What is The Meaning of Life?
What is the meaning of life? Many people say it is money, family, and health. These answers are generally correct. However, the heroes and philanthropists in the Africa Cries Out team have found a deeper meaning.
A week ago, the expansion project of the Africa Cries Out Base Hospital began. The hospital, built more than 20 years ago, was where one of our heroes Dr. Faye worked until he died in a leprosy village in 2017.
Dr. Faye at work.
Taken March 25, 2013, the medical team of the Africa Cries Out Base Hospital at Dr. Faye’s office.
This year, we treated more than a thousand medical and 161 dental patients at the base hospital. Because of limited capacity, we had to use the auditorium of a technical school as a temporary outpatient clinic.
The technical school auditorium being used as our temporary outpatient clinic.
In March of next year, more than 100 people from the medical team who signed up as volunteers will arrive at our base camp in Senegal. To help more people, we must expand the base hospital. Our initial budget was $80,000. However, we have already spent over $200,000 to purchase necessary materials and supplies, including a well-drilling machine that was used to provide the water supply in our base camp in Senegal. Recent additional expenses were for our 52 students at the technical school who graduated last June 2023. This additional cost far exceeded our budget.
“Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Our prayers were answered when a philanthropist, upon hearing about our hospital expansion, donated $60,000, which enabled us to start our base hospital’s expansion immediately.
Five joyful graduates of our technical school, with the guidance of our engineers, are helping with the base hospital’s expansion.
Higgidio now works as a computer teacher at the technical school and is also one of the leaders in this expansion project. With the help of the base hospital, he went to Brazil for four years of computer studies. After graduation, he returned to the base to continue serving, and there he met his wife. Now his wife is studying nursing and will join the medical team at the base hospital after graduating next year.
Alfred and Moudou are two students who were sent to the Nicole Sisters’ farm to learn organic vegetable planting techniques. They are now responsible for the daily management of the base’s plantation and also teach students planting techniques.
Domingos has been working at our base for 15 years, learning construction, carpentry, and hydroelectric technology. He is in charge of the hospital expansion project.
Ngor is a graduate of architecture from our technical school, working in construction at the base camp since 2018.
Most of these young people that we took in had never taken a train, seen a movie, eaten a hamburger, or used a computer or a cellphone before they came into our technical school. If we have not taken them in and without learning at our technical school, they would have remained in the jungle or dying in the remote villages. It is you, my dear brothers and sisters, who have changed their lives with your love and support. How fortunate they are to have experienced your support at a critical moment in their lives. We also have heroes, like Dr. Faye and Anna Mushi in our Africa Cries Out team, who have selflessly given us their youth, time, and service, changing our and other people’s lives in the process. We have hundreds, if not thousands, of compassionate individuals like you, contributing knowledge, time, and money and actively participating in our ministry. Without your involvement, Africa Cries Out would not be able to achieve anything.
In Africa Cries Out team, we have heroes like Dr. Faye and Anna Mushi who have selflessly given us their time and service, have helped us to be better, changing many lives as a result.
Building the Eden of West Africa – Ms. Nicole Duman’s Memoir
Africa Cries Out are fortunate and grateful for the hundreds, if not thousands, of caring individuals like you, contributing knowledge, services, and money, and actively engaging in our ministry. Without your involvement, we would not have been able to achieve anything.
So, what is the meaning of life?
It is to dedicate oneself to make a change for the betterment of others. It is to serve, to do good, to do the right thing, and to leave the world a better place than when you found it. It is to help others, just like what Dr. Faye and Anna Mushi did. Life is to change other’s lives with your own. Life only happens once, and a lifetime of giving is better than a lifetime of taking because it is better to give than to receive.
My dear friends, what is more satisfying than seeing someone’s life change forever because of your wholeheartedness? Let us ponder on the meaning of life and dedicate ourselves to changing the lives of others.
If you are moved and willing to support our African ministry, please write a check to Africa Cries Out and send your donation to Jun Xu, MD, 1171 E. Putnam Avenue, Riverside CT 06878 USA. You will receive a tax-exempt receipt recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. You can also send your donations via Zelle: Africacriesout@gmail.com, and via credit card online transaction at https://africacriesout.net/ (credit card companies may charge a fee), and you will also receive a tax-exempt receipt recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
We promise that 100% of your donation will be used for the African people, and not a penny will go to administrative expenses.
Jun Xu WeChat: jun9174343767
Email: Africacriesout@gmail.com
Public WeChat account: LifeExploring (人生天路)
Website: https://africacriesout.net
Author:Jun Xu
Translator: Jeffrey Hu
Editor: Doris Cruz
We are looking for professionals to help edit our website both in Chinese and in English, create short videos, manage public WeChat accounts, etc. If you have talents in these areas and are willing to contribute to Africa Cries Out, please contact us at the above email/WeChat
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