Pa Foday improving

Last night or as James says it:  "Yester-night", I received this email from James, our director of operations in Sierra Leone:

Hello Mama,

Good day. It was such a long long day for me as usual. Today I ran down town to settle bank, check post, see Marianna, pay money to Seamstress, we owe them a little from last work on the uniforms so I settled that etc.   We still have 50 of the kids without new uniforms.  Hopefully for Christmas we can find a way to get more uniforms made, God willing and provisions met.

Pop (Pa Foday) moved to a single room with better facilities and cleaner but no electricity. 

Pastor (Pa) Foday looking handsome as ever and much healthier 

He using one of the solar lights you sent. Thanks for that.  

Two families from Kabala visited. 

How nice they were to come that far just to see Pa Foday. 

Later on my whole family came too. Kadijah, Roo, Baby Vicki and then Lucy joined us later on after her class.

Left to Right: Baby Vicki, Kadiatu (James sister), Lucy, Kadijah 

 Pa Foday so happy and you can tell from Pictures that he is coming back to life. 

Thanks for all your prayers and financial support. We love you All .

We talk more tomorrow. Getting few school supplies for NHA School in the morning. 

Kadijah is staying for  a week until I come back to help take care of Pop.

Love to Fr. Seraphim.  

How is Fr. Slavin, did his surgery go well?  Is he in pain?  

How is Denny and JoanE doing with all the deer meat piled all around them? 

Mama Vicki shared a Taste of Salone with those at Markwell's Deer Processing - grannat soup (Groundnut Soup).
Soon the Markwell's will share a bit of the products of their labors with James and the One Hut Family in Salone. 

We are looking forward to the jerky.  (click on this link to read previous posts on Deer Jerky: From Lawrenceburg to Kabala ) You know this, I guess.   Please thank everyone for helping us here, everywhere I look I see someone struggling more than rest.  We need so much help. 

I have attached the receipts for some of the hospital bills paid.  thank everyone for this.  Brima and I have paid these using the funds received from NHA and a bit sent from family. Brima has been helping so much for us and I am so thankful that you guys have added him to the Nazareth House Team here in Salone.  He is so helpful.  

Maybe more will come in the post this week.

love,

James

As James reports in his email, Pa Foday is improving and enjoying seeing his family and friends from Kabala.  He is anxious to get home and back to normal.  Thank you for your prayers and donations.  NHA may be a very small organization but it certainly spreads out to help many.  

Brima and James have been paying for the hospital bills of Pa Foday.  

120,000 leones equals $27.78

NHA has provided them $1000 so far for this purpose.  

3million leones equals $694.47

The receipts here total $866.70 and do not include his continued stay in the hospital 

60,000 equals $13.89

and recovery treatment or the cost of travel to Freetown and the return to Kabala.  

100,000 equals $23.15

The Ultrasound was extremely inexpensive compared to the cost of one in America.  The technology is not as advanced but proved to be an adequate diagnostic tool.

360,000 leones equals $83.34

Notice in the above photo that this receipt is for the supplies for surgery.  Brima had to obtain and provide even the surgeons rubber gloves.  This means the patients family must run around town and obtain the IV's, the medication and the tools before the operation can take place.

104,000 leones equals $24.07

Notice in the above receipt that pure water must be purchased - as the water from the tap is not purified.     We may complain about the healthcare provided to us in the West but it far exceeds that in 3rd World countries. 

We thank you for your ongoing prayers, love and support.  You are saving lives!  Pa Foday is just one of many that you are helping to provide a better life.  Thank you. 

Another Term for the President of Sierra Leone

At this writing Pa Foday remains hospitalized after a Thanksgiving Morning Surgery.  He is groggy, a man not used to any type of medication, he is struggling to regain strength after the anesthesia. James has been funneling the well wishes to him.

Thank you for your prayers and Get Well greetings.  Please continue them, they mean a lot to us all.

As Pa Foday slept last night, the ticker across the Sierra Leone televisions announced the final results of the Presidential Election held last week.

His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma has been elected to another term


as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.



When President Koroma won the election of his first term, Seraphim and I were in Sierra Leone (see YouTube video) and experienced the joy and dancing in the streets.



I had never witnessed anything like it.

Nazareth House Apostolate is a non-political organization, we do not chose between political sides.  Our job is to pray for whoever is in the Office.



 If we are not praying for someone that is in leadership, it might be that lack of prayer that keeps them from doing the job morally and successfully.   It is always good to pray.

The hospital expels visitors at 8 PM,



so James took his camera and left to photograph the dancing and joy in the streets.

I like this photo of these two girls, oblivious to the excitement - one munches on a candy bar and the other focusses on her Barbie Doll.



I like the innocency of these young ladies - there is no cell phone, no ipod, just simple childhood entertainment.





This guy, filled to the brim with enthusiasm, makes sure to keep focus on his prayer beads.



Later James saw him again, his prayer beads remain active.



We are thankful for the peace during this election



and pray that it continues in Sierra Leone.



The nation has come a long way



but there is still a distance to travel.

 

 and so we pray,

pray always....

Today we give thanks, Pa Foday's surgery is done, done

Note: "done, done"  or "don don" means "over with" in Krio.... 

Today we give thanks for many things and as we do 

I hope we remember those who 

don't have it as nice as most of us who celebrate this holiday. 

Early this Thanksgiving morning in a hospital in Freetown,

 Pa Foday underwent surgery.   

The nurses escorted him from the hospital ward 

unto the Operating Theatre.

  

 Careful attention was placed on his care.  

As surgery went on,  James, his mom - Fatu, Captain Brima and Kadiatu 

waited for news of the surgery's outcome.  

45 minutes later, Pa Foday is out of surgery and

we pray for his speedy recovery.  

God bless you all.  Enjoy your day. 

James recently wandered into this village.

Now that he lives in Kabala he is finding his way into more and more remote villages who have never received aid or help before.  

The main breadwinner for the villagers has just passed away and the already struggling clan is finding themselves more and more in need.   

One of the first things James does as he enters a village is to assess the health of the people.  

Everyone looked relatively healthy, most had worms, but internal parasites are a normal problem in Sierra Leone.  

As James scanned the community, his eyes rested on one little girl.  She was limping.  

A closer looked revealed an infected burn.  An even closer look revealed loss of skin.  

In many cases, the burn and the skin heal (scarred but healed) -  its the infection that does the damage.  We've lost a few children due to the infection of burns.  

Because of recent shipments, James has access to a limited supply of antibiotics and can start this little girl on some.  Our supply is low, as is our triple-antibiotic wound ointment (neosporin).  We are working to replenish this supply.  This is just one of many difficulties requiring our attention - day after day, hour after hour.

We continue to press for a vehicle.  Had we had one, James could have brought this child to a clinic or the compound for treatment.  Alas, he is unable to carry her the great walking distance.  

People are in need, as Advent approaches and we begin to think of "charity" or even year end "tax deductions" please consider the work of Nazareth House Apostolate.    Be a part of the family of NHA, working together in the areas of the poorest of the poor in Sierra Leone.  

You can make your tax-deductible donation either by clicking on this link

 No Wheels, Must Travel: A Car for NHA in Sierra Leone

or through the Paypal Donation Link on our website 

www.nazarethhouseap.org

or by mail

NHA; 185 Captains Cove Drive, Taylorsville, KY 40071 

or via Guidestar 

Nazareth House - Guidestar ( We've earned Guide Star Seal for Transparency)

When James returns home to the compound, his day does not stop.  His door is knocked upon frequently.  He doesn't get much of a break but he's okay with that

knowing that he can help save a life, bit by bit.  Yet... 

and yet...

He needs us to see him through.  We need to provide him with the means to do this work.  

Thanks you.