Bob's message is very and encouraging and uplifting to pastors. Many of these pastors don't have any kind of networking with other pastors. They are off by themselves in a small province and have nobody to bounce ideas off, answer questions, compare problems that they are facing, etc. I am sure it can be very lonely in leading a community. Bob says he heard at Waterloo and hears very often how these kinds of seminars never go to the provinces, but are always in the big city. These pastors were like sponges, soaking up Bob's words.
I only went on Saturday to Bob's conference. It was the first day I was really feeling 'up to it.' I loved his ideas as well. Much of his message revolves around the idea that nobody likes a leader who is iron-fisted and power hungry. But everybody loves a leader who is willing to get down in the dirt with them and try to provide for the needs of those he serves instead of thinking only of himself.
However, I was also sitting by a window trying to catch the breeze and was somewhat distracted by the events going on outside. First of all this cute little boy was playing in the laundry wash bucket.
Then, they had the neatest, most colorful lizard outside.
I believe this guy is a male because pretty soon a female showed up and he started doing push-ups. Seems very similar to when I started dating John...
I am sooooo kidding lol!
Mid day we breaked for lunch. Somebody had worked hard to make some groundnut stew. It was spicy just the way I liked it.
All the meat in mine was goat, but looking around at many of the pastor's plates had mostly fish. It seems like they gave the goat to their guests (all us whities) and fish (which is the cheaper meat) for the pastors. What a show of honor! This culture is so sacrificial for guests!
During the break John noticed a neat little creature up in the rafter of the small church...
At the end of the day, I was somehow nominated to read the names of the certificates made for the attendants for completing the course. Let me tell you, African names are not easy to read, especially in the provinces! Apparently, the Krio tribe names (the city or Freetown tribe) are a lot easier because they are adopted from the British when they first colonized this area. Last names such as Campbell are fairly common here.
Well hope you enjoyed... next up will be a dinner we had with Modupe and Rene Taylor-Pierce. A Sierra Leonean family that just returned from 17 years in the states in order to help their country spiritually and developmentally.
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