1.        INTRODUCTION

1.1.    We  strongly feel that  ELWA can play a key role in the  recovery process of Liberia and make significant Kingdom impact provided IF these  potential  challenges can be overcome: 

 1.1.1.  Coordination and cooperation of the KEY ministry  areas of Radio,  Hospital, Services  and Academy “under one UMBRELLA” particularly in their personnel, finance and administrative functions.  This will help the divisions to compliment each other’s efforts as well hold each accountable.   In the words of Henry Ford, “Coming together is

             the beginning, staying together is progress and working together is SUCCESS”

 1.1.2.   Connection with local churches so as to fully establish the “ELWA Ministry Association”.  Progress has been slow towards membership/recruitment and organizing of a GENERAL ASSEMBLY to approve the Constitution/By-laws and elect a broad base board of directors.   The formation of this association will stimulate local prayer and financial support.

1.1.3.  Collaborative partnership and deliberate pubic relation campaigns aimed at  joining hands with   like mind individuals and organizations to maximum Kingdom impact.  

11.3.1  Other organizations and churches have proposed partnership with ELW, pray that these will yield fruits to build up the capacity of ELWA in developing outreach programs. /activities and to enable ELWA provide quality and affordable services. 

 

2.      ELWA RADIO

2.1.   Finance & Transportation - Finance has been very tight at Radio in meeting up with operational costs, thus making spending decision very strenuous.  Besides, the absence of a functioning vehicle within the department has contributed to  less work being accomplished downtown Monrovia in that lot valuable ministry time is spent trying to catch a public transport. 

2.2. Back Up Equipment - Lack of Back up equipment is seriously affecting the radio ministry.  This includes mini disc player, control board, cd players, etc.   Back ups will provide options to fall back on in times of break downs and repairs. 

2.3.   FM Broadcast  Signal -  Since the construction of  the 350 foot tower, the FM broadcast signal on the 250 watts transmitter  has been able to reach Monrovia and the  surrounding areas, however, there is need to repair the 2000 watts transmitter that will boost the signal to  cover  central Liberia and beyond. 

2.4. Short Wave Transmitter – News of the 5 kilo watts transmitter being at the Freeport of Monrovia brings unspeakable JOY.  This will once again enable Radio ELWA to RESURRECT the shortwave broadcast and begin vernacular broadcast into the interior of Liberia.  The vernacular program currently broadcast on the FM transmitter from 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm daily is only reaching a very small portion of the target area. 

2.5. Switchover to Digital Broadcasting – introduction of the digital system spearheaded by Joel Parker is commendable.  This is step #1 in the upgrade of our broadcast equipment and the beginning of broadening the skills of our staff.  The digital system has made recording and editing easier.  Please uphold our staffs in your prayers as some are still “catching up”. 

2.6. HCJB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Radio ELWA to mutually promote excellence in media and healthcare ministries through proactive Kingdom building initiatives.  The MOU further  seek to strengthen the ties between HCJB and EMA, and to optimize efforts so as to accelerate and expand the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 18:19-20).  Pray that this partnership will achieved the desire goal.

 

3.       ELWA ACADEMY 

3.1.   Instructional Methods – progress has been made to upgrade the skills of teaching staff through seminars and workshops conducted during school breaks.  Besides training, the specifically “tailored” curriculum has been used as a “tool” to boost the teaching methods.  This has contributed to the high students’ enrollment; more parents have expressed their appreciation.  Thanks to SIM for their support and role as mentors, manufacturing QUALITIY teachers to mold the lives of our future generation Lisa Kejr and Debbie Sacra has been very helpful.   Cheri Shea has also been resourceful to the ELWA Academy. 

3.2.  Infrastructure Development - Through the assistance of SIM, funding have been made available to give a decent look to the school building [painting of classrooms, putting in new furniture, etc]. 

3.3. Expansion & Upgrade Plans – Plans are under way to add two more classrooms to the Kindergarten building to free out classrooms space within the elementary building so to allow the expansion to full junior level by academic 2009/2010.  .  Progress is being made to set up a computer lab to provide computer literacy for students and community members.  Twenty-four computers (24) have been donated through Cedarville University of USA contact, awaiting shipment to Liberia.  Classroom space have been identified and prepared and funding for furniture is in hand.

 

4.      ELWA SERVICES 

4.1.   Security System Upgrade – Several actions have been take to  strengthen the ELWA Campus  security system, including the hiring  of David Korvah, a trained security staff and one time ELWA Security Chief, introduction of  contract system  for short term  employees, reactivation  and beef-up of patrol system, currently by foot  and mobile, even though the mo bile patrol  expensive.  Reliable communication equipment & logistics [better flashlights and quality rain gears], construction wall,   increase manpower & salary improvements are majors obstacles to achieving our goals. 

4.2. Power Plant Upgrade – with the help of Steve & Mel Kejr and Alan Shea the three (3) ELWA generators are now in  working condition but work is still being done by Alan Shea to set up the control system so as to be able  provide dependable power and redundancy. 

4.3.  Work Procedure & Environment Upgrade – The Services Division has been reorganizing their work environment and redefining their work procedures in order to improve their quality of service and to make their employees more productive.  Steps taking so far are:

4.3.1.    Clean up of  work stations and grounds to create a conducive work

environment  and to organize their work areas.

                  4.3.2.   Set up of locker storage and assigning a personnel to check out tools.  This

                  move is intended to control the movement of tools and to help staff be accountable for

                  working their tools.

                  4.3.3.  Creation of a work requisition register to track and monitor job assignment.  A

                    form is also being designed to help customers evaluate and give feedback to the

                    Services Management at the end of jobs.

 4.4. Major Challenges – Low salary & benefit is to a larger extent responsible for the poor performance of staff on the job and the difficulty of retaining qualified personnel within division.  Thus the division is drawing up plans to strengthen collection of unpaid bills.  Fuel supply for the generator is a huge challenge facing the division in those funds intended for other areas are diverted to keep electric power on the campus.  Inventory is also a major need at Services.

 

 5.       ELWA HOSPITAL 

5.1.     Fees Schedule Review & Tight Budget - The hospital is currently reviewing their fees structure to see where they can increase fees and improve their income stream.  The hospital budget has been strained by increasing drug expenditures and high wage bill, making it even difficult to cover power costs in a timely manner.  The financial situation at the hospital has put a lot of improvements on HOLD – addressing issues of sanitation, renovation of aging roof on the main hospital building, upgrading the standard of the hospital wards, etc. 

5.2.   Health Outreach - The hospital upcountry outreach into Sinoe County, Liberia is making significance impact, giving hope and making healthcare accessible to people of low income and improving the healthcare system of the area. This is also public relations for the ELWA Ministries.  Our prayer is that needed funding can be made available to support the program and open more doors to do similar work in other parts of the country.  

5.3.  Night time Security for Employees – Security has become a serious concern in light of constant attack on staff that runs late hours schedules.  The leadership is looking at cost and implications of three shifts vs. two as a means of putting into place temporary measures until at such time when the ELWA leadership can gather the necessary resources to put in place a system that will provide some level of security. 

5.4.  Improvements – three air conditioners have been installed, one in the conference room to provide comfort during workshops, meetings, etc. , one in OB ward for   comfort of patients  and one in the Pharmacy warehouse to keep the life span of drugs.  This however increases the cost of operation.

 

6.       ELWA MINISTRY ASSOCIATION (EMA) 

6.1.    Strengthening of ELWA Central Administration - Commitment from the Division Managers to NOW fully support the Central Office have been a “great encouragement” especially so with the complexities of administrative, financial and personnel functions. This is a major step forward since the creation of the Central Office and will help to unify the various divisions, making them accountable to each other.  ELWA Administrative Committee will NOW be in the driver’s seat, looking at issues across the various divisions and taking collective decisions geared towards achieving the overall mission of the ELWA Ministry Association.  This will be a major shake up shifting the “mindset” from ONLY looking at individual division to looking at the BIG PICTURE.  

6.2. Review of Mission Statements & Core Values – With the help of Larry Dick and his brother Cordell, we have been reevaluating our mission statements with the emphasis on RESULTS rather than just activities.  We have been able to also develop our core values into statement form. 

6.3. Project Promotion & Public Relations – There are lot of ELWA projects sitting on the SIM books waiting for deliberate promotion.  One of such is the Services Campus Upgrade Project which includes the Services Office building which should host the Services and Administrative Offices when relocated from the ELWA Academy Building.  Services had to give up one room recently to provide classroom space for the 7^th grade which the ELWA Academy intend to  add for the 2007/2008 academic year.  Also the ELWA Leadership Empowerment Project which has a vehicle component for the ELWA General Manager and also equipment for additional staff within the office of the ELWA General Manager.  What strategy needs to be put in place to drive a “deliberate promotion” and public relations campaigns? 

6.4.  CLFC Bounces Back – Under the leadership of Sis. Amanda Lewis, Committed Liberians for Christ (CLFC), USA has recommitted itself to working with their national brothers on the ground as overseas partners to broaden ELWA support base.  In recent times, CLFC have been able to contribute US$2000.00 (two thousand United dollars) towards ELWA Radio Annual Registration Fees.  In November of 2006, they made cash contribution of US$1000.00 towards the new studio block molding project and the donation of two glucose macines plus strips. 

6.5.  Accounting System – Thank the Lord that through the assistance of Steve Kejr, Bob Blees, Seward Kollie and others we now have a user friendly accounting package that will help us to evaluate our financial performance and assist with the development of  proper and coordinated records and reports.  Hopefully, by end of September 2007, the various divisions will have a “workable budget” to be consolidated into a central budget.  

6.6. Request from Marketing Association – Request have come from the Liberia Marketing Association to help relocate the ELWA/Paynesville Community market adjacent to the ELWA Campus.  ELWA Management will covet yours for wisdom as to how to respond. 

6.7.   Manager’s Prayer Retreat -   Through a concern brother who has a deep passion for the spiritual development of the ELWA Ministries, US$500.00 have been made available to the ELWA Administrative Committee to hold a prayer retreat.  The managers will be traveling to Yekepa, Nimba County on Monday, 3 September and Saturday, 9 September 2007.  Please pray that the “Managers will have an encounter with the LORD” in the developing the spiritual focus of the ELWA Ministries. 

 

Major Needs – improve campus security, including fencing of ELWA Property to limit access points and demarcate property, road and ground maintenance, strong partnership, project funding, additional personnel within the Central Administration to make it pro-active in the process of implementation, execution and evaluation of program and activities of the ELWA Ministries.  

 

  

 

 

 

Report of ELWA Manager’s Prayer Retreat

by James Kesselly

September 2007

 

Praise the Lord that the ELWA Manager’s Prayer Retreat went well.  I want to personally thank all of you who stood behind us with your prayers. Results of this Prayer Retreat has the potential to give  birth to a NEW ELWA.  Please pray that the thoughts, ideas and plans developed  during the retreat will be nurtured to create the mindset, attitudes, and behaviors that will give birth to the NEW ELWA under the national initiatives.

The ELWA Management Team comprising Elder Thomas F.  Kpelewah, Hospital Administrator,  Elder Moses T. Nyantee, Radio Manager, Rev. Benedict  T. Nagbe, Academy Principal, Bro. Augustine M. Kollie, Services Manager and myself travel to Yekepa on Monday, 3 September 2007 and return on Friday, 7 September 2007.  Our visit was cut short by one day because of the death of Thomas Kpelewah’s father.  News hit us of this sad event on Thursday morning, 6 September while we were in devotion. Thomas is now upcountry in in Lofa for some family discussion.  Please remember him in your prayers.

We spent the whole of Monday traveling.  We left Monrovia around 11 am and arrived in Yekepa at about 6:30 pm.  The road was not too bad as we anticipated, except for a place called Miller Farm between Ganta and Sanaquelle where other vehicles got stuck on our way back to Monrovia. 

We spend Tuesday, 4 September and Wednesday, 5 September evaluating the leaders and their respective divisions as well as developing prayer and action points for staff motivation.  We focus on the strengths and weaknesses of each manager,  positive and negative impact of each of division.  At the end we drew up prayer points and challenges for each of the manager and their respective divisions, including myself.  The discussions were open and frank, none of the managers put up any strong defense when their weaknesses were pointed out by the other managers.

On Thursday, 6 September we spent time before the Lord praying through prayer points from the exercise on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We also pray regarding “spiritual awakening” among the staff, Government relations, community relations (particularly our immediate neighbors) and also for partners/donors relations.  While we developing prayer points for community relations, the Lord impressed upon me SO HARD that there are so many little things that ELWA can do to build relationships within our immediate communities such as chlorinating wells, sharing extra educational materials with schools within the area, taking blood pressure, repairing roofs, even if it is a sheet of zinc, inviting community leaders to our Christmas Fellowship, etc.  We all agreed that we have not done well in building relationships with our neighbors.  I am still sharing tears as I write this portion of the report.  We might not have the money and/or resources to do so much to meet all their needs but just doing the little we can will make all the difference to open their hearts to the gospel and be more appreciative for the work of the ELWA Ministries.  

Since we could not do the prayer walk as scheduled for Friday, 7 September, as we drove back, we did pray within the major cities along the road on our way back to Monrovia. Prayers were offered as follows: Yekepa, Saniquelle, Ganta, Gbarnga, Totota, and lastly Kakata.

On Tuesday, we visited the African Bible College Campus where renovation work is going on to have the College re-open by January 2008.  Good numbers of the buildings now have roofs, doors and windows.  Accordingly, ABC intends to operate a community radio and to upgrade the standard.  The churches have established the “Pastoral Fellowship of Evangelical Churches” within Yekapa.  They were suppose to do some work on the ABC Campus  by Friday, 7 September  as their own way contributing to the resurrection of the College since they lack the  ability at the moment to make cash contribution. 

While we were in Yekepa, besides, foreign stations, JOY FM situated in Saniquelle is the only station being heard in Yekepa.  When we visited a border town in Guinea, residents there asked: “When will we hear the Mano program on ELWA again?”  The Mt. Nimba Baptist Church Pastor, Rev. Jenkins Bas Johnson, our host, also expressed his desire to see ELWA back on the air proclaiming the gospel.  

We made a visit at the LAMCO hospital on Wednesday, 5 September where we were given a tour of the hospital by the head nurse upon the instruction of the Hospital Administrator. The Hospital currently has on the staff one medical doctor, three nurses with other professionals and support staff.  Renovation works are currently going on by MITAL Steel Company for the resumption of mining work once again in Yekepa, Nimba County. 

Rev. Jenkins Bas Johnson and his family were so gracious in hosing us at no cost attached.  Besides, our meals, three times a day, were prepared by Mrs. Johnson (Rev. Jenkins Bas Johnson’s wife).  For some of you who live in Yekepa, we were hosted in area “J” in the house where Rev. Earl Williams lived.  The Pastor’s office was used for our meetings.