pdf Link—May 2011 Prayer Letter—pdf Link

 

April 2011 Prayer Letter

Maundy Thursday is celebrated as part of Holy Week, when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and gave them the mandate to love one another. He says in John 15:11-12 that by loving each other, His joy will be in us, and our joy will be complete:

“¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

I want to relay a story about an experience that I had this past February in the Kuwaa village of Lowuma, Liberia. I spent 4 months in Liberia last year and 3 weeks in the village of Lowuma as a volunteer for the Kuwaa Mission (see www.kuwaamission.org) to help bring them safe drinking water.  They only had a stream for a water source, and of course, that stream carries life-threatening diseases. I was the only white person around, so I really developed bonds with the villagers. They fed me, gave me a place to sleep, brought me bath water, cared for me, and befriended me.

I lived with the family of Abaku A. Bility: wife Fanta , son Seikou (5 yrs old), daughter Fatumata (2 yrs), and son Boikei (1 month old). Seikou became my friend, although we couldn’t communicate well due to the language barrier.  He would bring me a chair to sit on while I was watching the well work, and he brought my Liberian slippers (flip-flops), when I took off my shoes.

Mamade (left) with the catfish he caught, and Seikou (right).

He would sit on my lap and ask me to play the harmonica, which he called my cell phone.  Seikou had a friend  named Mamade, about 10 yrs old. He would wash my clothes at the stream, and he loved to fish.  He often brought catfish for Abaku’s sister Fatumata to cook for me in a peanut soup.

This year, I returned to Liberia to continue the well work for the Kuwaa Mission.  I left Billings on a cold Saturday morning in February and arrived in Liberia on a hot Sunday evening. Thanks to the generosity of Samaritan’s Purse, I flew by helicopter to the village of Kondesu. Several days later, I walked the 4 hour trail to Lowuma.  The heat was insufferable.  By the time I reached the village, I was suffering from heat exhaustion. I had stopped sweating, and my skin was hot to the touch. My body had not yet acclimated to the heat of Liberia, and we had walked during the heat of the day.  Only prayers and my desire to see my friends and family in Lowuma kept me going. 

The trail enters the village at the soccer field.  On Sunday evenings, it is common for the kids and young adults to play soccer, or football, as most of the world calls it.  There were several people playing a game, and Mamade was one of them.  When he saw me approaching the village, he ran out to meet me and grabbed my hand.  What a delight to see him again!  To look down and see that huge smile and shining eyes looking up at me!  We walked to Abaku’s house, and I sat on the bench outside.  It was a relief to sit and rest after the long hot walk, tripping over tree branches, crossing streams on logs, and running through ant trails.  I was exhausted, dripping in sweat, and filthy dirty.

As I sat on the bench, Mamade kneeled down before me.  He took off my tennis shoes and socks, and he tenderly wiped the dirt off my feet with my socks.  Tears flooded my eyes, and I thought of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet on Maundy Thursday.  Mamade was caring for me so tenderly.  His love for me was tangible.  Seikou ran and got my slippers (flip-flops), and I rested.  My joy was complete.

Love one another, just as Jesus first loved us.  This way, His joy will be in us, and our joy will be complete.

Kuwaa Mission Up-Date Letter

TWO Prayer RequestS:

Funding for Rev. Dr. D. Jensen Seyenkulo to become our full time self-supported missionary.  The Mission is in deep need for a full time CEO who can travel, keep the Mission growing both here and in Liberia, and be free to speak to people and congregations whenever requests come to the Mission.

Adopting Jensen as your personal missionary and about praying and supporting him faithfully.

Rev. Dr. Seyenkulo

(Pay Pal is available for Jensen’s support or mission projects on the Mission’s website.  The website address is: www.kuwaamission.org.

Jensen’s email address is: Djensen@kuwaamission.org

Students reading while a talking book is being played.

PRAISE THE LORD FOR: Three new completed or nearly completed wells.  Several repaired wells.  Over 50% of the water filters are being used and shared by the people – better than expected.  They are learning.  Two people per village are receiving training on pump and well maintenance and repair.  Construction on a full facility medical clinic has begun.  Three people from the Chiefdom are being trained to be Evangelists.  Cindy helped save a child in child-birth while she was at the Kpalakonu medical clinic.  School & student supplies were handed out including talking books made by a group of Kids4Kuwaa.  The people are seeing hope again and have begun helping themselves.  (Schools are being built; hand hued roads are being constructed; and other projects have started, i.e. peanut farms for income for the churches.)

A school built by citizens of Mawinfordor.  The Mission’s work is incarnational and contagious.

12 hour old Garmeh with her mother.

Joe Konyo Biyo – the town pastor in Mawinfordor

OTHER PRAYER REQUESTS FOR FUTURE WORK: For a potable well in Mawinfordor, the last town to receive one and more wells in other bigger towns that need more than one.  Continue the construction on the full medical clinic.  For grants to finish the medical clinic.  (The clinic is being built according to government specifications.  When it is finished the government will staff and supply the clinic.)  For people to be moved to join one of the volunteer teams forming to go to Liberia and blessings on the process.  For other work projects to be funded and started.  For God’s guidance and direction at the first face to face Board meeting this year – Planning for the next two years will be the agenda.  For more congregations, congregational groups, and individuals who will become mission partners.

Yours in Christ’s love for the world,

Rev. Dr. Richard Thompson, Chairman of the Board of Directors

revdrthompson@kuwaamission.org

Stan Olsen, Board Member and Project Coordinator, was in Liberia in January & February 2011 organizing the Kuwaa Mission’s work for this season.  He purchased materials for 3 water wells and orchestrated their delivery by truck and then helicopter.  We are so blessed to have transportation donated by Samaritan’s Purse this year Last year, the villagers had to walk 7 hours one way to pick up loads of cement, pump parts, and tools from the end of the road.  Transportation of the materials last year cost $2600/well just to the end of the road.  The villages receiving new wells this year were even further from the end of the road, so the helicopter delivery was a real blessing.  The elders in the villages were dancing when they saw the helicopter!

Cindy Watkins Ellis, Board Member, arrived in Liberia in February and went up to the villages to monitor progress on the wells.   She stayed in the bush for 4 weeks and visited 14 of the 16 Kuwaa villages. To date, one well has been completed in Kondesu.  They only had a stream as a water source, so now they have a ready source of clean water.  Praise the Lord!  She also visited the villages where we dug wells last year.

Rev. Jensen Seyenkulo, CEO of the Kuwaa Mission, is now in Liberia.  He is following up on the well work, networking with governmental agencies and other NGOs, and making plans for our future endeavors. “

Photo Caption:  “This photo is of the well that we had dug in Gbeyankei last year.  The water is clean and plentiful.  Cindy walked down to the stream that they were using last year as their water source, and the path was grown over.  They aren’t using the stream any more!  The villagers will be much healthier now with clean water to drink.   Thank you to all who supported our efforts!”