KENYA

"Work is going well. In brief, my assignment for the bank is to establish a reporting system. Each month the CEO doesn't have a grasp of how much money is being loaned, how much the expenses were, how much money is being collected...let alone any trends from all that information to see how they are doing. I am creating that reporting system with some pretty advanced excel spreadsheets and tying that in to Quickbooks. So far they are very pleased with our work and have said several times they are happy we are here...so are we. My goal is to get this reporting system done by the end of this week so we can spend some time out in the villages. Thus far most of our time is spent at the office or the apartment behind a computer...that's a little tough when we are in Africa!!!"

Adam Vandermyde
Saratoga Springs, UT
May 2007

"Adam and I also went to an orphanage. A woman named Mama Zion had a "vision" 10 years ago that told her she needed to care for the orphan children. She dropped everything with some hesitancy from her husband and began learning about orphanages, procedures, and eventually accepted the first child. Now she is over the care of 35 children. They came into her care from being abandoned on streets, in hospitals on their death bed, police stations, parents dying of Aids or other diseases. They are being taken care of and are doing tremendous. We were extremely impressed. They are learning about God, are loved unconditionally, and are brilliant. After you see their pictures, you'll fall in love with them. We have one in particular that we wanted to put in our suitcase. Sponsorship is allowed, but adoption is not."

Michelle Vandermyde
Saratoga Springs, UT
May 2007

PERU

Mike and I have spent the past week visiting clients, reviewing their business plans and marketing strategies, and finding ways to help them improve their businesses. We've seen a lot of clients with a lot of potential. One client in particular, however, we feel has great growth potential. His name is Caesar, and he is working on an Internet Cafe. Our first visit went well; we spent most of our time asking questions to get to know him and where his business was at. We left with a lot of ideas brewing. On our second visit, it was encouraging to find that almost everything we had thought of for him, he had thought of as well! Its amazing to both of us the entrepreneurial spirit in many of the clients. They are very business savvy! It's exciting to see.

We've also sat in on two of Eagle Condor's training sessions. We're in the process of creating several "mini" lessons on basic business skills that we plan to share with the clients on our next round of visits. We're also going to leave comprehensive versions with Eagle Condor so they can add that info to their teaching materials if they so wish. We are also working on one-page client profiles for Eagle Condor's records. All that's going really well so far!

Alexis Poelman
Salt Lake City, UT
May 2007

GHANA

"It has been almost a week since we arrived in Ghana.  What an interesting place and people. 

We live in a home that is located in a village call Kum Kundi Yili.  All of the dwellings around us are clay huts with thatched roofs.  There are goats wandering all over the place. The ground is very dry, though the air is hot and humid.

It has been interesting to meet with the different villages as they have welcomed us to Ghana.  We have sat through several hours worth of tribal dances, African drum beats and songs.  The people here love to dance and sing.  They are happy and full of life.  In the village where we live we met initially with the chief and the five elders to announce our coming.  Most of the men in the village and many of the children gathered around us as we went through the ceremony on introduction.  He [the chief] is now our "father" in that we are part of his village now and they will look after our needs."

Mike Maughan
Salt Lake City, UT
May 2006

"It's hot and humid, but those are the least of my worries.  I've learned so much already from these humble people. I am still working with guinea worm in the afternoons which I feel is moving forward, but slowly, which is the only way things move here in Ghana, with the exception of the traffic! 

I have been using much of my time working with a burn victim named Ilyasu.  He's about 16 and was burnt almost completely from head to toe when he tried to save his farm animals from a brush fire.  Even though nursing is my field, I became numb when I was asked to scrub and scrape his entire body. There was no one else to do this, though, so I prayed and asked for strength to be able to perform that task.  I felt uneasy and nervous, even after my prayer, until the moment that I kneeled at that tub.  Hymns began playing in my head and I realized that I hadn't even thought of what Ilyasu was going through.  I remembered something President Hinkley said, "Forget yourself and go to work."  I really believe that this is necessary when serving one another.  

His was an unfortunate event, but most of the other problems that I see come into the clinic are preventable, at least in the United States.  Kids come in needing their leg amputated, and it all starts from a scratch or a bite that gets infected.  I am so thankful for the resources we have back home.  I feel for the parents here that have no way of helping their afflicted children. 

There is so much to do here; sometimes it's difficult to feel like I'm even making a dent.  But I am so thankful for this experience and for all that I have been learning from these humble people. 

It's funny, because I came to Ghana with the intension to serve these people and hopefully make a difference. I don't know if I'll make a difference in their lives by the end of my stay here, but they have made a world of difference in mine.  After seeing so many afflictions that I know I will never have to face, I can't help but count my blessings every day and thank Heavenly Father for them. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to serve these humble, humble people and for the way serving has softened my heart.  I am constantly reminded of all of my blessings and can't wait for these Ghanaians to be able to enjoy the same blessings after this life. "

Mandy Jones
Escondido,CA
June 2006

"Life in Ghana is continuing to go well.  They are good people and there is much to do.  I get picked up every morning around 7:30 and by about 9:30 I have finally reached the village where I teach basic English and math each morning.  I have over 30 students ranging in age from 3 to 11 in a room made of clay that is about 15 feet by 15 feet.  We just got pencils, there is no such thing as a text book and I ran out of chalk today for my makeshift chalkboard.  Needless to say it is a challenge, but I think we're all learning a little about something. In the afternoons I go around to various villages to work on the Guinea Worm project.   We bathe out of a thermos and try to limit ourselves to two or three thermos lid fulls of water each day in order to make sure we'll have enough for the weeks ahead.  Not a great shower, but we've learned to make a little go a long way.  I don't think I will be able to take showers, faucets, and so on for granted ever again. 

Life is great and this is a phenomenal experience."

Mike Maughan
Salt Lake City, UT
June 2006

"I'm actually just really sad I had to leave at all. I never thought I would miss my mosquito net and bucket shower...

I learned so much from this experience and will take home so much with me. I'm grateful for your friendships. I learned so much from all of you. Just remember that the work you are doing is so important and that you are making a difference, even though sometimes you may feel like you aren't. Even going back to Accra made me stop and think how nice it was down there and how advanced it was down there. Now I'm in London and I can't believe it. Its funny the simple things of life we take for granted. Just remember that you'll have running water again soon... and a week after you get home it will be normal again. But we get to go home, they don't. Those kids love you and even if you don't feel like you're teaching them anything, you are... you're teaching them that they matter and that you left your home to come be there with them. That means something."

Mia Larsen
Mesa, AZ
June 2006

"When we were 18 we had different worries on our minds than these people here.  I am thinking of [one] in particular whose path I crossed. . .

[His name] is Umar Farouk.  At 18, he has spent the past 8 months in the hospital.  His left knee was larger than a basketball in size and so filled with infection that there was no way to save it.  Two years ago he developed a boil or a blister on his leg which was never properly cleaned.  Had it been, it would have been no more than an irritation that went quickly away.  Instead it got infected and the infection grew until after 16 months he went to the hospital.  His family could never afford the $120 deposit on his surgery so they left him there in the hospital--in essence to let him die slowly as the infection spread until it took over Farouk's body.  They had no other choice.
  
We took Farouk home on Wednesday.  After 8 months in the hospital and an inevitable death awaiting him, all it took was for us to pay roughly $250 for the amputation of his leg, all of the pain killers, the food, and his hospital stay.  Following a short recovery, he is finally home, back with his family, learning to adjust again and preparing to return to school as soon as he is able." 
 
Mike Maughan
Salt Lake City, UT
May 2006

Mike and I have been warmly welcomed and all of our needs taken care of thus far. We are in a private little house with a place for a shower indoors and hospitality is incredible.  We are happy to be here, although it was a bit of a shock the first night. We are hoping to help Kamara get his NGO underway officially.  So far we are working on figuring out what we need to do in order to set up a system for RECDEP formally Tamaa.  Kamara has made some letterhead and is planning to register officially. We are planning to help by giving him some computer skills and proposal writing skills.  We are planning on organizing the system such that it will be supported by the community, both financially and in practice and logistics.

Liz and Mike Gillins
Provo, UT
June and July, 2007

Hello the outside world!!
We feel like we have been cut off from all outside connection these past two weeks. But it has been the most amazing experience!! We helped build a school, started tutoring kids, started an orphan registry, working at the health clinic, hiked to the forest that has been untouched since creation, taught in schools, and went to a school dedication.  We are basically running around like crazy and we love it!! The tutoring program was a complete success. When we asked the headmaster if we could start a tutoring program he said that the kids here don't care about their education and they wouldn't come. Teachers and people in general don't have much faith in the kids, they often call people dumb in front of them.  But tutoring the first day brought about 1/3 of the class=20 kids. We really truly love it here. We live with the most amazing family and have met some truly amazing people. Basically we have stories galore to tell when we get back.  We love the people here so much. Playing with the kids is sooooo much fun!!!  We do a lot of dancing as they really like that here. It is so much fun, they laugh at us so much. We are also given every honor and people work so hard to please us. We feel sooo safe. The whole entire village is always looking after us. We love you all. Can't wait to see you all in a couple of weeks or so.

Amber Crooks and Daniela Tirrell
Provo, UT
May and June 2007

 

PARAGUAY

This past week I have been training the "publicist" here at the hospital how to update and run blogs.  I have also been working with her on doing a presentation for a local supermarket chain that would get money for Mita´i.  I have also been visiting the patients and have also been able to enter into the operating room to observe a tumor biopsy.  They want me to come to the operating room again this week.  I also shadowed a doctor in the urgent care facility at the hospital. 

John Haggerty
Provo, UT
July and August, 2007