The Festivities at NHA School Continue...

At the NHA Celebration of the first year at the Kabala School,

the students, parents, teachers, staff and friends did not sip on fancy colas and specialty drinks.

They enjoyed water. And were pleased to have it.

The students didn't have to a Jumpy House rented for them,

they enjoyed fellowship with each other.

They held hands, they danced.

There were no fancy cupcakes,

they loved their rice and soup.

A dish they have every night,

but tonight the celebration made it special.

There was no clown hired to make them laugh,

but they laughed.

They were delighted with the large helpings of food,

a plate full like that is a rarity to them...

they were so happy with the fellowship

and celebration in their honor.

They didn't want or need anything more than what they had. They were overjoyed with the whole day. It didn't matter if they had to stand in line to get your food...

Nobody whined, nobody wanted something better.

It was a wonderful, satisfying, excellent time. Everyone helping each other to make sure all received enough.

It was a treat to stand in line, get your food and...

find yourself a quiet place to sample it.

and then (with your full belly in tow, go visit with your friends)

No one can celebrate like a Sierra Leonean!

They use what is before them, give thanks for it,

share it and have one heck of a good time.

We can all learn from this. And we can all help them enjoy days like this more often. We don't need to send them clowns and gimmicks, we can send them everyday necessities and it is enough. Please remember Nazareth House and the help you can give through them. Give today.

NHA School Year End Celebration

The parents, the teachers, and the St. Laurence House Staff prepare the food

for the huge celebration of the Year End of the Nazareth House Apostolate Kabala School.

No fancy commercial kitchen here for this big feast, food for everyone was cooked over the outdoor fire.

Everyone waits anxiously, bowl in hand, to partake of the delicious celebration feast.

A bucket filled with water to quench the thirst in the hot sun appears on the scene.

The thirsty children line up to receive some water.

The dinner bell is sounded and the children run to fetch some food.

The banquet has begun.

Lucy and Ann Marie tend to the task of making sure

that everyone has a heaping bowl of food.

Join us at this blog tomorrow for more pictures of our students and the Celebration Feast of a Year at NHA School.

NHA Kabala School Completes its first School Year! Part 2

Thanks to everyone for a successful school year

at Nazareth House Apostolate School

Kabala, Sierra Leone.

The Parents gathered as they proudly brought their children to receive their results of the first completed year at Nazareth House Apostolate Kabala School.

The teachers smile, they are aware that much has been accomplished and they are satisfied by the results.

The students are excited and giggle with anticipation.

The students slowly show up to line up to receive their grades.

One by one, each student is presented ....

with their results of the finished school year.

The NHA Kabala School was a success all around!

The teachers, the students, the parents, the administration, the staff, St. Laurence House...all of us here in America...We all did our best and did it well.

You need only look into the smiling faces and shining eyes of the children to see what a difference we are making in the lives of these students. There is so much more to do. We need all of you, doing all that we can to continue to make a difference. Support the work of Nazareth House Apostolate today.

Take up a collection for NHA in your office, your church, your carpool, your school. Spread the word. Give others the opportunity to be a part of an ongoing progress to aid the loving people of Sierra Leone.

We are pushing on towards the next mission trip. It is vitally important and necessary for the survival of some many. Help us to be there for them. God bless you.

The Little Mermaid finds a home in Kabala

A lady, Arlene Rogers, at Grace Church found a used "Little Mermaid" doll at a yard sale and gave it to me to send to Sierra Leone in hopes of NHA giving it to a little girl who didn't have a doll. Well, shipping items like that can be cost prohibitive and I must send only things that are vitally necessary. But there are ways from time to time to send in "little extras". In this case the soft hair and bendable body of the doll enabled me to use it as packing material to stabilize some medication bottles and the soft hair to protect other items from cracking in shipping. Roo, growing up in a family where giving to others is a way of life, knew immediately he was to give away the doll. But some how he had grown accustom to it. Being obedient, he carried it all the way from Freetown to Kabala to introduce it to its new owner. He carried it up to the school...

He started to walk out to where the children were lining up in hopes of finding its new owner.

He became a little unsure...maybe the doll might want to stay with him? He continued to look back at Kadijah for that reassuring nod that might indicate he could keep the doll.

It didn't come. So Roo went down and stood in line with the other kids.

They were all looking at the doll. And the girls, wow, the girls were giving him some hard looks!

He stood his ground and pondered the whole situation.

"What should he do?", he wondered. And then he bumped into a little girl

and without a second thought he knew he had met the rightful owner to care for The Little Mermaid.