Father's Day 2012

A second team is here this week from eMi to work on the design for phase II of the hospital.  A total of 7 architects and engineers made the trip.  They will be working to have floor plans completed for the out patient clinic, primary healthcare, admin., pharmacy, typical ward and chapel before the end of next week.

We went this morning to the Philadelphia Central Church where my project manager Gentry Taylor is a pastor.  Right before the end of the morning service a wave of men in suits started fanning out in the church and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia's President (and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner), came in and sat down in preparation for the second service.  Before we left I was able to briefly meet her and say hello.

Afterwards we got to witness an Operation Christmas Child discipleship class graduation. After receiving an OCC box the children are invited to come to a 12 week class and when they complete the class they are given a certificate and new Bible. Today 34 children graduated at Christ's Church in the Soul Clinic community.

Some of the children listening to Pastor Owen's message

Colton, Christopher, and Paul (who is an engineer from Nigeria here with the eMi team).

Love this little guy praying!

After receiving their new Bible and certificate

OCC is organized so that the shoe boxes that are filled in the US and other western countries are distributed by the local churches, establishing a connection between the children an the local pastors.  A number of the children that participated in the program at Christ's Church have been attending church and some have even brought their parents.  The program has been very effective at introducing God's love to the children of Liberia and the rest of the world.

You are invited! Sorry for the late notice.

Here is the radio promotion that was run on ELWA radio for the ground breaking ceremony for the new hospital, which was held June 2.  I added some pictures to the audio file of the ELWA hospital over the years including some of the original hospital being constructed in the early 60's

To promote the ground breaking ceremony Gentry Taylor (the project manager) and I were on ELWA radio for an hour program and on a local TV talk program.  Here's a picture I snapped of Gentry waiting for the TV program to start.  At minute 30 of the 35 minute program the host opened up the phone line to take calls.  The first caller said "thank you for the new hospital but you need to turn up the mics because we can't really hear you"

There ceremony went well.  We are in rainy season and the week before the program it rained almost every morning.  Saturday was sunny with just a few clouds.  Here 's a picture from my camera phone of Gentry giving some remarks.  The Vice President of Liberia, Joseph N Boakai, is seated in the black chair (my office chair!).  The VP gave his own remarks and did the official ground breaking.

Now the real work begins!