July Updates and Pictures of Dorm Construction

Putting on the roof of the 3rd dorm. This is the last dorm to be renovated. Praise the Lord! It has been a race to complete it before the heaviest rains of the rainy season. We have been blessed with rains either on the weekend or only at night so the work could continue during the day. One afternoon, however, the workers did continue putting on sheets of zinc and nailing dispite some light showers. They wanted to finish it also! Now it has been completed so let it pour! The inside work can continue without worry of getting wet.

 

The last of the sheets of zinc being nailed on.

 

The work on Dorm 3 roof from a distance. There is still a lot of work to do, but we'll get there!

More updates!

This is a picture of the inside quadrangle of the ‘Hostel’. An earlier picture shows the roof coming off this area. Now it is complete. 

This shows the outside roof that has been renovated. All new zinc sheets have been placed on new roof supports. Also visible are two of the three septic tanks have been hand dug.

Removing old floor rubber tile. This was quite a lesson in ingenuity! The person removing the tile places an old piece of roofing zinc on the floor and builds a fire on it. The heat loosens the glue so they can remove it easier. I have to say that when I walked into the building the first time and saw that, I was a bit mystified why all the small fires were burning on the floor!

Dorm Construction Update

 

After a long hiatus, the dormitory renovation has begun again! Praise the Lord! Thanks to all who have made contributions through donation and prayers to this project! Without your generosity, this work could not be done.

 

The second dorm, called the girl's 'Hostel', is actually where the male students have been living for the past 4 years but before the war, it was the female residence. When I first arrived in Ganta in 2007, no students lived in the 'Hostel'. Then, the second year I was here, 8 students came and said they had found 2 rooms where the ceiling didn't leak and wanted permission to live there. They wanted to be close to the classrooms, library, and the hospital where they do their practice clinical for experience. I thought they were crazy! But they were determined and they were the beginning of others who braved the conditions! We were able to get some minor improvements while waiting for the day we could renovate the whole building - things such as basic electricity, and some more dry rooms. 

 

Now, we are looking to a full face lift from top to bottom. The construction company started today taking the roof off. You see the first steps being made in the morning and then how much they accomplished by the end of the day. It is quite a lot of work done! The roof being removed is mostly the original asbestos tile! Repairs were done with zinc sheets. We pray for the workers' safety as they work in precarious positions and with dangerous materials. 

 

 

 

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.