February 2013

December 2012 found Stan Olsen, CEO, back in Liberia making arrangements for the clinic’s groundbreaking with Rev. Chris Kowula, Kuwaa Mission Field Director and Darlenston Coldheart, Contractor.  Despite heavier than normal rains this past rainy season we were able to start the transportation of 120 bags of cement shipped from Monrovia to Fassama by commercial vehicle, a 12+ hour trip.  From Fassama the bags are transported by motorbike 3 hours to Kondesu.  The actual construction begins this month when Cindy Bye arrives.

Stan met with the Liberian office of UNICEF and obtained a booklet entitled “Community-Led Sanitation”.  The goal of this approach is to get the villagers to recognize the need for “them” to take the lead in cleaning their villages of feces which contributes to the contamination of surface water, causing several different kinds of illnesses one of which is eye infections in the children who play in the dirt and play with the animals who get into everything.  The Mission is praying for funds to enable us to start this project during our visits next dry season.

Stan also was able to meet with Mrs. Malai Goutro Gbogar, the newly elected Representative for the Belle District of which the Kuwaa People belong.  She appears to be very concerned about the plight of the people as evidenced by her recent travels on foot thru the “bush”.  We are very hopeful that she will be able to enlist additional governmental assistance for this area.

We have long wanted to establish an income generating program within Liberia to generate funds and to provide employment opportunities.  Establishing such a venture would ultimately would make the work projects and people self-sufficient.  As such Stan met with several logging company representatives to see if we could set up a “Woodmizer” sawmill at their center of operations in the bush.  Several were supportive of the idea but only one was located near enough to Monrovia to make it feasible.  Unfortunately, we discovered the government recently instituted a moratorium on all logging due to “issues” with the issuance of permits.  We are praying that the issues will be resolved with both the companies and various people within the government.  Until these issues are resolved our sawmill plans are on hold.

Two years ago I visited with the international NGO ChildFund and had explained our desire to establish a clinic in the Kuwaa Area.  ChildFund was, and still is, involved in healthcare in Gbarpolu County in which the Belle District is located.  I informed the Director that we were starting construction, and he was very excited.  ChildFund will work with the county health department to try to staff and supply the clinic.   ChildFund has agreed to pay the salaries for the first 3 years!

Please consider making a donation to help to make the opening of the clinic a reality in the near future.  Your prayers and donations make the work possible.  The Kuwaa people and the Mission’s Board of Directors thank God for you, our partners in mission.

Your brother in Christ,

Stan

PDF Prayer Letter Link

 Donations can be given in two ways:

2.   Make out check and send to:

       Bethany Lutheran Church,  1340 8th Street,  Slidell, LA 70458

1.   Go to the Kuwaa Mission Website at www.kuwaamission.org:

      use PayPal to make a one time or automatic monthly donation

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The Kuwaa Mission
c/o Bethany Lutheran Church
1340 8th Street
Slidell, LA 70458

January 2013

In March 2012 Ed Stelling was able to return to Liberia after an absence of 33 years.  He was happy to see a small medical clinic now serving the people of the Fassama area.  However, the reality is that sick or injured people have to be brought to Fassama from distant villages.  It did not take much for Ed, Cindy, Jensen, and Stan to see the need for more medical clinics. After researching the need, it was decided that Kondesu should be the next village to have a clinic, but it would be built according to government specs and able to serve more people in a day.  Planning and getting started on the building took 3 years.  The funds are still being raised to completely finish the clinic and equip it fully.  The people are ready to build the clinic, the nurse’s quarters, bathroom house, and a generator house.  A contractor has been hired to organize and keep the work going.  By the end of dry time this year, God willing, the Kondesu Clinic the buildings will be built.  Prayers are needed to raise the funds to equip and supply the clinic so that it can open soon.  Praise God for his provisional hand over the Kondesu Clinic.

The clinic needs trained personnel.  Ester, the daughter of Rev. Chris Kowula, our Liberian Field Director, began nurse’s training last year.  She is receiving a scholarship from donations made to the Kuwaa Mission Educational Fund.  It is important to get local people trained to serve in capacities like this.  They are much more likely to stay in the area, and they have the heart of the people.  In a couple of years she will return to the Kuwaa area and be on the staff at one of the clinics.  Please keep Ester in your prayers. As with the building of the clinic, we are grateful for the prayers and financial support from you, faithful friends and warriors of the Kuwaa Mission.  Thank you for your love for the Kuwaa people.

Board Chairperson, Cindy Bye, formerly Cindy Ellis, is returning to Liberia the 27th of January.  Congratulations and God’s blessings to Cindy and David who were married on January 12th.  Cindy is making her 4th volunteer trip to Liberia. Accompanying her is a new volunteer, water engineer Stephen Bradley.  They will be in Liberia for 3 weeks.  Stephen will be distributing and training the people in the use of water filters.  Cindy will oversee the construction of the Kondesu Clinic and the digging of new wells in 4 more villages.  Please keep them in your prayers for safe travel and good health.

Let us encourage one another to give thanks to our God for everything and praise him for his generosity. He is our very present help in trouble and our stay in life.  He is with us in the day time and at night.

Please consider making a donation to help to make the opening of the clinic a reality in the near future.  Your prayers and donations make the work possible.  The Kuwaa people and the Mission’s Board of Directors thank God for you, our partners in mission.

Your brother in Christ,

Ed Stelling

 Donations can be given in two ways:

2.   Make out check and send to:

       Bethany Lutheran Church,  1340 8th Street,  Slidell, LA 70458

1.   Go to the Kuwaa Mission Website at www.kuwaamission.org:

      use PayPal to make a one time or automatic monthly donation

Unsubscribe – Edit your subscription

The Kuwaa Mission
c/o Bethany Lutheran Church
1340 8th Street
Slidell, LA 70458

December 2012

THE WORK PROGRAM: 4 wells, well & water filter technician training.

THE TOP PRIORITY: The Kondesu Medical Clinic construction.  The people are providing building blocks and lumber.  The mission is providing cement, roofing, and other materials.  It’s time to put the building up.

THE ROAD: Extreme rains damaged the road, but with work and care it is passable.

PRAY!  Pray for CEO Stan who is there.  Pray for a solution to the transportation problem that has arisen.  Stan found a solution for transporting the cement & supplies.    Pray for funds to meet the unforeseen cost for transportation.

THE PEOPLE:  They have been preparing for the start of construction.  They realize that the longer they don’t have a clinic, people will continue to suffer. SOLVING THE PROBLEM: Funds are needed for transportation of building supplies and cement.

GOD THE PROBLEM SOLVER: Working through his people we are confident that God already solved the problem of transportation.  God will help the mission to keep its credibility with the people.

PRAISE GOD: God begins to solve problems even before we know for what to pray. He is great and greatly to be praised!  So let our praises ring!

      THE SPIRIT: moves people to help others, especially at Christmas.  What a Christmas gift – giving the Kuwaa people a clinic!  We are convinced that he will do it.  Many famiies give Jesus 10% of what they spend for Christmas gifts for others; others give Jesus a gift equal to the most expensive gift they give to others; and yet, others give a birthday gift to Jesus instead of giving them to family and friends.

Please consider making a donation to help the Kuwaa people.  Your donations make the work possible.  Donations can be given in two ways:

2.   Make out check and send to:

       Bethany Lutheran Church,  1340 8th Street,  Slidell, LA 70458

1.   Go to the Kuwaa Mission Website at www.kuwaamission.org:

      use PayPal to make a one time or automatic monthly donation

November 2012

The Kuwaa people cried for help for over 20 years.  There was no whining or complaining for the suffering they endured at the hands of the brutal rebel groups.  All they wanted was help to help themselves.  They had lost all hope.  Their prayer finally reached the ears of Jensen Seyenkulo and Dick Thompson in the U.S.A.  In 2009 the Kuwaa Mission was founded to help them help themselves.  People soon got involved. Stan Olsen and Cindy Watkins Ellis volunteered.  This dry season Stan is going back the end of Nov.  Stan is serving as the CEO and project manager over work projects.  He is going over to review the work being done and to help the people begin the construction of the Kondesu Medical Clinic.  The clinic will serve 5 or 6 towns.

In the past few years the mission provided the means for wells to be dug or restored.  Schools and school children received educational materials and supplies.  Midwives and small town clinics received medical supplies.  Workshops on various topics have been conducted for the different leaders.  Scholarships were provided for 3 evangelists and 1 nursing student.

Let us encourage one another to pray for The Kuwaa people and the Kuwaa Mission that God continues to help them see the light and find hope, that God continues to bless the mission to be a blessing to the Kuwaa people, that God continues providing funds and volunteers. And that God grant Stan safe travels, blesses his work, and keeps his wife, Sally.

Let us encourage one another to give thanks to our God for everything and praise him for his generosity. He is our very present help in trouble and our stay in life.  He is with us in the day time and at night.

Please consider making a donation to help the Kuwaa people.  Your donations make the work possible.  Donations can be given in two ways:

2.   Make out check and send to:

       Bethany Lutheran Church,  1340 8th Street,  Slidell, LA 70458  

1.   Go to the Kuwaa Mission Website at www.kuwaamission.org:

      use PayPal to make a one time or automatic monthly donation