Thomas invested as a Beaver Scout

On Thursday evening our 7 year old grandson, Thomas, was invested as a Beaver Scout in his local Scout Group in Bedfordshire. It was a proud moment for Thomas, and for his family also, as his Daddy (Ben), Grandpa (me) and Uncle (Olly) were all Scouts and Scout Leaders in this great movement which after 101 years still flourishes world-wide. Unfortunately I do not appear able to reproduce the lovely photos which Ben took of the investiture ceremony but here is one of Thomas and us taken earlier this year.

Liberia 3

During the first week of our recent trip to Liberia we stayed with missionaries Gary and Tammie and their four young children in their home a few miles outside the capital, Monrovia. Gary is a Pastor from Michigan, USA but currently he is working in a variety of ways to improve the lot of the people of Liberia. He took us to see some of his projects including the Child Survival Orphanage, a desperately poor collection of semi derelict buildings where a Liberian couple are trying to raise 35 orphans (mostly dumped on their doorstep) without any official help whatsoever. We took to the orphanage a large sack of rice, 35 sachets of dried milk (which they suck from the sachet as a treat) and a football and we played football with them for half an hour or so. It was humbling to see how cheerful these children were - they never have enough to eat and have limited prospects for the future. Another project Gary took us to was the refurbishment (virtually rebuilding!) of a village school way out in the bush. The children really want to get an education as a way out of their poverty and, amidst all the dust and rubble, they gave us a great welcome. Gary and his family were informative, hospitable hosts who, despite the heat and humidity, were always cheerful - as the photograph shows. If you would like to help their work, let us know.

Liberia 2

Here is a photograph that we took last week of our family aboard the MV Africa Mercy in the Freeport of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. What does our family do on this hospital ship? Well, Olly is Transportation Manager, managing a team of mechanics, cleaners and drivers to keep the ship's fleet of 30 Land Rover and Nissan vehicles always ready to carry patients, doctors, nurses, agriculturists, water engineers and other professionals and technicians around the city and into the bush. As most replacement parts are unobtainable in Liberia and the roads vary from appalling to non-existent,this is a tough job. Sally is a speech and language therapist working with patients who come to the ship for operations to repair or correct cleft palates, hair lips, lock jaw, facial and oral tumours and burns. She helps them to swallow, eat, drink and talk normally again or for the first time if they were born with the defect. And Noah, Anna and Libby go to school on the ship, along with the other crew children - there are about 50 altogether. The Academy has fifteen teachers covering the normal range of subjects (all taught in English) and after school hours, like kids in the UK, our grandchildren have piano, recorder, dancing and French lessons from other crew members.
Labels: October 2008, Our family in Liberia
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Liberia 1

We've just returned from Liberia, West Africa where for one week we were the guests of our son Olly and his family aboard the Mercy Ship, Africa Mercy, the largest non-government hospital ship in the world. Africa Mercy entered service just over a year ago. It has a crew of 400, plus fifty children, 6 operating theatres, 78 recovery beds, dental and eye surgeries, scanners and X ray machines and all the equipment that you would expect to find in a UK hospital. What's more its staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers who pay their own fares out to the ship and also pay for their board and lodging on the ship. If you would like to know more about the charity Mercy Ships, and opportunities for serving with them, log on to http://www.mercyships.org.uk/. The photo shows the Africa Mercy viewed from the stern - the top right hand window is part of our family's cabin.