New trip to Ghana 2011

The date of our next mission trip to Ghana is fast approaching, January 5, 2011.
Our goals for this trip:

1. to use the 15,000 books left over from our shipment from Phoenix in 2009 in setting up at least four new libraries;
2. to hold our annual in-service for at least 27 libraries out of the 48 we have previously set up;
3. to open up a recovery house in Kukurantumi for alcoholics and drug addicts based on AA program and the infrastructure of Oxford House International;
4. to disseminate information about alcoholism and HIV/AIDS to all libraries;
5. to hold further training courses for librarians and certify them using the curriculum we have developed.

It has taken us a full year to settle into our house and the St. Louis community, but it is done and we are so grateful to God for His faithful love and Grace in this process. We live close to two of our five grandchildren and have been able to see them on a regular basis. We are taking a third grandchild, Kwesi, to Ghana with us for our five and a half month mission trip. We hope one day the other two grandchildren who live in Florida will one day visit us in Ghana.
Sister Marian Boberschmidt, OSF will come to Ghana to volunteer with us for six weeks beginning in February 2011. She will be there during our annual library in-service and help set up several libraries.
Hilda's bags have been packed for two weeks now; our grandson has done his two last night, and I have one bag open that I stuff things in as I encounter them and choose them for Ghana. It is cold in St. Louis and I believe we are anxious to be on our way.
Our local church, St. Pius V Catholic Church has been a steady inspiration for us. As many of you know St. Bernard Church in Akron, Ohio was very supportive of our mission since its inception in 1996. We are finding that support in this Christian community in St. Louis. They have given us the use of their social hall for a fundraiser on June 25, 2011. Hilda belongs to a Bible Study group at the church. I am in the choir and we both belong to the church's Social Concerns Commission with its active outreach to the people living in poverty and distress in St. Louis. Kwesi and I also belong to a volunteer organization which repairs the homes of the elderly and disabled in our Tower Grove East and South area. Another piece of news from St. Louis, Hilda and I are coordinating a pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville, IL for the 40 plus prayer communities of Faith and Light USA East. The pilgrimage will be held from August 18-21st 2011. Faith and Light is an international organization of prayer communities for people with developmental disabilities and their families and friends.

Hilda and I have been resting and catching up on things in the USA, like taxes, friends, stamina and now we are in St. Louis visiting our daughter's family and two of our grandchildren.
I just finished editing a twenty minute video summarizing our mission work in Liberia and Ghana since October 2008.
Hilda has written a summary of our activities which is also available on our website.
On Saturday, May 16th at 5:30 PM we will have our annual fundraising dinner/concert. We will start with our dinner and music provided by Touch of Spring group. After dinner we will have a short video on Ghana, pass the basket for donations to help ship the books in October 2009, and then Mark Dawidziak and Sara Showman will dramatize animal tales by Mark Twain and international folk traditions.
Jonny Brown, our partner in Phoenix, Arizona has now succeeded in collecting over 25,000 books. She needs more children's books. You may send them to her or to us and we will drive them to Phoenix at the end of the summer.

Library for Mumford, Ghana

Tomorrow, March 29th we will be travelling to Mumford on the coast of Ghana to set up a library. With Hilda and I are Paul and Susan Younger and their children PY and Alyssa. We will be arranging and shelving the books Monday and Tuesday, and then have a grand opening on Wednesday.

First Entry

We are just starting this service with our NGO. Communicate with us.
Do you want a library in your town?
Do you want to donate books or support our work financially?
Communicate with us...here or at kirtbromley@yahoo.com