Here's our monthly prayer update.

Dear Praying friends -

Since we’ve been back in Liberia a month, it’s time for an update. It’s been a pretty quick month. It’s still raining a lot, so we didn’t manage to escape the season entirely. But it has been nice to make the transition back while it is still cooler. We’re still cleaning up musty-smelling books, clothes, and linens.

Rick is pretty much full time at the hospital, since the current medical staff includes only him and one other full-time doctor. PLEASE PRAY for them to be able to find another local doctor (or 2) to hire. Or go for the big one and pray for more missionary doctors!

Debbie is getting a kind of slow start, held up by her temporary position as general contractor for a home improvement project: tiling the house. It’ll be done by the end of next week and it’s a nice change. Once it’s done we can really unpack and get settled into life.

Jared and Caleb are back at the American School, where the enrollment in the upper grades has just about doubled. They are enjoying having more classmates, but we’re feeling sorry for the teacher who is still juggling four grade levels in one room. In light of this, Debbie has offered her services to the school to teach part-time if it would help. It seems to be a more complicated decision than just whether a qualified teacher is available for hire, so we are still waiting to hear.

If Deb isn’t needed at the American School, she’ll jump into things at the ELWA Academy in the next couple of weeks. Much to our surprise, the school year opened the week after we arrived (it usually starts mid-September) by government decree. There are quite a few new teachers who were not fully oriented before classes began. And then Deb’s main goal is to get the curriculum written up. PRAY for the re-connecting process for Debbie – she is feeling very out of the loop with regards to the Academy.

Debbie may be applying her general contracting skills (this is a joke) to the Academy building project. The new kindergarten building is up to roof level, waiting for the rain to stop and for some paperwork to be processed before moving on. Unfortunately, building materials have really increased in cost, so we are not sure how far the funds we raised are going to go as we continue the construction. PRAY especially for trustworthy construction workers who feel accountable before the Lord for the way they do business.

Not to forget Sacra #5 – Max – at Dakar Academy in Senegal. He reports that he is busy with his social life and homework. And having a good time- always his top priority. Others also report that they enjoy having him around. We miss him. PRAY for his school to find a replacement for the Chemistry teacher who suddenly resigned. Yes, Max is taking Chemistry.

This email probably sounds a LOT DIFFERENT from our last term- nothing here about administrative duties and short termers. We’re very thankful that those responsibilities have been taken up by others with support from us. It is a little strange to not be central to what is happening in SIM-Liberia anymore, but a relief. Sometimes Rick looks at how many people are sharing the responsibilities we used to carry and he just shakes his head: what was he thinking? No wonder it wasn’t working. THANK GOD for Les Unruh, the Liberia Associate Director (and his wife, Verla, who is going to be his administrative assistant); Matt Carr, the new church relations coordinator and Brenda Carr, who is replacing Debbie as Personnel Director. Pray for them as they fully take on these roles. They arrived about the same time we did.

Thanks for your friendship, concern, support and especially for your prayers. We really had a restful home assignment in your midst. PRAISE GOD for His answers to your prayers for us: administrative help, financing for the Academy building and our personal restoration from a tough term. We’re happy to be back to our ministries.

For the Kingdom – Rick and Debbie Sacra