Wirrell Family | In Missions
December 2009, Sierra Leone?
Petra and I have been in communication with the missions agency and we’ve also talked together about where we feel led. At this point, pending the missions presidents approval, we will be heading to Sierra Leone. It is hoped that we will be able to leave sometime late in the summer of 2010. This is dependant on many variables, which we hope to get worked out in the next few months. The exact location in Sierra Leone is not yet decided as things are still subject to change and clarification. There are many needs throughout Sierra Leone, in Freetown the capital, the Mokanji hospital site in the south east area of the country and well drilling for clean drinking water in various locations all around the country. Costs would be highest in Freetown and they would likely be lowest at the hospital once that location is repaired sufficiently to stay at.
The work in Freetown would be repairing and renovating the missions house there, as well as welcoming work teams coming into Sierra Leone. At the Mokangi Hospital we would be overseeing the renovation and repair of the hospital as funds and teams are available to see the work proceed. Well drilling is necessary at many locations throughout the country, where our mission has schools, at the hospital site and many villages all over the country. Once water is available it is also necessary to provide community health education to ensure the people know how to prevent dysentery and other water borne diseases.
Since housing was provided for us at the Christian Academy of Guatemala where we had been working, and we were able to travel to Guatemala by our own vehicle, our monthly financial needs were quite low. Now that we need to fly to Sierra Leone and ship our household items there, the cost of getting there is higher, and as we will not necessarily have housing provided by the project we are working at living expenses will also be higher.
Once the decision is made as to where exactly we will be going and we have a budget provided to us by our mission, we will be visiting all of our supporting churches as well as individuals to ensure you folks are all still “on board” with us. It will also be necessary for us to find new and additional supporters for the increased financial needs that we will have.