February 15th

Pictures first if they will upload. Story later.

Julie Cooper.

Mother Betty Women of Purpose training with the girls at BJO. The cookies smell so good.

Outside oven.

Today, being the first day at the orphanage has been very enjoyable. From devotions in the morning which started at 5:30 a.m. I did wake up at 4:30 and hit the snooze a couple of times (seems like home). I finally got up before 5:00 with no activity anywhere. I went outside to sit under the beautiful flowering tree in front of the orphanage. I used my phone as a light and walked outside. It was actually cool feeling, not to be confused with cold, but it was very comfortable with shorts and T-shirt on. The Liberians tell me it is cold. Anyway, since it was quiet and dark yet I read my Bible for a few chapters and prayed. I wasn’t sure of the pattern of the morning so I waited to see. Mamma Betty got up and I could see her flashlight as she headed outside. She then proceeded to hit the metal pole as the children’s alarm clock. Slowly the camp awoke and headed into the sitting room in Mamma Betty’s quarters. Emmanuel and Wintee had one room and I had another in this building. Titus slept in the boys dorm.

We all gathered and began the morning devotions at 5:30 with singing and testimony time. After this was over I was ‘reintroduced’ to the children and I shared a devotion from Hebrews 4:14-16. After the devotional time was over the day began for the children and I thought, well it’s not light out yet, I think I’ll go lay back down. I did for another hour and a half. That felt good.

At 7:30 when I got up I went back outside and visited a little until breakfast was ready. We had spaghetti for breakfast with bread and tea (ovaltine). Afterwards I got my good camera to take some pictures of people and updates around the compound. Mamma Betty wanted to show me the guest house under construction on the backside of their property. It is a duplex with 2 bedrooms in each side. She said they are having it built for guests (like CBC) when they come to visit. Such a pretty backdrop with the mountain behind. I hope to stay in there with others someday.

After this I spent the next few hours speaking with Nurse Moses and Caroline. While I was visiting two children were taken in. The first was a young girl recovering from measles. There has been an outbreak around Camp Four community, but praise God none of the orphanage children have had any issues with this. From what I understand most if not all have had the vaccination for them. The girl who has them is around 2-3 years old. Moses says she is doing much better today. Today was the 2nd day of antibiotics injection for treatment. So sad to see, but I’m grateful for the clinic’s ability to treat them. Moses is a very smart nurse. The lady had tried treatment at another clinic, but she wasn’t improving. I don’t know if the other clinic diagnosed measles or not. The lady came from Yekepa to see Moses since she heard he was good. I prayed with the mother and thanked her for coming. The second patient of the day was a young boy named Michelle. They suspected he has malaria so they did a test and it was positive for it. They gave him an injection to help and meds to take home. The meds were around $5:00 US and she paid for them. After praying for her son I reimbursed her the costs so she wouldn’t have that amount out of her budget. Such a small token, but I know it was appreciated. She is 17 years old with 2 children. Moses was pretty good at telling her she needs to be in church and I found out later that he was telling her that her boyfriend should be there. I guess she comes every week, but her boyfriend never comes. She said he won’t and Moses said to keep trying and pray for him to come as well. She is unable to read and her options are almost nothing in life. Her name is Mercy. Pray for her also.

This afternoon, after meeting with the teachers of Randall Godfrey school a short time and eating some rice and beans with papaya and pineapple I am now sitting here smelling the fresh baked cookies from Women of Purpose. Wintee wants to start a branch up here so she is teaching Amelia how to train others and all of the orphan girls are helping with baking the cookies.

You can see by the oven the sign on the orphanage that tells of the meal sponsorship for the kids. This is a huge praise as the local business, the mine, told Emmanuel they have been watching the work the orphanage does for the children and they wanted to get involved by offering a daily meal project. As Emmanuel told me, ‘They are not Christians, but God is using them to bless the orphanage.’

I look forward to spending more time with the children.

I may write more later.