Guyana 2015: "Continuity and Change"

Different #1: Me - Off to Mercy Again

It took me some time to decide about my return to St Joseph Mercy Hospital, School of Nursing.  While my time there  has been part of my life for over a decade, nothing ever stays the same.   I have decided to go again, but instead of three months I am going for two.   I will be there for the start of the classes with First Year Nursing Students and leave by the end of October.   I will be doing just about the same stuff; just I will be there for less time.   Those new students are going to have to learn faster too!

Different #2: the School of Nursing

The School has a new Director, Elsie Asabere.  Elsie has been at the school off and on for many years.  She is originally from Ghana.  I know that because she doesn't come to school when Ghana is playing a match in the World Cup.

Director Elsie has been a constant support for my classes
as well as other volunteers who had joined me over the years.
Here she is with Dennis LeBlanc from last year.

Elsie has been excited about learning Problem Based Learning and tried working through a few problems by herself earlier this year. In November and December she will continue the course that Tony Carr and I wrote some years ago    I am excited to see how she will shape the Nursing School.   She has her B.Sc. Nursing from The Netherlands and has practiced in several countries before coming to Guyana with her husband, Victor, a missionary with Lighthouse International, and their three children.

There are also two new Faculty Members - Roberta Binda and Azalia Luke.   While they may be new faculty, they are old students.  I didn't have any "current" pictures of them as B.Sc. Nursing graduates, so their old "prison" shots will have to do.   Both Azalia and Roberta have been small group tutors in PBL -- and both have gotten way better marks in university than I ever did!

2005

2007

Different #3: My Flat

This is an old picture as there are now two bedrooms on the left
and a new shower on the right as well as a fixed up kitchen,
 and the stairs in the front are gone...

 Actually, it is the same flat I had last year, but "flattened".   The upstairs will now be used to store supplies for the hospital, so I will have just the first floor.  This will be more than enough as they have added a second bedroom and a shower to that floor.  I have only asked for a few things in my flat: window screens, internet access, a shower that works and a fridge to keep my vegetables [and other stuff] cold.

There is really only one problem with one floor: I have not been able to attract any volunteers to join me because some one has spread a dirty rumour that I snore - loudly.   So if you don't believe that I could be that loud, or you are deaf, please think about joining me.

Different #4: The Hospital

Mercy seems to be on the upturn.  CEO Dr. Bridgemohan, COO Helen Browman [and all the staff] have been working hard to improve the facilities, recruit physicians and retain the best nurses.   Old condemned buildings have been torn down and new construction is underway.  One of the interesting additions is an Outdoor Café.

Sandra was an Executive Assistant, but now is the Maître D’.

I hope she has been working on her  flambéing skills.

If you wish to learn more about the positive changes, the hospital has a FaceBook page and a Website.   

  

Different #5: The Country

In May of this year, there were national elections, and a new party, A "Partnership for National Unity" and "Alliance for Change" (APNU+AFC) is now in a majority Government.  Previously, the Peoples' Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had been in power for the last 23 years.  It will be interesting to see if their leadership will bring improvements for the people of Guyana.   As a visitor and guest in their country, I don't have a public opinion, though there are promising signs.  I do know that the previous government was a good support for the Canadian Mental Health Team led by Sujay Patel, Peter Kuhnert and Ram Kalap who are colleagues from Canadian hospitals or organizations.   I hope that the new government will also be supportive of their volunteer efforts.

The 2014 Canadian Mental Health Team with Guyana Colleagues

*Moses Nagamootoo who in now the Prime Minister & First Vice-President wrote an autobiographical novel, Hendree's Cure (2000, Peepal Tree Publishers).  I have seen it available for years but never ordered it because it was pricey, but now that he is the Prime Minister I am reading it -- it will give us a lot to talk about if I ever meet him.

More Continuity than Difference

These are my friends, colleagues and "old" students whom I look forward to seeing each year.  I won't start naming them as I am sure I would leave many out that deserve recognition and thanks.  I would not have been able to accomplish so much in Guyana without their support.

I will make an exception for Guyana Christian Charities Canada (please write "O'Connor-Mercy Projects on cheques, etc.") as these are friends to whom you can send a filthily excessive donation for my projects at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and St Ann's Girls Home. This year the donations will go towards the tablets for all the first year nursing students, some special projects at the school and outdoor recreational supplies for the girls. I do not use any donation money for my own needs -- travel, insurances, food (including beer), and such.

Thanks for any donation you are able to make; and, if you aren't able to make a donation,send me your good wishes in an Email or on FaceBook. 

Have a blessed summer and I'll write again later in the season.  John

"Light Dawns in a Weary World"

This post is written by Peter Kuhnert, a Lutheran pastor and medical doctor and Guyanese colleague.    He was a leader with both the 2013 exploratory mission and the 2014 Mental Health Team which worked in Guyana for ten days in October-November.  [They have a wonderful FaceBook page, "Transforming Guyana's Mental Health System".  Peter's message serves as an excellent reflection on giving flesh to the incarnating Christian Christmas message.   

Peter bends low to listen to a girl at St. Ann's 

********************************************

Three years ago, shortly after my first ever visit to Guyana, I was contacted by John.  He asked me if I thought we might do any kind of work together in Guyana.  I told John, emphatically, that I did not think there was any opportunity to do any work in Guyana.  There was no will, no energy, no finances, and no manpower.  There was no Spirit.  I suggested perhaps we talk again in one year.

Two years ago, a dimly burning wick began to splutter to life.  Perhaps a opportunity did exist for some partnership work to strengthen and support existing mental health services in Guyana.  John was now living locally in Ayr.  I had started working at Freeport Hospital.  We had met a couple of local psychiatrists who wanted to explore international mental health care in a culturally and religiously diverse context.  Perhaps this opportunity might bridge the partnership and development work of the ELCiC with that of mental health services, for the betterment of life for the whole people of Guyana.  Perhaps.  Certainly, there was enough enthusiasm to plan a needs assessment visit and begin some relationship development.

One year ago, October 2013, Ram and Brenna and Sujay and I joined John in Guyana for a week of site visits and meetings and discernment. We were graciously received by Dr. Bhiro Harry (Georgetown) and Dr. Mayda ( New Amsterdam), and by the minister of health, Dr. Ramsarran. We saw much and heard much and clearly saw the need for a sustained mental health initiative to support good people and hard work already being done with absolutely minimal resources.  Few in-patient beds.  Few trained staff.  No budgets.  Limited medications with only variable availability.   The needs seemed overwhelming. Yet the Spirit began to blow.  The candle burned brighter.  We knew we would come back.

The past year has been a year of planning and preparation.  An excellent slide show about our 2013 trip, courtesy of Sujay and Brenna, began to peak interest in this initiative amongst the local mental health staff at Grand River hospital, Homewood health centre, and the Kitchener Downtown CHC. Who would have expected that when we called a planning meeting, in March,  for those interested in a self-funded mental health trip to Guyana in October 2014, over 40 people would attend!  And over 20 would commit to this 10 day project!

The Canadian Mental Health Team at the Farewell reception
hosted by the Minister of Health

The project itself was a huge success.  19 individuals divided into two teams, working in both Georgetown and New Amsterdam.  The number of initiatives for  this 10 day trip was astounding. The re-introduction of life-saving ECT technology to the New Amsterdam hospital.  Clinical visits to community hospitals in Linden and Suddie ( including an awesome speedboat ride across the Essequibo river).   Opportunities to teach physicians and nursing staff at both Georgetown and New Amsterdam.  Community education initiatives about mental health during each of our community tours.  Relationship building opportunities with the ministry of health, the University of Guyana medical school, and the schools of nursing in both Georgetown and New Amsterdam.

Dr Bhiro Harry continued with his
on the ground leadership for our team.

Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, the Minister of Health provided
excellent direction and support for our team.

Perhaps most impressive, has been the high level work that John has participated in, to help create a national mental health strategy for Guyana.  This is coupled with an ambitious strategy for the creation of a bilateral university partnership to bring bring post-graduate psychiatric training to Guyana.  This would be a first step to creating a national human resources strategy for mental health that might eventually include nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and chaplains.  The wheels of future possibility have already begun to turn.

Chaplain Ram Kalap was a leader
on both the 2013 and 2014 teams.

Sujay Patel and Peter celebrate the fulfilment
of all their hard work over the last two years.

What a difference a couple of years has made!  Initially, there was no hope.  There was no kairotic time- no time for illumination and transformation.  But slowly, ever so slowly,  light has dawned.  A dimly burning wick has begun to burn brightly.  Hope is being reborn and a spirit of possibility  is beginning to take hold. What began with the question of one, " What can we do in  Guyana?" has been echoed by the voices of 19 others and the possibility of systemic change is becoming real.  Systemic change for the betterment of care for the whole

people of Guyana.

What is more Christmas?

...than bringing Joy to children.

Thanks, John, for risking asking the initial  question.  Thanks, John, for nurturing hope in your own unique manner.  You have helped open our eyes to the possible.  You have inspired us.  We are grateful.

John amazing the Cuban Psychiatrists
 with his command of Spanish.

Thanks for being a blessing. Looking forward to being your partner into the future.

Peter Kuhnert MD MDiv 

***********************************************

Thanks, Peter.  I am humbled by your kind words.

PS: I have a few more themes for this blog, but I have returned from Guyana to develop my usual cough and cold. I am feeling better today.  I especially want to post the pictures and stories from the "2nd  Annual Father John's Photo Contest.'

Have a Blessed Christmas and let you light shine...

A Few Goodbyes ... But Not Mine Yet.

Class Visit to the National Psychiatric Hospital

Sometimes (I was going to say "almost always", but I am a teacher and would feel too threatened)
the best teachers are not the ones called teachers.   This is true on the visit to the people who are patients at the hospital.

  Psychiatrist Sujay Patel and Family Doc/professional entertainer Upe Mehan met us at the hospital and provided a rich commentary and insight about who these people are and their behaviours.  Again your best teacher about the experience may not be the professional teacher - rather, a learner:

The Class and Nurse Trin.  she has worked at the NPH for 20 years
and still continues to learn something from her patients

Visit to the Psych Hospital (Berbice - 2014) by Natalie Persaud- Singh

 The tour was indeed interesting. I was shocked, for this is my first experience with mental patients. I see this facility as somewhere that gives patients a chance to better themselves with the help of the health team available there. However I think the hospital need renovation, proper facility to house these patients and more nurses onboard. As it’s said, for a patient to get better they must feel comfortable in their environment. This is just a suggestion from what I've seen. The surrounding needs cleaning. The odor of the hospital was obnoxious. 

Something needs to be done about this.

This is not the present  hospital; it is the old Berbice Asylum.
I just like my photograph .....
and it reminds me of Thoreau's 'vivacious lilacs'.

I've had the chance to speak with some of the patients and I must say I was heartbroken by some of their stories. Some of their family took them there and didn't even look back to them. They are human beings, no matter what sickness they have physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.  Everyone needs love. Someone to talk to, someone to be there just to listen, all of which can brighten their day.

I feel the need for there to be more educational programs readily available to them. One patient told me she wants a book to read (story book) or a book to write. Writing helps one to express their emotions. So if they don’t feel comfortable discussing their problems with a nurse they can at least write about how they feel.  If more emphasis can be place in bettering the facility I see this hospital as successful, not that they are not but they would be able to offer much more to these patients.

Rev, I hope this is good enough!!   Thanks for having us share this experience with you!!

Yup, more than good enough... She and other students had some brilliant reflections...  I was impressed and mad at the same time, because I have had to read some of their other research and exams! L Oh well, as Martin Luther said, "Simultaneous Smart and Stoopid"..... or something close.   The Canadian Mental Health Team had a major focus: "To reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.." and after the visit to the Berbice Mad House my students know ..... People are People, including doctors. [See karaoke pictures.]

Another Focus: ECT

If you read last week's blog [and who hasn't, eh?], you heard the horror story of the ECT Team... Well, I am happy to report that despite several more minor heebie-jeebies, like finding the machine packed up and ready to ship back to Canada with the Team .....  they were able to train more than enough Guyanese professionals, and under the leadership of Dr. Maida, Psychiatrist at the National Psychiatric, Guyana will have re-activated a forgotten service.   I am sure when Peter Kuhnert writes his guest blog [hint]  he will tell you all about it.  I want to just show you a picture of one man who had a ECT treatment earlier that same day.  When I asked him how he was feeling, he said he was "Never better...  I might even be happy."

All Work and no Play Makes...

If you can believe it, the Team said they were too tired to go out to dinner, just wanted to have a quiet beer and something to eat at the Sleep-Inn.  So Sylvia and I went over to join them.  Dennis had to prepare his class for the following day (talk about "no play"!).   However, once they got down to the bar and the karaoke started - a second wind, I guess.

The Highlight of the Night!  The guys were singing American Pie and I wasn't lip-synching.
It was supposed to be Macho Man, but got censored by the politically correct Guyanese.

We are the Champions...Yes, you are!

The "Women" trying their best
to imitate the guys.

And a Bollywood  melody
from the surprising Zahir.      



The "Originals" celebrate a successful Mission.

And then there was the Final Final dinner hosted by the Minister of Health.  It too was at the Sleep-Inn and earlier than  planned as the Team was out that night at 2AM... Lots of congratulatory words for all involved.

Minister Bheri Ramsaran expresses his gratitude
to the whole Canadian Mental Health Team 

Peter and Sujay express their thanks to
Chief Psychiatrist Bhiro Harry.

The Parting Shot

Dennis is Off and Home Safely

And speaking of 2 am, Dennis, my university friend, left on Friday night for his home in Greenfield, Massachusetts via Trinidad, Toronto and Boston!   Just a mere 21 hours door to door...  He too is going to write a guest blog (Subtle Reminder) so I won't steal his words, but he did say that he has never met a more knowledgeable, competent, humble, etc., person than me.  Thanks Dennis.   

It is strange and wonderful for me to have someone other than family who has known me for 50 years ..... and to find, as the saying goes, "You get together with a friend after years of absence and you continue chatting as if you saw each other yesterday.

Elsie presented Dennis with one of her famous
African shirts to wear when he gets chased
out of Greenfield for wearing it.

Dennis is here explaining Sex and Relationships
to the students. If you can't see the immediate
connection, read his blog, coming "Just now."

 Enough - More or Less

 I had my last Boys, Bodies, Beliefs and Boundaries Class at St. Ann's.  They were sad it was over and even sadder when I gave them an evaluation sheet -- which they told me they wanted to fill in during the week and not in class as I had planned ..... So much for the evaluation. However, the judging of the 2nd Annual Father John's Photography Contest is this Thursday AND if I don't get their evaluations before the contest, they cannot win a prize!  Oh, the benefits of a bribe!  I have learned some things in Guyana.  Not fair!! they screamed ..... and they were right ..... and it is my contest, eh?

I have arranged for the four Mercy Volunteers to come and judge the pictures in the five categories: Girls Playing, Girls Working or Studying, Action Shots, Happy Face and Unusual or Abstract.   I had way over 2,000 pictures that the girls had taken since September... I want to get it down to 10 finalists in each category, but had to settle for 15!   There will be five Ipod Shuffle MP3 Players, one for each of the category winners.   They were donated by the Sunday School kids at Church at Stony Hill, Medina, Ohio...

John being presented with the Shuffles

Pastor Shannon making an important homiletic intervention

There will be a surprise of two Grand Prizes ..... One of them will be a special one donated by Jerry Bacchus of Jerries' All Nite Restaurant.

Well, I have finished a whole pot of coffee and a big roll of cookies for breakfast as the cafeteria is closed on Sundays.  I can't wait to get home and have my healthier breakfasts of a whole frozen Pizza or a Hungry Man Dinner.... or my Sunday Morning Special Onion and Cheese Omelette at Bucky's of Ayr with the old guys.

So make sure if you are in Georgetown, Guyana, or Ayr, Ontario --- visit our sponsors ..... and maybe I'll get a free meal!

Thanks for reading... John

Canadians from Suddie to New Amsterdam

The Canadian Mental Health Team Returns 

Yes, and more of them!  This year there are 17 professionals who have joined Peter, Sujay and Ram [Brenna stayed home as she is in late pregnancy] who were here last year on an exploratory trip. If you wish to look back, see  Peter Puts Pen to Keyboard, November 1, 2013.

Actually, we got an early warning that they were coming when one of the team members called their hotel here on Saturday night to confirm her reservation, only to discover that only about half of the team was booked.   Many of the hotels have web sites here and have on line reservation forms; however, whether they are ever looked at is a different question.  A little experience of  "Welcome to Guyana" .....   They had visions of arriving  at 2:00 AM from the airport with no room to sleep in -- wandering the streets of Georgetown.  And my "ever-helpful roommate" Sylvia was walking around our flat deciding how many mattresses we could accommodate here!   She finally figured that she could get them all in here, but Dennis and I had to sleep on the boxes in Materials Management next door.    

Well, Peter was able to book another hotel before Leiota from the Ministry of Health got even more rooms. They were met at the airport and brought safely to their rooms ..... at the two hotels.   And that was not the only expectation that was not met ..... The lectures were postponed.  The meeting with the Minister of Health was cancelled in order for him to address the Ebola situation here, and make the usual political speech about how well prepared Guyana is.   The Minister of Culture had been called out of the country, so the press conference was much smaller than expected and all the cameras were involved with the Ebola announcement..  

I had made a solemn vow before any god I could remember that I was going to stay at a distance and just observe from the sidelines as I already thought I couldn't finish what I already had on my plate; and besides, Peter, Sujay and Ram were veterans!  It didn't last, and my neurotic-messianic disorder came to the front when I realized that they would be doing nothing for most of their first afternoon in Guyana.  So I volunteered to do a small tour of Georgetown -- St George's Cathedral, the tourist trap crafts lane, National Museum and the Seawall.  Well, by the time they had decided to go and we had a bus ..... The Cathedral and Museum were closed, and I don't think anyone bought anything at the craft shops.  So we walked over to the Market area near Stabroek and wandered through the crowded and dark stalls.  (I think they became aware that they were really a minority.)   Then, we took off for the ocean and the "beach" at the Seawall near the Bandstand.  And, thank God, the ocean was still open! 

The women excited to see  Guyana's Beautiful Beach...

The Team had planned an opening meal and Dennis, Sylvia and I got invited to join them.  It was a great meal and good fellowship and a way to put some of the start-up problems behind them -- perhaps.

What is more Guyanese than Indian Food?

  






The End of Day One

Tuesday morning saw Team 1 and Team 2 get on their way to New Amsterdam and begin their work at the National Psychiatric Hospital re-introducing an Electroconvulsive Therapy Clinic.  However --  and this is a screw-up even beyond the usual Guyanese screw-ups ..… No machine, no electricity in the room, no AC for the delicate equipment, no security (read: door lock), no anaesthetists, no patients with depression, no knowledge claimed by the CEO nor Dr. Maida, the psychiatrist, of their arrival, no recovery areas, a visiting surgical team scheduled at the same time which seconded all the NA anaesthetists, the hotel gave their rooms away -- ETC.  Yes, it's all true!    

This project had been in the works for months, and the machine and supplies had been shipped and arrived in the country.    I might call Sujay thorough!  He and his team had developed teaching materials, manuals and guidelines for ECT administration, proper use of anaesthetic, nursing care pre- and post-therapy, how to use talk therapy as a co-joint intervention, patient and family education materials .....  His team put in hours and hours of preparation.   The ECT programme is what the government and Dr. Harry had asked the team for last year. 

I am glad that I wasn't in New Amsterdam when they arrived ...  But to my amazement and to the huge credit of my colleagues, no one turned homicidal and they went about planning how to be effective with almost every expectation unmet.  Canada should be proud of the professionals who come to foreign lands and represent the best of the Canadian Spirit -- though I do not think they went as far as making a Canadian apology for the inconvenience they caused!

In the end -- or really just a few days later -- the ECT machine was found and a place was secured for it at the General Hospital in New Amsterdam and Sujay and his team began training health professionals.   The Ministry of Heath worked very hard to correct any earlier problems.   It did add weight to my adage:  you need to be here face-to-face to achieve what you want to get done.  It is just how it is  -- and why the country finds it difficult to move from a developing country to one which is more developed.

Next:  Peter's team got left behind.  Or no, not exactly.  On Tuesday, the members accompanied Dr. Harry to his outpatient clinic in Linden ..... They ended up being surprised by 40 or so nursing students and staff who were there for a half day workshop on Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention...  And before any of them could find a  suitable weapon, Dr. Harry had left.    And again the amazing resilience of these Canadian professionals, including Sylvia, meant that they took a few minutes, regrouped and presented a well-received workshop.   When Dr. Harry reappeared, he tried to "kiss and make up" with a large lunch!  

On their way back to Georgetown by bus, the team saw a pickup truck roll over -- and just like in the movies, Dr. Upe, who had all his medical supplies with him, and Nurse Naderia, jumped out of their bus and started to attend to the two people in the truck.  This had to be the world's record for the quickest accident response time in Guyanese [and maybe Canadian] history!  

Back at the School of Nursing, Dennis led both of Tuesday's classes by explaining the students' Myers-Briggs  Personality Profiles.  He gave the tests to them last week and had spent most of his time since then in scoring.   It was a great exercise in self-reflection and maybe the first time that they had looked at who they were in such depth.     


The girls were so advanced that
he upgraded his class from Relationships101 to 102




 



A Special Wuzzle for Dennis.
I had to save it for someone
to whom it applied.

He also had the class get in touch with their "Poet Within" in homage to
Robin Williams' Really Dead Poets Society.   

 Mercifully, The End of Only Day Two.

Day Three would see me return to my vow of just watching... However, I had only printed off Revision 37 of their suggested schedule and failed to notice Revision 49:  Team 3 presents to Mercy Nursing Students at 9:30 .....  Okay, I am Canadian:  if they can cope, so can I.  We cancelled Problem Based Learning for that day, had another teacher give me her class time, and arranged for the second year students to be there, for which another teacher gave up her time... And Upe, Naderia and Paige did an excellent job of presenting "De-stigmatizing Mental Illness".  The students had lots of great questions as just about everyone in Guyana has been touched by mental illness or a suicide.   At least, we would return to "normal" on Thursday .....

That evening the Ministry had rescheduled the CME talks for 6 pm at the auditorium of the National Public Library.   Would I go or not?  I was really tired ..... and the event was not publicized anywhere that I know of .... so Sylvia and I (Dennis was still at the Bosco Boys' Home) went, fearing that no one else would be in the audience ..... Upe talked about the "Elderly and Mental Illness" while Peter presented on "Psychotropic Drugs During Pregnancy".   Actually there were more than 30 doctors in attendance and all appreciated the presentations ..... and Sylvia and I managed to stay awake.

Mercifully, The End of Day Three

It's never "normal" in Guyana ..... The Wednesday's Team had such a great time at the Nursing School that the other half of Peter's Team was now coming on Thursday... And this was on no schedule .....  To shorten these tales:  Martina Power, Sinidu Shimells and Tammy Benwell met the same students and presented an overview of Mental Illness, highlighting Depression and also some Identification and Intervention with Suicidal Persons.    I hate to say this but the students may have enjoyed it more than PBL .....  The presentations were great and the students benefitted . 

There were two more lectures at the Library again on Thursday at 6:00... However, I was just finishing my St Ann's Girls "Bodies, Boys, Belief and Boundaries" course, scheduled to end at 5:30 but the girls kept me overtime till 5:45.  Martina had donated some t-shirts and since there were twenty of them I used them with the girls in my class.  [Some are in the pic.]  Thanks, Martina.  

I then faked an injury and went to my Everest Cricket Club, where there is no cricket ..... and took Dennis down the path of fun and self-destruction.   And then our "Dynamic Catholic" Course leader joined us incognito.   Even better than two more lectures!

Gratefully, The End of Day Four

Friday saw the local team head out to Suddie for an outpatient psychiatry clinic.   The best part is the speedboat ride across the Essequibo... especially in the afternoon when the winds are almost always stronger and the passengers always wet.   From what I hear it was a great clinic with lots of patients seen ...and no bad surprises. 


Today is a Day Off  
The Teams trade places and the NA team comes here and the GT team goes there till Monday.   One of the team members, Ram Kalap, is Guyanese and has a large family outside New Amsterdam who are hosting the whole team to a traditional family feast.   The unholy trinity here is not going as we are headed out on Monday to the National Psychiatric Hospital with the nursing students ..... and two+  hours one-way in a minibus is about all the fun I can manage.

The Team will be here till the early hour of 2 am Wednesday Morning when their adventure will be over ..... Dennis has another week, till Saturday.  And Sylvia is deserting me to go one a retreat to Barbados - white sand and blue water ..... for a week, while I am still here getting my points in the Kin-dom for dedication.   Just three more weeks till I and Sylvia finish for 2014.

This Week's Star at Mercy

?????????????

This is not because there are no more stars.  I just didn't get around to interviewing anyone...  Next week, maybe I'll have to have two?

Father John's 2nd Annual Photo Contest

This Week's Slide Show contains some of the thousands of pictures that the St Ann' Girls have taken for Father John's 2nd Annual Photo Contest.   I will put up only those that made the first cut for the category "Happy Face".  If you have a favourite, tell me and I'll make sure not to cut it when I reduce to just ten finalists.

Thanks for reading this far.
John [Rev]
The Team has a page on FB at: Transforming Guyana’s Mental Health System: A Canadian Initiative