“ My mind and my body may grow weak, but God is my strength; he is all I ever need." (Psalm 73:26)
Mercy Hospital's OR Opens
Lead contractor, Maada Salia, handed the keys to Mercy Hospital’s new OR wing over to the staff on Monday, November 5th. Over the weekend of November 1st, the Mercy staff worked tirelessly to load in the equipment and supplies delivered in September by Project CURE, and ensured that the wing was ready for operations. Dr. Boima, a well-known surgeon in Sierra Leone and Dr. Amara’s mentor declared the wing and its two operating theatres “excellent” and “the nicest in Bo.”

“I am very happy that the OR is now completed which means that the referral cases for surgery such as obstructed delivery and c-sections will now be treated here,“ said Dr. Amara, Mercy’s chief medical officer.

Dr. Sao Amara, Sister Augusta Kpanabaum, and Jinnah Lahai
"Before, the space was so limited we were very restricted in what we were able to do. Now, there are many more possibilities to help the community," he added. Head Matron Sister Augusta Kpanebaum agreed, “We have been waiting for this day a long time. We will be able to attend to cases instead of referring, especially maternity. We are all very grateful!"
Child Rescue Centre provides attachment theory training to parents
The Child Rescue Centre provides more than health and education support to children; they help families too. CRC staff offer workshops for parents of children in its programs as well. Recently, this has included the addition of a six module training package and workshops on attachment theory, designed to help foster parents and those recently reunified with their own CRC children learn how to understand attachment in order to build and nurture healthy relationships with their children.
CRC parents engaged in workshop on attachment theory
Based on the Nurturing Hearts training created and offered by Patrice Penney to the CRC staff in the summer of 2015, the modules were created as an adaptation specifically for parents of children enrolled in CRC Programs.
HCW Quarterly Partnership Meeting & Christmas Party
Please join us for a special Quarterly Partnership Meeting and Christmas Reception on December 9th at 4pm at the home of Rick and Barb Sprout in Fairfax, VA. You will hear updates on the programs in Bo from Kim Sprout Nabieu and Mohamed Nabieu followed immediately by a celebration of the holiday season with HCW staff, HCW board members, partners, and friends. Please stay tuned for more information as the date gets closer.

SPACE IS LIMITED - PLEASE RSVP BY DECEMBER 1ST to SAVE YOUR SPOT!
Address information will be provided in response to RSVP.
A New Kind of HCW Mission Trip:
May Vision Team 2019
Interested in participating in mission trip focused on learning and spiritual development? This team is focused primarily on college students, but is open to anyone interested in learning more about service and deepening your faith. Tentative travel dates are May 18 - June 1 . Please join us on December 15th for an interest meeting at the Helping Children Worldwide office at 14101 Parke Long CT, STE T, Chantilly, VA or via Zoom, instructions below:

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/571096004

Or iPhone one-tap :
+16468769923,571096004# US (New York) or +16699006833,571096004# US (San Jose)

Or Telephone:
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York) or +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 571 096 004
2019 Mission Trips deadlines coming up soon
Have you thought about traveling to Sierra Leone with one of our UMVIM teams? The deadlines for the Spring and Summer 2019 teams are coming up. Appy today!
2019 UMVIM TRIP SCHEDULE

Travel Date: May 18 - June 1, 2019
Interest Meeting: Dec 15, 2018
Application Deadline: Dec 21, 2018

Travel Date: July 13 - July 27, 2019
Interest Meeting: Jan 26, 2019
Application Deadline: Jan 31, 2019

Travel Dates: Oct 19 - Nov 2, 2019
Interest Meeting: Apr 27, 2019
Application Deadline: Apr 30, 2019
It's not too late! Share the light of Christmas with Child Rescue Centre students
All 600 of the children enrolled in the Child Rescue Centre are invited to participate in a festive Christmas celebration again this year. The party will feature a special meal, Nativity play enacted by CRC students, singing, dancing and the chance to make new friends and reconnect with old ones. 

The CRC students come from many religious backgrounds, and the annual party is a wonderful opportunity for them to hear the gospel message. Each of the kids will receive a solar lantern and goodies to share with their family. 
It's not too late to donate to this wonderful event and share the light and love of Christmas with vulnerable children and youth.

We're only 30% away from our goal! Click on the link below to donate.
Help Launch Fudia's Cookbook
Coming soon to a kitchen near you: Fudia's Cookbook! Be a part of the LAUNCH CAMPAIGN to publish and produce Fudia's Cookbook, which will feature a wonderful collection of recipes, photos, stories of life and culture of Sierra Leone, as well as the history of the Missionary Training Centre on the UMC Urban Campus Bo, and Helping Children Worldwide's mission in West Africa. 

All funds raised through sales of Fudia's Cookbook will support the care and maintenance of the MTC and the mission teams who travel to Sierra Leone through HCW.

Click the link below to Help Launch Fudia's Cookbook!
A prayer for reunified families

Heavenly Father,
We pray for children newly reunified with their own or foster families, and for those families receiving them.

We pray for peace as families adjust and learn to communicate and live together full-time.

We pray for joy in the deepening of relationships, and that families will prioritize their time with each other as they learn to live together. 

We pray for the courage, wisdom and humility to ask for, accept and receive appropriate help and support when it is needed and called upon.

We pray that unconditional love grows and flourishes as children learn to trust.

We pray for patience and unselfish hearts, and the understanding that children who are frightened or unsure can sometimes act out,

We pray for discipline that is seen as an opportunity to teach rather than punish.

We pray that all the members of each family learn to love one another, and to adapt to the many changes in their world together.