Orphan Relief and Rescue

Pictures posted from yesterday and pictures are posted for today. Today my team went to Orphan Relief and Rescue. We made packages and sorted through a ton of clothes. We then went to one of the local orphanages and ended up doing some VBS and a crazy fun craft. The kids Danced for us which was so fun.

Afterwards we walked to the beach for the last time and I talked with Deb who is an RN and works for ORR. She was very encouraging and prayed over me.

Tonight we had dinner and ended up making silly videos and just hanging out.

Yes this is a short blog and I will give more detail in the morning. Right now we are all drained and need rest for our last day! Thank you for your prayers. Our time is ticking down so pray we make the most of it!

Lindi

Diana Davies Day 2

I updated pictures for yesterday for those of you who might be interested. Again, today the team I was on went to Diana Davies Orphanage. The team included Brent, my Dad, Jeremiah, Amy and I. The morning was kind of rough for my physically but I prayed that the day would not be ruined by the pain of it.

The drive to the orphanage was quite the adventure. On the way to and from the orphanage yesterday we were trying to get pictures of the STS water and ice company run by the Children’s Village in Sino County. The money earned there is used to pay the employees and to pay for gas for the generator. So then they supply power to the surrounding houses which also makes money and allows them to not have to pay for the land they live on. It is truly a prime example of what is trying to be achieved here in Liberia.

We were also trying to get pictures of a decked out Miami Dolphins truck. It seemed to be a next to impossible task but, thanks to Victor’s sharp eye we spotted it in time to get a picture of it. It’s the little things in life that matter. We did get stopped at a check point on the way but, luckily, we only needed to show passports instead of the white slips that not everyone had.

We arrived at the orphanage to a warm welcome from all the kids. I got out of the car and was hugged and loved all over. There is nothing like having 10 kids just want to hug you and be close to you. Then 10 more kids waiting behind them wanting to be loved on. I feel like I had so much love to pour out and I was able to pour it all out all day! At first the kids were all looking for Kayla but soon Amy took over and was as if she had always been there.

We did our normal worship which is always a blast with Brent. He has so much energy and has so much fun when he worships. He even got my dad into it which was so fun to watch. The kids LOVED it. Then Jeremiah told the story about Daniel in the Lions’ Den and did a wonderful job. However, Diana wanted the LONG version of the story so Jeremiah had to do it all again in more details. THEN we did a Q&A with Daniel the puppet. Poor Jeremiah’s arm was dying by then end of it but it was very insightful for the kids.

I was able to work with the older girls today and it was great to be able to go deeper and find out more about their hearts and life at the orphanage. The girls there really seem to be like a sisterhood that I was able to be a part of. Amy really came out of her shell with the younger girls which was very exciting. They made lion masks and went around rawring at the different groups which was so adorable and we got a good number of cue pictures out of it. Jeremiah and Brent tagged teamed the younger boys and answered their questions from yesterday. Dad took the older guys and ended up teaching a lesson on the diamond (surprise surprise) that really meant a lot to the guys there along with Diana.

We went out and played soccer and kickball again which was a blast as always. I remembered to wear tennis shoes this time so as not to kill my poor feet. Amy did not have the same luck since she was in flip flops. Afterwards, went back to the orphanage and Amy and I painted the girls’ finger nails which was a blessing and a joy. Jeremiah did another puppet story telling about Jonah and the whale in which Amy and I kept him busy with questions. Finally we got everyone together for a couple last songs and a final farwell. During that time I held Ada and she just rested her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arm around me. In that moment along with a million others, I wanted to just take her home with me. It killed me knowing I might not see her again this side of heaven. Yet, I knew I was leaving her in the hands on the father and at a good home with Diana. They gifted us all with necklaces to help remember them and to thank us. The smiles on those kids faces was enough thanks for me and these kids truly are unforgettable.

On the way home, we got stopped by a cop for some unknown reason. However, another cop came over and told the other cop to let us through because he saw the same Service to Servants on the truck and knew it. Thank you Chuck Clark, Even yesterday this guy ran us down in the market trying to get in contact with Chuck to help ship stuff and we were able to give him the correct website. Chuck is literally all over Liberia!

In the evening James the tailor came by with some of the dresses and purses. Talk about a fiasco. What should have taken 10 mins took about an hour or more. The purses were fine but the dresses were mostly all wrong sizes. So dresses were being traded and tried on and swapped around. Rodney, the point man, was dealing with the financials and was having a BLAST doing so. He was also trying to be the middle man between the girls and James. Watching it was quite a funny experience. It finally got straightened out for the most point thanks to Rodney.

Now we are all up journaling and blogging. Well the girls anyway. Our men, after a hard day, went to bed early. Tomorrow I will be working with the Orphan Relief and Rescue organization alongside of Danielle, Dimitri, Kayla and my Dad. It is going to be an exciting day and I can’t wait to see what God has in store.

Diana Davies

All I can say about today is WOW. There trully is no other way to describe it. I feel I could write for days upon days about today alone and all that has happened, but I need to leave something for us to talk about when we get home. ;-)

Today was the first day that the team was seprated. Dad, Brent, Jeramiah, Kayla, and I all went to the Diana Davies Orphanage while the rest of the team headed to THINK for the day. If you want to read more about what happened at THINK, you can go to www.weliberia.blogspot.com. My Blog will only be about Diana Davies since, that is where I was.

The trip there was a "bonding" experience. We had all 4 students squished into the backseat of the path finder while Dad sat in the front stretched out and ready for the journey. He is so self sacrificing and we all appreciated it very much. We did hit one check point where we all needed a slip of paper that none of us had. It’s so great when you don’t know what you need to go through checkpoints. We all had passport copies which, as we have been told, was all we would need. I was told by Rodney and my Dad that they maybe you get your passport checked once every couple times you come to Liberia. I had mine checked twice in 2 weeks. Oh how special I feel.

We arrived at the orphanage around 10am and met the children right off. Each one would come up, shake hands and give you their name. The orphanage looked very well kept and taken care of. Last year, the 12Stone team was here and installed a generator which, by God's grace, has been a huge assets to the orphanage. They are able to use their sewing machines, computers, have lights, and will be able to power the school they are building. We talked a bit to Diana about what she was expecting or wanting from us and she encourage counseling very strongly.
We then had a fun time of worship with all the kids together and Brent taught a short sermon that was not in our “plans.” However, as the bible verse goes, “The minds of men plan their ways but the Lord directs their steps.” So we planned our ways, and God took us on a detour. We then broke up by gender and age. Brent took the older guys, Jeremiah the younger ones, I took the younger girls and Kayla took the older girls. We each did what we felt would be the most meaningful to our group and to worked out good in the end. For Jeramiah and I, we both had a hard time getting the young ones to understand what we were asking of them and it felt disheartening. Kayla connected with her girls very quickly as did Brent. Kayla even got her hair braided African style by the girls which looked spectacular!

Afterwards, we all had lunch and then went out to play kickball and soccer. Now, the girls played kickball which, one would THINK it would be less intense. Oh no, Liberian kickball is pretty intense. I had worn flip flops this day and ended up having to run barefoot through who knows what on the ground. Kayla was the smart one and wore shoes. Then it was like a round robin. Kayla and I can both swear that every time we ran home, we were up to bat again. It’s was like running in circles in the hot Liberian sun. Not to mention that we were using a soccer ball for a kickball. We both womaned up during that game and had a blast bonding with the girls. I had a little girl named Ada glued to my side the entire time and she truly became my joy all day. She loved to dance and smile and had the greatest laugh of any child. Kayla, during the game at least, had all the boys around here including a little boy named James AKA Kevin Queen jr. The boys played an intense game of soccer where the best player on the field was playing in flip flops which astounded every one of us! Jeremiah scored 2 goals during the game which he was very proud of.

We walked back to orphanage from the field and had another time of worship and small groups. This time went much better for all of us. I had my girls memorize a bible verse, Kayla prayed and sang with her girls, Jeremiah had his boys asking him a million good questions and Brent had a good time bonding deeper with his guys. It was so hard to have to say goodbye that afternoon especially for Kayla who would not be coming back.

We got home and started cooking dinner for the folks who had been cooking and serving us all week. It was our way of thanking them for all their hard work. It was also just fun to bond with the team after such an emotional day for most of them.
It was good to hear stories about the other team but it was also very emotional all that they had seen and heard. However, through it all, God is still faithful.

Lindi

Saturday and Sunday

Well it is Saturday and we had another fun filled eventful day here in Liberia. It’s hard trying to start blogs anymore because it sounds so repetitive. Currently we are all resting after dinner waiting for Vivian, Christine’s daughter in law, to come over so we can start our evening discussion. Rodney is braiding Amy’s hair and Danielle is taking photos of it all. Dad wants to make sure his wife knows that he loves her. Now, onto our day.

We got a normally early start of 9 and went to the Rafiki Children’s Village and did another VBS. Today it was on creation and we had the children making pictures of each day of creation. We sang songs, did a story, Jeremiah using a puppet and Brent playing God. Twas an interesting combination but the children loved it as always. Afterwards we played kickball and tag with the kids and I was able to talk more to Julie about the organization. Really do love what they are doing there and am very curious to keep tabs on their progress. On a side note, during these days, we only had two vehicles so most of the guys were forced to sit in the back of the truck to be chivalrous. The girls wanted a chance to experience the roller coaster ride. So, on our way home, all the girls dove into the back of the truck which upset the guys. However, we got our way because we are the girls. We all sang the whole way home and had an absolute blast!

Afterwards, we came home, had lunch, and headed out to the STS property. Now I should mention, during these trips today, the next door neighbor named Josephine who is around 14 tagged along with us. She was a very interesting teenage and became Danielle charge unofficially. The trips around consisted of trying to track down and keep tabs on Josephine. Anyway, we headed to the STS property for the bible burying and dedication. Guess who was out there, surprise surprise, MICHAEL! It is still amazing to me. We then all went up to the side of one of the walls they are building to bury it. We all stood around and read a prayer over Liberia and all took shovels full of concrete and placed it over the bible. It was a very good ceremony and very moving.

Afterwards, we headed to the ELWA hospital to visit and pray with and for the patients. I was personally way out of my comfort zone doing this. First Dr. Chapman, a dentist/oral surgeon, showed us around the dental clinic which was most impressive. The facilities were way more advanced than I ever could have imagined. We then headed over to the hospital. The Girls spent their time in the OB, women’s, and pediatric ward. The men, obviously, spent their time in the male ward. The stories that came out of it were amazing. My most touching moments were the opportunity to pray for a Muslim girl who had her legs near paralyzed and I was able to give a woman who had a little boy with Malaria a fan to keep her son cool.

We all came home that night exhausted but feeling like God had blessed and his glory had been given. It was uncomfortable a number of times for a lot of us but it was a great experience. That night, Christine told us her testimony and it was encouraging to us each uniquely. We all went to bed that night totally worn out but feeling good and encouraged.

Sunday Morning, all the girls dressed up in their Liberian lapas, which are essentially pieces of fabric wrapped around the waist as skirts, and the guys in their Sunday best, not 12Stone style, and went to church. We went to Providence Baptist Church which is the oldest church in Liberia. Of course since Rodney chose the church it HAD to be Baptist. As we drove through town, the girls took millions of pictures like they do every day. It’s funny when Victor or someone else has to be like “no you can’t take pictures of that” or “yes you can take pictures of that.” When we pulled up to church there were police there and were not sure why. Suddenly we saw the beginnings of a motorcade and Victor said it was the presidential motorcade. Kayla automatically wanted to take pictures but Victor told her no. lol

The church service was unlike anything I had been to before. It was a large church with gorgeous interior architecture. There was a lot of singing and even a dance that was very moving. Pastor Reeves gave a great sermon about bible paradoxes. After church, we loaded up to go out to lunch. On the way, Kayla waves at some boys selling water and he started chasing the car trying to sell Kayla water.

We ate at the royal hotel which was a spectacular buffet. We all left feeling like we gained 10 pounds. I really had been feeling better today so I got to eat more than usual. We went back to the compound for our lovely day of Sabbath. Dad and Rodney took naps and bantered as always. Annie, Jessie, and I all took naps which, at least for me, was very much needed. The guys, Amy and Kayla went out to one of the local villages to play soccer with the kids. Amy and Kayla also painted the girls nails (and one boy) and taught them how to dance. It was a great time of ministering for them and, we heard later, that Kayla and Amy really were able to come out of their shells which is one of the big purposes here.
We all gathered late for dinner and just sat around talking. James the tailor (not James Taylor) came over to fit the girls for their dresses and pick up the fabric for our purses. It was fun watching Rodney dealing and bartering with James as well as breaking out his mad accounting skills to handle the money. Rodney really has a gift for it so much so I think he could do it as a profession, but that’s just me. James left and we had our normal debrief about the day. Then came the great incident.

Apparently, an arachnid decided to make its home in the girls’ bathroom. Now, the size of this creature will probably change about 10 times by the time it is shared back home, but it was a decent size. So, because Rodney and my Dad believe in playing by chess rules and sending in the pawns first, Jeremiah went in to capture the dangerous creature. Danielle took a video of the incident and I don’t think something like that could have been scripted. Annie, Rodney, Dad and I were sitting in the living area listening to the screaming and laughing while most everyone else was in the girls’ room watching the horror story unfold. Luckily, after many attempts, Jeremiah was able to capture the beast and release him into the wild.

So ended my second week in Liberia. Tomorrow I will be going out to the Diana Davies Orphanage with Brent, Jeremiah, Kayla and my Dad while the rest of the group goes to THINK. It will be a 4 day sprint of VBS for all of us, but we’re all up to the challenge and are excited to see what God does.

Keep praying for heath and protection for everyone on the trip. So far things are going ok and getting better but the next few days will be draining on all of us. We miss you all back at home and pray everything is going well!

Lindi

New Years Day

I have made a number of posts in the same day to catch up. So look at previous posts to keep the days in order :-)

We got to sleep in this morning which was so exciting! This meant that instead of the girls rolling out of bed at 7:45 to get breakfast at 8, we were rolling out of bed at 8:45 to get breakfast at 9. We then spent an hour of quiet time which was much needed for all of us. We then got our supplies ready to go to the STS property and the Rafiki Children's Village.


A couple we had met at the NGO party came by with their daughters who make jewelry so we could buy some. We then headed out the property. When we showed up, guess who? Michael was there! Now those of you who don’t know who Michael is, he is the guy who makes the bullet crosses most of you have. He is a biz type of guy who Rodney has sort of taken under his wing. Michael is incredible in the fact that he knows were we are almost always and we don’t know how. We did get to see Rodney talk about the vision of the property and saw the wall going up which was very encouraging. We'll be helping to build that wall tomorrow possibly.


We then went to the Rafiki Children's Village. This was probably the highlight of my visit so far to Liberia. The village has only 21 children but it is growing and has locations in 10 countries in Africa. It an orphanage for TRUE orphans to help them grow up in a Christian, safe environment, get the best education possible, and grow up to either go to college or get a trade. Ultimately they want the children to grow up to be leaders in their countries. I talked to the curriculum director for a huge part of the time which was awesome. If I had to be a missionary, I would most definitely choose Rafiki to be where I would serve. Don’t get nervous Mom, I have not signed on to anything yet.


The group did one of our VBS days that we had planned for next week with the kids and it was a huge hit! The children are between the ages of 20 months and 7 years old. They only take children in between the ages of 18 months to five years of age. However, once they are in the orphanage, they will stay there until they are 18 years old. It truly is a great organization.


We are going to be getting to go there tomorrow morning as well which is very exciting! We will also be visiting JFK hospital to encourage the patients and people there.



Right now I am sitting in the Kendeja Resort with Rodney, Annie, and Brent sending out blogs and checking e-mail since the internet is down at Christine’s still. Hope all is well stateside! I miss you all and hope everyone had a great New Years!!

So Blessed,

Lindi

PS. My Dad’s ear is so much better now. My stomach is still causing problems to continue to pray for me. I was able to eat tonight for the first time without feeling ill afterwards.

Thursday- New Year Eve

It felt so weird since today did NOT feel like New Years Eve. I guess most holidays here have not felt “normal” by our standards. Then again, nothing here feels normal.

In an effort to celebrate New Year Eve, we went down to waterside market to do some shopping. A tailor came by in the morning to show us some Liberia clothes. The girls wanted dresses and the tailor told them if they got fabric he could make them dresses. So, it was a fabric shopping day for the girls for sure. We got down to the market and stopped at the first fabric shop. The guys had about a 3 second attention span and wanted to go do something else. So they went off and the girls, Dad and Rodney stayed together. We shopped for a couple hours and got fabric for purses and dresses. We also got jewelry and I got hounded by some guy trying to sell me some monkeys. I did get some fabric even though I fought getting it. I gave in so I could get a purse made. When we walked back to the cars, the guys said we were super easy to pick out in the distance, I wonder why.

We got back, sucked down lunch, and headed to an NGO party at the Chapman’s house. The Chapmans are a family who was working on Mercy Ships which is a medical ship that provides medical assistance to West Africa. They settled down in Liberia 2 years ago and work at the hospital in ELWA as a dentist/ oral surgeon. At the party there were a large number of missionaries. We just walked around and talked to them about their lives and their missions in Liberia. Every couple had such an amazing story of being called by God or just always having a heart of missions. There was no sense or regret or doubt. They love what they do and they love the people they are helping which was very encouraging to us. They also kept telling us how encouraged they were to see such young people taking the time to come and do mission in Liberia. We all left there hearing stories that would touch our lives for eternity and some even with a sense of being called to missions someday.

Afterwards we all headed down to the beach and had a BLAST! The beach was beautiful and the water felt great. We took some rather fun photos on some ocks which provided much entertainment. It was fun watching Dad trying to juggle 3 or 4 cameras while standing in the surf while trying to time the picture just right so the wave would hit us. It was a fun painful experience.

We all got home that night covered in sand but feeling good and tired. We had a time of planning and then went off and prayed in pairs over what we want differently from the New Year. We then had the “ball drop” courtesy of Jeremiah and a hacky sack. We had a feast of crackers, trail mix, and verity of other things we could find in our suitcases. We definitely brought the New Year in right. Then all passed out before 1am.

Wednesday

Today began our adventure of working together at a team. We went to Greater Love Church where my Dad and I had been on Monday. Rodney, Dad and Jessie went to ELWA so that Dad and Jessie could get medical attention because of Dad’s ear getting worse and Jessie having some digestive issues.

Part of the team went to a recording studio to record promos for the radio station that sounded spectacular! Annie even came up with a song for them which became a big hit as soon as they got back. Kayla ended up going in the clinic and working with the doctor and learning about what he did and the health care in Liberia. Jeremiah joined her later and got an equal chance to talk with the doctor and work with him. Danielle, Brent and I ended up moving cinder blocks for the men building the security wall around the facilities. We tried to help, but Brent found out that he could not work as fast as they could. Ergo, after we moved the bricks, we spent the time talking with the people around Greater Love and playing with the kids.

By the time the radio group and the doctor group got back, we has eaten sandwiches and were ready to go. Pastor Wesley then informed us that he had made us all lunch. So we all ate lunch again and headed back to the compound. The boys went and played soccer and the girls took naps. That was probably the best nap I have ever had in my life. We all gathered for dinner and debrief and found out the boys had not won their soccer game but has put up a good fight… or so they said. ;-) It was a good first day for the team.

Tuesday at Marshall

Well, due to the internet problems continuing, Annie Rodney and I are at a hotel using their wi-fi to update our blogs. So along with looking at www.weliberia.blogspot.com, you can also look up www.servicetoservants.com to read Rodney’s blog. Between the three of us, I am sure we are going to be getting a good overview of everything that happens on this trip.

Tuesday was the first full day of our team all being together and you could tell that unity was a true cornerstone for our group. We had a delightful breakfast and spent most of the day hanging out. Most of the group walked down to a village and played soccer and hung out with the people there. The boys were especially a big hit bringing soccer balls. Later on in the week they would end up playing a pretty good match with the guys down at the village. Rodney and I stayed back at the compound typing and blogging. I personally only stayed because I was not feeling well and blogging seemed to be a good way to get my mind off the pain that seemed to my lasting companion throughout the trip. They came back and we all had lunch together. Afterwards, the vehicles showed up to take us to Marshall.

Now, none of us knew where Marshall was or what the significance of it. When I asked Victor he said it was a beach which we all thought was pretty cool. When we got off the main road and jumped onto a dirt road, I quickly realized that we were kinda going out into the bush a little bit. A little bit would be the understatement of the century. 17 miles, an hour and fifteen minutes, and a zillion pumps and potholes later, we made it to this little village right on the coast. Of course, when you have been bounced around the way we had for as long as we had, and having your internal organs all jumbled up, most of the girls had to use the restroom. I’ll just leave it at this. We felt like queens of the world after completing that feat. Meanwhile Jeremiah was taking pictures of all the kids and it was the sweetest and funniest thing. 20 kids would run up against this wall, pose in funny positions, and then maul him over to look at the picture. Then they would do the same thing all over again. We finally had to leave and head to the actual beach where the rest of the team was. I was a nice hike through the village and included walking across some old metal beams being used as a bridge that nearly gave me a heart attack.

We go to the beach and it was like something out of postcard it was so beautiful. The beach was nearly with the exception of a few kids and some old boats. We came over the hill and it was looking at the glory of God just spread out before me. It was breath taking. We went down and just enjoyed the water. Many of us played with the kids which they LOVED and talked with some of the other folks down there. Dad then told us the significance of Marshall.

After the civil war in the United States and even near the end, the American Government built ships to send the African slaves who wanted to go back to Africa back to Africa. They were called the freedom ships. A good number of the ships landed on the beach that we were standing on and Marshall became one of the first settlements for the freed slaves. Standing on the beach and just taking in that history was overwhelming to me. It was one of those things that you really don’t learn about when they teach you about the Civil War in school.

We stayed there for awhile enjoying ourselves and ministering to the people there on the beach until almost sunset then we walked back to the vehicles. Another thing about Liberia is that a lot of their way of life, especially in villages like the one we were near, is so dependent on the sun and it determines so much of what they do. When it gets dark, they go to bed. When it gets light, they wake up. It’s a dependence on God in a way we don’t truly understand. In some way they depend on him for EVERYTHING. From the fish they catch, the food they grow, the sun to rise and fall. None of those are things they can control.

We drove home that evening, back over the super bouncy road. It seemed that a lot of the group was very overwhelmed by everything they had seen and yet there was still a peace. That night, the girls spent a lot of time talking and bonding together. By Thursday night, the girls were probably closer than we ever could have imagined in the 6 months of meeting once a month leading up to the trip.

A Long Awaited but Short Post

Happy New Year everyone!!

Again, with more internet problems and having 11 people here, updates have been as frequent. Luckily, I have great people like Annie and Rodney to stand in the Gap for me. Here is a quick overview and I will go more in depth tonight and tomorrow.

Tuesday- Relaxing in the morning and a trip to Marshall that evening. Marshall was the beach the freedom ships came in on.

Wed- Trip to greater love and the healing of Dad and Jessie thanks to the Dr. at ELWA.

Thur- Trip to the water street market for shopping and NGO party.

Short and sweet but more details and pictures to come later! Miss you all have have a great new year!!

Greater Love and the Team Arrives

Each day still continues to hold new and exciting things and unsuspecting things. Today we went out to greater love to talk with Pastor Wesley about his ministry and see a lot of what he has been doing. We went out there at around 11:30. We did not get to see LT Col. Dali sadly because he was out of the office. However, that allowed more time to spend at Greater Love. We went out there till four and had an amazing time. We were able to visit his clinic and see the pharmacy and lab which was very encouraging. He then took us up to see the radio station.

He opened the door and I felt this cold wind hit me and it felt spectacular! We went inside and he told us they had air conditioning which kept the radio equipment cold. We sat up there and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. We were also able to give them the recorder they had been asking about. It was looking at children opening a Christmas present. They were so excited and their eyes were so wide with joy. They played with it a bit and then told us we had an assignment. They wanted us to record promos for the radio station. We really had no idea this was going to happen so it was a slight surprise. We tried doing it in the studio and it was not working out as well. So, Pastor Wesley had us go to a professional recording studio to record. It was really very exciting to know that my voice was going to be on the radio! It was almost surreal. We were also to give them more CDs of PK’s sermons for them to play on the radio.

Afterward we went to their café for lunch which was two white pots with lids. Another lesson that you learn in Liberia is that if there are two pots, one with almost always be rice and the other will be what you put in the rice which is always the surprise. They lifted it off and it was, surprise surprise, fish and chicken. I ate rice as always lol. I was then asked if we wanted any bread and my eyes lit up and I said yes. I was then handed a sardine sandwich! I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. I don’t think I ever wanted to have a local Mickey D’s so bad in my life! At lunch though, my Dad was able to talk more about his interest in Greater Love and how Crazy Missionaries might be able to partner with them. Pastor Wesley then showed us around where the vocational school would be. He said we would be doing a internet training and awareness class and a typing class. We also talked about his TV program idea that was in the works. My dad began talking to him about telemedicine and how Greater Love might be able to partner with Telemedicine in the future.

After the tour, we went back to the radio station, which I am dubbing to be my own personal heaven due to the AC, and they talked more about telemedicine and I just enjoyed the coolness of the room while watching 50 First Dates on my iPod. Two of the boys came up and sat and watched it with me while the “adults” were talking. It was a great experience to be able to share a movie with those boys, even though it probably was not the most wholesome Christian movie. I’ll probably need to download Jesus of Nazareth on my iPod next time.

Victor picked us up at 4 and took us back to the compound so he could clean the car before going to pick up the team. We showed up at 6:30, around the same time the team was supposed to land. We hauled booty to the airport and got their just as they were loading their luggage into the back of one of the trucks. It was exciting to see them!! We all embraced and piled into our caravan and headed back to the compound. It was easy to see some of them were totally overwhelmed with good reason. I was just happy to have some girls around! We got back to the compound, unloaded and had a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs!! I was SOOOOOOOO excited! Christine had promised me spaghetti and meatballs for a few days now and she finally came through and it was soooo good! We had a debrief and headed to bed. It was weird being around so many people again, but the company was really nice to have. All the girls had fans and the AC felt spectacular in our room. Sadly the boys are not so lucking. Their AC does not work and two of them did not have fans. We’ll see how that can be remedied in the next few days.

This morning was nice. I woke up at 7:30 or 8 and just laid there for awhile. My stomach is still hurting but it is something I pray will go away or lessen as time goes on. It’s made worse by the malaria medication but that’s not something I can necessarily stop doing. We had breakfast as a team and Rodney did a devotional about Ester.

Now the team is out walking the streets getting accustomed to this new culture while Rodney and I are sitting in the compound pounding away on our computers. I wish I could feel better to go with them but I know God has a plan in on this. We’ll be having lunch and going out to Marshall later today which is somewhere I have not yet been.

Overall, God is still Good and this is going to be a great trip! Again, we have a team blog which is www.weliberia.blogspot.com if you want to check that out. Hope everything is going well stateside as the New Year approaches!


Lindi

The Team is Arriving

Happy Monday Everyone!! The team arrives tonight and we are so excited about it! When they get here you can follow the Water's Edge team blog at http://www.weliberia.blogspot.com. I will continue to update on here but possibly not as often. Also, please continue to pray for Dad's ears and also pray for my stomach. I was starting to have some stomach pain before we left but its becoming more frequent while here. I'm still doing ok and pushing through, but it is starting to make me feel uneasy especially with so much of the trip left to go.

Thank you all for your prayers! We sure need them.

Lindi

PS. Yes Mom you are having much more contact with us this trip b/c I am here and cant go to long without talking to my Mommy ;-)

A tour, a party and a day of rest

We did not get home till late last night ergo, why I am having to wait till today to post.

Dec 26th- A tour and a party

What a day it was for our suppose day off. We got a later start which was nice to just relax. I’ve never really been a morning person, but having the ability to wake up in the morning before breakfast to just read and relax has been a true blessing.
Victor first took us to the soccer stadium which was very impressive. We then drove to see the STS water and ice company which will be having its first 2 hour test in the next week or so. We then visited the Kensaysa hotel and resort which was spectacular. We got a chance to walk in the beach and Dad ended up getting his sneakers soaked. Right by the hotel was Robert Cuppa’s new house he’s been building for 9 years and will hopefully be moving into in January.

Next we went and walked around the Baptist Seminary where the STS containers were kept before they got their property. It was beautiful and its location was spectacular. We met one of the pastors there who talked to us about the school and their continual need for books.

We back to Monrovia and visited the new Salvation Army vocation training center. The caretaker there told us that they were planning on having classes of 25 students per teacher. When they opened it up, there were about 75 students per teacher. Due to a lack of instructors, the classes had to remain the same size. Yet they are able to graduate students out which had been very exciting for them.

Victor then took us to see all the governmental offices such as the judicial building, the presidential palace, university of Liberia, city hall, the Chinese, Italian, and US embassies etc. While we doing that we stopped by the DuKar hotel which is located at the highest point in Monrovia. It was just like the hotel Africa in its destruction. People were all around, living in what once was surly the pride of the city. It was the hotel where, before the war, Lawrence proposed to Christine. It was just more proof of what war does to a nation.

We then drove down the market and was able to see one of the larger markets called Waterside. We also got to see where they are building more roads throughout the city but there is obviously still much work to be done there. On the way home we stopped by the Salvation Army Headquarters to try and see LT Col. Peter Dali, but he was out. We’ll try and stop by and see him Monday.

We went home that evening and Dad got ready to teach at the Men’s group again. I would meet up with him later at the party Christine had invited us to that night.
I showed up with Christine, Lawrence and the president’s niece who was the one driving us. The party was celebrating the president of the Liberian Senates unity of is whole family from around the world being in Liberia. I was not aware of this until after we got there. We sat down and maybe 15 minutes later this black SUV with flags drives up. Then some gentleman said, “All rise for her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President of the Republic of Liberia.” This would be one of those what I would call the “holy crap I think this isn’t really happening” moments of my life. Sure enough, she got out of the SUV, secret service and all, and began shaking hands and smiling. Christine introduced me to her and I shook her hands. It was all truly unbelievable. Yet, like my Dad said, Christine couldn’t introduce Rodney’s daughter to the president and not his daughter. After people kept coming over to Christine and talking and introducing themselves. I don’t remember ¾ of who they were. Someone was something in the UN or someone else was in the ministry of something. It all became a big blur to me. Dad finally showed up and it was mostly a lot of talking and eating and meeting new people. During the evening, Dad was DETERMINED to get my picture taken with the president. I, on the other hand, did not feel it was entirely necessary. But, before I knew it, Christine was up asking permission and we were over at her table and sure enough, I got my picture taken with her. Again, it was all like a blur to me but I do have photographic evidence of meeting her!

We got home late that night and, thank God, the generator was on. I called my Mom and asked her about ear drops for my Dad’s ear and to see if she could get some sent along with the team. She said she would try but, it being the day before we leave, there were no guarantees. I then took 2 Tylenol PM and went to sleep.

Dec 27- A day of rest thank God!

Today has been very uneventful thankfully. The team left today and will be here tomorrow night so we can all hit the ground running. I came down to the living area after getting a delightful night sleep and Dad informed me that he could no longer hear out of his right ear. I was very alarmed. This is not the place to be having major physical issues. Immanuel came by during this, who is a guy who sells mahogany figures and jewelry. He came by yesterday to try and sell to me but because I lacked the ability to know how to bargin, I didn’t by anything. Today I did by a couple little things thanks to my Dad’s wise bargaining skills.

We then went into breakfast and my Dad told Christine of his hearing problem. She placed her hands on his ears and squeezed as she began to pray. She squeezed a few times and by then end of the prayer he could hear her much better. It was one of those miracle moments of prayer that you hear about but don’t see so quickly. It was definitely amazing. Victor took us to Robert Cuppa’s church at around 11. The sermon was amazing as he talked about having to obey God in order to follow God. We went home and will probably be spending the rest of the day relaxing, reading, and I will probably start typing of the stories from the kids from Isaac David School for Christine.

The plan tomorrow is to go back to the Salvation Army HQ to try and meet LT Col. Dali and then over to greater love to see Pastor Wesley. We’ll then hopefully get to meet up with the team at the airport depending on space. Tonight is our last quiet night but I am so excited to see them all tomorrow!

Finally caught up to today!

I hope you all had a wonderful day with your families and friends yesterday. On a personal note, I must saying thank you all for praying for us. It seems every day something else unexpected happens and yet, it all works together for the good.
(No pics in this post due to time factor to upload. I'll post them tonight when I get home)

Dec 23 Cape Mount

Today we had planned to go to Cape Mount with Christine. This was where her mother grew up and it use to be a more touristy part of the country. She was going to take us in her car with her driver. Problem was, her car was acting up and they were not sure what wrong with it. So, it seemed we might end up having a lazy day around the compound. No such luck when God has other plans. Dad talked to Robert about using the STS car and driver for the day to go up to Cape Mount and Robert agreed. So, we got to spend another day with Victor and really got to see his amazing driving skills in actions. I also got my first dose of real Monrovia. After getting up and having a delightful breakfast of oatmeal (yes Mom I ate oatmeal and I know you’re so proud) we got dressed, me in my new Africa outfit and Dad in another of Bimba’s shirts and the same old sweatpants, we waiting in the guest house for Victor. The plan was that Christine would leave earlier and drop of her car with her driver in Monrovia at the car repair place and we would pick them up on our way to Cape Mount. I then learned my next important lesson about Liberia that I had slowly been realizing. It take a long time to get anywhere in Liberia due to traffic and road conditions.

Danielle warned me about having to create coping mechanism while driving and today it happened. Driving through down town Monrovia I kept singing a song Miriam (sp?) sang at church last Sunday I think. I can’t remember it while I’m sitting here but the second I get into the car, it’s in my head on repeat till we get to our destination.

So we left Christine’s house and headed in Monrovia to get Christine. It was mind blowing to me the number of cars and people. You wonder where they all come from. Then to see the devastation of buildings and homes and it’s hard to picture this city as once a thriving. I was just overwhelmed seeing these huge buildings now reduced to nothing but a concrete frame looming over the city.

We picked up Christine and headed out to Cape Mount, which turned out to be about a 3 hour drive. After we got through the city, the drive was mostly uneventful. Most of the way was paved with some pot holes here and there. We did have to stop at 3 check points. The 3rd one was the most exciting because they were not going to let us through because we were from out of the country. They also took victors license and made him go inside some building. I showed the officer my copy of my passport and visa as Christine talked to him. The whole time we’re praying he’ll let us through and that Victor would come out so we could leave. The officer just stood by the car the whole time and, strangely, part of me wanted to take a picture because I kept thinking this was a perfect Kodak moment. I learned later that taking a picture would have been a horrible idea. Victor did finally come out and we were able to leave. The last part of the journey was spent driving on dusty roads. It was amazing to see the mountains and look down and there was the ocean. It was like the best of both worlds.

The city, despite its spectacular location, was very much devastated. We saw the base of what use to be a 5 star hotel right on the beach. Now all that is left is the bottom floor concrete outline. Yet, you can see what it might have looked like at one time. We also stopped at one of the orphanages there and it was heart breaking. The living conditions of those kids and the fact that most of them did not even have a seat to sit on to eat was enough to rip your heart out. Yet, the children still sang and were smiling. They loved the Lord and knew he was their provider. The children truly know what it is to have God be their father and their protection in a way I could never really understand. We were able to give them some candy and pray for them, but my heart wept for them and it tore me to pieces. Yet, I know that they are in the hands of a powerful God that can always be there when no one else can.

We prayed for them and left to head up to St. Joseph’s church. Christine wanted to show us the church which also use to be a very highly pristine school. The drive up there reminded me of the Indian Jones ride from Disneyland only without the safety of knowing you wouldn’t get stuck or the car flipping over etc. We got to the top and it was, again, devastated. The only thing really still looking strong was the church. The glass and rock still stood strong. We did not get a chance to go inside but I truly did want to.

Afterward we went to visit a close friend of Christine’s named Agnus Peabody who was the owner of Gertrude’s Bed and Breakfast. Her B&B sat right on a hill overlooking the beach and it was gorgeous! The inside was spectacular along with an amazing view of the ocean. She cooked us a wonderful dinner and showed us her vision for the B&B which included solar powered panels she was in the process of putting in. We discovered through talking with her that the panels were being shipped using our good friend Chuck Clark. We have picture proof with one of the boxes with STS and Chucks name on it. Agnus was an amazing woman who was called back to Liberia by God and obeyed. It was awe inspiring like so many of the other stories I seem to hear on a daily basis. After dinner, Dad and I walked down by the beach in the water. I can now say I have touched both sides of the Atlantic! It’s amazing to see God’s glory here. The beach was almost empty, clean and breath taking. We prayed with Agnus then left to head home. The drive was uneventful with no need to stop at any of the road blocks thankfully.

We got home late and has a late night snack of rice. Dad, thinking there was a nice juicy tomato in the rice, took the whole thing into his mouth chewed and swallowed. Lesson number whatever number I’m on, Liberians love hot spicy food. Turns out Dad’s tomato was actually a nice juicy hot pepper. His face turned bright red as his throat cought fire. He kept drinking water and we had to tell him to eat more rice, bread, and pineapple. It was frightening yet, slighty humorous. We thought the pepper incident was over, but not yet. Not thinking, Dad thought he has a bug in his eye and rubbed it, apparently with the same hand he had touched the pepper with. Your imagination can probably fill in the rest rather easily. He was in the bathroom with Christine trying to flush it out and holding a cold wash cloth on it. Again, slightly scary but still morbidly humorous. I think Dad will not think twice before consuming anything shiny and red that is located in rice. Still, I can’t figure out who would put a tomato in rice anyway, but that’s neither here nor there. Just another lesson learned.

December 24 WRT Youth Enlightenment and Empowerment Center in Bento

This was another day full of unknowns, but I was getting use to this idea. We talked to our driver the night before about getting our bags from downtown Monrovia. We could only pray that they would all be there. We got ready and had breakfast waiting anxiously for our driver to show up with my bags. To my pure excitement, breakfast was a fish stew type thing(pure sarcasm). I stuck with pineapple and prayed our bags would show up. I never wanted a granola bar so bad in my life! I know the Bible says be anxious about nothing, but I went anti biblical in this case and was jumping up every time I heard a car horn. Sad, maybe, but I was needing a little bit of home to continue to make it through. That and some toiletries and my Dad’s sweat pants were beginning to change color from being worn so much. I’d venture to say we might have to burn them if they don’t crawl away first.

Around 10:15 our bags showed up and I could have hugged Victor to death from pure joy of seeing all the bags. We both automatically changed into our clothes and, the same morning, we got internet! It was the best Christmas gifts I could have ever gotten in Liberia. After a quick update and looking to make sure all of our stuff was there, which it was including the recorder (that’s for you Stacy) we headed out to the WRT Youth Enlightenment and Empowerment Center in Bensonville.
The ride there was INTENSE. We had to go through the red light district which is a market area, to get to Bento. I can only describe the drive as being one of the most intense experiences of my life. It was literally wall to wall people and no movement from the cars. It took us an hour and a half to get through a distance of a mile. People were pressed up against the cars selling buying yelling. It was literally sheer utter madness. Atlanta traffic looked like a walk in the park compared to what we saw. Even Christine who was with us said she had never seen it so bad. There had to be close to 500-750 thousand people there easily. We had to lock our doors and roll up our windows almost all the way to keep the people from being pushed into the car. It was literally dreading the ride home from the moment we got out. It wasn’t until later I realized that these were not just people but many of them were lost people. Some just trying to get by with no knowledge of the Love of Christ. Again, this was just such an overwhelming thought. However, we later found out that Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son, would be hosting a crusade in Liberia in 2011 which was super exciting to hear!

We reached the village and the second we pulled up kids were everywhere! We were expecting maybe 40 and got almost 100! The children sang for us and the chief danced and we all prayed for the kids. We then provided them with Juice, cake, and candy. Amazingly, a cake baked for 50 fed 100 people! It was like reliving a bible story! The joy those kids had was so amazing and awesome to see. Just to have them hugging on you and thanking you for coming and asking to be your friend. I felt my heart melt for these children in a way I could never imagine. It was hope, real hope and joy unlike anything I could ever imagine. They were helping one another, playing and just being kids. Even though their environment was not, what we could call ideal by any stretch, they made due. They still were going to school to write and read. They still love the Lord with all their hearts and it shows in their smiles. We were not there very long which was sad, but it just gave me so much encouragement and hope. Even in such horrid states, children, the heart of God, still see the light.
The drive back was not as eventful as the drive there thankfully but it was still intense. I was more or less deep in thought about all I had seen and all I was going to see in the coming weeks.

We got home and Dad began to plan for his men’s fellowship meeting that night. I began to finally type up the novel that is our blog. We were called into dinner, yes we do seem to eat a lot but we really don’t eat a lot when, for me at least, there is not much to eat. Dad made sure not to eat another tomato. Afterwards, he and Victor headed off the men’s fellowship while I stayed at the compound and typed the rest of the night. We both slept soundly this night which was starting to get Dad worried since he was sleeping 10 hours a night here and only sleeps 4-6 at home. I think it’s his beard that he’s growing but that’s just me.

Dec 25 Christmas with Alvina

I woke up Christmas morning, jumped out of bed and ran downstairs… just kidding. This is Liberia and that story, I found out, doesn’t happen here. Actually it’s really rather nice. Our mornings are starting at around 8 which is a good time my body has let me know. I read some and chilled out until we were called for breakfast. We had a devotional time before breakfast with Christine, Lawrence, Dixon and some other folks. We sang, read scripture and prayed. Afterwards, I went back to the guest house to do my typing and Dad did his quiet time. We left for Alvina’s house at around noon. Alvina is Christine’s niece who lived in the states, got her degree in law, and moved back to Liberia and works with the ministry of public works.

We drove through the northern ‘red light’ that is also normally jammed, called Duala, n and it seemed almost deserted compared to what is was like when we went through when we went to Cape Mt. We made a detour because Dad wanted me to see the Hotel Africa and I was rather interested myself from all I had heard about it. As we saw it from a distance I was stunned. It was huge! The closer we got, the more I came to realize the true splendor that had once been here. Even seeing the front covered area where people would be dropped off in cars now overtaken by nature itself.

We headed back to Alvina’s house to a Christmas party I will never forget. The house was beautiful and set right near the mouth of the St. Paul (?) River where it dumps into the Atlantic Ocean. Across the river you can see the Hotel Africa and the sunset was beautiful! A picture can’t even begin to show what it looks like in person. The spread of food we had ranged from foo foo (no idea what it is), pork, seafood stew, rice, cucumber tomato salad, and pineapple. I stuck with the rice, pineapple and cucumbers. I also watched Christine play Dad at checkers, we had to teach Christine the American rules which are much different then African Rules. Then again, we were not sure if they were African rules or Christine rules but it was fun regardless. They ended in a tie even though I didn’t know you could tie in checkers. We also learned Ludu which is a game sort of like Sorry but slightly different. I won once which was exciting. I also got coned into dancing. There is a song called Yodi Yodi that I kept hearing all over the place here. Every time we were driving around I kept hearing it and they played it at the party. And, sure enough, one of the girls dragged me up to dance but it was fun! No, I don’t have mad dancing skills but it was an experience. I am now bound and determined to find the CD with that song on it while here in Africa. It was a blast, the whole day.

We got home that evening at around 9:30 and it was pitch black at the compound. Luck for us, we had PK’s handy dandy… FLASHLIGHT! We unloaded the stuff we brought while they tried to start the generator. First it was the battery, then it was the starter. While all that was going on, I was able to finally look up into the stars clearly for the first time and they were magnificent. It’s amazing how often the stars are overlooked or shadowed by our artificial light. Yet, when we turn our lights out, God is able to show us his true majesty! We ended up just going to the guest house and used flashlights to read or do whatever we needed to do (AKA eating our granola bars ;-) ). Dad and I also just sat and talked for awhile which was good. We also knew that, in 2 days, it was not going to be this quiet anymore. Yet, I am so excited to have the team come! I learned that if you really can just stick it out the first few days, you really begin to love this country. Tomorrow, we’ll be exploring the city and seeing things like the STS property, ELWA and some other places. Tomorrow night we are going to some big political party thing so that will be an adventure to be sure.

YAY I AM ALL CAUGHT UP!! Miss and praying for you all!
Lindi
PS. Pray for Dad’s right ear. It has been feeling funny and has been having a pulsing feeling that is not normal. Pray for healing for him.

First Part of the Trip

Merry Christmas Everyone!! So much has happened since we left Georgia which feels like ages ago. I could not have even imagined half of what I’ve seen or experienced while sitting in Chicago Sunday afternoon. Now it is Thursday evening and I have so much to talk about, it’s hard to keep the events of the past few days straight. However, I will do my best.

Dec 20-21 From Chicago to Brussels

The adventure really started to take form with the additional two hour layover in Chicago. It really didn’t hit me how significant this was until I realized our layover in Brussels was only four hours, now reduced to two. Still, we would have plenty of time to catch our next flight. As we sat waiting at the gate my excitement grew as I heard people speaking German and French. I truly was leaving the country! The plane was late arriving to the gate. This was ok so long as we ended up making it on time with at least an hour in Brussels to switch planes. We got to our seats and, to our dismay, we were not sitting together. I was on the left side of the plane on the isle of the two window seats. Dad was in the central section of the isle closest to me but slightly to my front diagonal. For awhile we each had our rows to ourselves. We started praying, selfishly of course, that no one would sit with us in our row. As we sat, we watched our arrival time grow later and later. From 11 to 11:10 all the way till 11:30. Our next flight left at noon. Due to my planning style personality, this was giving me a slight panic attack. I began formulating a plan B if we were to be stuck in Brussels till Wed (which was when the next plane comes to Liberia). Then again, that would be as successful as me trying to build an airplane. I have an idea of what you need to do it but no real knowledge of how to do it. At the last minute, Dad has a father and daughter sitting in his row and mine remained empty. Apparently God likes me better. ;-) We then took off and I had to come to the understanding that everything was out of my control, like I ever really had control in the first place. The plane ride itself was uneventful and it was a beautiful sight to fly over snow covered England and to land in Brussels that was equally covered in snow. However, as soon as the plane landed, our uneventfulness ended quick, fast, and in a hurry. Dec 21 From Brussels to Monrovia… I hope First lesson in international travel is when you get to the airport, you follow signs and you ask people. First signs we saw when we got off the plane at 11:20 were Starbucks. Yes it was a joyous sight to behold and, if I had more time I would have stopped. Just a side note, I was personally amazed that O’Hare airport in Chicago has a Starbucks almost every 20 feet. It’s like being in downtown NY! Anyway, we start following the signs to the T terminal/gate or whatever it is and suddenly find ourselves in the main lobby area of the airport with a security line that reminded me way to much of Atlanta but with fewer stations to go through. Dad asked a guy if we had to go through security again and he said yes. Apparently the Belguns don’t know what sort of things we could accumulate between Chicago and Brussels. Completely unaware of the time but knowing that our flight leaves in 30 mins or less and we have a secutiy line to go through that will take 30 mins or more, the numbers were not adding up. My Dad refused to let me look at the time and there were no clocks in security, so I had to just cope with the situation. The whole “worry about nothing” phrase kept popping into my head, thanks Mom. We finally get through and are little less than running down the terminal trying to find out where we need to go. We finally find a ticketing place to get our boarding passes and Dad starts talking to the guy and explaining. The gentleman starts calling everyone trying to see if the plane was even still there. I finally got a glance at Dad’s watch and saw it was 11:55. Major no no when flying I’ve learned, don’t try and get on the plane without a boarding pass 5 mins before your plane is suppose to leave. The guy finally looked hopeful and said if we followed the sign, we could grab the bus to the terminal and there would be someone there to give us our boarding pass. What a relief! So we took off, again a little less the running, to catch the bus to get to the terminal to get on the plane that was supposed to be leaving while we happened to be boarding. We had to stuff our stuff under our seat since there were no more overhead bins, strap ourselves in waiting to leave. And there we sat, for 2 and a half hours. Oh yes, you know you’re having fun jumping from 8 hour trip to 9 hour trip with only 20 mins of jogging to help you loosen up. The pilot came on and said first they were waiting to get the rest of the bags since a lot of planes were delayed. Ok, that fine. We played 50 dollars for an extra bag to get through Europe so I’ll wait to make sure it goes all the way through. Then, they had to deice the wings. While they couldn’t do this white waiting for the luggage I’ll never know. Again, everything is out of my hands. So we sat on the plane for the 7 hours to get to Liberia and arrived at 8:30 and got through customs rather quickly. Standing there in Liberia waiting for our bags, I was so excited and nervous I could hardly think straight. Then, the belt stopped and we were told that there were no more bags and the rest of them would be arriving on Wednesday and we had to fill out a lost luggage form. This would not have been so bad if they hadn’t forgotten the luggage for about half the plane. Remember we waited two and a half hours in Brussels so they could load all of the luggage. So, we and the half of the plane had to fill out forms and hope our luggage got there on Wednesday. To add to our misfortune, neither of us brought a change of clothes in our carry on. We will not make this mistake twice I assure you. We met Robert Cuppah, Peter, and Victor outside and headed back to Christine’s. We arrived around 10:30 and she had dinner waiting for us. She also blessed us by having clothes for me and Dad along with other necessities like portable battery powered fans, hot water to shower with, and working A/C. Apparently I am a spoiled girl or so I was told to have all these things here but I personally was eternally grateful. We were then told that we would be having breakfast at 9 and leaving at 9:30 for the school. Somehow, after being in a plane for 20 plus hours and hitting three continents, waking up before noon didn’t sound very appealing. And still, I knew everything would work out according to God’s plan so I went to bed that night unaware of what tomorrow would hold. Dec 22- Isaac David School I slept like a rock that night and only woke up when the generator went off and I had to turn on my fan. Dad slept equally as well. We headed to the school at around 10, Dad wearing Bimba’s shirt and same sweatpants and me wearing one of Christine’s Africa Dresses. I learned quickly two lessons in Liberia. First, time is relative and doesn’t mean as much as it does in the US. Second, you NEVER know what to expect until you get to where you are going. We got to the school and fed the kids breakfast. I’d guess there were 30 or so students between the ages of 8 and 22. The school is one that Christine supports through REAP and has a huge influence in.Most of them were Orphans we were sponsored by people in the states who pay their tuition to go to school. One young girl we met named Gertrude, came back to the compound with us that night. We told us she walked an hour and a half each day to get to school, has to leave at 5am and, when she gets home, has to do her studies by candle light. She often does not get to bed until 2am. Yet, she is dedicated to her studies enough to go through all that which was awe inspiring to me. Her story is just one of many and I will get to read the rest of their stories because I will be typing them up for their sponsors. I also got pictures of all the students to go along with their letter which was a great gift to Christine. We had a time of singing and praying then Dad and I spoke to the students about the importance of authority and education to their lives. I shared about my story and what I learned which was only a couple things here and there ;-). Afterwards, the pastor of the school spoke, we prayed and went to have lunch. Getting use to the food here is an experience. I am learning it is better not to ask sometimes what something is. Also, they LOVE spice and pepper, something I am NOT use to. I am just popping tums and praying. After lunch, we were asked if we would council the students. We didn’t know we were speaking and we didn’t know we were counseling but we just prayed that God would provide. The counseling was probably one of the hardest things I had to do. First of all, I didn’t know what I could really council them on. Second of all, there is a language barrier. Yes, they speak English but it is NOT the English those of us in the states grew up hearing and speaking. It’s hard to describe but it’s even harder to understand. It’s like knowing a little Spanish and listening to people talk in Spanish. You pick out a word here and there but not enough sometimes. So, talking to the kids was hard b/c they didn’t understand me and I couldn’t understand them and round and round we go. I mostly just prayed with them and talked to them about their hopes and dreams and what they loved. It broke my heart though to hear about what these kids had gone through. Yet, they still have joy and dreams that they are fighting for. We left soon after that because we had to get back for Dad’s teaching at the Robert’s church. Victor picked us up at Christine’s compound and we headed over. Victor, so you know, is our driver and will be throughout the trip. He is an AMAZING man and a spectacular driver considering all that we had to drive through.

We got to the church at around 6:00 and there were around 20 men there. They were all so sweet and let me stay even though it was a men’s fellowship. Dad spoke to the men about their role in the church. He covered everything from the diamond to the importance of prayer and prayer for the pastor. You could see the men grasping what he was saying. As I sat there listening, I was so amazed at my Dad’s wisdom that he was pouring into these men. I could see them really absorbing it and processing through it. It made me so proud to be his daughter in that moment. A real adventure came on the way home when our headlights went out. Victor pulled over on the side of the road and at first we didn't know why. Turns out the headlights would not turn on and he couldn't figure out why. So we kept driving and it was fine till we got on the road to Christine's compound. For those if you who dont know, its not paved and its very bumpy and holie. So, lacking headlights is a bad thing. However, thanks to our beloved PK and his ingenious gift of a friction powered flashlight to my Dad, we were able to get home with my Dad shinning the flashlight out the window at the ground in front of the car! We came home that night worn out and ready for bed, but not after eating some cake courtesy of Ester. We also hung out with some of the students from the school who were staying with Christine for the night and watched boxing. We headed to bed at around 9:30 or 10.

I realize this is only through Tuesday but it was A LOT. I will post about yesterday and today 2morrow. So much happens every day it is so hard to take it all in. I hope everyone back home has a Merry Christmas!! Keep looking for posts. Miss you all! Lindi

Internet Finally!

Well it has definetly been a hectic few days. Everything from lost luggage to no internet. Even still God has been faithful through it all an he provides all things and we did make it safely to Liberia!

Today has been a spectacular day so far. We have internet now, we got our luggage and the weather, for Liberia, is lovely!

We are about to head off to a children's home for the day and my Dad is teaching at a men's small group tonight. I will give a much more detailed update when we get back tonight for all of you.

Know we love you all and miss you! Keep praying God's protecion over us as we travel today.

Lindi

PS. For those of you traveling to Liberia on Sunday, PUT A CHANGE OR 2 OF CLOTHES IN YOUR BACKPACK!!

Hanging out in Chicago

Our trip is officially underway! Feels like I just started thinking about the possibility and now off we go!

Yesterday was a great day with the family celebrating Christmas early which, I have to say, it’s a brilliant plan. We were able to go out and return, exchange, and go shopping on our Christmas Day! This is a best kept secret so don’t spread it into the retail world. ;-)

Our flight out of Atlanta was a non event except or an unruly two year old (are there any other kind) who was a master of waiting till you were almost asleep then screaming or making some other noise. Lucky for the child, my dad did not have any duct tape. Let the character building begin! I was excited to see the city covered in snow. Reminds me of the snows of New Jersey although, I know my friends and family up there have had enough of the snow.
Lucky for both me and my dad, this airport has a Dunkin donuts and Starbucks practically next to each other. Guess we’ll both get have our last “real” coffee experience prior to departing the country. We’ll definitely have enough time due to the 2 hour delay they added to our already 5 hour layover. Let’s just hope we don’t much further delay or we might be hanging out in Brussels for a couple days. It is just another reminder that we ultimately have no control over anything. It’s all God’s timing.
I am still in shock and amazements that in 24 hours or so we will be in Africa! Although, that also means 24 more hours of traveling but that’s ok. It’s going to be an amazing trip and God is going to do amazing things! I pray you are all blessed equally this time of year. Enjoy the time with friends and family.

Lindi
Prayer Requests
Continue to pray for traveling mercies for us and that the flights run smoothly all the way to Liberia
That we are able to get in contact with Robert when we get to Liberia. We are not sure if we have mins on our Liberia phone
Our family as they travel around this holiday season without us
Pray we have the energy to be able to function on Tuesday after we get there. We don’t have a real recover day so we’ll be pushing through.

7 Days and Counting

I can't believe its only a week away from the day we leave! God has continued to do so much. All of the teams were able to raise all the money needed to for the trips which is a complete God thing. Also, communication between our Liberian contacts has been good. We have a good plan for what we are going to be doing that first week we are over there. I will include a day to day plan when it is finalized.

My Dad and I went up to TN last Saturday to meet up with Rodney Edwards to hammer out some details which went really well. The Liberia team also met last Sunday and spent more of the time discussing financials and things of that nature. The Money for all the trip was due by Tuesday and God was gracious and creating miracles for us all. We have an amazing team of students going and I am so excited to be apart of this experience.

Since we are also celebrating Christmas as a family early, we have also been busy with shopping and all the typical Christmas "cheer" of fighting traffic and deal with malls. It will most assuredly be nice to get out of the holiday madness a week early. ;-) We will be doing our family Christmas Saturday, packing up the rest of our stuff, and leaving Sunday morning for the airport. It feels as if there is so much to do and time is running out. Yet, there is so much excitement going on, its almost unreal to me that I am actually going to Liberia!

Thank you all so much for your prayer and support! We love you and pray God will continue to bless you and your family during this holiday season.

Prayer Requests

We are able to continue to remember God's will in everything that we do

God will have all of his plans fall into place

Endurance for David (my dad) to get through his last week of work.

Peace that we would be able to hear the voice of God in everything we do preparing for the trip.

Preparing for the Trip

Welcome

Thank you friends and family for your support and prayer as we prepare embark on this amazing trip. We can't wait to see what God has in store for us there and how he will use us in some amazing ways to share his love. For those of you who do not know my Dad and I (Lindi) are going to Liberia a week prior to the rest of the team. We will be leaving for Liberia on December 20th and the rest of the team leaves on December 27th. So yes, this means my Dad and I will be celebrating Christmas 2009 in Africa and I could not be more excited!

This blog will be updated prior to us leaving and as often as possible while we are in Liberia. I will including pictures when possible and prayer requests. Once the rest of the team arrives, you can continue to read updated by going here.

Today's Update

Yesterday my Dad and I sat down and laid out everything we had to do before the trip. I typed out the list today and organized the people we need to contact about what. Right now we are looking at doing some stuff with Greater Love, possibly visiting some of the local government primary schools, visiting the University of Liberia, Tela Medicine, and finding Maurice. More information such as dates for each activity will be coming soon. I have to say that I am in my element when it comes to planning. This is probably why my Dad is leaving it to me. My Dad meets the people and I plan out when we are going to meet them. Its a good team effort if I do say so myself.

Prayer Request

Endurance for my Dad to finish up everything he needs to do at work before we leave.

Wisdom for us to know what God wants us to do on this trip.

Patience as we plan so we don't rush into an decisions that God would not want

Perspective to see that God's vision for this trip is bigger then ours.