Nicol and I both cringed and looked away, terrified that he would hit the dog. I'm not sure if it moved or if it went between the wheels, but luckily it wasn't hurt. I actually feel quite safe here- but the driving is scary. It's not hippos I have to worry about- it's the cars.

Today we have cassava (a plant) with rice for lunch. I was told that mine had been fixed without meat or fish... but that definitely wasn't the case- so I accidentally ate a little bit of fish, but when I realized what it was after a few bites (because I didn't recognize the taste) I couldn't eat more. It hasn't been too hard being a vegetarian here, but I'm definitely no where near as strict as I am at home. I'm surviving.

Today was the first day I really got out of the hostel. I went downtown with Anton (a fellow volunteer) and Dennis (the brother of our program coordinator who lives in Freetown). It was... overwhelming. Not in a bad way- but just overwhelming. I don't understand the money yet (its all in too big of numbers for me) and I got called "white girl" a lot- but I'm looking forward to exploring more... and hopefully not getting too lost.

The only other exciting (or new, because it's more difficult than exciting) has been all of the French. The most useful thing I brought was my French dictionary. Lots of French- there really isn't too much more to say about that.

I hope all is well with your guys at home- I definitely appreciate all of the prayers and will try to keep in touch as much as possible. If you want to email me use my U of M account (krape003@umn.edu) because my gmail doesn't work well. Take care- look for a Chaska Herald article soon- and God Bless.

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The Beginning of an Adventure

So I am off! It hardly seems like I am leaving already, but in juts a few hours I will be on the first of three planes that will take me to Sierra Leone. Wow.

Talk to you guys from Freetown!

Oh, and by the way- today is my grandma's brithday, so Happy Brithday Grandma Bonnie!!

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A Lot of Hugs

I can't believe I leave for Africa in two days. It seems so incredibly surreal. I finally feel like I am getting all that needs to be done done. The hardest part has been finding time to see everybody I want to see. The frustration of the time crunch has been made up for by all of the great hugs and send offs though. This week has also made me realize just how great my community is. Everyone has been so supportive and loving- I'll miss you guys.

By the way- if you are curious about the image check out http://www.freehugscampaign.org/, it's really quite neat.

If you are a member of Discovery, stop reading here if it is before Sunday, June 22!!!

I wrote this letter to be read to Discovery on Sunday, (so Discovery members no peaking- it will ruin the tear jerking capabilities of my letter on Sunday morning) but I really feel that is applies to all of you-

Dear Family,

While Tyler is reading this to you, I will be on a plane with my 5 fellow American Global Justice Volunteers somewhere between London and Freetown, Sierra Leone. Wow.

I want to extend my most heartfelt gratitude to you all. You have proven that with God everything is possible. You have made my life long dream to work in Africa a reality. There is no way I could have done this without you guys. Thank you for all of the financial support, the prayers, the advice, the stories, and all of the great hugs.

Each and every one of you is so important to me- I will miss you. Discovery and its members have truly been a family to me, walking with me not only in this adventure, but in all of my adventures in everyday life. Thank you. I don't know what I would do without you guys.

I'll leave you with words from "The Lion King,"

"As you go through life you'll see
There is so much that we
Don't understand

And the only thing we know
Is things don't always go
The way we planned

But you'll see every day
That we'll never turn away
When it seems all your dreams come undone

We will stand by your side
Filled with hope and filled with pride
We are more than we are
We are one"

I love all of you very dearly and can't wait to see you when I return.

Shalom,
Annie Mae

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History, Hospitality, and The "P" Word (In Reverse Order)

As I promised Carol- here is a picture of my hands after a long day of fund raising. My hands may be dirty, but Carol's new gardens certainly are beautiful!

I'm sure many of you are saying "the 'p' word? I don't know any four letter p words." Well let me reassure you- I have found a new one. Packing. All of my clothes are currently sprawled out across my deck, letting the permethrin dry. I have a feeling that using such massive amounts of chemicals in such high doses isn't exactly environmentally friendly- but I don't really have a choice. Hopefully they'll dry quickly so I can finish packing, as it is a very unpleasant activity.

I got to meet a lot of wonderful people from Sierra Leone last night at the Rebeca's house. They were some of the most hospitable people I have met- all very friendly and helpful. They were speaking in broken English (Krio) for a lot of the time- which was completely over my head, but very fun to listen to. They taught me (or did their best to teach me) a few words and had lots of great advice. I was especially glad to meet Reverend Shaka, who is leaving for Freetown this week and will be there for six weeks. When I told Rev. Shaka I would be staying at the YMCA hostel on Fort street he said "Oh that is right by Pastor Ngobeh's." I had to turn the name over a few times in my head before I remembered where I knew that name from- Pastor Ngobeh runs City of Rest. I told Rev. Shaka that we were going to be working with City of Rest and with an infectious laugh he said "Oh you don't even need my card then- Just tell Pastor Ngobeh you know me!" A woman named Matilda was also incredibly sweet and helpful. Overall I heard two things from just about everyone...
"We are very friendly people," everybody told me that they love foreigners/strangers and are a very hospitable and friendly nation (which, if people in Sierra Leone are anything like the people I met I believe).
"You'll love it."
Another favorite comment was when I was told I will "come back a better human being for it." Everyone was friendly and supportive- I can't wait! When Rev. Shaka was leaving he shook my hand and said (in a voice with a growl and bounce that reminds me of Louie Armstrong) "I'll see you in Freetown." How cool both that I'm actually going to Sierra Leone (which is still sinking in) and that I know somebody there.

If you remember from the last history lesson- Sierra Leone had many factors creating civil unrest- a weak president, a corrupt, single party government, a economy that was getting worse and worse, illegal arms trade, drug use, strong opposition and poorly managed natural resources. These factors had be stewing for many years by the time war broke out in 1991. As I learned last night- between 1976 and 1980 there was a significant downfall in the economy and things were becoming less safe. In March 1991 The Revolutionary United Front (the opposition army) launched the first attack on Eastern Sierra Leone. The RUF used mutilation extensively as an intimidation tactic- basically they were brutal. One year after the first attack there was a military coup with overthrew President Momoh (which ended up being about as ineffective as Momoh had been). By 1995 the RUF had captured most of the countryside, burning villages, killing and mutilating civilians, and "recruiting" child soldiers. So the new government hired several hundred mercenaries from a private firm and within weeks had pushed the RUF to the boarders of the country. But this is only 1995, and the war didn't officially end until 2002, so what happened in the mean time? All the more incentive to check back later!

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Coincidence? I Think Not!

Let's see if I can manage another update in 3oo words...

• A great big thank you to Lake Minnetonka Orthodontics for their generous donation!
• Things are coming together nicely- I have most of the things I need ready to leave. I must say though, the incidental costs of this trip are adding up pretty quickly. I kind of feel like a master card commercial...
• "Visa, $141
• Anti malarial drugs, antibiotics, antihistamines and typhoid vaccine, $260
• Rain jacket, $38
• Helping others, priceless.
• Some things money can't buy, for everything else there's Annie's bank account."
• Besides the cost though- everything is going very well. I've got all of my clothes ready to go, got an awesome suitcase (which is really a big duffel bag on wheels that converts into a massive backpack) and I almost have everything squared away.

Awesome- under 200 words this time.

I've been incredibly blessed to be making some great connections in the past week. At Missio Dei this week a woman who was visiting offered to introduce me to a woman who grew up in Sierra Leone. Rebeka grew up in Sierra Leone and moved to Minneapolis with her husband (who was a peacecorps worker) many years ago. She now coordinates the events for the Sierra Leonean community in Minneapolis. Rebeka was incredibly helpful and hospitable, not to mention very nice. I'm excited to meet her and others from the Sierra Leonean community later this week. I was also put in contact with the pastor of River Hills UMC in Burnsville who has done a lot of work in Sierra Leone (and the congregation also has strong ties to the nation). It is great to be making all of these connections. I'm feeling a little less clueless, getting some great advice, and meeting amazing people.

Sierra Leone history part II will be up early this week- sorry to keep you in suspense. I guess you'll just have to check back soon!

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Sierra Leone History part I

An update in 300 words or less:

• I have successfully raised $2,200- the program cost! I cannot begin to express my gratitude toward those who have helped me- you have all been such blessings. I still have about $200 or a little more left to pay for medical costs- but a majority of the fund raising is done with. Thank you oh so very much for all of your financial support and prayers. I may sound like a broken record, but I am incredibly grateful.

• I got my plane ticket today. I leave on June 21st at 2pm.
  
  
• I've gotten a great response to the Chaska Herald article. In fact, I've gotten advice from people as far away as Florida (how neat)! If you haven't read it yet you can check it out here. I've loved hearing people's stories, advice and everything else, so don't be shy!!! I'm all about community involvement, so pleasee feel free to email me at krape003@umn.edu with anything at all. I love getting email! Also, please share this website with anyone who may be interested. Community is key. Make sure to keep an eye on The Herald this summer for some interesting articles.
  
  
• I'll be preaching at Discovery United Methodist Church in Chanhassen when I get back on August 31st. I'm also hoping to talk with (though not preach- because once is stressful enough!) other local churches and organizations (especially youth and young adult)- so if you, your organization or your church are interested just shoot me an email. I'll also be speaking at the Chanhassen library in late fall.

262 words- perfect.

So now on to what is, in my opinion, the much more interesting part of this post: a little lesson in modern Sierra Leone history (thought the fact that this interests me so much may reveal my nerdy side). As a forewarning- like all conflicts, there are many different stories of what transpired and many different situations that lead to the violence. This summary is based off of my limited knowledge- do some digging around if you are interested in more in depth info.

It is a little hard to pinpoint exactly what started the civil war. In 1985 Joseph Momoh was elected president in a single party election. Momoh was a military ruler, but not viewed as a dictator. Early in his presidency, Momoh declared a state of economic emergency, which gave him a great deal of economic control. President Momoh's corrupt advisors took advantage of this and the economy continued to decline steadily.
As the government as a whole began to corrode, the trade of weapons became easier, drug abuse increase and crime became problematic. Illegal trade with Liberia also became a major problem. Many of Momohs early opposition (many of whom were students) were expelled from the country, which actually allowed them to foster the opposition. The opposition trained at a military camp in Liberia. These groups then went into the Western Kono District, which, notably, has man diamond mines, and spread their began spreading their ideology.
By this point the economy was, for all practical purposes, at the low of lows. Sierra Leone was (and is) rich in resources, but a very poor country. A struggle over control of the diamond mines and industry began.

So all of the elements necessary for a civil war were present in Sierra Leone- a weak, often uninvolved president, a corrupt government, a single party government, a exceedingly weak economy, illegal arms trade, drug use, deported student opposition, poorly managed natural resources- waiting to explode. And explode they did.

However that is for another post. So be sure to tune in next time for another fascinating look at Sierra Leonean history.

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