In the fall of 2019, a team of artists led by Anna Lassonde of Jollybird Studio produced a 90-foot long mural to decorate the patient villa at CEML. The mural titled “the Red Thread” is a visual telling of the Old and New Testaments. Being able to communicate a Biblical message visually is so important in the village as some patients do not read Portuguese; some speak only Umbundu, Ganguela or Nyaneka.

But in the five years since the mural was painted, some of the colours have faded, some damages have been inflicted to the walls and repairs that were made to raise the ceilings of the houses disrupted a great deal of the image. This past July, Canadian artist Bethany K. Hoskin and her husband Michael set to work repairing the mural, with the obliging permission of Anna Lassonde.

In addition to reinvigorating the colours and replacing spots where plaster from repairs had covered up details, Bethany expanded the canvas, using the wall’s increased height as an opportunity to add new details across the top two feet of the mural. The repaired mural is now bigger than before!

Says Bethany: “We are quite grateful for the chance to restore the gospel message presented visually in the expansive Red Thread mural at the CEML. Even while we were there women were walking along explaining the visual Bible stories to their families. We hope the mural’s restoration will encourage believers in their faith during their stay at the villa as well as perhaps bring more into the fold.”