The Woodchopper still in Kabala Forest

Good Day!

Many of you have watched our Woodchopper Youtube video about Abu living in the forest of Kabala, chopping and selling wood cheap to those who need it for fire to cook. The link to this video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdKZhEUny1M or click on the SaloneNHA videos at the right and find the video labeled "woodchopper".

James bumped into the Woodchopper again on his last visit to Kabala a week ago.

Anyway, Abu is doing well, except, unfortunately someone has stolen his bag with all of his belongings in it. We hope to meet up with him when we are next in Kabala.

TOP THREE STUDENTS

Email from James received this morning (15 August)

HEY MAMA,

Here are the best eight in Lucy and Ann Marie's class.
This pic was taken at St. Laurence house a day after the
exams. They made some snacks to have a little girl's "End
of Exams" party.

Bottom Photo: From left to right, Kinia, Matilda ( She took first scoring 360) Saio, Ann, kaday, lucy, saffie and josina.

Middle Photo: Matilda (highest score of school)

Top Photo: Highest Scoring Students of school with proud teacher! Lucy, Teacher, Ann Marie and Matilda.

Lucy & Ann Marie Results from Elementary School

The final results from Lucy & Ann Marie's Elementary School are in and the girls proudly display them with their father, James and with their teacher in the above pictures. The girls now go onto High School. The girls have worked very hard and are very bright. We are all so very proud of them!

I received this email from James just a few minutes ago. It explains the girls results:

HEY MAMA,

I just returned from Lucy and Ann Marie's school to pick up their results. They did extremely well with Lucy scoring an aggregate of 340 and Ann Marie 339. Any Marie took second in Mathematics in the entire school with a score of 88% and then Lucy took first in English Language with a score of 97%. The kid with the best result scored and Aggregate of 360. The best result in the whole country is 370. So you see how well the girls worked.

Here are few pictures of them with. We are all so very very happy today. I make the next school move next week. Thanks to all those who have helped contribute to educate these beautiful girls. Love from all of us at St. Laurence house.

Love,
James.

I hope we can successfully pay for their next semester's tuition soon.

Report from James in Freetown

My dear friends,

It is with great joy and happiness for me to again be near this computer writing yet another report on the situation on the ground in Freetown.

Yes, I was seriously ill the last few weeks and I am aware of how concerned all of you were when this was announced. The bad news was, I had this intense hurting pain in my stomach that sent me to tears all night long and the good news now is, I am alive again and kicking. I was a bit scared with the doctor's report but it seems as if big change is happening down there with your prayers.

I had to skip the doctor's second appointment for an urgent call to Kabala. I was on the road again last Sunday afternoon just after Mass; bundled with several buckets of paints and other building materials. Thanks to Pagay a young business man in Kabala who gave me a nice ride to Kabala in his truck but i had to be his driver as he ate and slept comfortably all the way. As usual, several stops and breakdowns on the way but all that could not stop us from reaching our destination late that evening.

With just a little bit of makeup work left, i am pleased to let you all know that the school is all done, ready and set for opening come September 2008. It took us six good days to paint both the interior and ceiling of this huge school. Despite my poor health, I had to spend more time with the workers this time helping and directing how it should be done. I promise to send you all the final and last picture of this your sponsored worked come next week. Thank you all very very much for a job well done.

Now, we have this desperate call for the presence of Fr. Seraphim and Mama Vicki to present this gift from YOU to the Kabala community. I had answered so many questions on their behalf and it is time for me to invite them to come and do the rest on this school open day. Everybody is asking and needing their presence here. This I assured the people even before I learnt of your success in securing their air tickets. Pa Foday and I cant stand alone with a ceremony like this and it is with this that we ask you all to help do whatever you can to support the transport Fr. And Mama Vicki to us before the said date.

Mama Vicki & I will be involved with the school opening, distribution of medications to the Kabala Government hospital, giving of rice and help to those desperately in need around us etc. Mama has the much needed internal parasite treatment that we must give to the sick kids immediately. Such trips happen just once every year so please help us make it happen successfully.

To crown it all, we at St. Laurence House need a day or two with mama Vicki who had been very very busy begging; trying to makes sure to meet all the needs here. I wish some day you all could come and be part of this.

With your continuous support, we have come this far and would like to thank you all for making Nazareth House Apostolate school successful in Sierra Leone. I ask you again, to please give today to make a better tomorrow possible for these children.

God bless you all.

James.


Note: Please see our website (www.nazarethhouseap.org) page titled "NHA Education" and click on the link at the top of that page for the Photo Web Album to see the latest pictures of the school taken this past week. Use the slide show option.

James & Pa Foday painting

James and Pa Foday in front of the NHA Kabala School. Painting of the school was the priority all week and should be completed this week.

James has now arrived back in Freetown.

...And the paint goes on....

Last week, much to my concern, James, weakened from the ulcers, purchased lots of paint for the school building and took off for Kabala. The journey to Kabala from Freetown is a long one. Traveling with many buckets of paint and other supplies makes the trip even more troublesome. It seems to be the custom to have your vehicle break-down along the way and this particular trip was no exception.

James has now returned safely to Freetown and photos on the latest work at the school will be uploaded to the blog periodically.

The Treasures of the Church

August 10 is the Feast Day of St. Laurence, the patron Saint of our Nazareth House
in Freetown, Sierra Leone is named.

The account of St. Laurence (sometimes spelled Lawrence) follows. You will understand why St. Laurence House was named for this martyr...Sierra Leone is full of the
"treasures of the church", the poor.

James and Kadijah named their little son in honor of this saint. Although we all lovingly know him as "Roo", his full name is Laurence Thomas Mansaray.

Saint Laurence was one of seven deacons who were in charge of giving
help to the poor and the needy. When a persecution broke out, Pope St.
Sixtus was condemned to death. As he was led to execution, Laurence
followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your
deacon?" he said. "I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope.
"in three days you will follow me." Full of joy, Laurence gave to the
poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive
vessels to have more to give away.

The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great
fortune hidden away. So he ordered Laurence to bring the Church's
treasure to him. The Saint said he would, in three days. Then he went
through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people
supported by the Church. When he showed them to the Prefect, he said:
"This is the Church's treasure!"

In great anger, the Prefect condemned Laurence to a slow, cruel death.
The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that
roasted his flesh little by little, but Laurence was burning with so
much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, God
gave him so much strength and joy that he even joked. "Turn me over,"
he said to the judge. "I'm done on this side!" And just before he
died, he said, "It's cooked enough now." Then he prayed that the city
of Rome might be converted to Jesus.

May you have a blessed St. Laurence Day and remember the poor and the hungry.


In one of the photos above a child is holding a Holy Card of St. Laurence...