Happy New Year! As we look forward to 2017 we ask for your continued support and prayers as our work continues in Liberia.

Romans 12:4-5

“For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”

We have our most ambitious work program yet planned for this year.  We will be installing 6 new wells and doing repairs on 3 other wells.  We are installing 3 wells in Fassama, the largest city in the area, as a result of a grant we received from Water Hope.  We will also install one well in each of the villages of Kalata, Sasasu and Kpaulazu.

In addition to installing and repairing these wells we will be holding a week long workshop to teach youth, men and women, in the village how to maintain their new well.  It’s a simple process but one that they need training in, and that the village elders need to buy into to actually allow these trainees to perform the simple maintenance on the wells.

Based on the UNICEF program “Community Led Total Sanitation” we will be conducting several one day sanitation workshops led by our Liberian facilitator in several of the villages. The goal is to visit the positive as well as negative sanitation practices in the village.  Ultimately we hope the women, who are the main movers and shakers for getting things done, will realize why they should not have feces, both human and animal, spread widely around the village.  Secondly, to get them to realize that the people in the village can take steps on their own to control this problem, mainly by building outhouses.  We provide them with a pick and shovel.  A couple months later our facilitator will return to check on their progress.  Hopefully as more villages participate the lessons will be transferred by women from one village to another without our assistance.

Finally, in an attempt to keep the news of our mission in front of our supporters we are developing a congregational representative contact program. Please consider becoming the representative for your congregation. Please contact Karen Voris at kvoris@kuwaamission.org for more information.

 As we embrace 2017 we give thanks for your involvement in our mission.

 Your sister in Christ,

 Karen Voris

            The Kuwaa Mission would like to thank our many supporters – individuals, couples, families and congregations for your prayers and financial contributions.  We would like to take this opportunity to suggest other ways you can assist the Kuwaa Mission and the Kuwaa people.

            We are so grateful for the efforts of those who represent the Kuwaa Mission to their congregations.  Congregational representatives tell the story of the Kuwaa Mission to their fellow members and encourage special offerings and events to raise money for specific projects such as a well or children’s bible school.  If you would like to help us with this, please contact our board member Karen Voris at Karen.Voris@kuwaamission.org   As a congregational representative, you could inform your members of these other ways to help:

            If you have insurance through Thrivent, you can help the Kuwaa people by choosing the Kuwaa Mission for their Thrivent Choice dollars program.  Thrivent has provided over 300 million dollars to charities since 2010.  Go to this website: https://www.thrivent.com/making-a-difference/living-generously/thrivent-choice/ and choose the “Kuwaa Mission” to help us receive these funds through Thrivent.

           Another opportunity to assist the Kuwaa Mission is every time you do your online shopping with Amazon.   For eligible purchases, the Kuwaa Mission receives .05% of your payment.  You order through smile.amazon.com – same products and prices  – but we get a small portion as a donation from Amazon.  For more information, and to register the Kuwaa Mission as your charity, please go to this website: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/ch/about

Our “Kondesu Clinic” that we constructed two years ago is fully functional and supported by the Liberian Ministry of Health.  Due to funding problems from the national ministry, as is typical of all Liberian Ministries from the national government, the clinic does not receive supplies and medicines as frequently as needed.  Please help us buy supplies and medicines in Liberia to take to the clinic please mark your gift “Clinic Supplies”.  Our website: www.kuwaamission.org has all the information as to where to send your support.   Thank you!

As the summer draws to a close we at the Kuwaa Mission hope that you had an enjoyable summer and were able to spend some quality family time and enjoy God’s great outdoors.

The Board of the Kuwaa Mission greatly appreciates all the support that we have received over the past year.  July marked the beginning of a new fiscal year for us and as a result of matching funds from employers we start this year on a very sound fiscal footing.  As you consider your financial gifts to the Kuwaa Mission please check with your employer to see if they have matching funds program.  We are a 501c3 organization with the IRS and can provide you, or your employer, with any information required.  This program makes a huge difference in the amount of work we are able to do to serve the Kuwaa people.

I also ask each of you to consider being a “Mission Member” in your congregation.  As a “Mission Member” we ask you to carry the Kuwaa Mission program directly and frequently to your congregation by speaking about the work we have accomplished, our financial needs, and the programming we have planned for upcoming seasons.  We will provide you with brochures, videos, fundraising ideas and all the prayer support one could ask for.  We do receive good congregational support from congregations across the US but we need to increase this support base.  While we realize that much of our individual support comes through the local congregation we also have a line item in our budget for “congregational support” and we are looking to increase our financial support here as well.  As a “Mission Member” we also ask you to visit other congregations in your geographical area and spread the word about the Kuwaa Mission.  There are many congregations that have a mission program, or would like to start one, and just need a bit of direction.  Every new congregation that supports our work is a valuable member of our team.  Please contact our congregational coordinator: Karen Voris at kvoris@kuwaamission.org and we will work with you to serve the Kuwaa people.

Many, if not most, of you receiving this newsletter use “Facebook”.  Please consider passing on the work of the Kuwaa Mission to your “friends”.  The Kuwaa Mission website receives many “hits” and the more “hits” we receive the more support we will receive, both financial and prayer support.