Easter!

 

Easter at Miller McAllister United Methodist Church included an Easter Egg Hunt in from of the church!

Dusty Road

Along the road to Monrovia in the dry season. At least I’m inside the vehicle and not in the back of the pick-up like the passengers in the truck ahead of us!

Calabash Tree and Fruit

Calabash tree with its ‘fruit’ that is dried, opened, and used as bowls.

Scorpions!

Scorpions are one of God’s creatures common along the path to my house. (One does wonder about God’s creatures, sometimes.)

Heartwarming Recognition from the Students

The students living in the renovated dorm surprised me with an ‘honoring’ evening in the living room. They had prayers and comments, and then presented me with a lovely wood carving of a woman with three children around her. They said it represents the students with me. (They call me Ma Sue.) It was a very heart warming evening.

Local Plant Life

Caladeums cost how much in the US? Here they are free and grow everywhere. What a beautiful addition to the mission station ground.

Ground Breaking

 

The Gompa District of the United Methodist Church had a ground breaking for a Youth Center. Rev. James Labala who is not only the Pastor for the Miller McAllister United Methodist Church but also District Superintendent, is initiating this project to reach not only the youth of the church but also in the community. There are many young people who don’t have direction and he wants to provide a place for them to go and have guidance from mature, Christian mentors.

Student Success with Real Life Application

‘Winifred’ senior student, Abu, about to administer medication to a patient. Some of the Ganta United Methodist Hospital nurses had to go to Monrovia to take a Liberian Board of Nursing and Midwifery certifying examination. That left the hospital short staffed so some of the senior students helped cover, under the direction of a staff nurse, of course. They did well, and there were many reports of praises of their skills and professionalism.  It worked out well for all!

Funeral of Mr. Joseph Gbozee

Winifred J. Harley College of Health Sciences suffered a great loss at the death of Mr. Joseph Gbozee, instructor and administrator, at 58 years old. He had a long career as a professional nurse after graduating from ‘Winifred’ in 1978. During his life, he was a staff nurse, a clinic supervisor, instructor, and worked with the Liberian Nursing and Midwifery Board. He had great influence on those who came in contact with him because of his knowledge, professionalism, caring, and sense of humor. When I first came to Liberia and to the nursing school, he was a great help to me. I had to learn about…everything! – the country, the culture, nursing, and the United Methodist University of which ‘Winifred’ is a part. He died of prostate cancer- something which would have been avoidable in the US with the early detection test. So, men, don’t delay your PSA screening. Others are not so lucky to have the option.

Refugees from the Ivory Coast

 The crisis in the Ivory Coast has brought refugees across the border to Liberia. A camp has been set up about 1 ½ hr away from Ganta. Several of us went to visit while it was being constructed and there were only about 650 people there. Already functioning was a school and health clinic.

Inside a tent

The inside of each tent has two rooms with a small partition. Each is meant to hold 10 people! Now there are about 3,389 people there. The political situation there has settled down a little but the people are waiting to see.


Supplies for the refugees

Chicken Update!

Here is a follow up to the picture of the chicken who made a nest and laid eggs
in my front yard...


Newly hatched chicks peeking out into the world under the protection of 'mom'.



The little cheepers learning to look for food.

Adams Hall is Completed!

The dorm is completed! Praise the Lord! Thanks to all of you who contributed to this project through your prayers, financial support, and more prayers. What a blessing is it to see Adams Hall in its new condition! This 60 year old structure has really been given a new life! When I would visit the site, the contractor and the workers would always comment on the difficulty of renovation verses the ease of new construction. They would start to do the plumbing and realize there was little left they could work with. They would start with the windows, and see that bullets from fighting during the war had damaged the window frame bending it so the windows didn't close properly. Unexpected findings made the work 'interesting' and challenging but they met these with expertise. I am also thankful for Mr. Fred Gbatu and his work team who did such a professional job and put up with all my visits, questions, 'suggestions', and input. They were a joy to work with.

And fortunately, it was completed in time for the 178th Liberian Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church which was hosted by the Gompa District on the Ganta United Methodist Mission Station. The dorm was used by the conference officials.


  Finished exterior:
 


 New bathroom in the matron's quarters:



A few finishing touches being put on the interior:



Remember the picture of the second floor bathroom? This is what the floor looks like now! We still have the wall tile to finish but we wanted to get it ready at least for the annual conference. The tile will be added later.



Looking from the living room through to one room and the matron's quarters. The stairs go up to the second floor. The contractor added a skylight that brightens up the stairwell.
 

Safe Water Is Here

Even though we haven't started the renovations on the second dorm, we did get a small grant from the Rotary Club for a well to serve two dorms and a surrounding community. What a joy for them not to worry about getting safe water. Eventually, when the dorm is renovated, there will be inside plumbing for that facility.

Life In The Yard

One of the chickens in my yard found a 'cozy' place to make her nest. What's interesting is how open the area is. We added the little basin covering so she might have some protection from falling leaves, dust, and occasional rain we get in the dry season. I'll show the results of her labors in a future posting.

"Mr Tire" - Liberian Style

I had a nail in a tire of my car that needed fixing and this was the place to do it!

The 'machine' to take the tirewell off was especially ingenious.

 It cost all of $2.50 to fix and I was on my way to Monrovia.

Work On Adams Hall Continues...

Continuing the work on Adams Hall. The interior work progresses:

 Tiling the first floor bathroom.

 

Putting up mosquito netting on the windows.

Still a lot of work to do on the second floor bathroom because of the damage to the floor.

 A painter with his son working in one of the upstairs bedrooms. The walls were all the natural wood

which is dark and, over the years, has discolored. A light colored paint will make it brighter and fresher looking.

Students Providing Health Education in a Novel Way

The 2nd year students of Winifred J. Harley College of Health Sciences gave a skit in a program at the Miller McAllister United Methodist Church about how HIV/AIDS is transmitted and that people with the illness should not be discriminated against. It was very clever and delivered a positive message that people can be touched and hugged without fear of contracting the disease themselves, and they need the support and love of friends and family.

Renovation on Adams Hall Continues!

The roof has been removed and ready for repairs.

The new roof partially completed.

Even the plumbing will be done including a supersized septic tank!

The workers in process of adding a bathroom to a room that didn’t have one.

Christmas In Ganta

Some scenes around Ganta at Christmas!

Students who were unable to go home for Christmas Vacation break for financial reasons gather for a holiday dinner at my house. This has become a tradition and students start giving me their names even before the vacation starts! It is great fun and a way to meet with the students in a relaxed atmosphere. They also take the opportunity to do some extra clinical practice in the Ganta United Methodist hospital to improve their nursing skills.



The Three Kings of Ganta are…students from Ganta United Methodist School who came visiting and caroling one evening before Christmas. All the students were dressed as characters depicting the Manger Scene. It was very festive!



Guests for Christmas dinner included other missionaries: Dr. Ashwin Sakharia, the dentist teaching in the Dental Nurse Practitioner Program and providing oral health care for patients of Ganta United Methodist Hospital’s Dental Clinic. Dr. Elma Jocson, the new GBGM missionary, Pediatric Surgeon from the Philippines. Helen Roberts-Evans, another GBGM missionary who works for the Liberian Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in their Education Department. There are about 120 UMC schools in Liberia providing education throughout the country and in some very remote areas.