Hello everyone,
We’ve heard about snow, lots of snow… and seen some beautiful winter photos of our lovely Switzerland! We hope the transition to the new season has gone well for you.
Here, we are slowly moving into the dry, hot season! Not that it’s cold otherwise 😉 As promised, here is some news about our situation here at ELWA.
Upon our return in August, we continued discussions about the future of ELWA Hospital. As a reminder, we have been in crisis for several years and are trying to bring clarity and forge a path forward so that the ministries can regain stability. The crisis is mainly financial, but it also affects morale, procedures, structure, and relationships. After much discussion, we quickly realized that the majority of those involved in these discussions were truly committed to keeping the hospital in its current state. That is, not cutting services or reducing staff. But how can we look to the future with optimism? Most of ELWA’s departments (Academy, Radio, Security, etc.) are slowly getting back on their feet, so to speak, but the hospital is still far from where it needs to be, not to mention the large debt we still owe to the government.
Employees, the government, management, and the steering committee, to name just a few of the parties involved in these discussions. Divergent opinions have increased tensions. On October 6, the union organized a strike at the hospital. The article on the Front Page Africa website (click to read the article and look for Nicolas ;-)) will give you a little more detail about the context in which we are working. “ELWA Hospital is bleeding” was the headline of this article.
This demonstration seems to have sounded the alarm at the Ministry of Health. After several meetings, the minister announced that the government would support the hospital financially, to the tune of $1.4 million for the year 2026. This news was, of course, greeted with great joy at the hospital. It also eased tensions, at least temporarily.
Today, we are trying to stay the course: to put the ministries back on the path to a more stable and sustainable future. It is not easy and requires continual wisdom. We find our courage through our faith: we do not bear all the responsibility. These ministries belong to God, and it is up to Him to decide the future of the hospital.
A chapter ends
Some of you may already have heard the latest news, which we would describe as personal. When we took on the leadership role for SIM Liberia, we always said that we could commit for four years (not five) because Théotime will be finishing eighth grade in June. The school our boys attend does not continue beyond eighth grade (American system). We considered other options but quickly realized that none of them were right for our family.
We have therefore decided to leave Liberia—for good—in June 2026. This will be a big step for our family. Next May, it will be eight years since we first set foot in this country!
What’s next?
We have spoken several times about our interest in the Mercy Ships organization. This organization has two large hospital ships. We have often thought that we would like to work with them for a few years. We contacted them and began the process of applying. They are very interested in our profile but will not be able to take us on board in the summer of 2026 due to the limited number of cabins for families, which are in high demand.
We are not discouraged. We are exploring different options and look forward to sharing the results of our reflections with you!
We wish you a wonderful end of the year, a Merry Christmas, and a happy start to 2026!
With love,
Melvina, Nicolas, Théotime, Siméon, Gabriel, and Caleb.
If you would like to pray with us
Praises: We were delighted to have Melvina’s sister’s family (Marianik, Christoph, Yaël, and Eloïs) visit us in October. It was a great encouragement and a time full of joy!
Praises: Melvina loves her role as a teacher! She recently took her students outside the capital to provide dental care in a town where there is no dental care available. Here is a short video that gives you a glimpse of what they did: VIDEO
Intercession: Our friends – the assistant director’s family – have just left for Canada. It was difficult to say goodbye. They have been a great support over the last three years. Pray with us that God will send new workers! We also have the hospital director who had to leave sooner than expected.
Intercession: We are talking and praying as a family so that we can discover the next step in our adventure. Our children are amazing, and we are truly passionate about experiencing all this with their support and energy. We pray that God will guide us during this decisive period.
