TRIP TO THE GAMBIA: In Ziguinchor, Beryl took us to the taxi station. We expected taxis, instead it was a hub of 100 run down station wagons. I kept looking for the taxis. Beryl went to a man at the center sitting at a card table and bought us tickets. Slowly it began to dawn on me that our taxi was one of these beat-up station wagons. I get sidetracked for a second and see Beryl motioning for us to come. Behind him comes a vehicle being pushed by four men. I’m thinking – don’t let that one be our taxi – it doesn’t even start – how will it take us on the two hour drive to the Gambian border? It’s ours. We pile in – three in the very back, three in the second seat and two in the front. We hold our backpacks – sure glad we did not bring our carry-on suitcases. Four more men push us backward around the corner and then straight ahead until it starts. We are off on our journey to Gambia. We get through all the checkpoints and Jeremiah is waiting at the border. I can’t find my camera anywhere – must have lost it or it got stolen along the way. But when we arrive at MEHDA, I find it and am so thankful!
IN GAMBIA: Cecilia feeds us a wonderful lunch of rice and fish and more. We take a long walk through the community meeting various people, and then through the rice paddies and finally to the community gardens and then back to MEHDA where we look at the banana trees, orange trees, casaba and other plants they are growing. We learn about the fence that has deteriorated to a point where goats get through it and are destroying the casaba and orange trees. We look at the solar water pump which is foundational to MEHDA. We hear of Jeremiah’s vision for the banana trees, orange trees, and casaba to support the workers and hopefully even the school. In order for this to happen the fence must be repaired. We hear more about the five year vision of MEHDA and the importance of it in the community. After eating another wonderful meal and more talk, it is bed time. At the guesthouse, using my cell phone as a flashlight, we are greeted by a large gecko near the top of our door. I try to chase it off the door so it does not enter our room. It runs down the door and enters the room in a crack at the bottom. I use Judy’s journal to try to chase it back out the hole. Instead it runs into our room where I frantically chase it until I finally get it outside again. On the wall is a huge brown spider the size of a quarter. Umm… another nighttime partner, unless…. We fall asleep amidst the wonderful nighttime sounds of west Africa. We are so exhausted, we sleep past our breakfast time of 8 a.m. and to our embarrassment don’t wake up until 8:30. Cecilia has breakfast waiting for us.
We walk through the village to the community center that is partially constructed. About three years ago, the village community organization was complaining that they had built the original MEHDA buildings for free and were never paid back. They were asked how they could be paid back – they said a community center. So an agreement was made to provide the materials for a community center. Three years later, the walls are built, but no floor, no roof and no money. We meet the president of the local community organization and have conversation with him. We meet an elder in the village who speaks English.
We walk to the school where there are 96 eager children taught by three teachers. We learn about the mission and vision of the school and the importance of it in the community. The free lunch program is a huge motivation for children to come. The lunch program will be discontinued in September due to lack of funding. How will this affect student attendance and the future of the school?
We return to MEHDA and the community development director shows us the beautiful tie-die projects and ear-rings made out of pieces of coconut shells and tiny tie-died fish bones that have been made by My Sister’s Company. We buy several bags and ear-rings. The women are currently not working until more are sold. If anyone wants a beautiful tie-died bag for $6 or ear-rings for $5, let me know by tonight. I may have time to check my email at zookron@gmail.com before we leave tomorrow morning and could bring some back home. Wish I’d have time to upload photos of everything and our experiences. After lunch, we will be going to surrounding villages to visit the churches and meeting the church leaders. We have been very encouraged and blessed by everything we are seeing. Many needs and opportunities and much fruit and harvest from all the work Beryl began here years ago, Gary and Denise have continued, and many of the local people like Jeremiah are continuing. God has blessed and continues to bless!
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