Dear  Friends / Volunteer:

2005 West African Relief Mission & Expedition - 1st Call for Volunteers & Partner Donations 

Take advantage - join our team to visit and do volunteer mission work in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. Discover the "Jews of Africa", the unique cultures of Igbo land in Nigeria; explore Crab Tong Refugee Camp in Lumley village of Sierra Leone; extend your skills and helping hands to these folks and the rural & semi-urban dwellers in coastal Volta Regions of Ghana. Ponder history at the slave posts of ancient Gold Coast & Badagri, near Lagos Nigeria when you join a team of Relief Network Ambassadors to bring relief to the lives of thousands in urban and rural Africa.

Experience the rich rewards of giving back as you make a difference in "Joseph's " style as you play a big role in helping folks in their "Egypt" have a better life. Why? You'll discover how many leap years ahead you're blessed with by just living in "God's own Country" - USA ... and perhaps in gratitude, humbly respond to the scriptural injunction - "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." [Luke 12:48]

We'll work in 3 key areas with opportunities to share our faith and the love of Christ, namely:

• Water well Projects: Cable tool drillers, folks with rotary drilling experience or those who have taken the LS-100 / LS-200 drilling class from Living Water International or Life Water. Also those who have attended the Life Water Conference are a big asset as volunteers. Plan is to do 2 to 3 wells in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and 1 in Ghana during the first half of year as we start or rejuvenate the drilling program in these countries. Clean water & sanitary environments stems the high incidence disease & premature deaths from preventable diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera epidemic, river blindness and malaria to a great extent.
• V-TEN: Vocational Technical Education Network - the training of School Teachers to use computers better as a learning tool, better equip small business cafe' owners and generally help people acquire job skills in basic technology & business areas needed in these countries. Computer donations, especially portables (Laptops, new or used) are welcome contributions.
• Medical Outreaches: Conduct Medical Clinics, do vital surgeries for selected cases as you work with indigenous medical practitioners with opportunities to learn and exchange ideas; help in HIV / AIDs awareness, prevention, drug evaluation programs, and education of critical care workers in both Nigeria and Ghana. Reliable medical sources indicate about 6% of Nigeria's adult population is HIV positive (a lot of the transmission by blood transfusion, and un-sterilized needles, including of course sexual promiscuity). The picture is grimmer in many other African countries where death rates continue to increase due to HIV / AIDs and no access to safe drinking water.

Two teams are needed as follows to cover the work load. Team A will cover Nigeria and Ghana - Mission trip billed to take place in November, 2005. (Firm dates to be announced within next 60 days). Team B will cover Sierra Leone only (joint effort with www.sierraleonerelief.org ) - trip will take place in late Dec - Jan 2006 (dates to be confirmed within 60 days).

The total cost of the trips are: for Team A is $2675 for 10-15 days; and for Team B is $2250 for 8-10 days.  Team A's trip will covering round trip tickets from Houston-Amsterdam-Lagos (Nigeria)-Ghana-Amsterdam-Houston; 7 or more days of hotel stay; two meals daily; all local transport; 2 domestic flights within Nigeria; visa and documentation fees into both countries. Some nights of hosting by selected in-country host families to save you money, or provide closer interaction with natives. There is room for only 8 volunteers in Team A. Two places are taken, 6 more to go. Team B's trip and what is covered is similar to team A's with a different routes from Houston-Amsterdam or London -Cape-Town-Amsterdam / or London-Houston. 5 volunteers are needed for Team B and 2 identified / taken. Please confirm your reservation with a non-refundable deposit of $200 by March 15th for either team. Your deposit will be applied towards your travel cost / visa processing fees. 

If you are interested in going, like to share your skills and faith, but uncertain about the skills you may contribute, please contact me or our Volunteer Director - Mrs. Meriel M. Bernhard (mbern81139@aol.com, or call 503-287-8882). For doctors and RNs who need more details on clinics and operating room conditions your questions will be directed to any of our volunteer medical practitioners here in the States or in Africa via email or phone calls.

Southeast Asia has suffered greatly from the Tsunami ravages in the past two weeks - fortunately, it is getting the publicity and relief it deserves from many of us. Unfortunately, Africa's untold sufferings continue to be unknown by the majority in the Western World. People continue to suffer and die in silence & obscurity. Consider the genocide in Rwanda, or Sudan's Dafur region alone (2 million dead, 4 million displaced through violence, lack of drinking water, and hunger - www.careusa.org). Do something today to break the cycle of disease & violence in Africa as you re-enlighten minds bringing back hope with job skills and knowledge transfer.

More information is also available at our Website: www.relief-networks.org under Mission trips / News. 

Thank you and remain blessed

Dr. A. Sunny Okorie
(President, RNM, Inc.)
Email: aso@relief-networks.org
Web: www.relief-networks.org / www.reliefntwk.net
Phone: 281-337-0067

To Support / Donate

If you won't be travelling with us but would like to make a contribution that would be splendid and a blessing indeed for the thousands of women and children in Africa who walk over 4 miles daily looking for clean drinking water.
1) To donate a low capacity well for a whole village - you may give $2,500 or $8,500 for a high capacity well.
2) To donate a submersible pump - give $500 or more
3) To donate a hand-pump - give $300 or more
4) To donate an electric generating set (5-8 KVA) capacity - give $2,500 or more
5) To donate water filtration bottles for difficult places we may not reach with a well soon enough and save the lives of little babies - give $35 per water bottle (filter good for nearly 1 year's drinking water supply for a child's consumption).
6) To contribute to our discretionary / ministry support fund - give as you're led or whatever you can afford.
7) To donate towards our new rig / retrofitting & tools / Air Compressor Fund - give as you're led or generously. We need about $14,000 to complete the job. (If you have a 2 or more ton truck, or Air Compressor to donate - that would be a great blessing and relief to thousands.

Once again, I wish to thank you for your support and friendship in the past year and pray for continued support and partnership in the Great "Co-Mission" as we co labor or network to touch and change lives for Christ. Whatever you are able to do to help the poor and needy is good works done for the Lord himself - Matthew 25:40.
"For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever" (Psalm 9:18).

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