August 2014 Prayer Letter

Kuwaa Mission August 2014 Prayer Letter-2

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August 2014

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Special Report: Ebola Crisis

By Jennifer Cosgrove, Ph.D.

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus, the Great Physician:

            It is with heavy hearts that we see Liberia making international news due to the Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever crisis.  Starting this past spring in the neighboring country of Guinea, this disease has spread in four West African countries, infecting over 3,500 people and killing over 1,900, including over 120 medical care workers (according to the CDC and other sources).  Some local experts believe these numbers are underestimates by 25-50%.  The situation was called “uncontained and out of control” by Ken Isaacs, a vice president at Samaritan’s Purse, when he spoke to the U.S. Congress.  Hospitals and clinics are understaffed to the point of having to close.  People are dying from complicated births, accidents, malaria, and other treatable conditions.  There are not enough doctors, medical workers, isolation units and supplies.

            While suspected and confirmed cases of Ebola have been found in all the counties surrounding the Kuwaa villages, their county, Gbarpolu, appears to be untouched (so far).   For this, we thank God.  We also thank you again for your support of the Kuwaa Mission’s work to provide hygiene and sanitation education, water filters, wells, and a medical clinic.  These necessities are important to the health of a community at all times and are crucial in areas hit with a medical crisis such as Ebola.

            How has this crisis impacted our work?  Our last volunteer trip was in April to install the solar energy system and officially open the medical clinic in Kondesu.  Since then, Liberia’s Ministry of Health has not been able to supply the clinic with medicines and other supplies as they are overwhelmed with the Ebola situation.  We also need to continue well maintenance (e.g. check the quality of the water in the wells and chlorinate them, as needed).  We will not send our local assistant to the area until/unless it is safe to travel there (the counties surrounding the Kuwaa region have Ebola and the government is restricting travel).   While we cannot send State-side volunteers until the crisis is over (at least not until 2015), we want to help the Kuwaa people with medical and other health related supplies and we request your continued financial support for these efforts.

            You may have seen solicitations for donations towards the Ebola crisis.  We would like to suggest the following groups who have shown their dedication to this crisis and are known for their fiscal responsibility. These organizations have been overwhelmed by the situation and need funds for the support of brave volunteers and the medical supplies and equipment that are desperately needed.  You can donate via these web links as well as receive the latest information about the crisis by “liking” their Facebook pages.  Please “like” our page as well and invite your friends and family.

Samaritan’s Purse

This Christian organization has been extremely helpful to the Kuwaa Mission in helping us transport our supplies upcountry.   We have sent them funds to help with their work in ministering to patients afflicted with Ebola.

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/ebola-crisis/

https://www.facebook.com/SamaritansPurse

Serving in Mission – ELWA Hospital

ELWA Hospital is one of the treatment sites featured in the news.  It is the hospital where Dr. Brantly (who was in Liberia with Samaritan’s Purse) and Nancy Writebol worked.  These are the two Americans who were successfully treated in a special isolation unit in the United States.  ELWA is particularly important to KM Board Members Rev. Richard Thompson, Ed Stelling, and Jennifer Cosgrove as this was the school and medical clinic they went to while in Liberia in the 1970’s.  Currently, Doctors Without Borders is opening up more isolation wards at this site.

http://www.simusa.org/

https://www.facebook.com/simliberia

Doctors Without Borders (Medicins sans Frontieres)

This secular organization is widely recognized for the volunteer medical care it provides throughout the world.  Their medical volunteers have been on the frontlines of this crisis from the beginning.

https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/onetime.cfm?ref=monthly

http://time.com/3154326/1400-are-dead-from-ebola-and-we-need-help-says-doctors-without-borders-president/

https://www.facebook.com/msf.english

Global Health Ministries

This is a Lutheran organization working with the Lutheran Church in Liberia, particularly assisting their hospitals in Phebe and Curran, which have been in the news.  They have been sending personal protection equipment and other supplies to these clinics.

http://www.ghm.org/

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalHealthMin

PS:  This is a link to the CDC map of West African countries and counties.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/resources/distribution-map-guinea-outbreak.html

In the bottom half of this map is Liberia.  The white area (that is surrounded by orange Ebola areas) is Gbarpolu county where the Kuwaa people live and the Kuwaa Mission works, by the grace of God and your support.

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Concluding with some good news!

Ester Kowula, Rev. Chris Kowula’s daughter, has graduated from nursing school and received six honors.  She is in Fassama currently and wants to work in the Kondesu clinic once it receives supplies.  Ester was a recipient of a financial scholarship from the Kuwaa Mission.

A Kuwaa young man, Joseph Jeogbor, is a graduate of Phebe Nursing School and desires to work in the Kondesu clinic as well.  He is the grandson of Pastor John Manawu who was a significant partner with Lutheran Bible Translators in their work with the Kuwaa people in the 1970s and 80s.  We are so blessed by the Lord with these faithful servants who desire to serve their people as their parents and grandparents have done.  Your continued financial support for scholarships makes this possible.

 Donations can be given in two ways:

1.   Make out check to: The Kuwaa Mission  (send to Bethany Lutheran Church (see below))

2.   Go to the Kuwaa Mission Website at www.kuwaamission.orguse PayPal to make a one time or automatic monthly donation

PDF and MS Word versions of this letter will be available on the website

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