Sierra Leone Mudslides

Sierra Leone MudslidesOur hearts are breaking for our friends in Sierra Leone following the recent mudslides. We know God will take this devastating event and turn it around for good, but just now we are very saddened for our friends there. 

Here is a website concerning the disaster:Sierra Leone Mudslides

Dick has heard from Nelson Clemens, with whom we spent much time last year in Freetown. Here is part of his correspondence: 

Thanks Dick for checking,

We can see the slide from our back veranda, but the site is about 30- 45 mins walk from our house. 

We are all sadden by the event. We have never heard of or seen this many deaths in one night in   this country, even during the war. We are fine and have no direct relation affected (so far). But my mechanic who was not in town when the slide occurred lost his whole family of 7. I went to the accident site yesterday with one of the mechanic's workmen. The whole place was covered with mud/ stone; there was not even a trace of the building at the location it use to stand!!

Please pray for the people in Freetown, the medical and support personnel, for the leaders to have great wisdom, and for God's comfort for all. 

God is not unaware; this did not catch Him by surprise. In His Sovereign, loving hands He will bring much good from this disaster. Our sending organization, S.A.V.E., has a structure in place there - may they be empowered to do much good in the wake of the disaster. If anyone desires, they may help through donations to the SAVE organization: S.A.V.E website

When we were there last year, there was much discussion about the multitudes of people building homes high on the hills, without proper structural support. When it would rain, the Freetown streets would be flooded with brown, muddy water coming from the hills where all the building was taking place. May this event spur changes in the way building has been done, to keep Sierra Leoneans safe in the future.