Merry Christmas greeting to all!

I returned to Ft Wayne on Saturday, December 17. Early Sunday morning we received a call from our son in Michigan announcing an early Christmas gift of another granddaughter. Needless to say, we were on our way to Michigan after church to meet the newest member of our family. Between jet lag and the excitement of another grandchild, I have been very exhausted the last few days and sleeping a lot.

Back in Madina, we were able to accomplish everything we planned on this trip. We completed the roofing on the second classroom building and built the two latrines, one for each building. Each latrine has four stalls.

We also started harvesting lumber using the power saws and were able to provide much of the lumber for the framing and roofing of the second building and the latrines. We are continuing to harvest lumber for future buildings as well as school furniture.

We had a very good yield from the rice field. Harvesting went well and we were able to provide food for many. This effectively completes the first phase of our mission and everyone is rejoicing for accomplishing a lot in a very short time.

The need is great. Even as we build we now have a church group from the surrounding area that has taken the name “Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.” They are using one of the classrooms on Sundays.

They brought benches from the surrounding area and built more seats from building planks and cement blocks. Before I left I gave them boards and some money to build more benches.

Our projected second phase is to complete work on the two buildings such as putting in windows, doors, plastering, painting, drainage, landscaping, furnishing and supplies. Our goal is to start school in the fall of 2012.

The need is greater for education now in Sierra Leone more than ever. Sierra Leone is now ranked at the bottom or near the bottom as the poorest country by the UN. Education in the country is among one of the casualties of the ten year civil war. More schools were destroyed than I was aware of on my first trip and the government is in no position to replace them. Even our effort will be a drop in the bucket but it will make a difference to those we can reach.

Please continue to pray for my family, for the country and for provisions to complete our mission. On behalf of myself, my family and the people this effort will be helping I cannot thank you enough. Only God will.

Christmas blessings to all,

Francis

Hello friends,

(Another blog from Francis by way of Bobbie. We finally got one good connection and had a half hour conversation.)

Here’s the update:

The rice harvest of Francis’ forty acres is finished.  About seventy people helped, and most took their pay in rice.

There is plenty put back to last most of the year for Francis, his extended household and village people who are too old to farm. 

The best thing was that his big farming effort inspired a number of other families to also plant fields of rice. 

Those harvests are still going on.  This is a good year in Madina.

The saw mill project is now producing lumber that is being used for the rafters of the second school building.  The blue metal roof pieces have been brought to the site and the framing of the roof is going up.  It should be done by the middle of November.  More lumber is being cut to be used in the finishing of the buildings.  The septic tank portions of the latrines are being constructed and lumber will be used for the building portions of those, too.

The most surprising event is that the first classroom building is being used already, by a small Methodist congregation whose simple meeting place was badly deteriorating in the rains of a longer and harder than usual rainy season.  Francis attended their first service in the school building.  He said there were about sixty people, quite a few children.  For seating, they put together benches made of cement blocks and wooden planks from the construction site.  Francis’ brother Franklin is a part of this congregation.  They will continue to use the building every Sunday.  Even in its unfinished state, the blue roofs provide the driest place around.  Francis will bring pictures when he comes in December. 

Now that our time has changed, Sierra Leone is five hours ahead of us.  Their church service starts in the forenoon and continues into the afternoon.  So our early Sunday services actually overlap with theirs.  Think of this and pray with them, our unexpected sister church, worshiping under the blue roof. 

Amazing plan of God, beyond what we can plan on our own!

Thanks to God for all of this.

Thanks to you who have helped as God has prompted you.

We are blessed.

Francis and Bobbie

Hello My Good Shepherd Family and Dear Friends,

It feels like I just got back from Sierra Leone and here I am already on my way back. The two months flew by. It has been great to share with you the tremendous progress we have made on our school.

We divided the project into two parts: the first consisted of getting the two classroom buildings to wall height and roofed, constructing a well and building latrines. When I came back in July we had completed all but the latrines and roofing of one of the buildings. We needed to raise funds to complete this phase. Thanks to all of you, we were able to raise the funds we needed. I am heading back September 28-29 and the Lord willing we expect to finish the roofing and the latrines before I return to Fort Wayne in December. Other things I hope to do in this two and a half months are to help harvest our forty acre rice field and set up a saw mill to meet our lumber needs.

The next phase includes finishing on all buildings, building school furniture and providing school supplies. Estimates for these individual items are listed below. Thank you for your tremendous support. Please continue to pray for this project and for my family. Together with God’s help we will get this mission accomplished.

Blessings to all,

Francis

Pastor Craig Interviewing Francis

My Dear UMC Family, Friends, and all of you faithful supporters of our shared vision,

I am sorry there has been a break in my blogs.  For some reason my modem no longer works in the village.  It seems to only work when I am in Freetown.  I have been out of Freetown for a very long time carrying on three projects.  The first is keeping a constant eye on the school construction, the second is doing traditional rice farming and the third is working on my house in the village.  I think I am busier now than I have ever been in my life but I love it. 

God is good all the time.  My health had been great until about two weeks ago when I drank some bad water and came down with typhoid fever couple days later.  Thanks to our GS sponsored nurse who came to the village and gave me an IV treatment and supplemented my supply of antibiotics I brought with me.  I am fine now. 

We are making great progress on the classroom buildings.  Walls will be completed on both buildings by the end of June, and we have funds enough to roof one of the buildings. The other building will be okay through the rainy season as the walls are made of concrete blocks. 

Here is what we have so far.  The Sara Dinehart well has been completed.  Each of the two classroom buildings has six classrooms. Each classroom has a small room a one end for supplies, file cabinets and teacher’s desk.  This feature, I am told by many visitors and teachers, is unique in the country.  There is a lot to be done yet.  I am very optimistic that together with God’s help we will get it done.

We have also completed rice planting for the season. Rice is the staple food in Sierra Leone. I’ve been working very hard to help the village plant rice to feed itself rather than depending on very expensive imported rice. Many others planted rice fields.  In my field we planted 31 bushels of three varieties of rice.  This is well over 40 acres. The rice will be ready for harvest in October and I hope to be back by then to help with the harvest and continue with the school project. 

All these projects have been challenging but rewarding.  The response of the people has been great.  I am thankful and grateful for your support.  Please continue to pray for me and my family and I will do likewise for you.

Blessings to all of you,

Francis   

My dear friends and colleagues,

We continue tomake progress on the school construction. The escalating fuel price ($6.50/gallon) has caused a hike in prices of basic everyday essentials such as food and building materials here. It is a strain on everyone, except perhaps the politicians.

Even in the face of this, we are making progress. The foundations of both buildings are complete, the cement floors are in and the walls are about three feet up from the foundations. We anticipate that the next installment of funds will take us through the completion of the walls and the roofing frames. Perhaps even part of the metal roof.

The first well is nearly completed. We have decided to name the first well the "Sarah Dinehart Well" since Sarah has donated for the construction of a well and a latrine. Thanks to Sarah and all of you who are working tirelessly to see this school become a reality. God is good all the time. This school will be the only comprehensive functioning school in the area. Some pictures are on their way to you.

I have been promised some help clearing more of the land around the school with an earth moving machine from one mining company not far from here. Also to supply us with sand and rocks and a storage container for building materials at the site. The mining company manager came out and looked at what we are doing, and has promised to help.

My nephew Maada is out of the hospital. Keep praying for him. In the accident we had in February, his forearm was crushed but several operations have saved it so far. He still is fighting infection in it and has to go for treatment and bandage changes. He came back with me to the village this week for the first time since the accident to see how the school is coming along. Since he is far from the hospital, we went for his bandage changes to the nurse near here who was previously sponsored by Good Shepherd. You see that what you do to help keeps on helping long after you may have forgotten what you have done.

While the school is being built, I am also busy organizing people to plant a large rice farm for the village and my own garden. All farming here is done by hand since there is no mechanized farming equipment. By the end of each day I am exhausted from swinging back and forth between the different projects and helping with some of the farm work myself. I am busier now than I've ever been in my life, and I love it. What I'm doing is very dear to my heart, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity. I am grateful for all of you helping me do this. There is no way I could be doing it without you.

Many of you are sending me messages of support and encouragement via email or Facebook. I have not been able to respond to most of those, but I appreciate that you keep them coming. Believe me they lift up my spirit knowing that I have so many friends constantly keeping me in mind. Keep praying for us.

Have a great week. Blessings to all.

Francis

Hello my Dear Good Shepherd family, my Dear Friends  and my Dear Colleagues,

The challenge continues but God is good all the time.  We are now making consistent progress on the two classroom buildings with six classrooms each and the well.  The first well is nearly complete.  The foundation work on both building s is expected to be completed by the end of next week and the walls will soon follow.  I hope that the buildings will be roofed before I come back in July. The contractor thinks that it is still a possibility because once the foundation is completed the walls will go up fairly quickly.

The Contractor and one of my brothers and I met with the General Manager of the mining company  to ask for help with their heavy equipment for clearing and leveling several acres of construction area and to  deliver sand and water until the well is ready.  We prayed for the Lord to go before us for a favorable answer.  After explaining  the school project , the GM responded that he was happy someone is doing such for the area and that the company is going to do all it can to help.  Praise the Lord!  This will be a big help. 

I would like to report a very vital need we have.  We need a utility delivery truck. Except for what the Mining company will be doing for us, we have to lease trucks for all deliveries. A 2 ½ ton truck will cut down considerably on our leasing expense and provide a permanent and reliable utility vehicle for the school. 

I came to Freetown a few days ago to pick up a replacement digital camera for the one stolen several weeks ago.  Thanks to Dick and Carol Schwartz,  I now will be able to send you pictures of our progress on very regular basis. Expect some pictures in the next blog. 

The school work, the farming and the work on the house in the village all keep me very busy and I am happy.  Retirement  is a  misconception.  I am busier now than when I was teaching and I am loving it.  The only problem is that I get extremely exhausted at the end of the day. I am not the young inexhaustible man I once was.

Thanks to all of you that are continuing to hold my family up in prayers.  Believe me my family and I are feeling the effect all the time.  There ha ve been a  number of occasions that my only explanation was that someone was praying for me.  What a blessing it is to have an army of believers holding you up and supporting you.  My health continues to be very good for which I am very thankful.  Thanks again for all you are doing to make this ministry a success. Only the Lord will compensate you enough.

Blessings to all,

Francis

Hello Good Shepherd family and my dear friends,

Even though I continue to be challenged, we are making progress. First I finally received my shipment and all the items. A very welcomed item in the shipment is the rough terrain vehicle, Toyota 4Runner. This has significantly improved my mobility between Freetown and Madina and other places I need to go. The Bishop lives and operates mostly from Freetown and I make frequent trips to consult with him as well as take care of other needs that require me to go to Freetown. Praise God! The only slight problem with the shipment was that the wind shield cracked in transit and needs to be fixed soon.

I am currently writing from Madina. We have finally started work on the school. Two buildings and a well are going simultaneously. The foundations of these buildings are underway. I am very excited and feel we are finally getting somewhere. I am extremely busy and happy about it. I am making arrangements with the area mining companies for help from the use of some of their heavy equipments for clearing the construction area and providing temporary supply of water for concrete work until the well is completed.

I am sorry I cannot send pictures now. My digital camera was stolen several weeks ago. Our friends Dick and Carol Schwartz are sending us a replacement with their son Kyle who is on his way to Sierra Leone to work with Dr. Dennis Marke at the Kissy Clinic for a while. Kyle is a medical student and very much looking forward to the experience. I will be meeting Kyle at Lungi airport in Freetown on Thursday.

God is good all the time. My health continues to be very good for which I am very thankful. Please continue to lift us up in prayers. Bobbie and Patti communicate often via email and telephone. I am also praying for all of you. May the good Lord continue to bless us all as we carry on this challenge together.

Blessings to all,

Francis

Hello All, Good Shepherd released $60,000.00 about a week ago into the Sierra Leone UMC account for us to start the building construction. I have been notified by the S.L. UMC finance person that the funds have been received. We are now waiting for the Bishop to return from conference in the US on March 29 in order to access the funds. I am excited and can hardly wait to see the beginning of construction. Workers in Madina have done a lot to get the place ready. Much needs to be done yet and I have a promise of a small bulldozer to level an area where there are lots of stumps in the ground. Since my digital camera was stolen I will not be able to send pictures until I can get access to another camera.

I continue to face challenges that are truly teaching me lessons in patience and optimism. The delays and setbacks in getting my vehicle have made me extremely discouraged. After several delays, the container finally arrived in Freetown March 21. We were supposed to clear the vehicle on Wednesday the 23rd, but due to a fatal crane accident and a workers’ strike at the port it has been delayed again. We were told that we could access the container on Friday so we went to the port hoping that I would finally get it. But shortly after we arrived, riots broke out among the striking unskilled work force and so we again could not get the things. The next opportunity is Monday March 28. Even at that I am not sure.

I really needed to get back to Madina village to get certain things in place ahead of the Bishop’s arrival. So I am borrowing my brother in law’s vehicle to go back to Madina. A nephew who works at the port will clear my items whenever it can be done, and I have arranged for someone else to get the license and paperwork done.

Several of you suggested that I send an itemized list of small items and materials with prices for those that may be interested to help with individual items.. Here a list of some of these items from the builder. I will be adding to this list as I find out more.

These are just some of the items and price quotes I have been given by the builder. I am sure there will be more. Let me know if there are other specific items you are interested in adding to the list.

Here are some of the major items individuals may be interested in sponsoring:

I really believe that what is helping me to meet these challenges and hang in there are your constant supplications on my behalf. Bobbie has done a tremendous job of helping me look at bright side of things and keep a good perspective as well as reassuring me that she is managing to stay on top of things at home. We both need your prayer support and I know we can count on it.

Blessings to you all.

Francis.

Hello Partners, Friends and my Good Shepherd Family,

We are making slow but steady progress on the school project.  The recent auto accident was a temporary setback, including some personal financial hardship and pain, but we are trusting God to continue to provide.  My nephew Maada had his third surgery on his damaged hand on Friday, March 11^th.    They did more skin grafting and reset the fractures.  It may take 3-4 weeks more in the hospital to do all that they need to do.  He is in good spirits.  He is being an encourager to me, actually.  He says, “Uncle Francis, we will get through this.  Things happen for reasons.  God is in control.”

The estimate for the first part of the buildings, including the foundations and walls, plus the digging of one well, was given to the Bishop and me by the Contractor.  $60,000 is the estimate for this and we will start as soon as the funds transfer.

On March 3^rd I attended the Sierra Leone UMC annual conference and was able to share how Good Shepherd, Plainfield UMC,Kiwanis, friends and colleagues are all working together on this global outreach, and our desire to partner with the UMC in Sierra Leone as well.  The UMC in Sierra Leone is now committed to the project, too.

In my village, we have been clearing about ten acres for my rice farm.  Rice is a staple food in Sierra Leone, but it is getting too expensive to buy.  I am trying to set an example by growing enough to feed myself and others in the village.

Thank you for your tremendous prayer and financial support, and all the encouragements you are sending through Bobbie, emails, and Facebook.  I have not been able to get back to all of you individually, but I’ll keep trying.  Computer technology in this part of the world is still a bit of a challenge.

Please keep praying for us, for health and safety and that we trust in the Lord and don’t let discouragement bring us down.

Blessings to all,

Francis

The prayers of God’s people at GS going up on behalf of my family and me has been really felt here. My auto accident is a testament to it. Only the unseen hand could have protected me from injuries and death for that matter. I get a little discouraged sometimes but the knowledge that I have an army of believers always praying on my behalf keeps my spirit up at those discouraging times. As Ron admonished as a paring word I have to be patient. Things will not move at the pace I would like. I am learning real patience As I continue to struggle with availability of ground transportation until my own vehicle arrives hopefully in another three week. One of my main concerns now is trying to determine what to do about my brother-in-law’s vehicle that got damaged in the accident. As the scripture says” and this too shall pass” We are trusting God to lead in all this. I will try to write again when I get another opportunity. My gratitude, love and prayers to my Good Shepherd family.

All the best to you.

In His grace,

Francis

Hello friends,

This weekend I went from high to low in the blink of an eye.

First the high – Saturday we held the groundbreaking ceremony for the new school in Madina. Everything went very well.  The ground was cleared.  The cooking was done.  The paramount chief came.  And Bishop Yambasu came back again. The plot was marked off for the first building.   There was a big crowd that included representatives from each of the 17 villages who will send children to the school. I will send pictures when I can.  There were prayers and agreements and speaking and feasting.  I was very excited and happy.

Then the low – After all the ceremonies, people were going home. In the evening, I went out to visit a relative not too far away. My nephew Maada drove me in a vehicle we had borrowed from my brother-in-law. He  and I were returning to the village late that night.  I was in the front passenger seat. My other nephew Adu and his girlfriend were riding with us.  They were in the back seat. Half way back, Maada lost control of the vehicle.  We went down an embankment and crashed.

I crawled out, but then I could not rouse Maada.  He was slumped over the steering wheel and smoke was coming into the car.  The doors were jammed, but somehow the window went down on the passenger side, so I pulled him out through that window, and turned the car off.  The two in the back got out safely, also. Maada’s left hand was so badly crushed I thought they would have to amputate it. Fortunately several other cars came along that road and Maada was taken to the mining company clinic.

A doctor there helped us and arranged for an ambulance to take us to Freetown. We rode all night, arriving about seven a.m.  Maada was on an IV and became conscious during the ride. He is now in the hospital and has had the first surgery on his hand.  He was able to move his fingers. That is much better than I had thought possible.  They have not dealt with the broken bones yet.  There will be more surgery.  Please pray for him.  He is 35 years old and has a family. The rest of us only suffered minor cuts and bruises and some whiplash.  I am okay.

I plan to keep my appointment with the Bishop on Tuesday to put more plans in place. The beginning of the first building will be about the 15th of March, Lord willing. This feels like a really big set-back.  Please pray for me.  I know it could have been much worse, even fatal. I appreciate your prayers and know that we are in God’s hands.  It has been a big shock to my system, though. I feel a greater need for your prayers for my safety than I did before.

I will try to keep you updated through Bobbie. 

We are thankful for the telephone.

Francis

Greetings to everyone,

I am sending this message through Bobbie. Things are off to a slow start here. It takes so long to get anything done. I'm trying to slow myself down some, so I don't get so frustrated. After several days in the city of Freetown, I am glad to finally get to my village. We are trying to prepare for a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, February 19th. The area is very overgrown and must be cleared of brush. People are being sent out to notify representatives from the other villages who will have children in this school. The women will also be preparing lots of food.

My brother Franklyn is traveling with me. When I go back to Freetown Tuesday to meet again with the Bishop and the contractors, Franklyn will stay here to supervise those doing the clearing and preparing. Nothing gets done here unless you have somebody supervising.

So far I am in very good health. It is veeeery hot, but I am starting to get used to it again.

My computer is working, but cannot handle large emails with pictures or forwards. God bless you all, and please keep praying for me.

Francis

Hello Partners, Friends and my Good Shepherd family,

I am glad to report that I arrived safely in Freetown Sierra Leone with all my luggages a week ago today. I met with the Bishop briefly on Wednesday and made an appointment to meet with him and the builders on Monday February 7 to determine the first phase of construction and the date for ground breaking. The Bishop has a UMC conference in Liberia the week of 13th so I am anticipating that the groundbreaking will be earliest the third week in February. For most of the week, I have been trying to settle in and adjust to my new home in Freerown staying with my niece and her family for now. It is a real challenge to get things done in Sierra Leone. Even to hook up utilities is a real challenge. I have been working hooking up water and power in my niece's and establishing a personal bank account all week and not completed any. I remembered Ron Layton's last advice to me as if he knew Sierra Leone well and what I may encounter; " Remember Francis to be very patient, things may not happen as fast as you would like.” Believe me Ron after one week your advice will serve me well.

I will be heading to the village next week to also get situated and get ready to receive the Bishop and and the paramount Chief for the groung breaking ceremonies. Inspite of the frustrations,I am grateful for the opportunity I have with your help to be back with hope that together we will make a difference for one child at a time. Thanks for holding up my family in prayers and for what you are doing to partner in this project, May God bless our efforts. God is good all the time.

Cheers!

Francis

His peace to all

Francis