Its after 11:00 PM in Sierra Leone. Its been a long day, it will be a long night. Once again circumstances are such that I am reminded ("reminded" seems too benign a word, more like pierced in the heart) with the pressing needs and work of Nazareth House in Sierra Leone. Here I sit at the computer in America, while Kadijah is drifting in and out of consciousness in a hospital in Freetown. James, her beloved husband, next to her, is fighting sleep to stay awake to swat the mosquitoes that are heavily invading the small, dingy space they occupy in the medical facility. Malaria is the number one threat to their existence; and here they sit in a hospital - no bednets, no bug spray, swatting mosquitoes. As if that isn't troubling enough, the hospital staff has went home for the night. I picture James and Kadijah sitting there, alone and I cringe. I wish I could be there with them, it is very difficult to be an ocean away.
James has had no food since this morning, there is no "food service" in the hospitals - not for the patients, much less their families. Thank God, sweet Lucy brought James some rice late tonight so that he could eat something. I think of the patients who have no relatives close by. They are sick, scared ...what do they do for food? I know well, that James and Kadijah have brought strangers food in the hospital, I pray others will care for the strangers while James and Kadijah are indisposed.
Kadijah has suffered malaria, typhoid and apectic ulcer, all within the last 10 days. She was on the mend when the ulcer presented itself with great pain this week. The medicine prescribed by the doctor apparently was bad. Pharmacist don't have the degrees and scrutiny that we have in America. There are little to no regulations. When you take medication from a pharmacists, you take your chances.
One of the desires of NHA is to help supply hospitals with adequate and quality equipment to give patients the proper treatment.
This is part of the urgency of the Compound. There are many things we cannot proceed further with until we have established a permanent residency. Owning property gives you certain rights. Once the Compound is completed we can move forward with many of our projects.
Dear brother and sisters, the Nazareth House family - you, me, James & Kadijah, Mako, Sanu, Betsy, Emmanuel, Pa Foday- all of those we serve in Sierra Leone and all of those who make up the US extension of NHA- have made such a huge difference in so many lives, may we pull together and prepare to make possible for many more of those struggling to exist to reach their full potential. May we provide for them to not simply exist but to live their lives to the fullest.
God bless you for all that you do and will do through Nazareth House Apostolate.
Nazareth House depends entirely on GOD
as HE expresses Himself
through YOUR
prayers,
compassion and generosity.
Matthew 25:35-40 (The Message)
34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
37-40"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
