Home Sweet Home

I just landed home and I'm about to check the mail for Ishmael's letter.

This trip has taught me so much about other cultures and other parts of the world. They live so much differently than we do in the States. This will be my final post until Ishmael writes me back. I'll be sure to inform you guys of what he has accomplished.

Ishmael's Journey

Ishmael has finally decided to execute his plan by completing his high school education in New York. This task means everything to him and he is ready to take on the world in order to make it happen. I'm going to go back home now, knowing that he can do this on his own. I have told him to write me when he gets to New York.

Ishmael is Lost..

Ishmael is completely lost on the inside. He doesn't know what to do anymore. One of the things he has spoken to me about is leaving Sierra Leone to go to Guinea and finally to New York to finish his high school education. This, so far, looks like it is impossible because of the damage the Rebels have done to his life. This is all I have to say for now, so until i know for sure what Ishmael plan is i will not be posting.

Rebel Army Almost Captures Ishmael

The journey to find a new village took a turn for the worst, and things would never be the same.
It was evening when we were spotted by the Rebels in a forested area. We knew not to run or that would be a for sure death sentence. The Rebel Army lined us up in two rows of 4; they had people from another village with them. The soldiers picked 4 of the 8 to go stand by themselves. These were the 4 they had planned to take and mold into soldiers. As the other 4, including myself, were about to be killed, the soldiers were distracted by someone trying to escape. This allowed us to escape. As we ran we heard gun shots being fired at us. We knew the other people had been killed because we could hear their bodies hit the ground and the bullets pierce them. We made our escape to a village about 3 miles away from where we were spotted. This is where we stayed until the morning.

Leader of the Rebel Army

I found out who the leader of the Rebel Army is and did some research. Joseph Kony has allegedly had no apparent reason for destroying villages and abducting 25,000 children. Here is a video on the background of the war and Joseph Kony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5CkoifO508

Devestation

Today was a heart breaking day. While me and the boys were out, the village was raided by the Rebels and everyone was either killed or taken by the Rebel soldiers. The whole village looked as if it was trampled by a herd of wild bulls. We had to find a place to go and so began our search for another village to take refuge in.

The Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6cMkhhqn6k

this is similar to the type of music the kids came across one day while listening to an american mix tape. they instantly fell in love with the beat and sound of the music and now sing it all the time.

The 4 Duo

ive been in Sierra Leone for about a week now and have experienced more than i expected. i met a group of 4 kids who i have chosen to follow for the rest of my time here. theirs names are Junior, Ishmael, Talloi, and Mohammed.  Junior and Ishmael are brothers, and Talloi and Mohammed are their best friends. these kids are quite amazing in that they have been through so much, although they have not yet been directly affected by the Rebel Army. 

The Start of the Journey

Im on my journey to Sierra Leone, Africa and im expecting quite the experience. My main purpose for this journey is to research the area of Sierra Leone and discover their way of life. Im hoping to come out of this with better knowledge of how other people in other countries live.