It’s morning at the Nyandengoh! Daycare and Preschool…. “Mommy K” jumps up and down, shrieking with delight – we are not sure about what! Umu quietly observes the rest of the group with a big smile on her face. Her body is still frail, but the treatment she is receiving, seems to do its work and she definitely has an appetite as she eats her breakfast of bread and tea. Fatmata rocks back and forth; it is still impossible to have her make eye contact, but she seems happy and content in the Day Care Center. In his special chair, Swaray is able to sit down and focus. “Huh, huh, huh…” he says, as we count from one to five. We are so happy to see how he is beginning to try to communicate. Emmanuel surprises all of us by perfectly sorting blocks by color. Massah frequently bursts into tears. Adapting to routines can still be challenging for her.
Every day comes with joy and surprises at the Nyandengoh! Day Care and School for Special Education, but also with significant challenges as we work with children who are not only living with disabilities, but often are also traumatized by discrimination, abuse, and neglect. God has blessed us with some extraordinary people who have the love, patience and courage to work with these children on a daily base. However, the constant confrontation with suffering, plus the loss of several of our children to what probably were preventable diseases, does at times weigh them down.
In October, the Yoders were able to visit Mattru for almost three weeks. We had a special time together, encouraging the team, reviewing our growing list of children, planning their care, and welcoming another 10 children into the program. At the end of our visit we traveled to Bo where we spent time together at a retreat center. It was such a blessing to see the team sink into the soft couches, for a few days free from responsibilities. We rested, prayed, studied Scripture, sang, ate delicious food, played games, enjoyed lively discussions and listened to each other’s stories. We are so grateful for the sponsors who made this retreat possible for our staff!
Now everyone is back to work, and the Yoders are supporting the team from the US. The coming months will be filled with lots of planning: our activities and budget for 2023, new programs, and of course our building project! Please pray for us as we discern priorities and explore partnerships that will support and improve our services to the children and their families. Also pray for God to make it possible to hire more staff and for qualified people to join our team.