We're Making an Impact! Part One: Story from Mayagba

The following story comes from a local aid worker from Sierra Leone on the impact of the Sierra Leone Alliance Food Program:

"These four male orphans [pictured below] of Mayagba village were left to their paternal aunt when their mother and father died of an undiscovered trace of Ebola in October and November 2014, respectively. The father was a renowned herbalist and sorcerer and the mother supported her husband by helping to wash patients or clients with local herbs. It is the opinion of the people that they must have treated an infected person, which cost them their lives. The neighbors of the couple testified that even when the rule was passed that no one should administer treatment of any kind to any person, but direct all treatment to the health center or hospitals, these two were still doing their healing work underground.

After their parents died, these orphans were only going to live on yams and salt in their quarantine condition, but that very day World Hope visited them with an attractive package of food items. The aunt they were staying with was overwhelmed with joy that she wept while the orphan children excitedly opened their surprise gift. The aunt, with tears in her eyes, thanks World Hope for such an unexpected gift."

We're Making an Impact! Part Three: Rosint Junction Story

A local aid worker in Sierra Leone shared the following story with us:

"A husband and father of five children went to a funeral ceremony in Makeni. Upon his return, he complained about feeling sick. He left the larger family compound to go to the smaller family compound just off the main road to avoid being tracked by other villagers who might dial 117 [Sierra Leone's emergency number] for him. After just a few days in the new compound, he died and was tested positively for Ebola after his burial.

The two compounds--with three and one families respectively--were quarantined. A few days later, the man's wife fell ill and is currently at the Government Hospital Holding Center.

It was just today (November 22nd) that two of the children were collected by the ambulance for complaining about being sick. The Elder of the three families in the larger family compound expressed his thanks and gratitude to World Hope for being so generous [through providing food for the family members in quarantine]."

Pledge 10 this Holiday Season

Dear Blog Subscribers,

We are asking that this Holiday Season you think about contributing to our "Pledge 10" campaign.  This is a 3 week campaign to raise $5000 for our Sierra Leone Food Program. Click here to learn more about this program.

We want to challenge you to ask 10 people to give $10 towards this life-saving program. The people in Sierra Leone need our help. Let's give them real hope this holiday season.

Click here to give directly into the Food Program Fund.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

From,
The Global Health Outreach Team

We're Making an Impact! Part Two: Story from Makankoi

This testimony from a Sierra Leonian in Makankoi, forwarded to us by a local aid worker, illustrates the hardships that many in the country face during this epidemic:

"My son's wife had a miscarriage and started bleeding from every part of her body--ears, mouth, nose, etc. When this was detected, we called 117 and asked for the ambulance to come and collect her. She was then taken to the holding center, were she was tested and later died. We were then asked to stay within [under quarantine] and not move until after twenty-one days. From the time this was done, no food was given to us."

The aid worker writes, "When I ask her why she thinks they have been treated this way, she answered saying, 'Maybe it is because we are in the interior part of the country, but they should know that we too are human beings and important ones as well.'"

The Sierra Leone Alliance Food Program featured in The Buffalo News

In case you missed it, our food program was featured in The Buffalo News during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Highlights from the article included the following quotes from Pastor Daryl Largis of The Chapel and Dr. Myron Glick of Jericho Road Community Health Center:

"We're not in the position to provide medical care for people infected with the disease, but we can do something, given the fact that we have resources and that we have people here." --Pastor Largis

"They [those under quarantine in Sierra Leone] are often going hungry or just getting the very basics, and it is a big problem. They become so hungry that in desperation they flee quarantine to look for food for themselves and their families." --Dr. Glick

"For a dollar, you can feed a family of four for dinner. That's the kind of economics that we're looking at." --Pastor Largis

Read the rest of the article at The Buffalo News' website here.

To read more about the Sierra Leone Alliance and our food program, check out our website here.

Operations of our medical clinic

The mission house and medical clinic are completed structurally! We now need to furnish and get the medical clinic operational. We plan on hiring 20 different personal to staff the clinic. This holiday season consider giving a financial donation to our Sierra Leone Global Health Outreach so that we can get the medical clinic up and running soon. Click here to give to our operational fund.

Living Room in the Mission House

Front view of the Mission House

Work Space in the Lab

Shelving in the pharmacy

EBOLA must be stopped

Please click on the link below to read about what Pastor Daryl, the leader of the Sierra Leone Alliance of WNY, wrote in regards to how Ebola has devastated Sierra Leone and why the food program is so important.

EBOLA must be stopped

The impact of the food program

Our food program caters towards those in Sierra Leone who are quarantined. Orphan children are the priority when deciding who to give the food to. Per Phebian, other groups have been doing this before we started but ours is making more impact. The other groups would supply them with rice but no other ingredients to go along with it. They would run out of rice after one week and with 2 more weeks of quarantine ahead of them, they would eventually go hungry. So far, we've been able to help 38 families in the Kono district.

Our food program provides rice, fish, palm oil, peanut paste, salt, sugar and mayo. We give them enough for 3 weeks which is the length of a quarantine. We also provide bowls to fetch water in for bathing and drinking. This curbs the idea of running away and breaking quarantine because their basic needs of hunger and thirst are met. Please help us continue this program by donating here as well as sharing this blog with family and friends.

A father with the donated bucket and food

Phebian preparing the food donations

Donated food items lined up and ready to be delivered

Dr. Glick is cleared of Ebola monitoring

Dr. Glick has finished the 3 week Ebola monitoring required by the Erie County Health Department after his return from Sierra Leone, West Africa. Please click here to watch the clip taped by channel 4 news Buffalo. We are grateful for the favorable outcome and continue to pray for all those who are sacrificing their lives to help the people of Sierra Leone.

Five orphaned children receive more than food from our food program

 The food program continues to help those in need especially the orphans who've tragically and suddenly lost their parents to Ebola. Being an orphan in Sierra Leone is devastating because already the living conditions are tight and food is scarce. More often then not, they are left to fend for themselves and they are at risk of being trafficked. There are no children s shelters, government food programs, or foster care in Sierra Leone.

There were 5 orphaned children in particular whom Phebian recently reached out to help. She felt called to help beyond providing them with food due to their tragic situation. They were living in a makeshift structure with their grandmother. Their parents had died recently from Ebola and the government burned down their house along with their few belongings in an attempt to rid the area of Ebola. They literally had nothing except the clothes on their backs. Can you imagine? Your parents die, your house gets burned down, and you're left to fend for yourself. The situation seemed hopeless.

Phebian felt a deep compassion for them as she reached out to help. She decided to buy them more than just food but got them 3 savanna grass mattresses, 2 chairs, 2 buckets, 3 blankets, 6 bed linens, and some used clothing. This act of kindness brought them hope to their hopeless situation. Phebian had a meeting with the community leaders to call them to commitment in showing care and concern for these children. She was their advocate and as a result they will be cared for. She tangibly acted out the call of Christ Jesus to serve the least of these in the community. That is what this food program is all about.

We are still collecting donations. The need is great and any amount helps. If you would like to give to our food program, please do so here.

The five orphaned children

After receiving the donated items

Phebian speaking with community leaders

EKG Machine!

Henry Schein, our medical supplies distributor, donated an EKG machine to our Sierra Leone mission. It was donated just in time to get put on the crate that was loaded and shipped out last Saturday. Below is a picture of Seth, one of our RN's receiving it from Cheryl, the H.S. Rep. We are continually blessed by the generosity of our supporters and are still collecting financial donations for the on the ground operational expenses. Click here to give.

The Container is on its way to Sierra Leone!

A big thank you to Pat Mellody, our Jericho Road team, and everyone who has given in some way to get this 40 foot container filled, loaded, and on it's way.

100% of the contents in this container will be useful to Phebian and our team in Kono District. It will be incredibly helpful! The Adama Martha Memorial Clinic will open its doors in January because so many people have continued to be faithful.

Please keep Phebian, our team, and the people of West Africa in your prayers.

Our Founder's Recent Trip to Sierra Leone and Our Response to the Ebola Crisis

We know there is a lot of fear about the threat of Ebola within our country right now. Fear is a natural response, especially when one feels their personal health may be at risk. Recognizing how confusing it may be, we want to help the general public to better grasp the scientific understanding of Ebola, how it spreads and where the risk really is. We are 100% committed to the health and wellbeing of our local community. To learn more about precautions that we are taking at JRCHC and review some resources and factsheets from the CDC, visit our website.

We appreciated the honest exploration of Ebola and the public’s concerns on @WBBZ-TV’s #PoliticalBuzz last week, with Host Phil Arno and our founder Dr. Myron Glick. To hear his response firsthand, we encourage you to watch and listen to this program that was taped last week.

Here are some highlights from the program:Because there are so many mixed messages and speculation out there as the to risks of Ebola, the host asks Dr. Glick definitely how the disease is transmitted. “What we know is that Ebola is spread by physical contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has Ebola, who is sick, or their dead bodies. So while the virus is highly infectious, …it’s not the kind of virus, like the flu virus, that is spread by respiratory contact that can sweep through a general population very quickly.” Glick further affirms, “There is no scientist that would say that we think this is respiratory spread.”

The program highlights that Dr. Glick was in Sierra Leone recently. His ten days there were highly cautious and monitored. He was there helping to prepare our primary care clinic to operationalize in early 2015 (to address the inadequate primary care infrastructure in the Kono District, not to provide Ebola relief – that will be left to those with the appropriate expertise, and we support their efforts). While there, Dr. Glick had no known exposure, did not provide any patient care, never even visited an Ebola treatment center, and spent his time with a small group of Sierra Leonians, including Phebian, who were in good health and exhibited no Ebola symptoms. Therefore, as a matter of precaution, he is following CDC guidelines, monitoring his temperature twice daily for 21 days and reporting it to the Dept of Health, despite his low risk status.

“Even a doctor who was in an Ebola treatment center who is not symptomatic, cannot spread the disease,” says Glick. “What we know about this virus is that in the asymptomatic stages, even if someone has the virus inside of them, that they are not contagious, that if we did a blood test, it would not show positive for Ebola. In fact, even the case with Mr. Duncan [Texas, first US case], it wasn’t his family who was around him before he got sick or even initially when he got sick that got the disease – it was the nurses who were taking care of him when he was really sick.” This simple fact draws a really important distinction in where there is risk or not.

The host reiterates, “So if you don’t have symptoms, and you don’t in fact know that you have the sickness, you’re not going to be able to spread the disease?” “Exactly,” Glick confirms.

“I don’t have question in my mind that Ebola will just be episodic in this country, I don’t think its something that we need to fear at all, here. Because we are a global community, there will be these cases that pop up here and there, but it will never sweep through our communities; we have a good health care system here.”

“We need the world to come around West Africa in ways that it is reluctant to do, and we need to try to avoid the fear that we have in this county that is not substantiated.” Dr. Glick encourages focusing energy on channeling relief efforts to alleviating the suffering of those in West Africa.

The host closes the program by affirming, “The bottom line is, the average person out there in WNY and in our country shouldn’t be too concerned.”

Instead, let’s lift up the people of West Africa in our prayers, generously funnel resources there, trust the facts, and work toward putting a stop to the crisis. The more aid that is channeled to West Africa, the more quickly Ebola can be wiped out and the global threat contained.

To stay connected to our efforts and our ongoing work in Sierra Leone, subscribe to this blog. To support our global relief work monetarily, donate at our website.

Introducing Karlin...

Karlin is the newest member of our Global Health Outreach Team. He is a registered nurse who for the past year has lived in Sierra Leone working in Freetown in several capacities. His most recent role was working with the Connaught Government Hospital in capacity building activities within their Emergency Department. This work included helping to set up an isolation unit and training staff in proper isolation techniques. His journey to working with us at Jericho Road is nothing short of a God ordained miracle.

He found out about Jericho Road through a connection at his church in South Carolina. After some time and several conversations, he was able to join Dr. Glick and Phebian for two weeks in the Kono district. During that time, they were able to show him our medical clinic and introduce him to our medical mission project. Shortly thereafter, he was offered a position to join Jericho Road in Sierra Leone with the primary purpose of making our medical clinic operational. He graciously accepted this offer and he's currently working with us in Buffalo, NY. With his skill set, medical background, and in country connections he has been a perfect addition to our Global Health Outreach Team.

Our medical clinic building and mission house is still on track to be finished by January of 2015. Karlin is planning to join Phebian in country at that time. There is a lot of work to be done in making the medical clinic operational. Karlin is ready for this because of his missional heart to serve the people of Sierra Leone, to help improve the medical infrastructure, to strengthen the fragile health system, and to improve the quality of care for those in Kono. By doing this, he will be the hands and feet of Jesus in a country that has been devastated by war, poverty, injustice, and poor health. We are excited at what his presence in Sierra Leone will do for our mission there.

Please consider supporting him by clicking here and selecting Sierra Leone Operations Fund under purpose.  Thank you in advance.

Hope for the Future 10/22/14

Isaiah 65.

Today, I leave for home. Excited to be with Joyce, our children, and my Jericho Road family again. Nervous about the trip home and the reentry into normal life in Buffalo. Sad to say goodbye once again to Phebian and this amazing country.

Hopefully my emails have given you a glimpse of life in Sierra Leone in an Ebola zone. I trust this will motivate you to support the work of Jericho Road and Phebian in a sacrificial way. And I trust you will not soon forget what is happening in West Africa.

I want to sign off with a portion of scripture from Isaiah 65 that captures my heart for the future of Sierra Leone...

Isaiah 65

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall no longer be remembered or come to mind. I will rejoice in Sierra Leone, and joy in my people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, and the sinner being one hundred years old will be accursed. They shall build houses, and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and eat another; for as the days of a tree so shall be the days of my people, and my elect shall enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of The Lord, and their offspring with them. It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Says the Lord."

Myron.

Freetown 10/20/14

So much has happened since my last email that I'm not sure where to begin.

I guess I will start with our long and eventful journey from Kono to Freetown yesterday. Our travel team included Phebian, myself, our driver, a guard, and a young mechanic to baby sit our truck. We left Kono at 8:30am and 200 miles and 16 hours later, we finally arrived in Freetown in the middle of the night.

Our truck broke down 3 times. The first time was in the middle of a huge muddy spot. Basically a front wheel ball joint broke and our wheel was dangling in the mud. I figured we were stuck for days. No triple A or tow truck to call. However, our team went to work. The guard took off his uniform and got down in the mud. We had to ride a motorbike to the nearest village to rent some tools, come back to the vehicle, remove the offending part, and then ride to a different village where a welder could fix it. Finally, we got going again only to break down 2 other times. I was very impressed at how in each case our team basically figured out a way to fix the problem with the limited resources available. Somehow we to Freetown safely. You have to be creative to survive in this country. If it was me, I would still be stuck in the mud hole and would be pretty angry by now. This country definitely teaches you patience.

Driving through the heart of Sierra Leone in the dark was crazy. Sometimes we had to get out of the truck with a flashlight to check the road to see which way to go to avoid getting stuck. There were unmarked vehicles just parked everywhere. We had to travel through quarantined areas around Makeni and navigate numerous Ebola checkpoints in the dark. Rural Sierra Leone has no electricity so as we passed through villages all we saw in the houses were people crowded around flashlights and an occasional generator. I read recently that New York State uses more electrical power than all of Africa and last night powerfully illustrated this disparity.

Complicating our travel troubles was an email Phebian received yesterday morning as we were leaving Kono that basically said that Ebola is out of control in Freetown and the surrounding area called Waterloo. We needed to drive through that area. The report said that the hospitals and burial teams were overwhelmed and that the stench of death was everywhere with bodies lying in the streets. Needless to say we were worried.

Thankfully we did not see any bodies on the street in Waterloo and honestly as we traveled around Freetown today to visit the American Embassy and Ministry of Health, things looked pretty normal. People here do tell us that sometimes bodies are left on the street and the hospitals are overwhelmed because of the numbers of Ebola cases shooting up in Freetown and surrounding area. When you realize that there are 2 million people in this city one can only weep to think of how much suffering may still lie ahead for the people of this nation. It's almost too much to bear. Pray that the international response will intensify quickly and that God will intervene. God's people in America (I think we are called 'the church') need to put their own fears and problems aside, and be counted now to to be the hands and feet of Jesus to fight this plague. There is no excuse for inaction.

Our team does feel safe. We have decided to keep the whole team with us at the guest house (usually they are allowed to stay with family or friends here) in order to limit exposure. We are careful where we go (no souvenir shipping in crowded markets this trip). Phebian has decided to take me via ferry to the airport on Wednesday morning and then head back to Kono right away instead of staying in Freetown for a week longer as she originally planned.

Today we were finally able to meet with the US Ambassador to Sierra Leone (Thank you, Ed!). It was an exceptionally good meeting. We were able to introduce Phebian and our work as well as discuss medical evacuation plans for Phebian or any of our US volunteers if needed in the future. A common theme I have heard from every US medical person here and even from the Ambassador himself is that there is a fear of being stigmatized and discriminated against upon returning to the US. It was reassuring to hear him vocalize this concern for himself and to reiterate that the US government is not going to pander to the fear and that they really appreciate the sacrifice of the volunteer doctors and nurses. It was encouraging. The only bad part is he is from Boston and loves the Patriots and Bruins.

We also visited the ministry of health and have pretty much finalized our registration to begin operations as a health center in Sierra Leone!!

Last night as we struggled to get to Freetown, I especially felt your prayers and I felt the support of my wife who kept texting me to make sure that we were okay and who had the courage and faith to see me through. This whole trip has not been easy for her as you can imagine but I feel her courage rising and I'm truly grateful for those of you who have reached out in support these past two weeks. Also, Heather had given us a CD mix of songs that I think we had on the whole night. It will definitely be good to be home soon. Thank you to all who are praying for this trip and who are supporting Phebian and this work. You are making a real difference in this amazing place. God is indeed faithful.

Myron.

Leaving Kono 10/18/14

Tomorrow Phebian and I will get up early and head to Freetown where we will have various meetings scheduled on Monday and Tuesday. Then I'll head home on Wednesday. The trip will be long tomorrow, at least 10 hours, taking us over terrible roads and through multiple Ebola checkpoints. Keep us in prayer.

I have mixed feelings about leaving Kono. I am sad to leave our friends, the clinic, and the work here. It seems like this place keeps grabbing hold of more of my heart and not letting go. Each time it is harder to leave. But I also look forward to coming home to my wife, kids, and Jericho Road family, and so Freetown gets me closer to home.

Today was a blur of activity and now I am finally resting. It was hot and muggy today and so I am hoping for another storm. Here is what I did today:

- Ran with Joshua and Kye.
- Met with contractors to figure out where to build the shed for the solar batteries.
- Visited Wellbody to evaluate their patient triage and screening protocols. Also had some good conversations with Dr. Dibba and Dr. Kelly.
- Visited the Kono District Medical Officer and delivered a truck load of medical supplies from the Texas container.
- Met with Phebian and Pastor Joshua to review operational and building finances. They are keeping excellent handwritten ledgers of every transaction and every receipt is accounted for. This is great news! No quick books or calculators over here. Joshua does everything by hand.
- Visited Wellbody again to give them one of the no touch thermometers.
- Fixed a flat tire and then tried to find a spare.
- Met with contractors, Phebian, and Joshua to get a final tally on what is still needing to be done to complete the construction. We need $15,000 to complete the Mission house and fence. This is more than expected and is not in our budget. Please pray and consider giving financially to help us get finished.

Now, I'm writing to you and resting. And I continue to be thankful for good health, God's protection, and the opportunity to participate in this project. It brings we great joy. I feel God's presence and peace that this clinic is almost finished and will be able to open in January. Ebola will not have the final say. Rather we will put our faith in an Almighty God before our fear.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Myron.

The Least of These 10/21/14

Matthew 25.

Today I met with four of the Sierra Leone Alliance in country directors (World Hope, Edunations, LOL, and Jericho road). The purpose of this meeting was to encourage these brave leaders, discuss the needs related to the Ebola crisis, and to see if there is a way forward for a meaningful project now.

My heart was moved by this meeting. These leader struggle with that they are seeing because the need is great. They are in the communities and are visiting and doing things that sometimes puts themselves at great risk. They struggle with how to protect themselves and their families, yet at the same time realize how much they are needed as leaders. And in all this they are humble and faithful.

Saido mentioned with great sadness about how this time of crisis is bringing him back to memories of the civil war. The uncertainty is overwhelming and he is fearful of how much more Ebola will spread, and as a result my bring another season of social and political unrest to his country. He does not know how this crisis will end and this is very unsettling.

I asked these leaders to tell me what they are seeing as needs that we may be able to address and what I heard was sobering...

1. The need for food relief for the Ebola victims and their families who are quarantined. Normally in SL hospitals the food is supplied by families. But now the holding centers the patients are isolated and often treated with fear so are not fed. In addition, their families are quarantined in their homes for 21 days surrounded by armed guards and apparently are often left with little food or water. Some escape refusing to starve and thus the disease is spread.

2. The need for burial teams. Everyone had stories from their districts of bodies being left for days before the burial team could come to test for Ebola and then safely remove and bury the dead. The viral load in a dead Ebola patient is high and so these bodies are extremely contagious. They need to be handled with great care. Unfortunately, there are not enough teams to meet the demand and so the bodies decompose at the home or outside or on the street. Imagine how their families must feel. The safe and timely burial of all dead would be a huge way to contain the crisis. I was told of a faithful pastor in Makeni who has joined the burial team and of Kamakyie Wesleyan Hospital forming its own burial team.

3. Hospital gowns for Ebola patients. Patients are presenting to the treatment centers with only the clothes they are wearing. They are immediately isolated from their family and treatment centers do not always have the ability to provide gowns and do laundry. Patients who are vomiting and having diarrhea are sometimes left dirty and naked to fend for themselves.

4. Transportation. They need for more ambulances to carry the sick, hearses to bury the dead, and  motorcycles to do the contact tracing is huge. Also fuel to maintain the vehicles. Many of the hard hit villages are in remote, hard to reach areas with horrible roads, and so the logistical challenge of just providing transportation to the teams is difficult.

After listening to the various needs, I simply asked what would you like to do together if your brothers and sisters in Buffalo would be willing to provide support? It was unanimously agreed that they would like to provide food support to the families in quarantine and all the patients in the holding centers in the 4 districts represented by our SL Alliance. This would alleviate a real need and would directly help in the fight to contain Ebola because those in quarantine will be less likely to run away if they have sufficient food and water. Then I asked, what do you need to do this? Fifteen minutes later, I had the basics of a proposal which I hope to present to Pastor Daryl Largis and our SL Allicance as soon as I return to Buffalo. This is a simple but profound way for all of us to work together to meet a real need.

All during this meeting as I was listening to these leaders describe what they were seeing, Jesus' words in Matthew 25 kept ringing in my ears, "when I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, when I was naked you clothed me, when I was in prison you visited me." Jesus when on to say that whenever you do this to the 'least of these' you do this for me. I don't think anywhere in the world right now there are people who better fit the definition of the 'least of these' than the Ebola patients and their families. Our partners here on the front lines are willing to humble act with great courage. Are those of us in Buffalo who hear of the needs, willing to help?

I came across a scripture from The Psalms this trip that I think captures the essence of why I feel compelled to write these daily email updates.

"When I kept silent my bones wasted away."

Thank you for faithfully praying for this trip, our team, and the situation in West Africa. Especially tonight keep Saidu, Samuel, Phebian, Pious, and Jusu in your prayers. I am healthy and our team is well. I will be home soon.

Myron.

A Truly Magnificent Sierra Leonian Storm 10/17/14

This evening I am sitting on Phebian's porch, resting all alone after a hot muggy day. I'm now experiencing a true rainstorm unlike anything you will ever see in Buffalo. The rain is pounding on the tin roof and pouring down in sheets. The lightening is exploding across the sky like a giant fireworks display. It is truly magnificent. The last time I witnessed such a storm was growing up as a kid in Belize.

This week I have hear many people express that Ebola will go away after the dry season comes. Dry season is not here tonight but may it come soon.

This morning Dr. Dan Kelly and the Wellbody team visited our clinic. We spent close to two hours walking around the property and discussing ways to partner and do primary care safely. Dan was impressed with our facility and with our plans. I think they are truly excited to work with us because the need is great in Kono. We will definitely share the ambulance (it is still on the 'water') and they will provide us with ongoing technical assistance so we do this clinic right. We will look for additional ways to partner in the future.

Partners in Health is taking on a significant role in fighting Ebola in the Kono district as well as in other districts. They are committing to at least a 3 year presence here and in Liberia. PIG has a list of 900 American doctors and nurses who have volunteered to come to both places to help fight Ebola. Though none are here yet, it is encouraging to know that help is coming and that the generosity of the American spirit is still alive. I am very hopeful we will be able to partner directly with them during this crisis.

I am hearing some good news and bad news about Ebola this week from experts here. The good news is that the new case loads in the hardest hit areas of Kenema and Kalihuhn are decreasing and in Kono the case load is relatively stable. The bad news is that the western districts including Freetown are being hit hard. Since they have a dense population, this is worth some concern and more prayer. No one expects Ebola to go away in the next year but I do think we are more optimistic about containing it. Life in Sierra Leone will go on and for those of us who want to invest in this amazing country, need to do so fully.

One of my goals for this trip was to do an assessment of how the five villages we are working in are surviving this crisis. We decided to visit one of them and have chosen Tefeya because that village has always been the village with the most medical need. Pastor Joshua, Phebian, and I traveled 1.5 hours to this remove village over some of the worse roads you can imagine and through some of the most lush tropical rain forest left in West Africa. We met with the 2 pastors and the community health worker who works with us. They have not had any Ebola cases to this point in time. There have been only 2 documented cases in the 5 villages that we partner with. Primary medical care is almost non existent. Phebian is working on a plan to have a volunteer community health worker from each of our 5 villages come to our health clinic in Koidu once every 2 months to pick up a 2 month supply of BP medications for each person on our list.

While we could not provide medical care today, our presence was a real encouragement that they have not been forgotten during this crisis and we were able to pray with them prior to leaving. Keep the people of Tefeya in your prayers tonight.

Our team is healthy and doing well. Please continue to keep this trip and our SL mission in your prayers. I trust all is well at Jericho Road in my absence. Thanks to all who are covering for me and working harder while I am away.

Myron.

Side view of our medical clinic

New Sierra Leone Alliance Food Program for Contacts of Ebola Victims!

We've raised enough money for an ambulance and for a 40 foot crate filled with personal protective equipment as well as other medical supplies. Thank you for helping us! The ambulance is sitting in the port waiting to be cleared and unloaded. The crate will be leaving Buffalo in the next 2 weeks and will make it to Sierra Leone after 2 months.

Since our medical director's recent trip to Sierra Leone, we've identified another need that we are raising money for in order to tangibly help during this crisis. The need is for food. We are partnering with the Sierra Leone Alliance of WNY in order to bring much needed food to the 6 districts that the Alliance works in. 

Often times contacts of Ebola infected individuals are quarantined for 3 weeks in which gathering food and water becomes a challenge. Sometimes these individuals are quarantined 2-3 times due to their recurrent contacts with Ebola infected family or household members. As a result, the temptation to escape quarantine in order to search for food and water becomes a reality thus putting other community members at risk. By providing food and water to quarantined individuals, the Ebola cycle is ended and the community is kept safe. Our goal is to raise $210,000 in order to help provide food during this crisis over a 12 month time period. We do have in country partners that will distribute the food and who have been sharing stories of thankfulness for helping their people during this hard time.

Please consider making a one time donation on our website here and select the Sierra Leone Alliance Food Program.

Courage 10/16/14

There are only 3 doctors working in the entire district of Kono with a population of 540,000. To put this in perspective, when I left Buffalo last week there were 6 doctor's, 9 NP's just at Jericho Road, and well over 1,000 doctors in Buffalo. This evening Phenian and I met with the two doctors who staff the Koidu Government Hospital. Dr. Marsh in the medical director of the hospital and Dr. Sheku is the main surgeon. We also met with the district surveillance officer/epidemiologist who tracks all Ebola cases and their contacts in Kono. we visited these men in their homes, not the hospital. These brave and courageous men are putting their lives on the line daily.

Kono has had 34 documented cases of Ebola since May. When a person is suspected of Ebola, they are triaged to a holding center, blood is taken and they are held there until the blood test results come back. Results take up to 48 hours. In the past, if a test is positive, the patient was transferred 2 hours away to the Ebola Treatment Center in Kenema. But since this center is usually full, the Koidu Hospital has converted one of its main wards into a treatment center. There is no medication for Ebola but they use antibiotics for secondary infections, oral rehydration therapy for those who can drink, IV fluids for those who are too weak to drink. There are presently 3 positive cases. One is a 12 year old boy who has been there for 5 weeks. So far only 3 people have survived. Everyone else has died.

Dr. Marsh told me that 28 of his 71 nurses at the hospital volunteered to serve on the Ebola ward. These brave nurses put on PPE and care for these sick patients. They have done intensive training and so far none of his team has gotten infected with Ebola. One can only imagine how devastating it would be to lose a doctor or a nurse in such a resource poor community.

They told us that the biggest need they have right now is PPE. They presently use about 25 suits per day. Tomorrow, Phebian and I will deliver several truck loads of medical supplies from our clinic including 500 of our PPE kits to the hospital in an effort to help. We did not actually go into the hospital. Since we are filling a container with medical supplies, we thought it appropriate to share with those on the front lines. Filling up the container will make a huge difference.

Tomorrow, we hope to meet with the third doctor in Kono, Dr. Dibba who is the Wellbody staff Physician as well as Dr. Kelly who is the founding Physician of Wellbody. We know that we have to work together in this time of crisis. Phebian and I can learn much from our Wellbody and Koidu Hospital friends who are presently providing primary medical care in an Ebola zone and are doing it safely by following very strict triage protocols and stringent clinic wide infection control practices. That they are doing it gives me the confidence that we can also do it. God knows that our clinic is desperately needed.

Two breakthroughs to pray for that would be life saving for the courageous health care workers in this Ebola crisis. One is the development of an accurate rapid test for Ebola that would give results immediately. The second is the development of a safe and effect vaccines against this horrible virus. On my flight here, I was sitting next to some CDC doctors who told me that the rapid test may be weeks away and the vaccine should be here by late January. I told this to Dr. Sheku this evening and he looked at me and said quietly, "but what about October, November, December? How will we survive until them?" So, please pray for these breakthroughs to happen quickly.

Keep the courageous health care workers of Sierra Lone in your prayers. Working in an incredibly under resourced system and now faced with Ebola. They are an inspiration to me. When I think about what they are doing, I know that I can never complain again about the minor inconveniences we face daily at Jericho Road.

Phebian, Pastor Joshua and our team are well. Today we cleaned out the storage facility moving everything to the clinic. The 4 consultation rooms now each have an exam table. Our furnishings are sparse but it is looking like a real clinic. There are a lot of smiles going around. By the way, it is easy to move heavy exam tables because there are many hands willing to help. The solar panels are being installed tomorrow by World Hope.

I am grateful for this opportunity to be here and thankful for so many of you who have given in some way to make this clinic a reality. God has been faithful.

Please continue to pray for and to sacrificially support this work.

Myron.

Buffalo News Article: Dr. Glick's Visit to Sierra Leone.

Dr. Glick made it back from Sierra Leone safely. Please check out this article in the Buffalo News as he speaks about his trip, Ebola, and his monitoring protocol.

Buffalo News Article: Dr. Glick's Visit to Sierra Leone

Also, please check back as we are positing daily writings with pictures of his 10 day experience in Sierra Leone.

The Container 10/15/14

In 2011, some well meaning folks from Texas visited Kono, made some connections, and proceeded to partner with a Sierra Leonian Pastor and a Teacher in order to build a church, school, and medical clinic here. As part of that project they filled a 20 foot container with medical supplies and it arrived in 2012. Unfortunately, conflict came and the project never was completed. The container remained here full. Somehow, Phebian developed a relationship with the folks from the USA who had sent the container and when they heard about the clinic, they donated the contents of the container to us. Phebian packed all the contents into a large room where they remained until today.

My entire day was spent sorting through every box. What an experience! I think a conservative estimate of the retail value of the contents would be somewhere between $500,$1,000,000. We sorted them into 4 categories.

1. Usable items for our clinic: gloves, gowns, suture material, sharps containers, splints, casting materials, syringes, IV tubing and fluids.
2. Donate to the Koidu Government Hospital: surgical supplies, gloves, orthopedic supplies.
3. Take to Freetown to see if a specialty hospital could use them: chest tube kits, intubation supplies, various catheters.
4. Throw away because no on in Sierra Leone will ever use: PICC lines, Swan-Ganze catheters, cardiac stents and balloon devices, arterial lines.

I estimate that 1/3 of the containers contents will be actually usable by the Sierra Leonian Health System.

Living here with Phebian's family has given me a clearer picture of her life. Ever day from morning to night people come by to see her. Politicians, radio reporters (we were interviewed yesterday), constructions workers, family, hungry children and sometimes people with medical need (she's not providing medical care now). She always handles these people with grace and compassion. This morning I noted that even 4 dogs were lying outside her steps and she even fed them. All of you should be proud of her and keep her in your prayers.

I am healthy. I am running every morning with Pastor Joshua at 6:30. There is no running water here so I'm learning to scoop up the cold water and take a bath. I am reading more. Life seems to slow down here.

I do terribly miss Joyce, the kids, and my Jericho Road family. Although I love being here, I am also counting down the days to come home. Thank you for standing with us here in Sierra Leone. My encouragement to all of us is to put the science "facts" and our faith in an Almighty God before fear.

Myron.

P.S. World Hope has arrived and will be installing the solar electrical system. Our clinic will soon have lights!

Our mission house and medical clinic

Hope 10/14/14

Recently, I wrote something from Jeremiah 32 and would like to share it again because it captures my heart tonight for this place.

In Sierra Leone tonight, just like in Jerusalem of Jeremiah's time, things do not look good. Hope is in short supply.

But Jeremiah 32 has a powerful answer to those of us who are now discouraged. In this story, God sends a releative to the imprisoned prophet with an improbably request, "Buy land of your uncle." This was a crazy request because Jeremiah was in jail, broke, and the land in question was presently under control of the invading Babylonians. God knew this land would be burned, devastated, and destroyed for generations. And yet, Jeremiah was asked to buy it!

He did buy it. He took the deed for the land and placed it in a clay jar to save it for later and he proclaimed that someday God would restore the land to his people. The singular and preposterous act brought hope against all odds.

Back to Sierra Leone. I believe that Phebian's courageous decision to stay in Sierra Leone and the completion of the medical clinic stands as a mighty symbol to the people of Kono and to all of us that there is still hope. Hope that this Ebola crisis will also pass and confirmation to the people of Kono that God has not forgotten them. Phebian, like the biblical Jeremiah, is saying that against all odds, that the land will be restored, Ebola will be conquered, and our clinic will someday bring healing to the people.

So I challenge each of us to pray as the prophet Jeremiah did and apply his prayer to the situation in Sierra Leone.

"Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR YOU."

Even Ebola.

Thanks to all of you for your faithful prayers.

Myron.

The New Normal 10/13/14

200 miles.
9 hours.
8 temperature checks at Ebola prevention checkpoints.
Many miles of unbelievably bad roads.
Beautiful post rainy season foliage and landscapes.

Finally arrived this evening safely in Koidu where I will be staying the next week with Phebian's family.

After spending just 24 hours here, it is clear that much has changed and yet this is still Sierra Leone. Ordinary people are still finding a way to live their lives even though they are in the middle of this Ebola crisis. Markets are open, farmers are in the fields and the roads are still shared by swarms of motorcycles, cars, transport vans (puda pudas), and large cargo trucks. People are still friendly.

But the lives of ordinary Sierra Leonians have definitely changed. There is a new normal. The only person I hugged or shook hands with is Phebian. Everyone seems to avoid physical contact. There is a nationwide curfew for motorcycles at 7pm and people at 10pm. Only two people are allowed on a motorcycle (as compared to 3-5 previously). All public schools are closed. Public gatherings are generally discouraged although people still allowed to attend churches and mosques. Soccer has been banished at all levels. The price of food has dramatically increased and many more children are going to bed hungry. Hospitals and clinics are not performing any elective surgeries such as hernias. In general people are avoiding the hospitals unless severely sick. And the temperature check points are frequent. One does not want to have a fever under any circumstances right now in this country. Burial of a loved one now needs to wait until the body has been checked and found negative for Ebola.

It is clearly evident that Sierra Leone is taking the crisis seriously. I pray that these measures make a different. The most important factors to controlling this horrible disease is to have the entire population stop touching sick people with Ebola and to stop touching their dead bodies. In addition, there is a desperate need for Ebola treatment centers and for a safe way to provide primary medical care. People are not only dying from Ebola. They are dying of hypertensive strokes and postpartum hemorrhages because they are afraid to go to the clinics, and of diseases like malaria and typhoid because there is no one to help them.

May God bring an end to this crisis.

Thank you for your continued prayers for this trip, Phebian, Pastor Joshua and for the people of West Africa who are suffering so much tonight.

Myron

Kingdom Come Weekend

Every year Jericho Road is invited to The Chapel at Crosspoint for their Kingdom Come weekend. This is a weekend of highlighting, encouraging, and bringing together all the various ministries that are connected with The Chapel and who are doing mission work locally, regionally, and globally. Three of us from the Global Health Outreach committee had the opportunity to represent Jericho Road and to share about our local and global initiatives. We had some good conversations with like-minded ministry partners as well as with individuals who had a genuine interest in the work we do.

Vicki Ip, Heather Quinn, Karen Hardick at the Jericho Road booth.

3 Hours and 30 volunteers

We spent 3 hours with 30 volunteers pelleting, wrapping and loading our 40 foot container with various medical supplies, equipment, and furniture this weekend. It was a cold and drizzly day in Buffalo but that didn't stop our effort. The container was filled with donated and purchased items to furnish our mission house and supply our medical clinic.

We are grateful for the 30 volunteers who helped out this past Saturday. This helped our process go smoothly and quickly. We are also thankful to everyone who donated financially and in other ways. God continues to provide the right people at the right time to help advance our mission in Sierra Leone.

We are still collecting financial donations. Please click here to donate.

 

Donations for Sierra Leone container still needed

Medical Clinic donations in large quantities:

1. Latex examination gloves (powder free) in medium and large sizes
2. Hand sanitizer in any size
3. Chlorine bleach in powder form
4. Rubber gloves
5. Reusable rubber aprons
6. Paper towels and toilet paper
7. Antibacterial hand and body soap
8. Cloth Towels

Mission House needs:

1. New bedding for twin, double and queen (sheets, blankets and pillows)
2. Dishes: plates, bowels, cups (no mugs)
3. Lamps

We are still need of financial donations so we can purchase the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for our container. Please give here to our Ebola Crisis Response Fund.

Please drop off all donations at our 184 Barton Street location by October 24. Contact Pat Mellody at 716-348-3000 ex 392 if you have any questions or to set up a time to drop off supplies.

Thank you!

A Call to Fast and Pray

Dear faithful supporters and friends of Jericho Road,

This Friday, October 10, 2014, a group of us plan to fast and pray for the country of Sierra Leone. Please consider joining us!

In preparation, we can draw our inspiration from the Biblical story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah's people had been exiled from their homeland. In this foreign land Nehemiah found himself working directly for the king. One day a group of men came to Nehemiah with a report concerning his homeland and the city of Jerusalem. They reported that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates had been destroyed by fire.

Nehemiah's response upon hearing this news was this: "As soon as I heard those words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven." Nehemiah 1:4.

Nehemiah had a deeply emotional response to the bad news, followed by a lot of prayer and fasting. After this, instead of asking the king to do something about the problem, he asked the king to send him to do something about the problem. The king honored his request and gave him the freedom to go.

In the process of completing the work he rallied a unified team around him, strategically faced opposition, stood up for the poor, wisely responded to a conspiracy against his personal character, and finally finished what he set out to do which was the rebuilding of the broken walls.

Phebian's story shares many parallels to Nehemiah. She was taken out of Sierra Leone as a refugee and now has been called back to repair walls that have been broken. Dr. Glick will be leaving this Saturday to join her for a couple of weeks. This Friday, we would like to pray for the broken walls in Sierra Leone, for Phebian's ongoing work, for Dr. Glick's upcoming trip, for the Ebola crisis to end, for deepening of strategic partnerships, and for our mission to continue moving forward.

Thank you,

The Global Health Outreach Team

Buffalo News Article: A refugee in Buffalo returns to Sierra Leone

Please check out this Buffalo News story that was printed October 3, 2014.

Thank you to the Buffalo News for highlighting our medical mission project in Sierra Leone. As the article mentioned, we are still accepting donations for operational expenses and Ebola relief. If you are able and feel led to donate financially, please do so here.

Keep Phebian, our team, and the people of Sierra Leone in your prayers.

Our Container Has Arrived!

The container that we're shipping to Sierra Leone filled with materials for Ebola relief and our medical missions project has arrived at our Barton location this morning. It's ready to be filled and loaded. Thank you to everyone who has helped in this process so far and for those who will help in the future. We could not have done this without you!

Container and Donation Update

Jericho Road is in the process of getting a 40 foot container together to ship over to Sierra Leone. It will include items for the mission house and the medical clinic as well as medical supplies.  We've collected and received a lot donations so far and we are grateful.  We spent several hours inventorying and reorganizing all donations received with the help of 14 amazing volunteers this past weekend.

We are still collecting items for the mission house and medical clinic. The items in bold are things we really need.

Here is what we need for the mission house:

- Dishware - plates and bowls and cups (no pots/pans or mugs)
- Bedding - new sheet sets (single and queen) and pillows as well as gently used blankets.
- Cleaning products - dish soap, bathroom cleaner, glass cleaner, laundry soap
- Plastic Totes for storage.

Here is what we need for the medical clinic:

- Personal Care Items: antibacterial hand washing soap, wash cloths and hand towels (preferably new), hand or body lotion (travel size)
- Medical Supplies: hand sanitizer (travel size, med or large with pump)

We are still collecting financial donations. Please consider giving to us in this way. You can give on our Jericho Road website with the specific purpose of Ebola crisis or Sierra Leone Operational Funds. Thank you in advance.

Please keep Sierra Leone in your prayers.

Our New Ambulance

Jericho Road is humbled and excited to announce that we have purchased a fully retrofitted ambulance for the Kono District.  It is in route and will arrive in the upcoming weeks. This ambulance will play a major role during the Ebola crisis as well as after for patient transport of emergent situations. We are pleased to share this with our partner Wellbody Alliance who is working alongside us in the Kono district. Thank you to all who have made this purchase possible.