May 2008 Prayer letter

Dear family and friends,                                                                                                            May 16, 2008

            As is the case every time I write, an update from me is long overdue! As time flies by, I can’t help but think how much I need the prayers that so many of you offer up regularly for me and the team I work with.  I have most definitely felt the support and encouragement of so many in a tangible way, as I look back at the past couple of months and just wonder how we kept up with everything! 

            It seems like the past couple of months have just been a flurry of activity.  I described some of these activities in my last letter – but here are some of the highlights… February was packed with picking up additional leadership and administrative responsibilities, as our medical coordinator resigned and left at the end of the month (we are still recruiting for that position, so if you know a doctor who wants to come to Liberia, tell them to contact me).  In March, we did a lot of renovation work in the hospital, as well as tried to get lots of training done for the hospital staff.  The first week of April was entirely spent preparing for a representative from ECHO (the donor funding this project) who was coming for a review of our progress.  And the second week of April was spent hosting that representative.  The visit went very well, and although we do not have the signed document yet, we fully expect to receive continued funding for another year from ECHO.  The rest of April was packed with finishing up the rest of our project activities before the end of the budget cycle.  Somewhere in there we received a shipment of drugs… so I can’t even count how many hours it took Kou and I to sort through 400 boxes and get it all documented correctly and then supplied to the hospital.  For at least two weeks our living area was packed with boxes, and even now there’s one wall of our living room with boxes stacked up.

            I’ve said to so many people that I was waiting for May so that things could slow down.  While that is true to a certain extent, as we’re under a little less pressure, things are still busy.  But God provides downtime in unique ways.  For example, I’ve learned to thank Him for the fact that our generator broke down at the beginning of May, so I was forced to take evenings off, as it was impossible to get any work done in the dark.  (And now I’m even more grateful for God’s provision of a loaned generator that’s letting me have light and a fan tonight!)

            Throughout all this busy-ness, I have been repeatedly overwhelmed with the fact that being busy accomplishing project goals is not the reason God brought me back here.  Pray with me that I continue to keep focused on the relationships and opportunities God brings for true ministry to take place.  Pray that I stay sensitive to the seeds God is planting of dreams for the future.  I have started an online course that is one step toward long-term service with SIM; pray that I continue to work with heaven’s priorities in mind.

            The other thing I’m burdened with right now is the plight of the people in Sinoe County, and all over Liberia.  You may see items in the news about global food shortages; it doesn’t always seem real to those of us who have a constant income, some savings, and a local grocery store with stocked shelves.  But in Liberia, people who generally live hand-to-mouth are already feeling the difficulty of increasing prices for food.  Prices in Greenville are generally higher than in Monrovia, because of the difficulties and costs of transporting goods into the county.  The people I am surrounded with make less than $150 monthly; most of them have at least 4-5 children they are supporting, many have more than that.  For a typical family with a number of children, they will buy at least two bags of rice a month.  In the past month the price of a 50-kg bag of the most commonly bought (and cheapest) rice in Greenville has gone from around $35 to $42. I have already noticed more people asking for help to buy food or pay children’s school fees; pray that I will be able to demonstrate God’s generous nature to the people around me.

            Thanks again to all of you who are praying, and who are so encouraging to my spirit! 

Think about it...

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Long-overdue prayer letter

Okay, this letter was started in January, finished in early February, and I finally sent it out this past week... but it's still pretty applicable to what's up here in Greenville!  :)

Dear family and friends,                                                                                                            January 2008

            An update from me is long overdue! Na trao (Kru for thank you) for all your prayers and encouragement… I’ve definitely needed it the past couple months!  The last time I wrote I told you all how I am working on learning Kru.  I have added a little to my vocabulary, but I have to admit that learning Kru has kind of fallen by the wayside of the rest of life in Greenville. 

            As began this letter, I had just returned from a much-needed week-long visit to Monrovia and all my friends at ELWA.  It has become apparent to me quite quickly that strictly doing my best to pace myself for the long run isn’t enough… I need “water stops” at regular intervals, in order to recharge physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  I am so thankful for a place like ELWA with great friends who provide those kinds of “water stops.”  Though at least some of my time in Monrovia is normally spent in meetings concerning this project, it is so nice to be able to catch up with friends, attend my old church there, enjoy the beach, and read for fun.

            One of the highlights of the past couple of months has been seeing progress in the relationships I am building.  I am so enjoying getting to know Kou, our hospital matron.  My job description is to mentor her into a leadership/training role in the hospital; we spend a lot of time together (working and living together), and we’re blessed to get along well!  We definitely have a “give and take” relationship: I get to share nursing and computer skills with her; meanwhile she teaches me a lot about how Liberian women think and interact, as well as practical skills of living in rural Liberia!  (For instance, did you know that if you don’t have a pot scrubber, a chunk of charcoal does the job just fine?)  Pray with me that her Christianity will grow into a meaningful relationship with the Lord, and that I may share more than knowledge with her, and that I can be a light in her life.

            Another highlight was the truly unique Christmas I spent here in Greenville.  I missed being with family, but I definitely was not alone!  Annette (the Dutch doctor who is our project medical coordinator) and I bought a goat, and we had all our staff, some of their families, and a bunch of people from the hospital here for “Christmas dinner.”  Some of it was cooked in “gravy” – a tomato-based sauce to put on rice, and some of it was roasted after marinating in a very nice peanut butter sauce.

            I mentioned that I’m learning about pacing myself and taking breaks at times.  The time I have spent here so far has been challenging, and the stress is not yet over.  In December the stress was having no nurses in the hospital due to their licensure exam; in January we maintained a hectic pace of work as we are trying our best to accomplish huge goals before our next donor visit; in February I expect the stress to continue as we undergo personnel changes.  We no longer have a project coordinator, and our medical coordinator has announced her resignation; as we’re so close to the end of this funding contract, we are not hiring people for those positions right now, so the rest of us are simply picking up additional responsibilities.

            Though the past couple months have been tough, I can honestly say that I am as convinced as ever that God has brought me back here and that He is working out His purposes.  I’m also quite convinced that God’s not finished with my time here in Liberia yet.  The project I am working with has funding from ECHO (the EU humanitarian organization) through April; we are hoping, praying, and working toward continuing funding that would carry us through July 2009.  At this point, I am planning to be here through that time.  To do that, I know I need to consciously seek balance as I prioritize the tasks before me.  At the same time, God has placed a dream for future ministry through a nursing school on my heart, and I want to actively pursue that dream.  Right now I believe that means prayerful research; I’m trying to come up with all the questions I need to ask without getting too overwhelmed with the size of the dream!  Will you pray with me about this?

            Again, na trao (thank you) for your support and encouragement, and nu pepe (take time, or take care of yourself)! 

                                                                        Love, Naomi   

My vision: To glorify God as I serve Him in Liberia prayerfully, diligently, and compassionately, depending on Him alone to provide and sustain.

Praises… Growing relationships in Greenville; Continued safety, health, and energy; Rest and renewal

Prayer requests… That our work will meet the donor expectations for continued funding; To keep a vision of the “big picture” in mind; To prioritize according to God’s priorities