On one of my trips to Liberia, I purchased an abstract wooden figure. The salesman told me it represented the tough decision a man had to make during the Ebola pandemic, as to whether he should stay in Liberia or leave. This piece appealed to me, as it symbolizes any hard decision I need to make, especially those that I wrestle with in prayer. I placed it in the area I have set aside for my morning devotions. I often glance at it when struggling with tough choices.
 
Not all decisions are difficult, of course, but trusting someone with our health care is a big deal. In the villages visited by Dignity:Liberia’s nurse-midwives, the village chiefs’ decision to welcome their outreach goes a long way toward acceptance by the communities. The traditional tribal midwives’ decision to work with us is a tough one, as it may impact their livelihood. When pregnant women and girls decide, along with their families, to avail themselves of our services, they are trusting someone different with their health care. After examining expectant mothers, nurse-midwives Patricia Kollie Kpalo and William S. Tamba, Jr. decide whether the babies can be safely delivered at Hope House or whether they will need advanced care in a hospital setting.  
 
As we board members receive reports from Liberia, we make decisions based on our various areas of expertise – particularly about the running of Hope House and on issues related to the ongoing construction of Dignity Clinic. We need to make the right decisions, so fistula repair surgery and C-Sections can be safely performed at our clinic once it is operational.
 
You, our supporters, also decide whether to support us or send your donations elsewhere. We know you have a choice when it comes to your charitable donations, and we thank you for deciding to be a part of the solution to preventing obstetric fistula in Liberia.

I am reading, an Advent devotion book* that features a different animal each day. The book describes the measures the animal takes to survive the harshness of a freezing winter landscape, bare of the plants or other animals that provide it food, living in darkness before the hope of spring.
 
At Hope House, the nurse midwives have treated and counseled teens pregnant with their first child, as well as women who are pregnant for the third or fourth time, yet who remain childless. The care they receive gives them hope that this time, things will be different.
 
Through our blog, we have introduced you to many women and girls who have lived in darkness, suffering physically, mentally, and spiritually as the result of an obstetric fistula. Yet each hopes that with fistula repair surgery, the leaking can be stopped so she can resume a normal life. Currently under construction, Dignity Clinic will respond to that hope.
 
At Christmas we celebrate the gift of a promise fulfilled. Hopelessness is changed to hope with the arrival of a tiny infant. December 25. Whether you celebrate the birth of the Christ child or the arrival of Santa (or perhaps a mix of both), may you always have hope. Merry Christmas!
 
 
* All Creation Waits by Gayle Boss, © 2016

Both Liberians and Americans celebrate Thanksgiving in November. It is a national holiday in both nations (the 1st Thursday of the month in Liberia and the 4th Thursday of the month in the United States). Dignity:Liberia has been showered with an abundance of blessings this year, and for that we give thanks.
 
A few months after Hope House began accepting patients, Dignity:Liberia began Phase II of its building project: the construction of a dedicated fistula clinic. From the start, we have received substantial support from Lakeland Community Church in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. This year, Friends of Liberia and The Butterfield Foundation provided additional funding through grants that are restricted to the clinic’s construction.
 
Just last month, another dream of ours came true: we were able to purchase an ambulance! Since Hope House began accepting patients in January 2025, those needing care in a hospital setting were transported in a 4Runner which had been outfitted to serve as an emergency vehicle. This left us short a vehicle for use by board members and dignity advocates to complete other work while in Liberia. In a recent sermon, First United Methodist Church Brenham’s pastor, Mike Lindstrom, invited the congregation to donate money toward an ambulance. The church members’ generosity not only covered the entire purchase but also provided additional funds that are being used for the construction of Dignity Clinic!
 
While the incoming resources are a cause for celebration, a huge blessing this year has been the impact our presence is having on maternal health in Liberia. Much of that is due to the dedicated clinic staff at Hope House, who have seen 98 patients since January!
 
Five babies were delivered at the home, while six other patients were transferred to a nearby hospital for delivery. In one of the pregnancies, the baby was positioned in such a way that it would not have been able to pass through the birth canal during natural childbirth. Another expectant mother had been told she was carrying twins, but actually was carrying a baby that weighed over 10-lbs. We are thankful that these women were able to deliver by C-section and avoid suffering an obstetric fistula injury.
 
Our nurse midwives have visited 42 towns for community outreach. They have forged a working relationship with the Traditional Tribal Midwives (TTMs), hosting them at our compound for sessions of education and information exchange.
 
We continue to enjoy the support of volunteers (both in Liberia and the US), who donate hours of their time and talent to preventing fistula. Since our incorporation, each of your generous monetary gifts has supported our efforts to end obstetric fistula in Liberia. You can meet some of our supporters on our website.
 
Every time a woman gives birth by a delivery that does not cause obstetric fistula, there is cause to rejoice. We are blessed. We are thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!

During her recent trip to Liberia, Dignity Advocate Jenneh Clark met with Korto Kollie, who works as a nurse aide at Hope House, and asked her to share a bit about herself so our readers could get to know her.
 
Korto Kollie is a registered nurse who speaks both English and Kpelle. She likes taking care of mothers and babies and said, “that is what Hope House is all about.”  Korto’s goal is to continue working at Dignity:Liberia’s Hope House, as the job allows her to support herself and her family.
 
Korto lives on her own in Todee in Goyah Town. She has five brothers and two sisters. She also has a daughter and a granddaughter.
 
She said she loves taking care of patients and their surroundings. This is evident to those who see her at work, and we are glad she is part of the team at the Todee compound!

A few years ago, I had a number of doctor visits, lab tests, and even surgery in the course of a few months. I joked that I was supporting the local medical community. I’m not joking when I say that we could use your support for our medical team.
 
We recently introduced you to our nurse midwives and plan to interview nurse aide Korto Kollie for a future blog. In addition to being onsite at Hope House 24/7, our nurse midwives travel to nearby villages, where they become familiar faces in the communities while building relationships with the Traditional Tribal Midwives (TTMs). As we shared in last month’s blog, they educate the communities on the importance of prenatal care and advise pregnant teenagers and women, who live a distance from a health facility, to seek treatment at Hope House.
 
Last month, a 17-year-old girl went to Hope House for care. The medical team assessed her condition and realized that she would be unable to deliver naturally. They took prompt action, arranging for the girl to be transported to C.H. Rennie Hospital where she was safely delivered of a baby boy. Had the teenager not been at our maternity home, she likely would have been in labor for days, under the care of a TTM, which could possibly have resulted in a stillborn baby and an obstetric fistula for the girl.
 
Your support over the years resulted in a functioning modern maternity waiting home providing life-saving care. Your continued donations are helping with the construction of a dedicated fistula clinic, where doctors will be able to perform C-Sections as well. Can you dig a little deeper and sponsor our medical staff?
 
A donation of $50 a month will help Dignity:Liberia to cover the expenses of a Nurse Midwife or Nurse Assistant to be onsite at Hope House. It is quite easy to set up a recurring gift by debit, credit, or your Pay Pal account by clicking on the Pay Pal link on our Donate page. Want to make a larger gift of stock? That can be done through Donate Stock button also found on the Donate page. You can mail a check to Dignity:Liberia / 2210 Randy Ct / Granbury, TX 76049. Whether or not you can sponsor our medical team, please continue praying for the work we are doing, and for the precious babies who have already been born at Hope House. Thank you.

17-year-old with newborn, delivered by Cesarean

Hope House was built in order to combat the problem of obstetric fistula in Liberia. Preventive measures involve both prenatal checkups and education. Since January, Dignity:Liberia’s nurse midwives, Patricia Kollie Kpalo and John Flomo, have traveled to 23 villages. At each stop they first meet with influential people, such as the town chief and elders, to inform them of Dignity:Liberia’s mission. They explain that the purpose of Hope House is to care for pregnant women at high risk in hard-to-reach communities, mainly to prevent fistula, and also to observe women for signs of complications. Following this introduction, they meet with members of the community. In all of the towns they have visited, the town chief, the elders, the traditional tribal midwife (TTM), and community health assistant (CHA) have played a vital role in their outreach to expectant mothers, encouraging them to be treated by our medical staff. They are helping us achieve our goal of preventing fistula in Liberia.
 
The meetings are more than just a plug for the home. They educate the TTMs on high-risk pregnancy, and how to identify potential complications in pregnancy. Dignity:Liberia’s nurse midwives encourage them to make a prompt referral to a health clinic should they see any cause for concern. TTMs are encouraged to take pregnant women to a nearby health facility for prenatal visits and safe delivery. Patricia and John discourage them from performing home deliveries, as this is often a cause of fistula in Liberia. They stress that any women with a history of fistula, postpartum hemorrhage, high blood pressure, or who have had a C-section, should have outpatient checkups at Hope House, and be treated as inpatients shortly before their due date. Additionally, they advise pregnant teenagers and pregnant women who live a distance from a health facility, to seek treatment at Hope House.
 
The community outreach is building relationships between Dignity:Liberia and the villages. Patricia and John are working with the traditional tribal midwives as partners. The format of the meetings varies from village to village. At a recent meeting, following opening songs and prayers led by two TTMs, there was a moment of silence in memory of Goyah Town's TTM, who passed away in June. In other meetings the class was interactive, with most of the tribal birth attendants sharing their experiences and giving examples of various danger signs seen in pregnancy.
 
One question that comes up in the meetings is why women have to leave Dignity:Liberia’s compound and be transferred to a different facility to give birth. The answer is, Hope House is not a clinic. We have delivered 5 babies at the waiting home and transferred two other expectant mothers to a hospital where they delivered by cesarean. However, we have begun work on Dignity Clinic! With your continued help, a transfer won’t be necessary; we will be able to take the women to our clinic to give birth!  Your support also helps us in our community outreach where we are building relationships. Thank you.

As we shared with you last month, Dignity:Liberia has two nurses experienced in midwifery. Both are dedicated to the healthcare profession. This month we want to introduce you to nurse midwife Patricia Kollie.
 
Patricia’s faith and compassion, combined with a love of science and an interest in women’s issues, resulted in her becoming a nurse and midwife. Born in Bong Mines, Bong County, Liberia, Patricia is one of 8 children; she has 5 brothers and 2 sisters. As a child, she enjoyed playing kickball, which she continues to play as an adult.
 
While in high school, Patricia loved science. It was during the 9th grade that her interest was piqued in violence against women. When her English teacher asked the students to select a topic to present to the class, Patricia chose this as her topic. After she graduated from high school, she noticed that the demand for midwives in her community and county could not be met. This prompted her to pursue a career in healthcare, specializing in midwifery, hoping to make an impact in the health sector.
 
Patricia always had a dream to become a midwife. She prayed for success in school in order to pursue her dream. The most meaningful experience for her as a midwife is to render services to pregnant women and have a good outcome. She particularly likes aiding them during the difficulties of pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

Dignity:Liberia has two nurses experienced in midwifery in its employ. In addition to seeing patients at Hope House (previously called House of Hope and Dignity), they perform community outreach by visiting nearby villages; they introduce themselves to the traditional tribal midwives (TTMs), make them aware of our services, and stress the importance of prenatal care. Now we want to introduce our nurses to you. This month’s blog features nurse midwife John L. Flomo.
 
Born in Monrovia, John has four brothers and a sister. After completing the second grade, he moved to Zorzor district in Lofa County, but returned to Monrovia in the 7th grade. John ultimately graduated from William V.S. Tubman High School. His childhood games included football (soccer), which he continues to enjoy playing. He also helped with the family business by selling at market. His favorite subjects in school were math and science.
 
His love of science coupled with compassion for others, led him to enroll in Esther Bacon School of Nursing where he studied midwifery and obtained a practical license in nursing. He later received a certificate in primary health care from Mother Patern School of Health Sciences. He subsequently earned an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Cuttington University.

It was in nursing school that he first became aware of obstetric fistula. He would like to attend medical school and become a gynecologist specializing in fistula repair surgery, but he is unable to find financial support to pursue this goal.
 
John’s experience includes working as an aid instructor in a refugee camp in Guinea, and as an Officer in Charge (OIC) in numerous clinics including Gobah Town Clinic in Todee, where he served as an OIC and midwife. He worked as a Public Health Officer for Equip Liberia and trained general health volunteers (now called community health assistants). He educated community health workers and TTMs about malaria and HIV, and also taught them how to administer vaccinations. He has expertise in community monitoring, mobilization and awareness. His vast experience has led to his success in the outreach he does on behalf of Dignity:Liberia; expectant mothers are coming to Hope House and getting prenatal care and birthing assistance.

On Easter Sunday, we had our first delivery! The baby’s mother checked into Hope House (previously called House of Hope and Dignity) the very weekend that she went into labor. The plan had been to take her to a nearby hospital for delivery, but as so often happens, the baby had other plans, and there was no time to transport her. Midwife Patricia Kollie, R.N., attended the birth with assistance from nurse-aide, Korto Kollie.
 
“Dignity:Liberia is a ministry dedicated to bringing restoration and hope to women with fistula and their communities through healing, education, and prevention.” Although we have never wavered from our goal, it may have seemed forgotten, while we while focused time and energy on funding requests and building updates. This birth brought our purpose back into focus. This is what it’s all about!
 
Said Dignity:Liberia’s founder and president, Kathi Gutierrez: “I had tears in my eyes. I look at the picture of the mother on a bed in a dress someone lovingly made, with blankets made for her child, pillowcases and sheets made and given, and a healthy baby. So wonderful!” Look closely at the pictures, which the mother gave us permission to share. You may see one of your contributions!
 
We are so blessed for the baby’s safe birth. Both the mother and infant are healthy. Said Becky Mueller, CNM: “Our impact on maternal health in Liberia has begun, one woman and child at a time.” Every time a woman gives birth by a delivery that does not cause obstetric fistula, we have made an impact. While we celebrate this birth at Hope House, we have just started construction of Dignity Clinic, whose main purpose will be to repair fistula. Additionally, C-Sections will also be performed at the clinic.
 
We need your continued support. We need you to share this marvelous story. We need you to reach out to those you know who might be able to partner with us or open doors to a foundation with introductions. If you can make another monetary donation, even $5, we would be grateful. Your support is making a difference.
On Easter Sunday, we had our first delivery! The baby’s mother checked into Hope House (previously called House of Hope and Dignity) the very weekend that she went into labor. The plan had been to take her to a nearby hospital for delivery, but as so often happens, the baby had other plans, and there was no time to transport her. Midwife Patricia Kollie, R.N., attended the birth with assistance from nurse-aide, Korto Kollie.
 
“Dignity:Liberia is a ministry dedicated to bringing restoration and hope to women with fistula and their communities through healing, education, and prevention.” Although we have never wavered from our goal, it may have seemed forgotten, while we while focused time and energy on funding requests and building updates. This birth brought our purpose back into focus. This is what it’s all about!
 
Said Dignity:Liberia’s founder and president, Kathi Gutierrez: “I had tears in my eyes. I look at the picture of the mother on a bed in a dress someone lovingly made, with blankets made for her child, pillowcases and sheets made and given, and a healthy baby. So wonderful!” Look closely at the pictures, which the mother gave us permission to share. You may see one of your contributions!
 
We are so blessed for the baby’s safe birth. Both the mother and infant are healthy. Said Becky Mueller, CNM: “Our impact on maternal health in Liberia has begun, one woman and child at a time.” Every time a woman gives birth by a delivery that does not cause obstetric fistula, we have made an impact. While we celebrate this birth at Hope House, we have just started construction of Dignity Clinic, whose main purpose will be to repair fistula. Additionally, C-Sections will also be performed at the clinic.
 
We need your continued support. We need you to share this marvelous story. We need you to reach out to those you know who might be able to partner with us or open doors to a foundation with introductions. If you can make another monetary donation, even $5, we would be grateful. Your support is making a difference.

You may wonder how the various board members became affiliated with Dignity:Liberia. The connection to Liberia goes back a long way. On a recent trip we dedicated a memorial wall and held a small memorial service for several people who have inspired our volunteer work in Liberia. The location is on the Ricks Institute campus where all had served. I will write chronologically.

The Rev. Emil William “Bill” Mueller and Agnes Ann Southern Mueller, RN arrived in Liberia in 1961 as some of the first Southern Baptist missionaries to the country. They each had felt “called” to mission work since they were children. Meeting in college they found a common goal. They felt that their work was a partnership with the people and with God. Agnes felt her job that was committed to helping others was also a ministry. Bill ministered and spent many years as an administrator at Ricks. They served at Ricks and in Yekepa, departing Liberia in 1973.

Bill, Agnes, Charlie and Becky as Home (U.S.) Missionaries in Kentucky 1961 prior to going to Liberia as Foreign Missionaries.