Dear Partners,
At the end of June, when we left Sierra Leone, we experienced one of the most difficult goodbyes we have had to say. Leaving Haiti was hard but necessarily quick. Leaving the Kamakwie staff was slow and hard. Such an appreciative group of people, eager for our (our and your) continued involvement in their work! It means a lot to them to know that people care.
Returning to the US, there have been Global Partners’ meetings and a retreat, family time, and a reunion with our kids near Paul and Claire’s place in Germany to celebrate our anniversary, jet lag X2, and some great discussions about vision and roles.
As we wait for Bob’s passport to be renewed—even expedited is 6-8 weeks--we are praying and recounting God’s incredible care and leading in the past year: healing for Paul and return to family life and the Air Force in Germany for Paul and Claire and Jonah (little Jude is due in September), the prayer and other support of friends and family, the privilege and opportunity of working alongside amazing people in Sierra Leone and Haiti both, and even the gift of pondering uncertainty, wrestling with what loving well (representing you) in two places could look like.
Bob continues to consult in Kamakwie via WhatsApp with Mary, nurse in Pediatrics, and to hold conversations with Edwin in surgery and the National Superintendent of the Sierra Leonean Wesleyan Church, who is the chairman of the hospital board. We again are impressed with the importance and urgency of the care given by these hospitals, in Haiti and in SL, both far from other inpatient medical facilities.
Thanks to many of you, we have been able to continue to send assistance to a few people on La Gonave as we have received requests for help with food insecurity or medical or educational needs. We were also able to share $6000 of gifts with Kamakwie Hospital and a women’s development project in a nearby village. The hospital gratefully sent an accounting of their planned use of it, and we received photos of the women who are attending meetings to organize an initiative for them to increase skills in tailoring and business:
The SL hospital administration sent these plans (which we have encouraged them to proceed with):
A. Renovation:
- We plan to replace all twelve wooden windows and four doors with metal materials and glass work on both women's ward rooms.
- Fix the damaged ceiling of one of the wards
- Repair and replace wall tiles in the ward
- Paint the entire interior of the women's wards.
B. Drugs and Medical Supplies
- Procure 500 X-RayFilms and 1000 suture materials
- Procure drugs.
- Procure Lab Reagents
C. Budget Estimates
- Replace wooden windows and doors and glass works......NLe13,500 ($975)
- Replace ceilings, tiles and interior painting.........NLe12,500 ($900)
- Procure 1000 Films and 100 sutures..................NLe16,000 ($1150)
- Procure Drugs....................................................NLe 23,000 ($1650)
So, THANK YOU ALL! For caring about our/your Haitian and SL family! And for your prayers. We’re staking our plans on a God who guides.
Gang warfare and violence continue in Port au Prince, but La Gonave and the route to the island remains calm. If this holds, we hope to return there in September for at least a few weeks with a plan for assisting the doctors with their mission and providing connection and support (education, supplies???) in the future.
In October our hope will be to return to SL. Please pray with us for a clearer vision for our role, and a new, on site, skilled hospital administrator. Also for plans for a possible medical team visit in November/connections with specialists with hearts for service in the developing world and teaching medical professionals. If you know some, send them our way!
In both Haiti and SL we pray for a sustainable, ongoing way to support and encourage brothers and sisters, to love them well.
We are here for the next several weeks and would love to see you and get your reaction to our plans! Please call the church for our contact information.
Love,
Marcia and Bob