The clinic has reached the point where it makes sense to transition to local leadership. Leaving the mission is bitter sweet as it is difficult to say goodbye to such wonderful friends but we feel great about leaving it all in such capable hands. After a year of praying and actively seeking direction for what is next for our family, we feel God is calling us to stay in West Africa in medical missions. We will be moving 550 miles north to volunteer at a new, pediatric hospital on the outskirts of Conakry, Guinea. In January, our family drove from Liberia through Sierra Leone to Dubreka, Guinea to meet the hospital’s team and see if we could meet their needs. The trip went extremely well and they have asked us to join their ministry. We are very motivated by the professional team currently running the hospital and their dynamic vision for the future

Sacre Coeur Pediatric Center of Excellence

Sacre Coeur was opened in 2023 by Hope Ignited (www.hopeignited.org) and is the first dedicated pediatric health facility in the country of Guinea. Of the 13 million people living in Guinea, half are under the age of 15. There is a huge need for specialized pediatric care!

As a pediatric nurse practitioner with critical care experience, Jen has been asked to step in and help the team at Sacre Coeur grow the level of services and the quality of pediatric care, especially in the critical care and emergency departments. She will move to Guinea in June to be a care provider in the emergency department through the rainy season- their busiest time of year.

Steve will step in to serve on the administration team and to assist with the management of future building projects, including the construction of a new inpatient hospital.

The hospital compound is home to a satellite school of the well regarded Dakar Academy, an international Christian school. Maylynn will have a great educational environment going forward, learning alongside the other missionary kids living on the compound. We are looking forward to starting our next season of missions with the team at Sacre Coeur!

French Language Acquisition

Guinea is a French-speaking country, and we are not French speakers… yet. With advice from Sacre Coeur’s founders, we have enrolled in a full-time, 11- month program of French Language immersion training in Albertville, France. The language school (cef-france.org) has been training missionaries headed for French speaking countries for the past 55 years. We love that the school is family-focused and integrated with Maylynn’s education. She is already enrolled in the local public school for the 2024-25 academic year. All 3 of us start classes the first week of September, and will finish July 2025. Then we will fly south and begin our Guinea adventure.

To stay up on what’s next for the Butwill Family, check out underthemangotree.life