Dear Friends,
Recently, Keith and I visited Freetown for about two weeks. We had the opportunity to visit some of Change One’s completed projects, including the well at Rokel and the latrines at the polio community in Grafton. It was great to finally see in person the work that your financial and prayer support has accomplished in those communities! The folks at the polio community were especially thankful to have sanitary toilets and clean places to bathe.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was reconnecting with some of the young men and women we knew from the Lighthouse program. One young man in particular continues to hold a special place in our hearts. Since we left Freetown, he decided to leave school, where he was struggling academically, to pursue a trade. He is now excelling in a youth carpentry program and has been given some leadership responsibilities over some of the younger apprentices. He told us that when he first started the program, he was given many small tasks, such as sweeping the floors and running errands for his boss. He never complained at these seemingly menial tasks, but carried them out joyfully. His faithfulness in these small things has propelled him forward and caused his boss to give him more and more responsibility. Keith and I were able to visit him at his carpentry shop one morning. He proudly showed us some of the work he had been learning. As we left him that morning, tears welled up in my eyes. I remember sitting in the poda-poda (mini-bus) as we left his shop that morning, thinking how all the work we’ve been trying to accomplish in Freetown over the past several years is worthwhile for the sake of this one young man. The meaning of “Change One” hit home on a deeper level that day. To see the change in this former child-soldier over the past few years has been profound. I’m so thankful for the light and love of Jesus in his heart and am excited to see what amazing things God will do with him in the years to come.
We also had a great time connecting with Pastor Menyongar and the staff at IMC. Keith had the opportunity to preach at Pastor’s church, as well as to participate in a call-in radio show. We discussed with Pastor several options for Change One for the upcoming months. Together, we decided that Change One would allocate $1000 toward micro-business loans, providing up to 10 additional families with a small business, and $1000 for school scholarships, granting many more children the ability to attend school this year (school fees range from $10 – $30 per year).
Over the past year, the price of rice has doubled in Sierra Leone. This dramatic price increase on the staple food has created new challenges for individuals and families who are already living in strained financial situations. For Christmas this year, we would like to purchase several large bags of rice for distribution in some of the refugee and war wounded communities. A 110-pound bag of rice currently costs about $40 and, if possible, we would like to purchase 50 bags. We will be raising money over the next couple of months for this Christmas gift to our brothers and sisters in Freetown. (If you are interested in donating toward the Christmas rice project, please send a check to Change One, PO Box 82044, Columbus, Ohio 43202, with a note marked “Christmas rice.”)
Finally, we are also beginning to pray and discuss the possibility of building a holistic training center in Freetown. The center would exist to train pastors to return to the provinces to plant churches, offering training not only in Bible and ministry, but also in a business or trade. This would be a large undertaking and we would love it if you would pray with us for God’s leading and wisdom for Change One and IMC as we are evaluating this possibility.
We cannot thank you enough for your continued prayers and support for the ministries of Change One!
With love,
Keith & Laura Padgett
