St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville Kentucky USA

With St. Simeon, the God receiver, as our patron, the skete seeks to practice the ideals found in our Rule, The Thousand Day Nazareth. In simplicity and poverty, the skete embraces the struggle of inner life through the practice of the Prayer Rope.

See our website at www.nazarethhouseap.org

Donations should be addressed to: Nazareth House Apostolate, 185 Captains Cove Drive, Taylorsville, Kentucky 40071.

Important Notice: All writings, posts, graphics & photographs in this blog are the copyrighted property of (unless otherwise indicated) Nazareth House Media, a division of Nazareth House Apostolate and cannot be copied, printed or used without written permission from NHA Media, Taylorsville, KY.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Words from James in Sierra Leone

Written by James Mansaray, Freetown, Sierra Leone
James is our Nazareth House Director in Sierra Leone, based in Freetown, James personally attends to every need that Nazareth House provides to the people of his country. He and his wife, Kadijah, together with his daughters Lucy and Ann Marie work tirelessly to put your donations to work for the poor. Even his 2 year old son, Roo, understands the importance of Nazareth House and how it changes the lives of so many around him.

Just last week on this blog, Mama Vicki pleaded the cause for the need of a permanent home for Nazareth House to do business in Sierra Leone so we can keep the work going here. This week, I found myself (again) in the midst of more painful scenes, desperate people with less medical attention bound with nothing but open hands to see who might come to their aid.

Sincerely speaking, if Nazareth House was to drop out of its present existence here in Sierra Leone, a whole lot would suffer one way or the other. Without the compound, a center of operations - the place where we keep all the supplies and medications safe for distributions, care for the sick & dying, lodging for overseas guests who come to experience work in our country, and yes, the place where my family (Nazareth House staff) can have a roof over our heads - without this, all that you are doing now will suddenly stop, put on hold. I tell you, I cannot imagine this. It would be dreadful to so many. If we do not raise the money to purchase the NHA compound by March 2010, we will be faced with this problem.

In Sierra Leone today, we do have a few nice looking hospitals with less or no medication and hospital supplies. It is always not enough treatment available for those that can afford it, much less say for those who are poor and desperate. So here, we pray not to find yourself in a sudden illness or a terrible road accident.

Couple of days ago, I visited a friend who was involved in a terrible road accident and was admitted at the Rokupa Community hospital. Count it true, that if you were to heal up faster, it is best that you buy your pills next door for the hospitals can’t provide all that you needed.

For my friend Sorie, he was lucky to get some help with medication from us at Nazareth House but that was not all. Mohamed with the swollen eye was looking for his.

Before I could blink my eyes, a whole lot of people crying with pain, all with no medication/treatment available to them as they wait in hospital.

Room after room in this tiny hospital you would find someone at the point of death.

Mothers with no choice but to sleep near their sick kids waiting for help that will be late or never to come.

A burnt small boy praying to die because he can’t bear up the pain in his body.


With your help, we at Nazareth House can help combat this in our own little way. Follow this cause and be a part of this work here with Nazareth House Apostolate. Those who are involved in Nazareth House are changing so many lives. Many times it is - no I should say MOST OF THE TIME - it is our medication and our hospital supplies and our coin -that people and the hospitals, such as you see here, depend on.

Remember when we were overwhelmed with the thought of building a school for the students in Kabala? The need was great and we went about filling it. We had faith, took on the challenge and made it real. Now the school is flourishing strong and growing big with new kids everyday.

This is the same hope, the same faith we got to have so we will get this compound - we can do it! We know the need and go about to fill it. I am always amazed by how we all at Nazareth House work together, even with an ocean stuck in between us - sharing, giving, loving to care for our brothers and sisters. We are family.

Mama Vicki needs your commitment, she ask for monthly contributions for Nazareth House. We need this, we also need you to tell the world about what we are doing, together! The good Samaratan in the Bible picked up the stranger off the road and fed him. He didn't stop there, he left provisions to care for the stranger as the Samaratan went on about his business. We all have lives, work and families (our business). Like the Samaratan, our money given to Nazareth House provides for the people of Sierra Leone while we go do our business. Give today.

God bless you all.

Nazareth House Apostolate
2216 Goldsmith Lane
Louisville, KY 40218

or through paypal donation made through our website www.nazarethhouseap.org