Smiles1

Mostly there are smiles from the kids wherever I go, except to mention the odd one that runs away from me screaming! Cant think why!

Breast is BEST!

Do you rememberer the the story I told you about baby Mariama who nearly died in my car on the way to hospital with sever malnourishment and dehydration.... well can you believe this is her and her mum Zainab now. They are doing so well and mum is managing to breast feed exclusivey now – the advice for first 6 months of a baby's life.

Unfortunately so many mums here think that their babies need water in addition to breast milk. However the water has no nutrients or antibodies, and is often not that clean, therefore causing sickness and diarrhoea. Or they think it is better to use western 'formula' milk powders, which again is very difficult to keep sterile here, not to mention expensive. The children's doctors spend a lot of their time persuading mums that 'breast is best'. So now when I'm out and about I try to encourage this with every mum I meet.

Mariama was one of those that suffered the misinformed thoughts of a young mother. She was one of the few that escaped adding to the statistic of SL having the highest infant mortality.

Praise God for the turn around in her life.

Warm Welcome?????

I'm back in Sierra Leone now, having had a lovely time at home with my wonderful family and friends. It has been so great to have seen so many people,and I've really appreciated people allowing me to sleep in spare beds, come and go often, and of course all the lovely food, hot baths, glasses of wine and conversation. Oh and thanks mum for doing all my washing, not to mention a wonderful Christmas dinner!

So I hit the ground running in Sierra Leone, meeting a girl at the airport who needed a bed for the night, then sorting out a insulin dependant diabetic who had left her insulin in USA, then only to discover that I'd been robbed of my emergency money and my return flight tickets from my bedroom while I had been away.

I'm gutted really, as it seems so unfair that all we try to do is help, yet still people ask of more. It could only have been people who I thought of as friends and it is more the mistrust of the relationships I'm so sad and disappointed about rather than the money.

I know that God will have the final justice, and that ultimately Jesus was cheated and mistreated so many times in order to bring us our salvation on this earth.

So things can only get better I hope. I'm looking forward to seeing my kids again next week - always a source of joy, and I hope they've all moved on in some way.

Happy New Year, praying God's blessings on you all as life takes it's twists and turns...hang on tight to the one who gives hope – Jesus.