Frances Blog
Welcome to Frances Blog page.
Here you will find updates and progress report posts related to Frances Swaray mission in Liberia.
Welcome to TKT Newsletter Autumn 2020 from Frances Swaray.
Reflections from Momo
Psalm 26: 7 (KJV) that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of that wondrous works.
In a time such as this we often think of the problems before us and forget to count our blessings one by one and see what God has done for us. As an organization there many things we need to reflect on and be grateful to our Creator and give Him thanks. Let us look at the shoreline and not focus on the storm we find ourselves in. Let us set our eyes on Jesus who gives us that peace that surpasses all understanding. When I reflect over the last three years ago and see where we have come from and where we are as an organization, God has been with our every step alongside you as prayer intercessors, funders and encouragers and I can only praise the Lord hallelujah. It has not been an easy journey but has been an awesome experience. We started as a team of two persons Frances and myself, now by the grace of God we have seven volunteers, volunteering with their individual skills, talents and time. As Frances continues to mentor and coach the team in Liberia, I can see the transformation in our leadership reflected in our own emotional and mental stability as she encourages us to spiritual maturity. We are praying to continue to fulfill the vision of The Koinonia Trust as we seek to bring healing, hope and beauty from the ashes of people’s lives.
(more…) Read MoreNewsletter May 2020
“For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you under His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”
Psalm 91:3-4
When I think of the promises of God for our protection and safety, I gladly rest under His wings
Reflections from Momo
Greetings from the west coast of Liberia a small country that has been in the midst of one crisis after the other. When I look at the many obstacles during the month under review, I am thankful to God for His grace and love. The love of God has been tangible in all we were doing, what a loving Father we have.
Frances left Liberia to go home for Ezekiel’s birth and Anna’s wedding before the COVID 19 spread into Liberia. It was a total relief for the team here that she had got home on one of the last scheduled flights that had left.
A BIG thank you
We say a big thank you to all our Board members, financial supporters and prayer warriors who have been praying for us. Special thanks to Rev Stephen and the Donegal Presbyterian Church for their support.
Reflections from Frances
I have to believe that in any chaos, any transition or upheaval in our life’s there is also the opportunity for change, for transformation if we can harness and navigate it. We are all in the middle of a global pandemic Covid 19 and let us be united in praying that Gods people will seek His face, repenting and asking God to heal our nations, 2 Chronicles 7:14. Let us pray that many will look to Him for the answers to the questions they have, for the peace He can give instead of fear and the comfort He can bring in the midst of suffering and grief.
(more…) Read MoreGood morning from Liberia, I am so blessed to know that you all are praying for me. By the special grace of God I am recovering gradually, thanks all of you for your care and love for Liberia and me. My family and I have been praying for all of you doing this Pandemic, I am aware of the number of people who have died and the grief families are going through due to lost of their love one, I want to encourage you that this too will pass, let us hold unto the hand that was nailed on Calvary. Please continue praying along with me for my full health and please pray for Liberia because we are also facing battle against the coronavirus, our health care system cannot cope with large out break. Again thank for your love and care
Mission update from Frances Swaray
“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” – Psalm 33:11
Reflection from Momo
I send greetings from the sunshine of Monrovia. As I reflect on these verses I am reminded that God has a plan and purpose for everyone. At The Koinonia Trust we are happy to be part of His plan and purpose. Liberia has been a country at unrest as demonstrations against the government continue. The journey toward healing from the trauma of war, abuse, and social injustice made so much more difficult in the midst of poverty passed down from one generation to another. We continue with our ministry with the help and support of all our partners in the Lord. We are trusting that God will bring healing to the broken and comfort in times of hardship.
Good News!
After much hard work over the past year our website is now live thekoinoniatrust.com . A big thank you to Mick Allsop for all the help in developing the website.
You can also now follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
There will also be options to donate to The Koinonia Trust or to Frances as she goes back to volunteer in Liberia. You can find both The Koinonia Trust and Frances’s pages on GoFundMe.
Update from Liberia
We were delighted to start this project in September. Momo trained the graduates from 26th to 29th of August 2019 in preparation for the project.

Topics taught were:
- Child Policy
- Classroom management
- Lesson preparation
- Our vision, values and principle in The Koinonia Trust
- Ethics and behavior
- Integrity
- Teaching skills
- Assessment and Evaluation.
We are delighted to have 50 children attend our homework, study and reading classes. We have them for 3 afternoons per week and it is free to attend. Thanks to Irish Aid for sponsoring this project.

Celebrations
We are delighted to congratulate Reuben Kinnie on completion of his vocational training as an electrician. Reuben is a valued member of our team that supervises our homework club and study classes. He hopes to progress his education and has been accepted to do a degree in electrical engineering in 2020. We at The Koinonia Trust are incredibly proud of him and how he has embraced new opportunities. We want to say thank you to all who fund and support us. This is how it is making a difference, it is bringing hope to many!

Personal Development Workshop
These workshops are aimed at building personal capacity and focused on increasing knowledge regarding the aspects of health, how they are interlinked and the impact they have on us; spiritual/emotional/mental/physical and social. We have been developing these workshops based on observations and needs. Transformation in hearts and minds takes time. We were asked to facilitate a group discussion for the inmates at one of the prison compounds. The feedback was encouraging. It is our greatest desire that we will continue to have the opportunity to work within the prison service to bring hope, build capacity and resilience to both inmates and the staff.

Special thanks to Kvinna till Kvinna for the opportunity to facilitate a one-day workshop with their 11 CSO’s, under the program, Supporting Effective Advocacy in Liberia (SEAL). Our workshop focused on personal development and building resilience for leaders while working and living in trauma affected communities. We had 30 leaders of various projects who attended, and the feedback was positive and encouraging.
Prayer Points
- Pray that God will make the provision for us, so we can continue to maintain what we are doing.
- Pray for Momo as continues to lead the work in Liberia
- Pray for Frances as she continues to volunteer and returns in early January. God continues to shape her every year.
- Pray as Frances develops the resources to support the team here and as she advocates for The Koinonia Trust both in Liberia and Ireland.
- Pray that the homework, study and reading classes will be a blessing to the community and that they will see Gods love through us.