“How di bodi”

Translation: How’s it going? This is a commonly used informal greeting in Krio. It’s a light-hearted way to ask about someone’s general well-being.  So I would not use this with the President or other officials, but I would use with patients, caregivers, day crew and local friends.

Though why I am sharing about Sierra Leone ….

I am traveling there this week to serve on the Country Engagement Team in Freetown (so living in town, not on the ship) as the Port Liaison and with the Global Mercy in her remaining weeks of field service and then her absence for maintenance and then return to the same berth for the additional field service.  I am learning that my position as Port Liaison is going to be a more like a roving position to where needed.

I already have my name in Sierra Leone – with the Kono people, first born son is Sahr and so we tried ‘Sahr Keith’ – but the ‘Keith’ became really only ‘ke’ – so I was called Sah-ke, but that is fine with me.  I have great memories of spending all of 2011 in Sierra Leone.  It is estimated that I will be there for a little over four months and then return back to Toamasina, Madagascar.  I was able to do my hand overs to those on the Africa Mercy before I left Madagascar. 

When I return to Madagascar in October, I will take care of things again related to the port, customs, and other assignments as they prepare to leave for maintenance in South Africa and then the planned return to the same port in early February. 

Currently, much is happening with the field service in Madagascar and I miss not being there.  Though this will give me the opportunity to learn also about the Global Mercy.

I appreciate the 10-months-in-a-country model and repeat visits to the same country, as relationships are so important.  You need time to build quality relationships with the people.  So I will see how things go with the ‘roving’ part of the Port Liaison position as I appreciate the quantity and quality of time building relationships where I am serving.  God is faithful and I am trusting Him.  

So my next KRB Updates will be from Sierra Leone.

Sahr Keith