Mission Update 4-11-19

Liberia's Medical Crisis:

Picture from our last Mobile Medical Clinic

Our Mobile Medical Ministry is one of our mission's most important ministries because Liberia’s medical system is broken.  The Mobile Medical Clinics takes medicine and the Gospel to remote towns and villages which have little or no access to medical care.  Many of those who make it to the hospital suffer and even die because the hospital’s staff do not care and because there is no medicine in the hospital.  

Last week, one of our staff members named Simeon dislocated his arm while playing football.  I carried him to our local hospital to get an x-ray.  We went to the emergency room first.  Every bed was full of suffering.  One young boy had blood pouring out of his mouth from a head trauma.  Another young child was barely conscious, nothing but skin and bones.  An old man collapsed on the floor while trying to go to the bathroom.  Rather than helping him go to the bathroom, the doctor yelled at him, commanding him to sit down.  

The emergency room was roughly a 20’X20’ room full of beds.  It was scorching hot and its stagnant air stunk.  Simeon was placed on a chair where he sat for what felt like hours.  Drenched in his own sweat, he waited for a doctor.  

Eventually a nurse spoke to me and gave me a list of drugs that I needed to purchase from the hospital’s pharmacy.  The pharmacy was a joke, a terrible joke.  Come to find out, there were no syringes or needles in the whole hospital.  I returned to the emergency room with the medicine they had in stock.  I was thankful when the doctor decided to help us out by allowing the nurse to use one of his personal syringes and needles to administer the medicine.  

In time, the nurse came to assess Simeon’s condition.  I am fully convinced this woman hated men and found great pleasure in making Simeon suffer.  She grabbed his arm, hauled it this way and that way.  She gripped it tightly and started rubbing it with force while Simeon squirmed in excruciating pain.  While watching Simeon suffer, I noticed a pool of blood on the floor that was being trampled by doctors and nurses.  No one bothered to clean it up.  After Simeon torturous experience, a young girl, probably 10 years old, nothing but skin and bones, walked into the ER, carrying her medicines from the hospital’s pharmacy.  The girl was obviously sick and could barely walk.  When she gave her medicines to the doctor, he yelled at her saying, “There are no syringes and no needles.  Didn’t I tell you to go get your medicine?  How do you expect me to treat you without medicine.  Get out of here until you come back with medicine.”  The girl told the doctor that she could not walk.  The doctor yelled at her, “Move from here.”  My heart broke as I realized that Simeon was being treated well because the white man was with him.  It was clear, the doctor care nothing for the little girl. 

The nurse began the process of discharging us from the hospital because the generator for the x-ray machine would not turn on until Monday, 2 days later.  Just then, another doctor entered the room who was obviously under the influence of alcohol.  He told us they would soon turn the generator on.  I was instructed to sit outside the x-ray room and wait.  While waiting, a poor woman, came and begged me to help her daughter who was suffering.  She was not able to afford her treatment.  The doctors left her daughter to suffer until the mother was successful at begging for money.  I gladly helped.  Another old lady came and begged me to help her granddaughter who needed surgery.  Again, the girl was suffering in her bed, waiting for medical treatment.  Again, we were pleased to share Christ with her and to assist with her treatment.  Later, a young boy, with diabetes came and spoke to us.  The boy was obviously suffering, nothing but skin and bones.  Christian presented the Gospel to him and his friend while we waited.  

After sitting for a long time, we were told again that the generator would not be turned on until Monday.  I went back to the emergency room and discharged Simeon while Christian ministered to the children.  While leaving the hospital, the boy with diabetes told us that no one was helping him with his treatment.  He asked us to buy his medicine.  We were happy to help.  In the end, Simeon waited two days for the x-ray machine to be turned on and then he waited another 2 days to receive the results from the x-ray.  

Many people die, having never gone to the hospital because they know no one will care for them at the hospital.  Thank you for empowering our mission to take the love of Jesus and free medicine to so many people who are in need!  Here is a brief letter from our head Physician Assistant:

“This week was a great and wonderful week serving Jesus by treating people and by leading them to Christ.  Our team treated 274 patients and 12 received Jesus.  We need your prayers for good health and strength for our workers and team.”

Here are a few pictures from our most recent mobile medical clinic.  

Every clinic starts with a health talk that is given by a physician assistant and the Gospel is presented by a pastor.

Patients get their vitals taken while registering.  Every patient is prayed over by our registration team.

Next, patients meet with a physician assistants.  After receiving a diagnosis, the physician assistant prays for each patient.

Most of our patients visit our portable lab for a malaria test.  After taking the test, they are prayed for again.

Some patients receive IVs.

At our mobile pharmacy, our patience receive free medication and more prayer.  

Lastly, patents meet with a pastor one on one.  The gospel is clearly presented to everyone who does not have a relationship with Jesus.  Believers are encouraged in their faith.

I am often asked what kinds of sicknesses we treat in our clinics.  Here is a copy of the report that I got after our last clinic.  As you can see, Malaria is always at the top of the list.  Malaria is one of the greatest killers in Liberia.

Our medical charts not only record our patients medical records, they also track a person’s spiritual development.  After seeing a Physician Assistant, our patients spend one on one time with a pastor.  As we revisit towns and villages, the pastor monitors the spiritual development of our patients.  If a person accepted Christ, it is written on their chart.  The next time our pastors see that patient, they will encourage them to take the next step in their faith.  Here are some of our pastor’s notes that were recorded in the spiritual development section of our medical charts.  Please pray for our patients.  Please pray that they will know Christ and follow Him with their whole hearts!  

• Norah is a believer, she needs prayer that God would provide for her because her brother in law died who used to help her.  
• Yamah is a believer.  Pray that Jesus will change her life so she will not be in sin.  She wants prayer that God will bring her back to her husband and for them to be legally married.
• Lorpu is a believer.  She was encouraged to stop doing man and woman business (adultery).
• Gormah is a believer.  She was also encouraged to stop doing man and woman business.
• Joannah is a believer.  Prayer request: Let God strengthen me.  Let God change the man that I want to marry because he is a Muslim man.  If he cannot be changed, let God separate our relationship. 
• Lorpu M. wants to be more faithful in reading her Bible and praying.
• Korto was encouraged to trust in the Lord for her needs and to remain faithful to Him. 
• Bill is a believer.  We encouraged him to keep strong in the Lord. 
• Kamah is a believer.  Prayer request: Let God strengthen my marriage and help me live for God. 
• Victoria is a believer.  She confessed having many adulterous relationships.  She wants us to pray with her that she can serve God faithfully. 
• Sarah is a believer but she does not attend church actively.  She was encouraged be faithful in her church attendance. 
• Dorcas is a believer.  She was encouraged to be faithful in attending church. 
• Sianneh is a believer but does not read her Bible.  She was encouraged to spend time with God daily. 
• Eric is a believer but is not faithful in attending church.  He was encouraged to be in fellowship.
• Rebecca is a believer she was encouraged to be baptized and serve God faithfully.
• Mary is a believer.  She wants to do devotions at home but her children are active and loud.  She was encouraged to keep on and press forward. 
• Gormah gave her life to Jesus for the first time.  
• Mary gave her life to Jesus for the first time.
• Korto gave her life to Jesus for the first time.
• Prince gave his life to Jesus for the first time.
• Teleteh had put her faith in Jesus a long time ago but needs prayer to keep strong.
• Blessing gave her life to Jesus for the first time.
• Esther was encouraged in her faith.
• Martha gave her life to Jesus for the first time.
• Michelle gave her life to Jesus for the first time.
• Gorma is a believer but wants to be more and more active in her faith.
• Dinah was encouraged to begin attending Bible study.
• Evelyn is a believer.  She was encouraged to be more active in serving God.
• Titus was encouraged to read his Bible.
• Howah was encouraged to be faithful in serving God.
• Jestina was encouraged to be part of the Bible study in her church.
• Sianneh put her faith in Jesus today.
• Sarah is a believer and was encouraged to be faithful in her church attendance.
• Ophelia was encouraged to keep in the faith. 
• Wendor is active in the church and was encouraged to do even more.
• Momo is a believer.  He asked us to pray that he would be strong in his faith.
• Evelin is a believer.  She was encouraged to keep strong in her faith.
• John is a believer.  He asked us to pray that God would give him wisdom to lead.
• Wennie is a Christian but is not faithful in attending church.  Please pray for Wennie’s faithfulness.
• Samuel is a believer.  He asked that we pray that God would give him a godly wife. 
• Remember is a believer.  She was encouraged to stop her adulterous relationship. 
• Ellen is a believer. She asked that we would pray that God would bring peace in her home. 
• Joyce is a believer.  She was encouraged to attend Bible study.
• Lucy is a believer.  She was encouraged to be active in church.
• Joannah is a believer.  She was encouraged to be active in studying her Bible.
• Fatu is a believer. She was encouraged to make things right with God regarding man and woman business. 
• Ellen is a believer but she is not active in church service.  She was encouraged to do so. 
• Elizabeth is a believer. She is faithful to her church but is doing woman and man business.  She was encouraged to make things right with God.
• Deborah is a believer.  She was encouraged to go to church.
• Princess is a believer but is not faithful in church attendance.  She was encouraged to be faithful.
• Alice is a believer.  She asked us to pray for her.  She wants to get married and make things right with her boyfriend.
• Theresa is a believer.  She said she does not have money to serve God.  She was encouraged that money is not the only way she can serve God she can serve Him through her faithfulness.
• Marry is a believer.  She was encouraged to do away with fornication and wait for God to give her a godly husband.
• Gitter is a believer.  She wants her prayer life to be strengthened.
• Benetton is a believer.  She was encouraged to serve God as a young woman.
• Blessing is a believer.  She was encouraged to be faithful in her church attendance.
• Musu is a believer.  She was encouraged to repent from her sins.  
• Precious is a believer.  She was encouraged in how she lives for God.  
• Blessing is a young believer.  She asked that we pray that God would help her learn in school and live a long life.
• Dorthy is a believer.  She wants to live a faithful life for Christ.
• Quite is a believer.  She asked us to pray that God would help her be wise and to do the work God gave her to do in the church faithfully.
• Meme is a believer.  She asked that we would pray that God would help her be more faithful in church attendance. 
• Junior is a believer.  He was encouraged to keep strong in his faith.
• Tabitha gave her life to Jesus for the first time.
• Prince is a believer he needs prayer so he will be obedient to God.
• Bends is a believer.  She needs prayer that God would bring her sister to be living with her so that she can help her stay strong in her faith.
• Joshua is a believer.  He asked for prayer for God’s blessing and long life. 
• Measure is a believer.  She needs prayer that she will keep strong in her faith.  Also pray that God will give her a job.
• Joseph is a believer.  Please pray for his health.  He is an elderly man.  
• Princess needs prayer to be strong in her faith.
• Victoria is a believer.  She asked that we would pray for her family that she could lead them to faith.
• Gorma is a believer. Pray that God would help her grow strong in her faith.
• Mary is a believer but is not active in church.  She wants to be active in church.

Thank you again for helping us love on people.  You buy all our medicines and pay our medical staff’s salaries.  

So how much does our medical mission cost?  Last month we spent nearly $1,000 on medicines and $1,000 on our medical team's salaries.  We treated 847 patients.  That means we spent on average $2.36 per patient we treated.  A little money goes a long way in Liberia.  On behalf of many, thank you!  

Fairview Missionary Children's Church Project

Last month, Fairview Missionary Church's Children's ministry took up a special offering to help us complete another group home for special needs orphans.  Kids, I am so proud of you!  I want you to know that your pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters really add up.  You and are making a difference here in Liberia.  I'm going to try to post regular pictures of the house you are building so you can see how the Lord is using your donations.  Thank you!!!  Kids, this part of my blog is for you.  

Meet Lawrence.  He is the contractor who is building your house.  

Last week, we bought wood, steel rods, and nails for your house.  

Look at the wood.  It is black because we have to put termite protection on all our wood.  The termites in Liberia eat everything.  Believe it or not, the termites are so large that we enjoy eating them.  It's a love hate relationship.  They love to eat our wood and we love to eat them.  We boil them in oil, add a little salt and eat them like popcorn.  They taste great!

We stated framing the interior ceilings.  

This will be a foster mother's room.  Notice the ceiling has been framed.  Stay tuned kids.  I'll try to post updated pictures of your project every week on my blog.  To see pictures from last week, visit liberiacalls.blogspot.com.  

Prayer Requests:
1.  Please pray for our family as we are going through the process of getting visas for our three new children to travel with us to the States for a visit.  We are hoping to visit this summer.  The process has been very slow.  We are beginning to wonder if we will have to wait until this fall to travel. 
2. Please pray for our various ministries (the Bible Institute, Mobile Medical Ministry, Liberty Elementary School, Group Homes, and Sponsorship Program).  Please pray that we will see people coming to Christ and be discipled in their faith. 
3.  Please pray for Susan McLay.  Susan just joined our mission here in Liberia.  Please pray for her as she acclimates. 
4.  Please pray for my wife as she home schools all 7 of our children. 

Thank you for your faithful prayers and for your partnership in the Gospel!

Mission Update 4-4-19

We have moved our special needs children into their new homes:

Last Thursday, we moved all our special needs children into their new homes in His Safe Haven’s village.  

We have finished the construction of 4 group homes.  In the future, we plan to build 8 additional homes.  

Our construction site came alive and is now full of the sounds of children playing and moms talking.  

Thank you for all you have done to love on our special children.  Here are a few pictures of the move. 

There are no children’s car seats where we live.  

We filled our land cruiser several times over while transporting our children. 

We are cooking on our old coal pots while our mud brick stoves dry.

There were a lot of smiles!

Believe it or not, we were able to move all our foster families and all our ministry supplies in four truck loads.  

Words cannot express the joy that we feel as dreams are becoming reality for our children.  I am delighted as I see our village for special needs orphans come alive!

Thank you for buying new mattresses!

The move was not without its challenges.  We are in the dry season.  The day after moving, our well went dry.  We have started digging a new well. 

While our foster moms are getting settled in, construction continues.  This month, we will focus our construction efforts on the ministry center and on completing another group home.  This ministry center will have a therapy center, medical clinic, offices, and a community dinning hall. 

I want to say a special thank you to Fairview Missionary Church’s children’s ministry who took up an offering to help us complete another group home.  Kids, this is a picture of your home.  We will begin working on your home next week.  Currently we have two foster families living in each of our group homes.  We want to complete as many homes as we can, as fast as we can, so each of our foster families can enjoy their own homes.  I want to thank each of you for giving your pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters away!  Your money really added up and is changing lives in Liberia!  Thank you! 

Meet Susan McLay: 

I want to introduce Susan McLay to you.  Susan is from New Zealand.  Susan served special needs children in Hope for Home’s ministry in Guatemala for 18 months prior to coming to Liberia to serve with us.  Susan’s life long dream has been to run an orphanage in Rwanda.  While serving in Guatemala, Susan heard about our mission and decided to join us in Liberia.  Susan’s heart is to serve children and young women.  We praise God for bringing Susan to Liberia.  Please keep Susan in your prayers as she acclimates.  

Constructing Susan’s Home:

One of last month’s construction goals was to complete Susan’s home.  We built a one room, one bath efficiency apartment with a large porch.

Thank you for furnishing Susan’s home!

You gave Susan a beautiful gift!  Thank You!

Mobile Medical Clinic:

Our Mobile Medical Clinic is on the road every Monday.  We travel to remote towns and local orphanages.

Last month, our clinic was in two bush towns and two orphanages.

Our goals are to treat the sick, to share the Gospel, and to strengthen God’s church.

Last month, we treated 847 patients.

Forty-eight people gave their lives to Jesus. 

Thank you for enabling us to treat our patient for free.  Our medical ministry is one of our most fruitful ministries.  The churches we work with have been greatly strengthened, many lives have been saved, and many people have given their lives to Christ through our clinics.    

Bible Institute:

Most pastors in the bush have no Biblical training.  Most bush churches are full of false teaching.  These teachings mix demonic bush society beliefs with Bible stories.  Most bush pastors do not know the Gospel's message.  Our Remote Bible Institutes take Bible training to the pastors by hosting classes in their churches.  

Our curriculum was written specifically for Liberia’s oral culture. 

Oral cultures pass life’s lessons and history from one generation to the next through storytelling and parables.  

Our curriculum makes theology and the Bible easy to understand by using pictures.  

We have a full-time artist who works with us.  His job is to draw pictures for everything we teach.  Here is a sequence of pictures that show the aim of the Bible Institutes.

The missionary’s job is to disciple the pastors of pastors.

The pastors of pastors job is to disciple pastors.

The pastor’s job is to disciple their churches.   

The Bible Institute is located in three towns on Kokoyah Road.   

Thank you for sending us new recording equipment!  Many people in Liberia are illiterate.  Illiteracy should not disqualify someone from serving God.  Our lessons are being recorded in Liberian English and Kpelle.  These recordings can be distributed through micro memory chips which are placed in people’s phones.  This makes it possible for the illiterate to be trained. 

A missionary friend of mine is working with a few men to translate some of our lessons into Bassa.  He is experimenting to see if there is benefit in using Liberian's native dialects or if writing our lessons in simple English is sufficient.  Liberia is a multilingual country.  There are more than 30 languages in Liberia.  English is the official language.  

Liberty Elementary School:

Our school exists to give impoverished children an excellent Christian education.  We pray that God would enable us to equip our students to follow God and succeed in life.      

Many of our students could not afford to go to school.   

We have 216 students in grade levels preschool through third grade.  Our goal is to add a new grade level to our school every year until we have reached the 12th grade.  

Thank you for paying for every student’s uniform, shoes, P.E. clothes, school supplies, text books, medical care, tuition, and teacher’s pay.  

We are creating a Scripture memory Bible:
Liberia is known as one of the most corrupt places in the world.  This corruption was caused by years of extreme poverty, by civil war, and by broken families.  Nearly every child in Liberia is raised by a single mom.  Children are not trained to make wise decisions nor to follow Christ.  The book of Proverbs is a wonderful gift for those who have no father figure in their lives.  Proverbs was written from the perspective of a father as he trains his children to follow God and to be wise in every life circumstance.  

We are creating a Scripture Memory Bible for our students.  We are translating every verse in Proverbs into a picture to help our children memorize the entire book.  Everyday, our students learn a new memory verse while they practice reciting old verses.  A short devotional has been written which goes along with each day’s verse.  Our students are also given a paper like the one in this picture to take home and memorize.  What a joy it has been to hear our students speak God’s Word from memory!  I praise God, this method of memorizing has been extremely effective!  Please pray that the Lord will use this curriculum to help students in other schools learn God's Word as well!  

2018-2019 School year is paid for:

Praise God!  Last week, I was able to pay off the balance we owed for the 2018-2019 school year.  On behalf of many students and parents, thank you!  You are giving our students the tools they need for a better tomorrow!

We are adding onto our school:

God has truly blessed our school.  We have outgrown our buildings.  We are currently using the church's sanctuary, cafeteria, and even the pastor's office as classrooms.  Our pastor has graciously moved his office to a storage closet to make room for our school.  

We have started constructing a three story addition onto our school.  The most beautiful part of this construction project is the hearts of our leaders.  There is a Liberian proverb that says, "you wash my back side and I'll will wash my front side."  This proverbs means that a person should do all they can do to help themselves before they ask others for help.

What I am about to tell you may seem small to you but it is huge in Liberia.  Please keep in mind that a good job in Liberia makes $5 a day.  Our leaders were able to raise $10,000 and have laid our school's foundation and started elevating it's walls using only Liberian dollars.  I praise God for their sacrifice!

Our greatest needs:
I am often asked, "What is the mission's greatest needs?"  Here are our greatest needs: 

1.  I am praying that the Lord would enable our mission to raise $22,000 to help complete the first story of our school's construction project.  If we are going to add the 4th grade to our school next year, we need to complete the first story of our school before September.  Our Liberian church has done all they can do to build this building.  I deeply desire to encourage them, while coming alongside of them, and helping raise the remaining $22,000 that is needed to complete the first story.  The cement floor for the second story will act as a roof for the first story until we need additional classrooms.  

2.  Next year, we project our school's enrollment to reach 270 students.  It costs $75 to send a child to school for one school year.  This money pays for a child's school uniform, shoes, P.E. clothes, school supplies, text books, medical care, and our teachers' salaries.  I am praying that God enables us to raise $20,250 before school starts in September to pay for the 2019-2020 school year.  

3.  A wonderful opportunity to serve orphans has presented itself to us.  

This house and its land are for sale.  

The home is located directly next to our church.  I am praying that we can purchase this property and give it to our church.  If we are able do this, we will partner with our church in opening two group homes for orphans.  These children would literally be raised in the church.   

Believe it or not, it costs only $3,000 to purchase this land and to do minor renovations.  

4. We need to complete 3 additional group homes for our special needs orphans as soon as possible.  We currently have two foster families living in each of our group homes.  Money has already been raised to complete one group home.  A second group home is already under roof.  It will cost around $3,000 to complete the second group home.  The foundation for the third group home has been laid.  The cost of its construction will be around $5,000.  

5.  We need to complete the construction of our village's ministry center.  This building will be a great blessing to our community.  Within this building will be a medical clinic, therapy center, offices, and dinning hall.  We need approximately $5,000 to complete its construction.  

Other than our daily operational expenses, these are our mission's greatest needs.  If you are interested in giving towards any of these needs, please send your donation to Hope For Home Ministries, P.O. Box 393, Troy, Ohio, 45373.  Please write "Liberia" on the memo line and the name of the need you want to help meet.  You can also donate online at liberiacalls.blogspot.com.  

Prayer Request:

1.  Please pray for our family as we are going through the process of getting visas for our three new children to travel with us to the States for a visit.  We are hoping to visit the States this summer.  The process has been very slow.  We are beginning to wonder if we will have to wait until this fall to travel.  

2.  Please pray for our various ministries (Bible Institute, Mobile Medical Ministry, Liberty School, Group Homes, and Sponsorship program).  Please pray that we will see people coming to Christ and discipled in their faith.  

3.  Please pray for Susan as she acclimates to Liberia. 

4.  Please pray for my wife as she home schools all 7 of our children.

Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel and for you faithful prayers!