we stayed in freetown during our visit to sierra leone.
it was bigger than i thought it would be.
it was busy night and day.
we arrived at night & we each asked things like "why are there so many people out in the dark?!"
and then in the morning….there were lots and lots more people….everywhere!
the noise was something that is a definite adjustment.
kansas is pretty quiet most of the time. 
the group of people in the middle are selling goods…on the ground.
i can see white sheets or linens behind the car and suitcases.
there is a baby stroller holding a cooler for water? i am guessing.
this photo above was taken out our hallway window at the YMCA.
the building is a rehab center.
and people also live in this metal covered structure.
these are homes in Kroo Bay which is at the bottom of a hill…the lowest point.
i would guess that the bags at the top that are stacked and stacked…are trash.
this is looking back into kroo bay.
this a street in freetown.
barbed wire is around everything.
if not barbed wire then there would be a wall with broken bottles cemented into the top of the wall
to keep people out.
these are almost all taxis lined up.
homes.
i think they use their roofs to have some extra space…to dry things in the sun that get wet…
i also see buckets in this picture.
with no running water they fill the buckets at a pump and use it back in their home for everything.
we saw so many children getting water.
my own kids probably wouldn't even bring me a drink if i asked them i bet.
and these children would be carrying big buckets a long way back to their home.
these are shops in the street.
they are everywhere.
shops and tables of food and "stuff" EVERYWHERE.
these are homes.
and a shop in the front.
on the table to the right in a big tray with small plastic bags w=filled with sugar.
i didn't ask what was in the big bowls.
a clothing shop?
someone asked specifically about this.
it's just a man selling clothes on the street.
this looks like trash to me on her roof but i see a ladder
so maybe i just don't recognize the value of what she is saving on her roof.
we are a pretty disposable nation here in america.
rarely see the need to save something…we just throw it away.
this photo just makes you stop.
what an amazing skill she has.
so many of the people here have this ability.
but she is carrying so much!
wow.
a fruit stand with fruit i don't even know what they are!
they don't sell it at wal-mart.
the pink disposable bags are full of coal i think…for them to cook at home with.
the yellow building is probably a "nice" apartment.
that does not mean running water.
or flushing toilets.
and i will guess again that the big bags are…..rice?
total guess.
the backpack on the roof?? no clue.
it's a
mystery.
this is the good part of the river.
the worse part i did not get a photo of.
but it was the most unbelievable site i have ever witnessed.
more trash than water…big pigs snorting around in it…children playing…using the bathroom…
it was the most shocking site of the entire trip.
this photo is true.
we stood in the same spot but i didn't take a picture.
this is our group walking (standing out like crazy).
look at the man in the middle…8 baskets of coal on his head.
EIGHT!!
the rocks on the roof?
to hold it down…i assume.
these are questions i wish i would have asked.
there were so many questions.
and the paint cans? well…i saw people selling them…and then i saw children sitting on them as toilets.
but i cannot say that it for sure what they are meant to be used for.
________________________________________________________________________________________
humble homes built with what they have or find…
children…babies…sitting in the dirt…
strong people able to balance their livelihood on their heads…
and their babies on their backs.
more trash than there is space for…
pigs, goats, chickens, dogs and cats wandering where they please…
music and noise 24 hours a day…
bright colorful fruit that was hard to resist as you walked by…
sweating more than i ever have but no one notices because everyone else is just as hot…
people everywhere…walking and in cars or motorcycles or selling on the street…
being asked "ow di bodi?" (how is your body?) many times everday.
"mi bodi fine" is the proper response (unless you are sick)
just some thoughts i had while uploading these.
josy - Heike,
Just a reminder that the [very worthy, might I add] organization Word Made Flesh specifically requested the items to celebrate the birthdays with — this was not just an “American” idea.
Tracy - WOW – unbelieveable pictures, Meg. I should show these to my kids – maybe they will realize and appreciate what that have more. Very sad situation over there for sure. Big hugs!
Courtney Walsh - Good chance I will never have the opportunity to go somewhere like this. So thank you for bringing it home and for reminding the rest of us to be so thankful for what we have. Not to complain when we have to clean up all of our STUFF. Not to annoyingly wash another toilet or shower basin.
thank you for being so honest.
heike - i remembered one of your pictures…it was a picture you took of some things you wanted to take with you…
and that was candy and sugar. for the kids to celebrate their birthday… i, a european, was shocked to see that some of the clichees seem to be true.
they desperately need water and americans bring candy.
sorry, but i thought about this one picture for a very long time…but perhaps you didn’t expect how worse the situation is…
love,
heike
thank you for sharing your freetown pics…
jenjen - Wow – just wow. It’s so much to take in and that is just from me looking at the pictures. I can’t imagine what it was like to actually be here and see all of that first hand. It really makes me think and reevaluate my priorities. It makes our lives seem so arrogant and full of inconsequential everyday things.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
XOXO
Jen
katie - you. sound. exhausted.
thanks for sharing.
jeanne - Thank you for the reminder of all that we have. We live in a country that constantly points out all that you DON’T have…and when you see these photos you can see so clearly what a horrible lie they tell. And that late night phone call…up for it anytime!!!
kristine - hi meg. i love your pics. what i learned from my experience in the townships in south africa, were that they throw their trash on their roofs to help keep them on for stability. some things seemed like good ideas like tires but other things like paper and lightweight trash didn’t make sense. but where else to throw their trash? how about just up on the roof?! (i’m assuming that’s their thinking.) also, we had some women carry our suitcases on their heads! SUITCASES! multiple stacked horizontally. and then carrying one in each hand as well. VERY impressive.
Lynette - Thank you Meg for sharing your pictures. I am amazed and humbled.
kelly@the blue muse - wow. i am speechless…it makes me realize how much we take for granted every day. all the little things we have that make our lives so much easier. how lucky and blessed we are. i think you presented these photos in the best possible of ways, and thank you for sharing them with us.
cre8ivegirl - anyone thinking they don’t have enough in this country…just look around at other countries! we are so rich in america. and blessed.
Sherryl - Unbelievable pictures, Meg! What an experience for you! Thank you for sharing.
Marla - You’ll have to go back so you can find the answers to your questions, now that you know what to expect. One gets used to being drenched with sweat after a while. I’ve never experienced such sweat before as tropical West Africa!
Paula - Meg, a reader from Australia here. Amazing photos, really make you stop and both appreciate what you have and want to help those that aren’t as lucky.
Funny that I don’t know you, but I am proud of you!! (Long timr reader, first time commenter.)
Meredith - Hi Meg, Thanks for sharing these pictures. Very humbling, hope you’re finding your equilibrium this week. Looking forward to seeing and reading more of your perspective and experiences when you’re ready. Meredith xo.
Amber - wow. it is something to see this on tv. or in a picture. but i can not imagine seeing it with my own two eyes. bless you megan for going there.
melissa mae - beautiful and so sad. thank you for sharing. its truly humbling to see this kind of poverty. my husband serve part of his mission in cabo verde, africa and said it looks just like this. it really makes you stop and think about how much we have and how much we have to be grateful for.
ayodya - hi! i’m a reader from Indonesia, and some parts of my lovely country looks just like that, some a little worse.
i grew up in America, so i can understand how overwhelming it is to see such a scenery.
people who live like that in Indonesia are the most warm and content people i’ve ever met. i’m sure you’ve experienced a lot of that in Africa too.
your post made me realize there are still many places out there with the same struggle.
thanks! 🙂
Joye - Wow. These pictures really capture such dignity and pride even amidst the poverty. They just tug at my heart.
I just stumbled across your blog and I love it!
linda lou - thanks so much for sharing your experience the photos are awesome and sad at the same time!
i’m glad you are home and safe and your wonderful family has you back (: linda lou
Diana - i knew your photos would be like this… but to see them… you know…
{bodi hugz}
♥
AshleyAnn - Thanks for taking the time and emotional strength to begin processing and sharing your experience…
Jen CD - Megan, So much of this is so familiar (yes, I know you were not in Colombia) the city noise, the buildings out of what you can find, the colorful fruit, the astounding strength and resilance of so many beautiful people, the creative use of items, the sadness. I understand. The other day I stared at a picture of a sidewalk in Kansas and I cried. There is nothing like that here. Thank you for going. I know it is a hard reality to witness.
sara - meg, thank you for sharing your journey with us. i don’t know what to say. the pictures make me feel embarrased for my selfish ways here. i’m so glad you & your group were able to go & make a difference in many lives.
love your blog
sara
Christy - All I have to say is… WOW.
traci - I have been following a couple blogs that have recently taken trips like this lately and am just touched. I did see in the last picture a satellite dish..lol Kinda struck me as odd. Also, I wonder if the people look at Westerners going there as a good thing or as a negative thing?? Did you get feeling either way on that?
nichole shinners - I loved the end when you said everyone asks you how is your bodi. It is just an example of how they understand the difference between the body and spirit. Something that I think is lost here in the states. Everyone here just asks if you personally are sick or how are you feeling. Which I have always thought is hard to answer. But if someone here were to ask you how is your bodi, you could say well the bodi is sick but I ( my spirit) am doing great, praise God! thanks for sharing!!
Victoria - Unbelievable pictures. The trash blows my mind and the river…wow.
Cally - These are amazing.
Kacey - Wow. We are SO lucky. How much we take for granted.
Brooke - thank you for sharing your experience and your heart – you did a fabulous job photo-journaling the trip, BEAUTIFUL images! God TOTALLY picked the right gal for this job!
I would like to photo-journal a mission trip in the next year. you and these works are a huge inspiration to me, so thanks again 🙂
Lisa - Meg, there was another group of bloggers who went to Kenya (with the Compassion Organization) at the same time you were in Africa. All of their pictures along with yours really inspired me to do something. So our family decided to sponsor a child, through Compassion, for a mere $38/month. We chose a little 3 year old girl from Tanzania. It’s not much, but every little bit matters to those children. Maybe it would help to soothe your soul if you knew you were continuing to help?
Some of the blogs: wearethatfamily.com
thisisreverb.com
gina - while these pictures break my heart none of the people in them look upset. it’s kind of like you can’t miss what you’ve never had- which is even sadder. my 8 yo was watching over my shoulder as i scrolled down and she was like , wow look how the world used to be. Need to do a better job of educating my kids on just how fortunate they are and what we can do for others- beyone donating food to the local food bank drop off box every time we visit the library!
mel - Wow. I have tears rolling down my face.
The pictures break my heart.
Thank you for sharing them with us.
They are such a reminder of how good we have it here in America. We are so blessed and I wish there was more we could do for 3rd world countries…..what organization did you go with?
Thanks again for sharing, it puts so many things in perspective.
Whitney - Megan, these photos really give one pause… My brother-in-law served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone 20 or 25 years ago and still keeps in touch with people he knew there. That country has gone through so much. I am awed by the story of your journey and these photos. What an amazing thing to do.
Karina - Beautiful, moving pictures. They transport us in a way words alone never could. I do feel like I’ve “been” there a little bit. And humble. Thank you, Meg.
Tegan and Tage - Powerful, powerful images Meg.
Jodi - Hi Meg
They are wonderful pictures, but I have so many questions!! Can you add a little bit about what we’re looking at? For example…the picture with all the hanging clothes by the street…just..everything!
Thanks!
Courtney - what amazing pictures! i had no idea it was so noisy! i’ve tried to picture the city many times from jody’s experiences…and never quite could. these pictures were amazing. thank you for sharing them!
susan - as i’m sitting here reading and seeing these photographs i look around at all that i have and realize how blessed i am. have a nice weekend. susan
shayla - WOW
these pictures are SO intresting.
There is a defenite poverty issue and cleanliness has been thrown out the window…but for the most part they all look so beautiful and STRONG. You can see how strong the woman is with the basket on her head just look at the back of her arms and her upper back. The men as well seem to be in excellent shape.
Its so intresting, they have so little/and are probably plagued with illnesses all over the place *thus the how your body* but their bodies look phenomenal. So intresting
Staci - WOW!!! I’m sooo showing my kids these pictures 😉 We need to be sooo much for grateful 🙂 How in THE WORLD do they balance those baskets????? It’s truly impressive!
Lisa - What a reminder to be grateful for what we have. Thank you for sharing your photos and experiences here. I am so glad you went and are back safe and sound!
Jenn - This reminds me of my church mission in Honduras. This is exactly what it looks like, and the people are the most lovely people on earth. It is heartbreaking to see the poverty, but there are so many people smiling. It’s hard to feel like a grump over small stuff, when you see how little they have and how cheerful they often seem to be. What an incredible experience.
cynthia - amazing photos….beautiful people…thanks
Lisa Hamilton - these pictures are beautiful. thank you so much for sharing. the colors are such contrast to their daily life. to me, it’s like God’s splashes of hope strewn all across their lives. how eventhough, we as americans, would have a hard time finding hope in their circumstances, that they find hope AND GOD in completely different ways. it’s definitely humbling and a reminder of how much we have. so much we have … too much we have.
thanks for sharing with us as you process … it changes us, too and we need that 🙂
sarah - The strength that those people have to carry what the need on their heads. The picture of the woman carrying that large, full, basket on her head made me stop for awhile. It’s inspiring.
My heart breaks for these people.
I can’t imagine walking through those streets and not wanting to just sob. Tears for them, tears because we have so much and don’t even realize sometimes all that we truly have been blessed with…
merlin - I wonder what is contained in that back-pack lying on the roof….treasure? someone’s worldly wealth? food? That back-pack has a story, whose was it, how did it get there, who will next claim ownership?
I would love to use my head so productively as that lovely woman with the basket. Can you imagine how great this country would be if everyone used their head so efficiently!
Everytime I see photos of Africa I am struck by the pride the people take in dressing well, the large numbers of children living in unlivable conditions yet smiling, and the overwhelming bleakness of dirt and rusted tin, it is a suffocating feeling and then the air comes rushing back in filling lungs and spirit with hope. Perhaps Africa is the most stark study in contrast, captured in every photo and image: desperation and hope.
Thank you for sharing.
Susan - This makes me feel so humbled and thankful. SOOOOO thankful for the amazing abundance I have. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
elisa - wonderful pictures- you make me feel like I was there
a thorn among roses - i am overwhelmed with the need…i love how the picture speak way louder than any story or words…thank you so much for sharing them.
Jenna Van Aswegen - Megan!
I have become enamored with your blog in the past week. I really started reading the first day you came back from Africa. I didn’t even realize you were going! I couldn’t wait for the pictures and this morning there they were! You have really captured the lifestyle of Sierra Leone. God has truly blessed you with an ability to bring the world to light.
Flower Patch Farmgirl - Stark beauty. I’ve had so many thoughts swirling around recently and your words and images brings them all to the forefront. Specifically, when will we all move past merely knowing that we are blessed (which, of course, we are) and making changes in our everyday lives to change the lives of those in need? It’s not good enough anymore to just thank God for what we have in comparison to the rest of the world. So much more is required of us.
Just my thoughts here. I’m so thankful that you are sharing this deeply personal experience with us. It will change us, too.
Sue Schrag - You will never be the same. Thank you for sharing.
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Wonderful pictures Meg. You really captured the city. I’m amazed at how strong they are. That woman with all that on her head…unbelievable. She had muscles! No wonder with having to carry all that.
In one of the pictures it looked like a purse sitting on the roof. Strange that they have so many things on their roofs. I’m curious about that. Thank you for describing it so well. I wouldn’t have known about the noise level. I can almost feel the heat, hear the music and smell the city as I look at those amazing images.
We are so sheltered and comfortable here. Unbelievable that people live like that. I’m going to show my girls. They need to see how others live and how blessed we are. Can’t wait to see more.
Rebekah - Meg, these images are so familiar in so many ways. Even now, though it has been 9 years since I set foot on African soil, I can still almost smell, hear, taste and feel that place. Your pictures are beautiful. I hope you’ll share more.
Dana D@BoysMyJoys - When I saw the picture of the woman balancing the basket of items on her head, I thought, “Strength”. Then, when I read your words I thought to myself, “Meg should believe in her story telling abilities! Her words are perfect!”
Thank you for sharing these moving images!!!
Annie - What an amazing post! Thank you for sharing!!
jess - thank you for the reality check….your pictures are amazing and i can’t even imagine what you experienced…thank you for sharing…i am in awe.
Dina - wow…. simply wow….
`Kelly - I have chills all over and a lump in my throat. Thank you so much for sharing these with us.
Christian@Modobject at Home - The colors and the textures and the people are beautiful!
Liz - I am so humbled by looking at your pics! What in the world can I possibly have to complain about. I just go back and stare at the pics, and stare outside…quiet street, good neighborhood, strong brick house, porch swing. And I look inside–4 heathly children, nice house, lots of “things” geared to make my life easier!
I am humbled, and digusted with how much I take for granted!!!
Thanks Meg, for opening my eyes!
Susan - We are so blessed here and we take so much for granted. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m sure that lives were changed…including yours.
Shairee bass - Sitting in the tub & crying? I totally know what you mean, after the earthquake in hati I walked through the grocery store isles and wept. It is an amazing blessing to be in america. Thank you for sharing your experience and beautiful photos!
Krista - Love the new header, thanks for sharing your photos. It’s amazing that there are parts of the world that are so poor, yet it seems (to me at least) that the people there conduct themselves with such dignity and grace, they could teach some of us in the U.S. a thing or two!
Christy - Thanks for sharing Meg! So touching
Amber - I have no words….you are a wonderful human being, your family should be proud!
Erin @ Cultivating Home - The photos you have shared are powerful. They give a glimpse of the real character of the place and the hardships that permeate the area. I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing more of your journey. I find what you did inspirational and a great reason for introspection.
Thank you!
~ Erin
Gwyn Rosser - Absolutely breathtaking. Thank you for sharing.
Gwyn Rosser @ The Pink Tractor
http://www.gwynrosser.blogspot.com
Holly - thanks for sharing the phtoos!
purejoy - i have tears in my eyes as i look at these pictures and can only imagine the overwhelming emotions flooding your bodi. i was talking to a friend of mine last night about his time in uganda, and we were talking about some of my “friends” that have been in africa just recently (“friends” in that i’ve never actually met you or mckmama, but feel like i have) and i was just so overwhelmed by the images that i’ve seen. and as mckmama urged us to “not look away.”
your pictures tell a story that words cannot even begin to describe.
i get cranky because my hall bathroom is a symphony of puke greens. certainly not martha stewart worthy, or hee haw, for that matter. but i should be thanking God that i have not one, but THREE toilets that flush!! (whattheheck, there are only TWO of us here!!!)
counting my blessings.
and praying for you and for mckmama and pc as y’all process and adjust to being back in the land of plenty.
Lanny Stanard - Megan. I am sitting drinking my first cup of tea and Thanking God for everything I have wow those are some picture’s which I knew they would be… So glad your all home safely, I’m sure you were missed ! can’t wait see more. Have a wonderful day and God bless…
peta - what an amazing experience. you were worried about how to tell your story whilst showing respect. i am sure that you handled each and every moment you were there with the grace and dignity those people deserved. God chooses the right people for each job. that’s why he chose you.
look forward to reading more,
Peta, in Australia, the lucky country.
Cheryl @ a pretty cool life. - Great pics. Love the new header!