Another week has passed quickly and it’s difficult to remember everything that has happened the last few days. I do know that we have spent an amazing amount of time on the road….

Rufus, me and Adama

It seems that among the celebration on Independence Day, there was also plenty of stealing. Two of our friends had their phones stolen, including Rufus, and it seems that the phones came up missing “among friends”. This part of the culture is terribly discouraging, particularly when our presence seems to promote this activity because people believe we will simply replace what has been stolen. So, Wednesday morning we made a trip to Lonestar to buy new cell phones. I’m still holding Rufus’ phone and will give it to him before we leave hoping that his friends realize we will not just automatically replace whatever they take from him.

We also spent part of the day on Wednesday with Eric’s brother, Prince. He took us to his “working place”, the Sajj Restaurant. The restaurant caters to international customers and we enjoyed french fries with ketchup and amazing frozen fruit drinks. We had our computer and Prince was excited to tell us that they had wireless internet. Unfortunately, it worked as slow as our air card. We learned that the only fast internet is at the Keneja Hotel which conveniently sits behind our house on the Atlantic Ocean. $5 allowed us access to the hotel and wireless internet. When you walk on the Keneja property it feels that you’ve stepped out of Liberia and into another country. We sat under a cabana by the pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean accessing the internet. Adama and Saturday were with us and were a bit out of their element.

We also connected with a couple we met on our way to Liberia who are opening a Montessori school. We toured the school and were impressed with the facilities and the supplies they had sent from the states. Again, it was good to see another progressive part of Liberia.

On Thursday Michal and Hezz spent time with a few of the girls that attended their sessions last week while I took Steve’s brother Isaiah to pay his school fees for next year. We made another trip to the Keneja Hotel to test skype for Sunday morning. We certainly take technology for granted in America and it was terribly obvious as we worked for hours to download skype and other software to download music for a local worship pastor. What seems like something simple took us hours. We were finally able to connect with Dan and Phil via skype on Thursday and look forward to speaking with Living Water on Sunday!

Today we traveled to the Deaf Home and spent a few hours with the children. I continue to be amazed at their beautiful spirits. They drew pictures for us and we found an amazing artist among them. There is a “religious” group that meets very close to the property that have unusual practices, so we made a point to walk as close to their building as possible and pray over it.
I also met with our friend Pete this morning to plan our trip next week. We will be meeting with church and community leaders on Monday and will visit the villages and school property. Tuesday will include a women’s meeting/youth sports program in the morning and formal program at noon.

It appears that Saturday will be a quiet day and anticipate church, skyping with Living Water and a soccer game on Sunday. Continue to pray that God uses us and that we’re open and have energy to respond. Pray for our health. I ate something wrong yesterday and was quite ill last night – although back to myself today. Also pray that I can make a connection with the new consulate at the embassy.

We love and are missing everyone!

It’s July 26th and Independence Day in Liberia. Throughout the day, Liberians enthusiastically say, “Happy 26th”, “Happy Independence Day” and my personal favorite…
Liberian 1: “My 26th on You” (meaning the person they’re greeting should give them something.)
Liberian 2: “I take bath” (which means they will take a bath and wash it off.)
Liberian 1: “It’s in Your Blood”. (it’s in you’re blood and there is no way you can rid of it).

This bantering brings a lot of laughter among the Liberians. I’m able to understand much more Liberian English this year which opens the door for more appreciation of their culture and personalities.

After a long day of shopping and preparation on Monday, we were ready to host the Independence Day party. If you check out Michal’s blog, she has provided a summary of what it takes to feed 400-500 people. The shopping was exhausting and complicated given the rush of shoppers the day before the holiday. After a late night trip for coal (to cook popcorn), everyone in the house worked together to fill 300 popcorn/candy bags.
We also connected with Adama on Monday. After several attempts to reach his Auntie by phone, we decided to travel to his house to find him. With Rufus’ help, we found the house and boys were sent to locate Adama who was out playing. His grandmother commented that Adama said we would be coming for him. He appeared about 5 minutes later with arms wide open for us. So, Adama is now staying at the house with us. He’s 12 years old and his high squeaky voice from last year has now changed and is quite low, like Momo’s. He’s also more set in his ways and we’ve had several mother/son conversations already. I’m trusting that our time with him is profitable in the formation of who he is and his understanding of God’s love for him.
We traveled on Tuesday morning with two taxis to Daniel Hoover only to arrive to find workers still preparing the school for visitors. I thought the program was to start at 11:00 a.m. and soon learned that it was planned for 12:00 p.m. In normal Liberian schedule, things got underway at 3:00 p.m. We had plenty of “hang out” time with the kids and made several trips to the kitchen to encourage the women as they cooked. My only job for the day was to put the soda on ice. No easy task – it took an hour and a half to find something to put the soda in and to travel for ice.

During the Independence Day program, the was music, dancing and a 30 minute exposition about the history of Liberia, its formation and finally independence. As “distinguished international guests” for the day, we were expected to have a few comments. I talked with the children about who we place our dependence on. While we live in free countries with good leaders, God is still our provider. I sang “Everlasting God” for the children while Becky Brooks (an American visiting the Deaf Home this week) signed the words.

The dinner followed the program and went exceptionally smooth this year. We were able to encourage an assembly line approach for serving the food which made things much simpler than prior years. To my amazement, we were filling the last paper plate when I heard Michal say, “that’s it”! There was plenty of food and everyone ate well! The celebration is anticipated by the children and adults and everyone is very appreciative, particularly the students and staff from the Deaf Home. Thank you to all who donated! The children (and adults) were delighted.

Wednesday is a day of errands. We will stop to the tailor, visit ELWA to deliver medical supplies, visit with Eric’s brother Prince, find a place to skype with Living Water this coming Sunday and maybe connect with Momo’s mother, Jarsee. While it seems like simple tasks for the day, they will take energy and time.

Everyone is “good in their body” (Liberian for feeling well) and we are comfortable and feel safe where we are staying. I’m feeling particularly good because the rat was caught Saturday night and we’ve seen no further sightings.

We miss everyone! Please keep praying for Rufus’ future. We had a long conversation on Tuesday and his options for a “good” education, mentorship and housing (a dry room and safe place for his things) are few. Also pray for the next few days and how God can use us.

Sorry to be a few days in updating the blog. I’m not sure how to explain the phenomenon of time passing quickly in Liberia – but it does. All I know is that we don’t typically “stop” and retire to our rooms until 11:00 p.m. Then the unwinding begins. Elizabeth has been a delightful roommate, but we spend a lot of time talking and not sleeping.

Friday was spent at Daniel Hoover Village cleaning. I helped mix cement, load it in buckets, lay tile and was the general gopher. I’m amazed at the number of women who worked outside in the hot sun among fire ants literally all day. The girls and I took a break from working and had an amazing opportunity to pray over a woman who was badly injured by a grenade during the war. She had told her story during our women’s meeting earlier in the week and on Friday her friend came to me to ask if we could pray. And so that we did, we prayed for healing. I don’t know what God will do with that – but trust Him with her. It’s amazing that despite this woman’s physical problems, she was among all of the other ladies working.
As I mentioned above, Elizabeth and I have had a wonderful time together with much talking and laughter. She is the female version of Eric. This became very apparent as we walked along the ocean talking and enjoying each other’s company when the waves overtook us and we found ourselves “in” the ocean. Sorry Dan, I forgot to tell you – the camera was over my shoulder. I thought I saved it from “a lot” of water, but it’s not working just now (I’m hoping we purchased the extended warranty). For some reason, Hezz caught it all in photos, maybe she realized that an accident was in the making as we ventured into the ocean.
On Saturday we made a trip to Waterside market. After seeing the mob of people pushing to get through the streets and sidewalks, I decided to leave my personal things in the car and have Rufus carry the money. Among the stores and street vendors, there were ladies tucked in corners having their hair plotted (braided) and pedicures done. Liberians are certainly preparing for the 26th. Shopping was exhausting. We found fabric for African suits and a few other gifts and then headed out of the city.

And then this morning we attended church at Oceanview. I was asked to join the church leaders in prayer before the service and then was called to sing, share a few words, pray for the pastor before his message and then pray for a group of leaders that were preparing to attend a conference. When you attend a Liberian church service, you should be ready for anything….

We then attended a Liberian wedding, the brother of my dear friend Lillian. Let’s just say that the processional was about 45 minutes long and the wedding was over two hours. Guests walked down the center isle as the processional occurred and I saw one groomsman step out to take a phone call. So, weddings are not nearly as formal in Liberia as they are in America. Here’s a quick photo to give you an idea of the “décor” of the wedding.
Thank you all for praying. We certainly feel God’s presence, particularly as we’re called upon to minister. There are so many opportunities. Over the next few days you can pray about our connection with Adama and Rufus. We will likely make a trip to pick up Adama tomorrow and will keep him for several days. I continue to ask God to open doors for Rufus – he needs to be in America with us. And then, we are asking God about plans for the rest of the week. We want to be flexible and used. It appears that the girls will likely be meeting with a few of the young ladies that they met with earlier last week.

We love you and miss you all. Big hugs and kisses to the men at the Hostetler house and to Hannah, Micah and Phil.

As I suspected, the "unplanned" events that happen in Liberia are the most successful. Thirty young men met with us this morning to go on a prayer walk around the community. Before we left, I was able to share with them about the importance of being men of God and changing the face of Liberia by the decisions they are making now. We spent time talking about how to find time alone with God and being prepared to tell stories of how God has changed us. Amazingly, the boys were with me with heads shaking in confirmation. I trust that a small nugget stuck in their hearts. My group:
We then separated into three groups and took off throughout the community. While we had many very cool experiences, the one that stuck the most was how a boy by the name of Isaiah (Steve's brother and Momo's cousin), changed throughout the walk. I had met with him before the service to discuss supporting him in school and I shared the requirement that he make good decisions in his life while we're supporting him. I asked if he was going to join the group for the prayer walk and he agreed even though he did not normally attend this youth group.

God, in His own wisdom and design, placed Isaiah in my group. As we left the compound he said "Mom, I'm not sure I know how to do this" and I told him it was fine and he should just come along to watch. By half way through the walk he was beginning to greet people, and soon became active with recommending who we should talk with next. We were running a bit late on our return to the compound and on our way there was a man sitting on what barely was a chair with his head down. The rest of the team passed him by because it was time to return, however, Isaiah said, "Mom, we should stop". I agreed and Isaiah started a conversation with the man. The rest of the team joined as he shared many troubling stories regarding his son and the difficulties in providing for his children. When it was time to pray, I looked at Isaiah and he started a powerful prayer for the gentleman. God is so good and I pray that today was a day of renewed faith for Isaiah. I was able to pray for several babies and their mothers/fathers. What a beautiful opportunity to bless the children.

Isaiah

Elizabeth, Eric’s sister, has now joined us at the house and will be staying with us through Independence Day. I have many fond memories of her on my first trip to Liberia and am looking forward to spending time with her. We ended the day by visiting Monrovia Christian Fellowship for their Thursday night worship. During of week of serving and giving, it felt good to be encouraged by their worship in teaching. We always feel very welcome there. Elizabeth

Although I know this, it was evident today that God’s unexpected plans are so much better than mine. The girls did such a great job of leading the groups today and God has been so faithful to us. We’ll be working at the Daniel Hoover Village School tomorrow cleaning the grounds. I will also be meeting with the woman from ACFI that has relationship with the U.S. Embassy to discuss options for Rufus. Please continue to pray for an open door for him.

1 Peter 3:15
You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

The last few days have been "full". Not sure of the definition of "full, but suffice to say that every moment is taken and we're falling asleep quickly without any bother for the sounds around the house.

We conducted the Women's and Young Ladies conferences on Tuesday and Wednesday. The women traveled from all parts of the city with 56 attending my session and around 20 for Michal and Hezz's session. The ladies in my group were very attentive and shared quickly about their lives. It's amazing how the war and other trials of living in LIberia have impacted who they are and the minor bumps that happen in my life seem like nothing. As I've told many of you, I come to Liberia to bring perspective back to my life. While the girls had a rough start on Tuesday, their group opened up today and they felt good about what was accomplished. Again, the sessions included many tough stories. We continue to process what that means and how God wants us to impact lives here.

This afternoon we visited our friend Joseph and toured his school. He will have over 1,000 students enrolled for next school year and has built an addition for a library and is currently running electric to the building for computers. We’ve watched Joseph’s work from the beginning and are so proud of what he has accomplished.

Joseph then took us to visit with Momo and Steve’s grandmother, Ma Musu. We had met her on a couple other trips and heard that her health was failing so thought it would be good to visit and try to capture stories of the boys on videotape. She wasn’t able to share much, but she was pleased to see their pictures and said several times “Thank you for the boys”. It was a very touching time with her and we learned a few more details about the time the boys spent with her. We took a bag of rice, at Steve’s request, and she was very pleased. As with all of our trips, there are unexpected ministry events and tomorrow is one of them. We will be meeting with the teenage/young men of the church and will teach for an hour or so about sharing the hope God has given us and then will go on a prayer walk around Monrovia. We intend to divide into three groups and hit the streets. I can’t wait to see what God has in store and trust that the time will allow the boys to see how God moves in unexpected ways.

There was commotion in the house last night because a mouse (or “rat” as affectionately known in Liberia – which doesn’t make me feel any better) made residence in my room. I told the boys I would give them $5 if they caught the rat. They ran to my room, emptied the closet and took my bed apart. Unfortunately, we had several sightings – accompanied by screams, but the rat made it’s home in the box springs of my bed. By God’s grace, and the security of the mosquito net around my bed, I slept well. There were no rat sightings today and I’m hoping it has moved to another area of the house. I know I’ve spoken about this before, but I wish I could show pictures of everything we see along the streets. The camera can be intruding for people, so I use it cautiously. But to give you a visual idea, there are people everywhere with a range of activities from fighting, sitting in solitude, working, 25 people crammed into the back of a truck, goats literally tied and standing on the top of a van traveling down the road, men relieving themselves along the side of the road and of course, my favorite, music and children dancing. This just gives you an idea of what was happening on our way home today. I can’t help but watch…. They’re all God’s children.

We’re all feeling well and feel safe. Thank you for your ongoing prayers!

P.S. Thank you, Jeannie, for the monster cookies. They were a much needed treat tonight.

After a long 13 hour flight, we arrived safely in Liberia on Sunday afternoon around 2:30 p.m. Our very dear friend, Lillian was there to meet us and $25 got us through the airport and customs without delay (or stopping for that matter). Because we were carrying 9 large bags, plus our carry-on’s, getting out of the airport and finding transportation was challenging. Of course, there was an abundance of volunteers waiting to help us carry bags and find transportation.

We were welcomed to the guest house by many old friends and there were lots of hugs and laughter. We had a good African meal, unpacked and then turned in early for the night. We were all very tired and slept until 9:00 a.m. the next morning.

Monday was a “get settled” day. I was quite pleased to start the morning by remembering the technique of tying a mosquito net. It was a challenge last year - but this morning I mastered it first try! Had to post a picture...

We had a driver at our disposal, so made a trip to town to buy a new cell phone and I then opened my first Liberian bank account. It was a bit uncomfortable because the bank had little privacy and the “Customer Service” desk where I was opening the account had 5-6 people standing around the desk (and me) all wanting attention. I explained to the gentleman assisting me that U.S. banks are quite different and each customer’s banking and financial matters are handled very privately. He smiled and said “it’s a little crazy here”. After obtaining two passport photos, so they can confirm I am who I say I am when transacting business at the bank, I now have a “bank book” with my picture attached and manual entries of deposits. What a departure from what we experience. Might I just say that there is no ATM or debit card!

We then made a trip to Daniel Hoover Village to deliver gifts and to see Rufus who is there working this week. Even though school is not in session, there were several children on the grounds and many were under the age of five. I was able to meet with Eric’s mother and had a nice visit with her. She confirmed what we already know - that Eric is a very “happy” boy. She’ll be attending our women’s meeting tomorrow so I’m very pleased to spend more time with her.

We also delivered gifts to the Knetzer children. They all have great smiles and made a special point to come find me to thank me. I look forward to having them in our community and church family. Their names are Adam (9), Princess and Amelia (both 11).Even though we have spent countless hours traveling the roads around Monrovia, I continue to be overwhelmed as I look out the window of the car and see the poverty and people that appear to have no reason to be productive. We returned to the house exhausted and I believe it to be as much emotional as physical exhaustion. In all this though, God has certainly gifted these people with joy and the ability to laugh through all difficult things. That’s what makes this country beautiful….

We're all well and look forward to starting our meetings with the young ladies and older women tomorrow. This is new to all three of us - so we're a bit nervous. I guess that's when God can use us the most - when we're not relying so much on our own gifts.

PS, my Smucker friends - I'm having difficulty connecting to e-mail. The Help Desk "helped" me connect to the internet today. I'll give them a call tomorrow afternoon to try to get e-mail set up!

Bags Are Packed!

Seven bags are packed at exactly 50 pounds thanks to our dear friend, Toni. She has a gift for taking our mess of belongings/gifts and fitting them into suitcases at exactly the right weight ..... not sure what we would do without her. There was one very big item that she was unable to fit after several attempts - ERIC. What a joy he brings to our house...

Transitioning our minds and hearts toward Liberia is a process. Part of the transition has to do with dealing with our "stuff" and I'm reminded of it as we pack items that we feel are necessities. My mind probably doesn't entirely stop until the plane touches down on Liberian soil. Then reality begins....

We'll depart Cleveland Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. and will arrive in Liberia on Sunday afternoon. In the past we arrived later in the evening, so it will be nice to land during daytime hours.

Today I read a devotion that said "Don't be afraid to go out on a limb, that's where the fruit is". I suspect that we're climbing out on a limb tomorrow. We're trusting God to use the quiet time in the air to further prepare our hearts and the material we'll be sharing over the next few weeks to produce FRUIT.

More to come....