A Day in the Life
Sierra Leone

One day you are farming in your village and looking forward to the upcoming abundant harvest, and in an instant your world is shattered by violence. Many members of your family are killed, your sons are taken away and forced to serve as soldiers. You may never see them or your home again.

But you are one of the “lucky” people who escape to find shelter in a refugee camp. Now you live with 15-20 people in a small plastic covered shelter and live on a very small amount of rationed corn meal, beans, and rice.

To begin to get an idea of what this would be like, follow some or all of the suggestions listed below:

• Set up a tent and live in it for a day. (Many in Sierra Leone have been living in the streets for months and would LOVE to have a tent to live in!)
• Early in the morning go outside and start a fire. You will cook all your meals on this fire today.
• Have some cold rice and maybe some tea for breakfast.
• Talk about what life would be like on the run from dangerous rebel soldiers. Pray for those who have lost their families and homes to the rebels. Ask God to burden your hearts for these people and especially for the Christians in this country.
• Midday have some beans and rice for a meal. Eat outside sitting on the ground in a circle. (Try eating with your hands—no utensils.)
• Sleep together as a family tonight in your tent. Often up to 20 people live together in a single 10’x20’ shelter.

Consider…
As villagers fled from the rebel soldiers, only the Christians offered any help. Even the Muslims have remarked, “No one would help us at that time except the Christians.” As they are now returning to their homes in some areas, the Muslims are requesting that Christians come and build churches for them. Praise God for His body of servants in the midst of turmoil.