PHEBE HOSPITAL JOURNAL

Report #1 - December 5, 10, 15, 2003
Report #2- December 25, 26, 2003
Report #3 - January 01, 2004
Report #4 - January 03, 2004
Reports #5-8
Reports #9-11
Reports #12-15
Reports #16-20
Reports #21-23
Reports #24-29
Report #30
Reports #31-35

Bill Martin, the Lutheran missionary administrator of Phebe Hospital in Suakoko, had been unable to send e-mail since November 29. On December 5 he sent the following message to his support network in the United States . He and several returning missionaries are living at the Lutheran Church compound on 13th Street in Sinkor while waiting for UNMIL to retake Suakoko and Gbarnga. Phebe is occupied by LURD fighters who have smashed all the hospital equipment, stolen all the sinks, toilets, light fixtures, generators, window glass, doors and screens, and now are systematically stripping the roofs and window frames from the hospital buildings and houses.

Additional reports from December 10th, 15th & 19th are also included.

Notes in the text that are enclosed in [brackets] are explanations provided by Kit Cone, who is serving as Bill Martin's communications link in the United States .

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Friday, December 05, 2003 05:31 GMT Monrovia bill martin

Good Morning,

This is the first time I have sent or received email since last Saturday, November 29, 2003 . I am sorry that it has taken me so long to get to the internet center and communicate with you. Lightning damage to DataTec, all day trips Phebe, and just being tired is my excuse for not writing.

KATE AND DON BARNES arrived safely on Wednesday, November 26th, and are proving to be real missionary troupers. They arrived amidst a horrendous lighting storm. Although we saw beautiful displays of bolts of lightning in the sky on the way from the airport to Monrovia , some of the lightning struck two or three (who is counting) generators on the LCL compound and caused some serious damage.

VISIT TO PHEBE COMPOUND: Monday, December 1st, Dr. Sandoe, Kate & Don, Bette [McCrandall], a host of others and I left the LCL compound at 6 a.m. and traveled in Bus # 5 to Salala and then on to the Phebe compound. The main purpose of the trip was to meet Colonel Farid, Commanding Officer of the Bangladesh Medical Company, UNMIL. Col. Farid, 15 of his medical company members and 15 Bangladesh fully armed Peace Keepers arrived at 10 a.m. , and we spend two hours touring the buildings and compound.

We decided they will temporarily use the RHTC Classroom building to house their 141 security troops beginning December 13th, with medical personnel following within 30 days. [This is a major change from the earlier plan of setting up military tents on the airstrip, and is also a reduction from the previous 200 men.] They will set up their 20-bed field hospital in [the back of the hospital, making use of] the old cholera unit, old PEDs room, ICU and one of the OR theaters.

John Padmore, Phebe's retired chief driver, had organized a group of 25 area residents who volunteered to start cleaning up the Phebe compound. On Thursday, December 4, we again found Mr. Padmore leading a group of volunteers cleaning up the place. What a fine show of faith in the future of Phebe! Dr. Sandoe brought them a bag of rice to share.

The LURD rebel looters are still there, but their days are numbered. The looting of the hospital and houses continues nightly. They do take a break from carrying off our stuff when we are around, especially with the armed Bangladesh peacekeepers present.

SECOND TRIP ON DECEMBER 4:On Thursday morning, December 4th, Don and I picked up a European Community (EC) team at the Mamba Point Hotel at 6 a.m. and headed for Phebe again. The EC team of consultants from AGRIFPR Consult are reviewing the programs and financial records of EC rural development and food safety projects in Liberia . As part of their review of projects, the program team members first asked to visit with Dr. Sandoe, and then traveled to the Phebe Salala field hospital and the Phebe compound at Suakoko. We returned from the trip at 6:30 pm .

FUNDING: Everything is "pending," and that is a major problem. Our current EC grant expires on December 12th, and they have not taken any action on our request for a "no cost extension." The USAID grant request for $100,000 to purchase generator and water systems is being reviewed in Washington , DC . The $9.4 million dollar request to the new Government of Liberia and UNMIL is still being "looked at." The funds from ELCA and some churches are our main staying power.

AMERICCARES: The advance team from AmeriCares, an American based NGO, arrived on Wednesday. In fact, everyone arrives on Wednesday because that is when the weekly SN Brussels flight comes in. That's the only European airline coming to Monrovia now. One flight a week. AmeriCares will bring two or three of the six donated semi- permanent structures and medical equipment to furnish the units by a charter flight on Monday, December 7th.

The 36 foot by 66 foot concrete slab is completed at Salala, and another one should be finished today or Saturday at Totota. These pads will hold the 60 x 30 foot semi-permanent structures from AmeriCares. [These are Sprung Structures, made in Canada : arch-type buildings of very heavy fabric over hoops, well suited to emergency needs. They can later be picked up and moved to other locations.]

Two similar structures from AmeriCares will be placed at Phebe next to the new Eye Center , and each will be used as a 28-bed patient ward. The Eye Center OR theater will be used for Phebe's general and eye surgeries. [The eye center is a new structure on the edge of the hospital compound near the road; it had not yet been put in service at the time we had to evacuate Phebe on March 16.] A small generator has been requested for the OR equipment and lighting, as well as lighting in the two patient wards.

PHEBE TRAINING PROGRAM GRADUATION: The Graduation of 13 students from PTP is scheduled Saturday, December 6, 2003 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Monrovia .

USS CONTAINER & DGM: Based on yesterday's site visit to Phebe, Don and I think DGM needs to send as much diamond wire screening as possible. The houses and hospital have been stripped of most of their screens. ["Diamond wire" is very heavy screening that is used to strain mud at the diamond mines, looking for diamonds. We use it for window screen because it is hard for burglars to cut.]

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Wednesday, December 10, 2003 05:51 GMT (updated 09:56 GMT ) Monrovia bill martin

"All's well that ends well." This is the best description of yesterday.

The day started at 5 am as Don and I prepared to take some of the AmeriCares team to the airport to meet the AmeriCares 7 am charter jet cargo plane.

Since the start of disarmament on Sunday everything has been very tense. The enthusiasm which greeted the kick off of disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration (DDRR) program quickly went down hill. Ex-GOL combatants took to the streets with their arms protesting the slow and somewhat unorganized process of DDRR.

Later Sunday afternoon and all day Monday, the combatants caused panic among civilians by sporadically firing their weapons in the air. ELWA Junction, Red Light and the UNMIL administrative headquarters located in the former German Embassy [on the main road out of town toward the interior, near the Nigerian embassy] were the key flash points.

Using Phebe Mobile 5, the 15 passenger bus, Edwin, Chief Driver, James, my temporary driver, Don Barnes and I left the Lutheran Church in Libeia (LCL) Monrovia compound and headed to the Coconut Plantation in Mamba Point. At 06:15 am we picked up Curtis R. Welling, President & CEO of AmeriCares and five of his American employees and drove to the Germany Embassy to meet up with the UNMIL [the United Nat ions peacekeeping force] convoy going to Roberts Field.

Because of the previous two day of unrest in Monrovia, our trip to pick up the donated AmeriCares medical supplies, equipment and semi- permanent tent structures was coordinated through the UN Humanitarian Operations Center known as the HOC. The HOC was recently established and works closely with the NGO community in Liberia . Major Noel Duffy, an Irish soldier with the UNMIL Peace keeping Unit, is the Civil-Military Coordinator who arranged for us to joint the twenty vehicle armed UNMIL convoy. Like everything in Liberia , it showed up at the German Embassy 30 minutes late.

We were watching for our convoy to the airport while two other UNMIL convoys went by the Embassy. Ours passed by the Embassy at 35 mph and as I yelled "airport, airport" a soldier in the last jeep loaded with a 50 caliber machine gave us a thumbs up sign. We followed in hot pursuit.

On the 1.5 hour trip to the airport we encounter several groups of combatants walking on the roadside and riding in UNMIL trucks heading for the DDRR camp. They sporadically fired their weapon and the situation remained tense for the entire trip. The UNMIL convoy stopped several times for security reasons but I don't believe we were ever in real danger.

We arrived at the airport and started the unloading of the charter plane even though the Africare customs coordination and the four rented trucks hadn't yet made it from Monrovia .

Most of these supplies and equipment will go to Phebe's field hospital at Salala and the community clinic in Totota. In a matter of days, these two medical facilities will be upgraded 20 years with the new medical buildings and equipment. This makes the whole day's activity and "thrills" worth it.

Meanwhile, Curt and I walked across the tarmac and met the Irish UNMIL convoy commander, Captain Taylor. He was picking of 185 Peace Keeper from Ireland that had flown in just before the AmeriCares plane. It was about 09:45 am and he said that he would be leaving about 10:30 am with his men and supplies. He told us to check back with him if we wanted to join the convoy back to Monrovia .

For the next 30 minutes we received reports via cell phones and VHF radios that there was a lot sporadic weapon firing. At 10:30 Curt and I again met with Captain Taylor and he was ready to go and only waiting for clearance from UNMIL military headquarters to leave. He asked us when we would be ready to leave and we said one hour. Then he asked us the earliest time we could complete the loading of our and we say 30 minutes or 11:00 . He said he would leave at 11:00 and we should join him at the end of the convoy.

We finally left the airport at 11:10 am and were happy to be included in the UNMIL convoy. Then the fun began. First, we had a 35 minute delay just before the DDRR camp [at a Liberian military base on the road between the airport and Monrovia ] as the security teams cleared the road for us. It was very tense as the ex-combatants were firing their weapons in the air just before turning them in at the DDRR camp.

We received word via the soldier in the jeep in front of us that there were problems at ELWA Junction, Red Light and the UNMIL administrative headquarters located in the former German Embassy. Again we encountered ex-combatants firing their weapons in the air at these three locations.

The Irish convoy security troops did a great job providing us safe passage. We stored the supplies are JFK Hospital and headed for the LCL compound.

At the AmeriCares reception Tuesday evening, we met the US Ambassador and he expressed concern, but stated the DDRR must continue now.

= = = = = = = Wednesday MORNING 09:30 AM = = = = = = = =

We are all safe and well and will do everything to keep it that way. So don't worry.

Things are no better today. The flash points today are ELWA Junction, Red Light, UNMIL administrative headquarters (German Embassy) and the bridge between Monrovia and Bushrod Island .

The SN Brussels flight is still scheduled to come in and leave today, and a convoy will leave for the airport at 12 noon from the German Embassy, (yes, the same point where there is trouble).

We will meet Dr. Ruth M. Goehle at the airport and bring her back to the LCL compound with another armed UNMIL convoy escort. Everyone is very tense and the situation will hopefully settle down soon.

We are well and safe so DO NOT worry.

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Monday, December 15, 2003 08:06 GMT Monrovia bill martin

Good Morning from Liberia . The weather is hot and humid with 30% chance of rain today. All are well and we expect a calm week.

AMERICARES AND SEMI PERMANENT STRUCTURES: George Laliberte, Technical Consultant Manager, Sprung Instant Structures, Calgary , Alberta , Canada , arrived at Roberts International Airport yesterday at 4:30 pm (about two hours late). He had been flying since late Friday night and was happy to see Don and me at the airport. He is supervising the construction of two field health care facilities, one to be located in Salala and the other at the Totota community clinic building.

These will be the first of six semi permanent tent structures for Phebe Hospital . It takes about two and half days to set up one of these structures so our time schedule is very tight as George needs to return to Canada on Saturday, December 20th.

continued: 17:07 GMT Monday afternoon

Dr. Ruth M. Goehle will travel to Phebe on Tuesday to assess the medical supplies that are on the ground and floors of the warehouses. I may go but I have 5 hours of work to do tonight.

Thing are OK today. Don and George just returned from Salala and were happy with the progress of today's tent building. ***************************************************** Thursday Update for December 19th, 2003 :

Don and George completed the Salala unit donated by AmeriCares today and it looks great. Totota should be done on Friday.

Dr. and Mrs. Sandoe and Kate Barnes attended the Cuttington University College Nursing Tea Party at 3 pm honoring the 2002-2003 graduating Nursing Class. Phebe is a partner in this important nursing program.

Dr. Ruth Goehle and I went to the Phebe compound for a site visit and retrieved some important documents needed in Monrovia . Mr. John Padmore, the retired chief driver for Phebe, has organized 40 women and 60 men volunteers to clean up the grounds of the campus. It looks great!!!

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Two messages from Bill Martin, the Lutheran missionary administrator of Phebe Hospital in Suakoko are posted one after the other below. The first was written on Christmas Day, and the second this (Friday) morning.

Unfortunately, the LURD looting of the Phebe compund in Suakoko continues, and yesterday's news that LURD refused to disarm - - or even to allow the U.N. people to go to the LURD base at Tubmanburg - - is discouraging.

Notes in [brackets] are Kit Cone's (Bill Martin's communications link in the USA .)

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Thursday, December 25, 2003 Christmas Day, Monrovia bill martin

Merry Christmas. I hope you are having a wonderful day with family and friends.

My Christmas present from the LWF [Lutheran World Federation provides the electricity to the Lutheran Church in Liberia compound] generator operator was 30 minutes of extra power this morning until 06:30 . When we have power, the sound of my floor fan conceals most of the other noises so I was able to sleep until 06:30 before I heard the roosters, dogs and children outside my bedroom window.

I had an enjoyable Christmas Eve with some new and old friends. Six of us from six different countries had dinner at Reverend Sabine Foerster's third floor apartment in Sinkor, about 10 blocks from the LCL compound where I am staying. The meal was a traditional German Christmas Eve dinner, and the conversation was centered on all of our past Christmas exTuesday, June 1, 2004 16:25e Phebe missionaries traveled up to Salala to share a meal with the patient and staff at our 50 bed fieldTuesday, June 1, 2004 16:25 local volunteers that are cleaning the compound. Communication about delivering the rice yesterday got confused and the ten bags of rice were left behind at the LCL compound in Monrovia .

The communications problems are not limited to Liberia . I like to tell the following story about communicating your exact ideas and wishes.

A newspaper reporter was called into the editor's office early one morning and told that the paper needed a first hand report on a developing forest fire in Montana . Editor said that they had chartered a small plane at the local airport and the reporter was to leave immediately and file the report by 12 noon . The reporter arrived at the general aviation terminal and walked out to a waiting plane. After hurrying out to the plane he turned to the pilot and said "let's go." The pilot asked "where to?" And the reporter responded with "up North where the forest fire is starting to spread." After 20 minutes in the air, they could see the smoke raising high into the sky and the reporter said to fly lower and close to the fire. After another 20 minutes, the reporter said he want to get much closer and told the pilot to fly directly over the burning fire. The pilot became a little concerned and said to the other man: do you think this is safe? The reporter said "how do you expect me to do my job if we don't get close to the fire?" The pilot responded: "what do you mean, isn't your job to be my flight instructor?"

So, we must be flexible and we will survive.

On Monday, I needed to deliver some of the AmeriCares supplies, beds, mattresses, and medical equipment to the newly constructed semi permanent structures at the Phebe field hospital in Salala and community clinic in Totota. I think I will refer to these wonderful instant structures from AmeriCares as "Sprung I" (Salala) and "Sprung II" (Totota) after the manufacturer's name. [The manufacturer is Sprung Structures of Calgary. The buildings, like the equipment in them, were donated by AmeriCares and delivered by chartered plane.] To really appreciate these 30 foot by 60 foot structures you have to see them -- or at least visit the company's web site at: www.sprung.com

Ok, back to Monday's story. After a two hour delay in getting the two rented trucks to the AmeriCares temporary warehouse in Vai Town on Bushrod Island , I went to get the warehouse keys from Africare. The only person that had their master key box key was at the bank getting petty cash money for the office. After searching for the "key man" for one and a half hours we determined that he probably went Christmas shopping. About 12 noon he showed up and we left for the warehouse, but the two big trucks had left after waiting at the warehouse for two hours. I used my cell phone and got hold of the dispatcher, and requested the trucks to return to the warehouse.

We loaded the trucks and sent them towards Salala, and told them I would catch up with them after dropping off a staff person at the LCL compound.

Unfortunately, former ATU soldiers ( Taylor 's private army known as the Anti Terrorist Unit) were blocking the main road out of Monrovia . Several angry officers of the disbanded elite force encouraged their former troops to go on the rampage, threatening to burn the residence of their most senior commander because he took their UNMIL funds for the guns they had turned in at the DDRR [disarmament program] camp.

They set up roadblocks along Tubman Boulevard , and started to smash vehicles' windshields and threaten the occupants. Edwin, Dr. Sandoe's driver, was behind the wheel of Mobile 2, an old white twin cab Ford Ranger, and immediately spun around and headed the other direction without any hesitation. Edwin is a seasoned driver and a great asset to those who ride as his passengers.

In the end we made it to Salala with the equipment and returned to Monrovia by 18:30 [ 6:30 p.m. ]. A simple four hour activity became a 10.5 hour adventure. But, we must always remember what Kit Cone says: We must be flexible.

Again, Merry Christmas to all.

see ya, bill

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Friday, December 26, 2003 06:41 GMT Monrovia bill martin

Good Morning,

Christmas Day was enjoyable time for all. I left for the Phebe compound about 10 am Thursday to take ten bags of rice to John Padmore, the retired chief driver for Phebe, to be distributed to the corps of 100 volunteers cleaning the Phebe campus. I drove alone to Salala (105 kilometers) in Mobile 2 that is equipped with a VHF radio and an Iridium hand held satellite telephone. At the Salala Community Clinic and Phebe field hospital I picked up Dr. and Mrs. Sandoe for the trip to the Phebe compound (160 kilometers).

We met Mr. Padmore and a few of the residents of the Air Strip [an area along the east side of the hospital that used to be an airstrip and is now the site of a large village of mud houses] and unloaded the rice, cooking oil and other supplies. They were all very appreciative of the food.

During our brief stay at Phebe, I observed that the Power House and Peds Department in the Hospital had been looted again since my Tuesday site visit. It appears that the direct order from the Joe T Gbalah, Secretary General of LURD to All Commanders/Generals for the Protection of Phebe Hospital Properties, Staff & Health Workers is not being followed by the troops in the field. There is looting every night by armed men.

On the other hand, I will state that I do feel "relatively" safe while I am traveling in the LURD territory that is not under the control of the United Nat ions peacekeepers. LURD has established a policy for the protection and safety of humanitarian Organizations' staff and health workers. So far, LURD ground troop (including little boy soldiers) have not impeded our access to Phebe on our site visits.

I returned from Phebe compound to Salala and dropped off Dr. and Mrs. Sandoe and picked up one of the Phebe security men who needed a ride to Monrovia . Upon arriving at the LCL compound, I headed to Don and Kate's apartment to join other American, German and Dutch missionaries for Christmas Dinner. We had an enjoyable meal and conversations.

The electrical power situation on the LCL compound is very limited, and unreliable to say the least. There is an electrical power time schedule, but it is dependent on so many things: the operator coming to work on time, us being able to find where he is sleeping when the generator fails in the middle of the night, fuel being available, needed repairs being done on a timely basis, and having access to spare parts and tools that are locked in a warehouse to which only one person who lives "somewhere" in Monrovia has the key and authority to enter.

Not knowing if you will have electrical power to use the office electronic equipment, lighting to work, running water, refrigeration, fan and A/C units makes it very difficult to schedule anything. The expectations of some Americans (like me) are constantly being downgraded to a level that you are surprised if you have any electrical power at all. This biggest problem for me is most of the people have little or no anticipation that anything will work, therefore planning and scheduling is a useless activity to them. But, we must be flexible!

Speaking of power, the low battery indicator light on my laptop is flashing so I will sign off for now. Keep sending you cards and letters (email) with the news from the World.

On a lighter note, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were very meaningful and enjoyable for me this year.

see ya, bill

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Notes in [brackets] are Kit Cone's (Bill Martin's communications link in the USA .)

[The deployment of troops from Bangladesh , as part of the U.N. peacekeepers, at Gbarnga is one of the most significant things that has happened for Phebe in a long time.

For those who do not know, Gbarnga is a major trading center in central Liberia , about eight miles northeast of Phebe Hospital . Gbarnga is at a major junction in The Road: to the south the two- lane paved road leads past Phebe and then about 2 1/2 hours through Totota, Salala, and Kakata to Monrovia . To the east a1 dirt road goes through Ganta and Saniquellie to the border crossing leading to Danane in the Cote d'Ivoire . To the north, a dirt road leads to Zorzor, which had been the end of the road until the early 1960s, when it was extended to Voinjama to join the existing trail that turned south again and went through Vezala to Kolahun and Foya, with a spur road to Sosomolahun, Bolahun, Masambolahun, Yandahun and Vahun. This area, called Upper Lofa , is one of the most densely populated in Liberia , and includes villages of the Loma, Bandi, Kisi and Mende tribes.

So the retaking of Gbarnga from the LURD rebels is a very significant event not only in the military history of "the 14- years war" but also in the restoration of trade in the interior of Liberia . Since there is only one road to Monrovia , the force that controls that road - - now the Bangladeshi contingent of the U.N. army - - controls the interior of the country.

Here is Dr. Ruth's account of seeing the Bangladeshis moving toward Gbarnga on the road that passes the entrance to the hospital. She was at the hospital on a "day trip" in support of the many Liberians who have gathered spontaneously to remove all the smashed medicines and equipment that covered the floor of the whole hospital, sometimes a foot deep.]

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1 January 2004

"All I want(ed) for New Year's Eve is three or four big White Trucks!"

Especially when there are large black letters on the side or front that spell UNMIL! And, yes, they were on the road from Monrovia to Gbarnga on New Year's Eve and there were more than four sets of more than three trucks, containers, jeeps, and military personnel, moving to Gbarnga to set up a presence for Peace in Bong County .

I saw the first group just after we arrived at Phebe Hospital to start day three of clean up. We were meeting them constantly on the return trip to Monrovia that afternoon, so the deployment has occurred. We anticipate a security detail on Phebe Hospital compound itself, along with the UNMIL medical unit, level 2 for the brigade sometime before the middle of January. That is really the "wait for" signal for the return of Phebe staff and supplies to start caring for patients at Phebe.

Many of you know those math problems of this form: if you could stack end to end all the trash/smashed supplies swept up from all the floors in all the rooms of Phebe Hospital and warehouses, how many times could you encircle the globe at the equator? Well, I am not sure how many times but it sure LOOKS like it would be more than once! Staff have done a good job on those areas where the layers were only one or two layers thick. The medical records and charts are back on the shelves. Others are standing on desks. Putting them back in chronological order will take more time. The warehouses will have several more weeks to get to the bottom and make sure that we are saving and reusing those items in sterile and serviceable condition.

I know that the efforts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were welcomed by the staff because everyone is frustrated from the long displacement. This makes the re-opening seem so much closer! I think we all wanted to do something yet in 2003, and the nursing and OR staff got all the wards, CSR, and ORs cleaned up in this time. We ended our Wednesday clean-up with hymns and prayer for the New Year, and it was also a pleasure to be seated in the Phebe OPD for this service. Especially because there are some 75 - 100 persons from the community who have been cutting grass and sweeping to get the grounds of Phebe Hospital looking "normal". They joined us in our worship service.

The LURD checkpoints on the road to Phebe as you leave Totota were also not in operation yesterday. I shared with some of you this encounter: Shortly after I saw the first set of UNMIL trucks, I was burried in the Pediatrics ward trying to start the small generator so I could get light into the Med Surg nursing station for clean-up and into CSR for staff to sort through the goods on the floor. Mr. Padmore (used to be head driver. Fought in South East Asia , WWII ) came up to me and said "We have a Problem". "OK. Tell me about it." "Some LURD officers just arrived (at the front of the hospital). "OK" "They have some of our Xray machine." "OK" "They want to give it back." "OK" "THe parts are in Gbarnga." "OK" "They want you to provide transport from Gbarnga for the parts." "Sounds like something for Dr. Sandoe." (who was due to join us for the New Year's Eve service.)

After being told the October GHM container was NOT arriving, we now know that it is in Port and might get to the Monrovia compound in the next two days. I am still working on supplies, both those already arrived or arriving and what needs to be ordered.

The new year is starting on a line of white trucks that spell H O P E! More as the month progresses. Thank you for prayers for all the people of Liberia , and especially those of Phebe Hospital !

Sincerely,
Ruth

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Two messages from Bill Martin, the Lutheran missionary administrator of Phebe Hospital in Suakoko that arrived at the same time, around 3:20 on Sunday afternoon, January 4, 2004 (New Jersey time).

Notes in [brackets] are Kit Cone's (Bill Martin's communications link in the USA .)

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Saturday, January 03, 2004 05:28 GMT Monrovia

bill martin

Dear Kit,

Happy New Year!

1. This morning Don and I will be using two 7 ton LWF [Lutheran World Federation] trucks to haul medical supplies to our Salala and Totota clinic operations.

07:00 Load truck at LCL compound
08:00 Depart LCL compound for Paynesville
08:30 Load truck with additional supplies from our temporary container storage warehouse
09:30 Depart from Paynesville for Salala Clinic
11:30 Unload some supplies at Salala Clinic
12:30 Load Beds and medical equipment for Totota
13:00 Depart from Salala for Totota Clinic
13:45 Unload supplies and equipment at Totota Clinic
14:30 Depart Totota for Salala Clinic
15:15 Load empty fuel drums from Salala Clinic operations
15:45 Depart Salala for Monrovia
17:45 Arrive at LCL [ Lutheran Church in Liberia ] Compound [where Bill is living] and unload Phebe materials
18:00 End of trip

2. The dedication program for the two AmeriCare's units, Sprung 1 [at Salala] and Sprung 2 [at Totota] has been moved to Tuesday, January 6, 2004 to accommodate the Minister of Health, Dr. Peter S. Coleman's schedule. We want this to be a "big deal," so we need his presence. [This paragraph refers to the dedication of the 30 by 60 foot rapid-erection buildings donated by AmeriCares, which are now in place and functioning.]

3. Funding News: Little to none. All the decision makers must be on holiday as I can't find out anything about our requests until next week. In Monrovia that means Thursday because the SN Brussels weekly flight arrives at 17:40 on Wednesday. But on the bright side, Uffe Torm, Director of DMCCC, the Danish church and government international funding coordinator is considering our request for a short-tern architect consultant to assess the reconstruction of the Phebe Hospital compound.

4. The holiday season has slowed some of our activities, but be assured we will be back to full production on Monday, January 5th.

5. Hundreds of the Bangladesh peacekeepers are daily moving into Bong County, including CARI [the Central Agricultural Research Institution, located very near Phebe, which has become a major camp for displaced persons] and Gbarnga [the next big town to the north, about eight miles from Phebe Hospital]. There is no Bangladeshi troop at Phebe yet. We will meet with the BANMED- 1 Medical team on Monday to coordinate our schedules. I believe all will be secure and safe within a few weeks. So pack your bag and get to work.

see ya, bill

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Saturday, January 03, 2004 21:30 GMT Monrovia bill martin

Dear Kit,

1. I wrote you this morning about taking medical supplies and equipment to Salala and Totota clinics using two LWF trucks. So, I went out to the LCL compound yard at the appointed time, 07:00 and found no LWF drivers. After twenty minutes of looking everywhere, I found an LWF guy who said the trucks would not be going up to Salala today because the LWF boss who approved my request in writing on Friday morning later decided not to “embarrass” the LWF drivers by asking them to drive on Saturday.

The LWF guy said they could go up on Monday because it would really make no difference when the stuff got there. So, Don and I and with the help from several compound boys loaded the two Phebe pickups and headed off to Salala. I worked for four hours arranging some of the things in AmeriCare's Sprung 1 and then went up to Sprung 2 at Totota to deliver thirteen beds and mattresses. Don had worked at Totota all morning finishing Sprung 2, and we passed on the road about 5 miles south of Totota.

We accomplished most of our mission today, but it is a disappointment not to be able to rely on anyone but yourself.

2. Tonight we are having problems with the LWF 20 KVA [generator] that powers C-1 (my room) and C-3 (Dr. Goehle's room) in the LCL guest house. The 60 watt light bulb over my desk looks like a 5 watt light bulb. We are paying LWF over $30.00 USD per night [to buy Diesel fuel] for electrical power, because the LCL Bishop's generator that provides power to the other four missionaries is over loaded and not available. The power has gone on and off three times in the past 10 minutes. Oh well, we must be flexible.

3. Writing revised funding grants will be the order of the day tomorrow after church. The beach will have to wait. We are back to our 7 day week work schedule and trying to be more productive. But that is hard in this environment.

4. Thanks to all who have written during the Christmas holiday season. We took off a few minutes during the holiday, so be patient and I will reply to everyone's email soon.

see ya, bill

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