We received a lab report on Roo and it showed he was severely anemic.  Everything else seemed okay and no malaria showed in the blood.

 From these photos we can see he is thin and doesn’t feel well.   We are starting him on iron vitamins as we do not trust the blood supply for transfusions.

Thank you for your prayers for Roo and the work in Sierra Leone by Nazareth House Apostolate.  Its not easy, but we don’t give up.

1. Holy Prophet, Elijah, who heard God in the stillness
2. Holy Simeon, the God Receiver & Confessor, who found God to be enough
3. John the Baptist, Forerunner & Baptizer of Jesus in the Jordan River where Heaven opened
4. Saint Mary of Bethany, who chose the better part
5. Saint John the Beloved who with Mary Magdalene & Mary, the mother of our Lord, bore witness at the foot of the cross
6. Saint Paul,  the Apostle, who showed us the Way of the Name
7. Saint Pachomius of the Rule who gave us the Angel’s holy Rule of Prayer
8. Saint Arsenius, who fled, found solitude and prayed always
9. Saint Mary of Egypt, for whom repentance was enough
10. Saint Isaac the Syrian, who showed us the beyond to be in our midst
11. Saint Gregory of Sinai, who stayed with the prayer

Today’s blog post will be a bit of a “catch up” on recent events.  


At this writing James and Kadijah are tending to Roo who is experiencing a very high fever of 104.  Please keep him in your prayers. 


The NHA Matching Fund campaign has ended and was a success.  We have now received the matching funds to match all the donations.   Thank you so very much for all the support.  You’ll be hearing more about this very soon.


Nazareth House Apostolate has purchased 100 worm pills ($319) and they are on their way to Sierra Leone along with medications received from the Anglican Church Women of St. Augustine Church in Chico, California.



We want to send our love and congratulations to Mohammad Sanu and his family.  



His wife gave birth (successfully) to their youngest child. 





 Last year they lost a child at birth – it was too premature.  

Sanu has joined the NHA team and works with James to provide and do the work of Nazareth House in Kabala.  


James reports after Sanu’s wife’s surgery – c-section (thanks to NHA’s provision) that he met up with an adorable little dog sporting only three legs.   



“Old school is this dog’s name. Some say he suffered the amputation during the war, some say he was hit by a car but no matter what his history is, he is the sweetiest dog I have ever met in my life. Whilst trying to help Sanu out as he struggle to get his wife out of the hospital after her operation, we met Old School. I was so worn out but was so moved to play with him and  there he comes wagging his tale as if I was his owner. He did make my day and every one told me so much good stories of him. Old School, as he is called, living his life as a Freetonian and had no choice but to keep his three legs going and making life happen as it is. No complain at all…….  To me he represents a lot of my people, they have nothing, many times not even their limbs, but they smile, they are genuinely happy and they make life go on as if they were richest of the world” -James Mansaray


After prayerful consideration and much research, we have decided to transfer Lucy to a Boarding School in Freetown.   

Lucy, (James daughter) plans on being a doctor and with the scarcity of that vocation in Kabala we felt it was our duty to see that she gets the adequate education and training without delay.   Our NHA School in Kabala provides very qualified education however, we are just now growing into the high school level that Lucy has already obtained, therefore we didn’t want to hold her back. We tried the excellent homeschooling but since the internet in Sierra Leone is so intermittent these days, her learning was not consistent.  The boarding school tuition, room and board (including food) is right at $3,000 a year.  We have provided $500 of that as a downpayment and this has allowed her to begin school.  The school has asked that we pay $1100 this month and the rest within the next month.   We are taking donations for this cause.  If you wish to give please indicate “Lucy” on your contribution. 


Nazareth House again paid the yearly rent for Marianna Barrie, the wife of the late sufi saint, Pa Barrie.  

We promised Pa Barrie that  we would take care of his widow and we have kept our promise.   







Thanks be to God. 





Back at St. Simeon Skete, we are preparing for Winter.   The skies have been as colorful as the changing leaves.  Finally, the grass mowing is over until Spring.





   There is over 17 acres of grass to cut on the property and Seraphim has been keeping up with it.





   When time came for Louisville Tractor to come and take away the lawn mower for Winterizing,



 Seraphim was like a boy having his toy taken away.  

He explained to me that the Cheetah (Scags Zero Turn) was the best working tool he’s had in a long time.  ”Its a fine machine”  He is very thankful for it, especially with this much grass to cut. 

And as they drove off with it, Seraphim watched it to the very end of the road.   Men and their tools.   …smile…




We cannot stress enough that Nazareth House Apostolate relies totally on God as he expresses Himself through our supporters’ prayers, compassion and generosity.  Through this assistance we are able to reach hundreds (families and individuals, doctors and hospitals,  teachers and students).   Join us, today.

When I die

when you see my corpse is being carried


 don't cry for my leaving


 i'm not leaving


 i'm arriving at eternal love

you’ll only see me descending

 into a grave

 now watch me rise

 how can there be an end

 when the sun sets

 or the moon goes down

it looks like the end


 it seems like a sunset


 but in reality it is a dawn


 when the grave locks you up


 that is when your soul is freed

have you ever seen a seed fallen to earth


 not rise with a new life


 why should you doubt the rise


 of a seed named human

have you ever seen a bucket

 lowered into a well

 coming back empty

 why lament for a soul

 when it can come back

 like Joseph from the well

when for the last time

 you close your mouth

 your words and soul 

will belong to the world

 of no place no time

~RUMI, ghazal number 911, translated May 18, 1992, by Nader Khalili.