Check Out the Recent Photos from the Village

You can check out the new photos of the recent short term team to Bombali Bana on the web. Just click here.

Medical Team Report

Here is a report of the recent medical mission trip to Sierra Leone.  The team reports that they were healthy and safe the entire time there. The team helped the national nurses with 3 medical clinics – one for children, one for adults from Bombali Bana, and one for adults from the two neighboring villages. The major health issues for the children are: malnutrition, malaria and worms.  For the adults – especially the women – it is high blood pressure.  The Sierra Leonean nurses said that the high blood pressure was due to them drinking palm wine, an energy drink from the palm trees. The locals drink it because it gives them energy and helps them not feel so hungry. Malaria, infections and worms are health issues as well.

The people in Bombali Bana were very welcoming to our team and were excited to have host them. They were able to spend a good part of four days in the village of Bombali Bana. The message that God loves them very much and that Jesus died for each one of us was clearly shared by one of our team members in the church the Sunday they were there. Prayer for these people and consistent caring and showing the love of Jesus towards them will help them want to come to know Him. One team member wrote, “I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to visit this village, meet and care for these wonderful people and become more knowledgeable about their needs and issues.  This trip also deepened my faith and I treasure that.”

Teachers Wanted

Our next team to Bombali Bana will be a Teachers Team, June 18–29. This team will be working alongside the teachers at the village school. After spending time observing the national teachers, our teachers, each assigned to a specific grade at the school, will be leading a class of students and helping the teacher learn new ways to teach.

This team continues our partnership with the people of Bombali Bana to bring transformational development to the area villages. Check it out and get your application.

Medical Team Returns to Michigan

On Friday night, March 30, our short term team of health professionals returned from serving in Sierra Leone. (We will be adding some new pictures to our site soon from their trip.)

We are glad that they had a productive trip and made it home safely to share with us about our partnership.

We are now beginning to recruit for our next Teacher’s Team to Bombali Bana. The teachers will be serving in the elementary school in the village at the end of June. More details will be coming soon.

Team Arrives & Begins Ministry

Our medical team sent word this morning that they have arrived and are all safe in Makeni. Today they are headed to the health clinic and will also visit Bombali Bana. Here is how to pray for the team:

* The Lord’s Name will be exalted in all that we do and say – Psalm 145:1-2

* We will have an opportunity to share the love of God with all the people we encounter. We walk forth with His Kingdom in us (for Jesus dwells in us) and that others will be drawn to His light.

* Pray that the Lord will give us exact words to speak to draw others to Him.

* Miracles!! We have no idea what kind of things medically we will encounter. Please pray for miracles – healings, deliverance, raising the dead!—Mark 16:15-18

* Supernatural spiritual discernment so we can heal at the root of the issue and not just symptoms.

* We will be working with clinic employees who may not be believers – divine opportunities to share.

* Discernment for what the people’s beliefs really are – they attend Muslim church, Wesleyan Church and practice with witch doctors. The enemy (Satan) has been in their midst a long time to confuse and weave lies.

* We will be physically free from all harm and illness.—Psalm 91:1-16

* Protected time for us to spend with the Lord daily – to be refreshed, to be renewed, to rest; to allow the Holy Spirit to wash in, over and through us.

And They’re Off!

This afternoon the medical team from Central Wesleyan Church left for Sierra Leone, West Africa. From Grand Rapids they will fly to Chicago, Brussels, and then on to Freetown, Sierra Leone. After flying (and airport transfers) for 24 hours they will arrive at the Lungi International Airport around 3 pm (Michigan time) Thursday afternoon. By that time it will be 7 pm Thursday evening in Freetown. (There is a 4 hour time zone difference.)

The team made up of Kristin Tindall, Sue Schryber, Shari Visscher and Ray Visscher, will stay overnight in the Freetown area before making the 5 hour trip (by truck) to Makeni, the largest city near the village of Bombali Bana. This is Kristin’s second trip, making her the third person from Central Wesleyan to visit Bombali Bana twice since we began our partnership in January 2010. It will be interesting to hear from her about changes she sees in the village.

The team will return to Grand Rapids on Friday, March 30.

Health care in Sierra Leone

In February the Economist magazine reported that in 2010 Sierra Leone had the fourth-highest child-mortality rate in the world—174 deaths per 1,000 live births. (The Swedish figure was three.) In response the small West African country introduced free health care for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under the age of five. Britain provided $24 million in funding and officials proclaimed it a success. Yet problems keep cropping up.

You can read the entire story from the Economist by clicking here.

Recently the BBC News ran a story on Sierra Leone’s health care struggle. You can see their story here.