Some thoughts

As I sit here in my house with a cup of coffee and music playing in the background, I am mulling over what to write. How do I put into words all that clogs up the brain these days? Already life has changed. Here we are in the comfort of our own home now with all the commodities that go with that, and I struggle to know what to write. We have only been home for 5 days now, and already Africa seems something in the distant past. It has been fabulous being home. Lisa and I have commented several times to each other with a simple statement of, "Oh it is good to be home!" To me, it almost feels like I have moved into a new place, and I get excited as I "rediscover" all the commodities here! 

I think we would both say that our favorite thing of being home, besides seeing family of course :), is hot water! I don't think we have taken that for granted yet. We are clean! What a feeling. When we got to Lisa's house that first night, we made a beeline for the sink to wash our hands! Priorities I tell you! We love the fact that the bathroom is between our rooms, and we no longer have to wake the other up during the night if we need to use it. We no longer have to stand guard as the other showers! I guess in small ways, we have our independence back! LOL! 

But don't get me wrong, Liberia and the Belle Forest are not forgotten. They are engraved in our hearts, and at times we talk about what our team is doing at that very moment. Waking up the first morning at home, my thoughts immediately went to what our team was doing and this allowed me the opportunity to pray. I know that Lisa does this as well. We miss those guys. We miss the kids. We miss Liberia.

Transitioning back home has been alright. Life goes back to normal whether you are ready for it or not. You have no choice but to get up, go to work, and do the things that make up our days here. I know for me, I still find it hard to process. I have been asked questions that I just don't know how to answer. I guess Liberia changed my life more than I even know now, so it will take time to go over all that we experienced to come to a point where I feel that I have processed. In some ways, I don't know why it hasn't happened yet. I mean in reality 7 weeks is nothing. People live out other cultures all the time for far greater amounts of time, but I guess I just need to let the processing take its course. 

God did awesome things this summer, both in Liberian lives as well as in mine. He allowed us to be apart of seeing His kingdom grow! So many more names are written in His book now, and it is quite the privilege to have seen that change happen in lives. For me, He allowed me to grasp ahold of the truth that He won't give me more than I can handle. Even though, I have known this to be true for years, this summer was when that truth became a heart realization. He allowed so many things to happen that I desperately didn't want to experience, but each time something hard would happen I could see the progression. Things got a little easier each week, so as He allowed the tough things to happen, I could actually see how, if it had been any other time, I would have wanted to throw in the towel. I knew and believed His hand was holding me every step of the way. He never allowed me to be broken, although there were times when I would think certain instances should have broken me. He had me in His hands that whole time! He is a great God!

I thank you again for your prayers. We most definitely felt them and appreciated them so much. Please continue to pray as we still take time to transition back. And please keep all the kids in your prayers. They need it desperately. The team has two more weeks of follow up, so please keep them in your prayers too. Hopefully we will hear from them at the end of their time, so we can give you an update of how the follow up went in the last 3 villages. 

God is good, and He is doing good things in Liberia. Although it feels so far away at times, Liberia is still very much on our hearts. And even though, it is the little comforts of life that get us excited these days, we don't regret giving any of them up at all. When it comes down to it, we know those things don't matter. The souls of the kids are what counts, so maybe now as I feel the hot water or flush the toilet, I will be reminded to pray for Liberia.

We will carry all that we witnessed and experienced with us for quite some time if not for the rest of our lives. Liberia has changed me, and I pray that change will have positive affects on those I come in contact with here. I pray that change will grow my relationship with God. I pray that change will revolutionize my prayer life! I pray that change will have an impact on eternity.

pictures

Playing games in Wemah our last week.
Getting ready to make our hike into Wemah our last week. It was much easier going down that hill than coming out on Friday, but we enjoyed the experience and the time together.
This is at ELWA beach where we would be on the weekends. Just a reminder of the beauty that God created!
We were so thankful for these tents and mattresses. They did a good job of keeping most of the unwanted bugs out. 
We always seemed to have these spiders as our roommates every week. The mosquito nets did more than protect us from mosquitos!
After the rice has been harvested, they must pound it. They were good sports and allowed me to try. When they do it, that pole would get airborne. Not so much when I did it! They got some good laughs watching the white woman try!

After they pound it, they then put it on this to sift out the bad from the actual rice.
As we would wait for the chopper to come on Fridays, the kids would gather around and just hang out with us until we left.

Wrapping it up (Lisa)

I want to thank all of you for your prayers for us over these past few weeks. I can’t even begin to tell you what an incredible journey it’s been. It’s hard now to realize that our time is finished and we will very soon be getting on the plane to go back to America.
As I think back about these past few weeks I can remember arriving in the first village thinking, ‘wow , this is for real, no turning back…what did I get myself into.’ I can then remember laying in my small mosquito tent at night dreaming about cheeseburgers, soft pillows, etc. I remember at times feeling like such an outsider, unable to speak Kpelle, cook a meal, or find common ground at times with the village people and way of life. I remember feeling heartbroken as I saw them grasp desperately to the false hope of the medicine necklaces they wore and beliefs they turned to. I was disturbed by their poor sanitation habits, and annoyed by the bugs and constant feeling of dirtiness. And weariness seemed to become the norm.
But really when I look back, all of those things seem to pale in comparison to the awe and gratitude that I feel. Awe as I actually found it hard to leave that first village and the kids I had come to love; Esther who had been kicked out of her house after coming to our program, Hauwa who had defied the village tradition of joining the bush society and had entered into a personal relationship with God, Princess who went from doubt to assurance in her new walk with God, and so many more. Awe as I watched 200 plus kids sit perfectly still and listen the love of God for them. Awe as I heard fathers gather their children around them late at night and with the use of a flashlight carefully go over the lessons in review with them. Awe as I watched God heal a little girl of malaria, and saw a women sell all of her alcohol and cocaine from her store and turn to selling candy and batteries instead. Awe as I watched our team grow and saw their love for the kids. Awe when a little girl in Weyema brought us two small baskets that she had hand woven for us. Awe as we got to pump water from hand pumps, heat water over an open fire, play games in the village, and just get to see in a small way how these people lived. And so much awe and gratitude as we saw almost 50 children and at least 45 adults come to know the Lord as their personal savior and friend for the first time! God is so good, and He chose me to get to be a part of all of that and so much more over the past seven weeks!! Wow!
So although I’m ready to go back to the States, it will also be hard to say good-bye. And even when I’m back in the States my heart and prayers will still be with these children here in the heart of the Belle Forest of Liberia. These children inspire me with their eagerness to learn more about God. I know it will not be easy for them, especially as there are few people they have to really mentor and encourage them in the journey. That is why it is so important that we, you and I, as their team, continue to come behind them, pastor Edward, and those few who will be working with them in prayer. We are so grateful that we are leaving all of them in God’s hands.
Here are the names of the 48 children who are now children of God. I encourage you to write their names down and commit to pray for them on a regular basis.


Maly
Josh
Danil
Gballea
Mark
Regina
Ruth
Mary
Esther
Hauwa
Princess
Annie
Yarsah
Ellena
Junior
Mary
Roberto
Alfred
Musu
Grace
Oldma-low
Mary
Gbanna
Archie
John
Robert
Moses
John
Amos
Rander
Harris
Emmanuel
Mulbah
Austin
David
Joe
Daniel
Kollie
Moses
Steven
Peter
Annie
Junior
Annie


Thanks for giving to the Lord….and eagerly anticipate meeting your new sisters and brothers in heaven one day!!

Wrapping it up (Alison)

As we pack up and say goodbye, I find myself filled with a mix of emotions. On the one hand, I am extremely excited to be going home! I have missed home so much, so the thought of home being just a few days away excites me. However on the other hand, I find myself saddened at the thought of leaving for many reasons. We had our last VBS session on Thursday, and as we wrapped it up, there was this nostalgic feeling as I realized this was it. The reason we came out here was finished. We had a few moments with our team as we kind of said goodbye to VBS and tried to encourage them to hang in there till the end. They are doing great. I found myself wishing that we could be a part of this till the end, but I know God has worked it out this way for a purpose. I am confident that He will do great things! They have 3 weeks left, so please continue to keep them, Matilda, Comfort, Felix, and Levi in your prayers. 

Although life here was like nothing I had every experienced prior, it was great to get this experience. I do not imagine that I will find myself missing the bush life, but I imagine there will be days when the experience will be missed as well as the simplicity of life. When I say simplicity of life, I in no way am saying life in the village for these people is easy. They live hard lives filled with hard labor to make it through every single day. What I mean by this is freedom to sit and be still. At 7:30 every night, it was dark, so there was either the option of bed or relaxing. There was no where we had to go or for that matter there was no where we could go, so life did not get “busy” for us. Although there is a side of me that is looking forward to getting back into that “busy” life, I am sure there will be days when I long for the quiet moments of nothing, and I imagine it will then be when I find my mind drifting back to the days in the bush.

I will miss people. I have come to appreciate each one of the girls that live in the staff house. They each are unique and have different gifts, but they make up this house where we were welcomed and accepted from day one. That is not true of everywhere, so it was nice to come “home” each week to a welcoming environment with each one being genuinely interested in that particular week in the bush. I will especially miss my friend Joni who was an added blessing in this trip. Being able to see her at different times this summer was unexpected a few months ago, so I thank God for allowing her to be a part of my Liberian experience. Pray for her as you think about it. She loves Liberia and has a passion to be here, so pray that God would daily renew her to get up and change the world one day at a time. I will really miss my friend. Saying this goodbye is one I could do without.

I will miss the interaction with the kids. There is just something about the way a kid can just look at you that sends a smile straight to your heart. There is immediate acceptance from kids that you cannot find anywhere else. These kids were why we were here, and these kids are each special. They live life everyday so differently than we do, yet they are able to put a smile on their face and laugh. And now, 48 of them are our brothers and sisters in Christ! I will see these little ones again, if not before then in Heaven! As they say here all the time, PRAISE THE LORD! Please pray for them as they have a tough journey ahead as they grow more in Christ. Follow up this week was good. It gave them a foundation in which to build on, but there is so much for them to learn. This particular village has a pastor named, Edward, who has a passion to see these kids grow. He would join us in our sessions, and that was encouraging to see. We left these kids not only in the hands of God, which is the only place they need to be, but we also left them in the physical hands of a person who cares. Pray for Pastor Edward as I am sure he is overwhelmed. The Jesus Film was shown on Thursday night, and 45 adults accepted Christ! Pray for the pastor as he has a lot of shepherding ahead of him as well as each one of these adults. How amazing to witness and think of how this village can be transformed with so many believers. Please oh please keep Wemah in your prayers.

So as I spend my last full day here in Liberia it is indeed with a heavy heart. God has done great things this summer, and I know He will continue to do great things here. He has put people here who love Him and love His people, so I know He will use them to continue to impact all of Liberia. I am ready to come home, but I will keep this place in my prayers and heart. I would ask the same of you. Even though, there will not be weekly reports to update you on the daily interactions here, I still would ask that you too keep Liberia and the work that is being done here in your prayers. I challenge you to not forget these kids or the people who pour into lives here every day. They need prayer. So even though this blog was to update you on what Lisa and I were doing, there are people here who are still walking the world daily, so please pray.

Pictures

These are our brothers and sisters from Yemah. Also keep them in your prayers. We are so excited that God is growing His family.
Pray for the kids from Moirekwelie. These are the ones who asked Christ to come into their hearts. They were asking some good questions about how to live now, so pray that there will be role models for them as they learn more about Christ.
This is Amos from Nyemah. He became a Christian during week 2, so please pray for him as he may have been the only one to accept Christ that week. 
While we were waiting to be picked up on Friday, I taught the kids how to play a version of Simon says. We had a lot of fun. Lisa taught Duck, Duck, Goose, and we also played hopscotch with them. They loved playing games.
We tried monkey meat this week. Fortunately they didn't parade this dead one around til later on that day. On the left is Comfort, and on the right is Matilda from our VBS team.

On the way to the airport to fly into the bush, we see this. Talk about a little culture shock going on! 3 men and a goat in the streets of Monrovia. Not what you see every day. 

Here is Lisa with a girl who had malaria. This was the little girl who Comfort was able to help, and when this picture was taken the little girl was doing much better. 

So there was this boy named, Jerry, who we met the first day of week 3. He had a mind of his own and definitely made us laugh. Our last morning there, he showed up sporting this outfit and just posed for us. Good ole Jerry!

What a Week We Had

It is hard to believe that we finished up our 4th week in the bush on Friday, and what a week it was. Overall we had a very good week, but it definitely had its challenges. Our biggest obstacle was the overall dirtiness of this village. Apparently the people aren't too concerned about cleanliness as a whole, so trash lines the paths and dirt. We think that was the reason we struggled so much with bugs this time. Poor Lisa took a beating, and to look at her legs you might think she suffered from a small case of the chicken box. It was bad. There seemed to be no relief from them both outside as well as in Lisa's tent. She was a trooper though and stuck out the week with her head held high. I am proud of her. 

Other than the bugs, we had a good time with our kids. It was a much smaller group this time, so we were able to interact on a more personal level. The kids spoke English well, so that made it nice for me. I didn't feel so distant from all that was going on. It was the first time that some of our team taught, so that was fun to see them teach some. Our team was all together in a house for the first time this week too, so it was good to have some more interaction with them. We all came back to Monrovia this week, so we will have time together to go through a Bible study and then to plan our follow up strategy for each village. I am so excited about this next phase even if we will only get to experience it for a week. Not only do we get to see kids grasp a hold of what Jesus did for them on the cross and give their lives and hearts to Him, but now we get to help encourage them and watch them grow in their new, exciting relationship with Christ! What a privilege for sure.

We have some good photos to post, so I promise they are coming soon. We are here in Monrovia for the week, so hopefully tomorrow we will get some good ones put up. Thank you all for praying. God is doing good stuff here. He is advancing His kingdom! Please pray that we would be able to set up a good plan to head back into these villages, so we can help equip them for a live filled with Christ. As part of our past illustrations in VBS, we would create a door post for the story of the passover, and then as we would explain it, we would smear red paint on it to illustrate the blood that was required for the angel of the Lord to pass over the house. We leave it to the side until the next day when we come to the cross. We then take that very door frame and turn it into the cross to show them that Jesus' blood was required for us to have eternity with God. We pass out paper and allow them to write sins down on it to come and "nail" to the cross. It is always a highlight of the week because right after this we present the Gospel to them and allow them to choose whether or not they want to invite Jesus in to their hearts. It is truly an amazing thing that was done for us on the cross. Here are the words to a song that talks about the awesomeness and power of what Jesus did on the cross. We have so much to be thankful for. 

"The Power of the Cross"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend  

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow. 

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry. 

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost! 
We stand forgiven at the cross. 

And We're Off Again

Tomorrow is the start of week 4 with VBS. We will be heading into a smaller village with somewhere between 40-60 kids which will definitely be a switch. We have had a good and restful weekend, so we are heading in ready to for the week. Please pray for us though as we have heard this could potentially be a hard week. It sounds like village life will be a bit different than the past few weeks, so we might be having a new adventure. :) God is with us, so we are confident in Him this week with VBS and the day to day life. God is good. Thank you so much for all your prayers. 

A Taste of Heaven

This morning, at church, I think I got a small glimpse of Heaven as we shared communion together. Communion is not uncommon to me, but I was struck by how this would be more like it was in Heaven because of the mix of cultures. Here I was with the African church sharing in the remembrance of Christ. We sang together, read the Word together, and then remembered all that Christ did for us on the cross. It was a good reminder for me of how we serve a universal God who is coming back to take every culture Home with Him where we will all commune with Him. 

Great God Who Saves

Even when the way is hard to bear

And you wonder if someone even cares

The mountains seem to hard to face

Moments make you question your place

Look to Me, My child, I'm holding your hand

He said My child I love you

I came to earth to die

With My outstretched arms

I held you so tight

So don't question what I'm doing

Don't question what's inside

I said I would  never leave you

So won't you trust Me tonight

Don't you see all that I've done

Did you miss that I sent You My Son

I've walked with you all the way

By your side I'll always stay

Look to Me, My child, I'm helping you stand

My grace is sufficient, sufficient for you

My grace is sufficient, sufficient for you

My grace is sufficient for you

The two verses of this song came to me during some of the hardest days so far while we were in Nyemah last week. God pulled us through that week, and then He gave us a pretty good week with the kids this week. He is constantly by our side, constantly holding our hands, and constantly walking every single step with us. Without Him, we couldn't be doing any of this.

Coming off of week 2, I will be honest and admit that I was not looking forward to heading out again. We had one less day in Monrovia, so when Sunday rolled around, I was not excited. We arrived on Sunday to the big village with over 250 kids. Monday morning proved to be a challenge as there were kids everywhere. I don't even know how they all packed in there. I referred to this week as chaotic. I will say though that for that many kids, they were quite calm and quiet. The sessions went well.

The afternoon of day 2 is when we present the Gospel. I was wondering how this time would go as both weeks prior have been different. We went through the presentation and then asked who wanted to make this commitment. This time we had them raise their hands before coming up front. It was so cool because there were a few hands, but it wasn't like the whole bunch of them raised their hands. It seemed to be peer pressure free, and I loved it! We end that session early giving those who have questions a chance to stay back, and this week the ones who asked Jesus to come into their hearts stayed back. We got to talk with them and encourage them. 

From the moment we landed, there didn't seem to be the same feel of extreme spiritual darkness that normally took root in us as heaviness. There was a more "lightness" about this village which was much needed coming off of the previous week. We know that the "heaviness" is ok because it means we are taking Light where the devil doesn't want it, but it was nice to have a break from it for sure. 

Our last session was good as we took our new brothers and sisters in Christ aside to answer more questions and just read some Scripture and encourage them. This is my favorite time of the week. Please pray for these 16 as there isn't a lot of guidance for them. Our team will be going back in a few weeks for some much needed follow up, but we pray that the Holy Spirit guides them as they asked some great practical and applicable questions. It was amazing some of the questions they were asking. God is at work in their hearts!

We made it back to Monrovia yesterday morning and were able to celebrate Lisa's birthday with dinner and cake. She got the bush in the morning and city at night! Who could ask for more!?! :) 

Last weekend, I got to experience "town" for the first time, and let me just say that I am not a fan. It was craziness everywhere. We did go back yesterday, and it is better to go during the week. There is so much to take in here in this Liberian culture. I think I had a little culture shock when we came back from Nyemeh because life in the bush is so different from Monrovia. I wasn't expecting that I would have that shock within the same country. It only makes me wonder what it will be like when I step foot on US soil.

Our plans have changed small small. The original plan was to go to different villages every week. It quickly became apparent that follow up for these villages was vital though, so after a meeting last week, we tweaked the plans a little. The original plan was for 9 different villages, so now the new plan is to go to 4 villages, come back for a week of follow up training here in Monrovia, and then go back to those same villages for another week. I must say this plan made me smile as I was concerned about leaving these new believers with very little discipleship in our week with these kids. We will spend that week here planning specific outlines and plans for each village. Pray that God would guide us to know how to best follow up with each village. 

God is doing great things here. Not only was VBS going on this week in our village, but water projects were happening and sanitation workshops were in session. One of the girls on our team, Comfort, was even able to use her nurse training to help out at the clinic with some malaria patients. It is cool to see all the different ways God uses to proclaim His name! He is the same here as He is around the world! He is our constant!

I will try to post some more pictures later.... maybe even share some of the funny stories of the weeks. 

Another week

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

We find ourselves at the end of week two in the bush, and what a week it was. I found myself thinking about what I would write because we don't have the same story to share as last week. It wasn't necessarily a bad week, but it was a more trying week with less connection. Although we had about the same amount of kids, we all seemed to struggle to communicate with them. Very few really understood English which made one on one interaction next to impossible for me. Once again, we were met by such a physical heaviness that loomed over us for a couple of days. I found myself asleep most of the first day, and then once VBS started, I would sleep during the lunch break. It was a hard week, but Psalm 121 was an encouragement to me. I listened to Bebo Norman's "Lift My Eyes" several times throughout the week which provided a boost for sure.

The village we were in was Nyemah which from the air appeared to be smaller than Gbarngay, but we quickly learned that at night the place was hoppin. We were told on day one that the school was were we would be meeting and that right behind it was were the bush society met. Once again, we were reminded that we were in the midst of spiritual darkness. Our first night there, I woke Lisa up to walk with me to the latrine which was located right next to the school. We were stumbling our way through the village around 9:45 when we heard someone yelling at us. I was just going to ignore him (probably not the wisest thought I have ever had), but Lisa started talking to him. Apparently he was trying to tell us that our house was the other way because he thought we were going into the bush. That would be a negative! You couldn't have paid me to set foot in there after dark. She informed him we were merely trying to go to the bathroom, and this seemed to settle him down. That was our only experience with him chasing us thank goodness. 

We taught the same curriculum as before, but this time mostly through an interpreter. This was hard for Lisa as she was used to being able to be understood. I found it easier because either way they struggled to understand me, so it made it seem like I wasn't just sinking alone in my communication. On day 2, the gospel was presented again, but this time the response was different. There was a time where it seemed like no one would respond. That was ok because we didn't want to force it, but it was a reminder that from village to village responses would be different. We just aren't sure how much was understood. By the end of the week, we think a couple of kids had a good understanding and one boy, Amos, is now in the family of Christ. We aren't sure where some of the others stand. 

It's been a busy weekend, and we are off to our next village tomorrow and will be back on Thursday. There is plenty more to tell, but it will have to wait til the weekend. Thanks so much for praying. Please continue. The village that we are heading into has over 250 kids for VBS. This could get interesting! 

Pictures!

Here is a view from the chopper of Gbarngay

Our friend Joni with some of the girls during one of the sessions

Lisa and I sporting our massive rain boots. It might be a bad sign when you get laughed at, but oh well!

The above picture is the kids who accepted Christ this week. Please keep them in your prayers!

Our Family is Bigger!

Let me start this out by saying a big THANK YOU for praying! We knew people were praying, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that. We made it back safely this afternoon and are thankful to have one week of vbs behind us.

My heart is heavy-o (working on my Liberian English here). What a week this has been. I am not sure that my heart is done processing all that we experienced, but I will do my best to paint a picture of some of the highs and lows of the week. 

We flew into Gbarngay (Bongay) Monday morning and were greeted by a lot of people when we stepped out of the chopper. We were taken to a hut where we sat with tons of little eyes glued on the white women. Immediately I was overwhelmed, and I thought what have I done? By the afternoon, we knew where we would be staying and had begun to settle in for the next 4 days. We ended up staying in one of the village elder's houses. It was a tiny hut, so that meant that 2 people slept inside and 2 of us were outside on the porch. 

From the moment we stepped foot off the chopper to the moment we got back in, we had very little moments without children staring at us. We started our first lesson Tuesday morning, and I quickly learned that I was going to have a tough time of communicating with the kids. The older kids could speak Liberian English, but we don't think most of the younger kids really could. Lisa ended up taking one for the team and did a lot of the talking. She snapped right into her Liberian English and did a great job. My conversations with kids went something like this.... they would say something... I would say what? They would repeat themselves and I would say Huh? One more try to which I would reply, "Lisa!" She would come and rescue the conversation. 

On the first day, I was faced with extreme physical heaviness and tiredness. At first, I just chalked it up to a lack of sleep and new environment. It wasn't until the kids left the last session of the day and had left the building and immediately the weight was lifted that it hit me that this could be because of the spiritual darkness in the village. It was rough. This place was so extremely dark. There are the traditions of the bush that result in the girls coming out with markings down their backs and legs. There are the strong beliefs in medicine necklaces that children must wear around their necks. There is a sadness as you watch the children interact with one another through constant hitting. It just hits your heart and makes you hurt. 

I was also trying to do my best to adapt to village life filled with none of the commodities that I am accustomed to at home. Our bathroom was now a latrine. Our shower was a bucket of water in a circular structure with a lappa covering the opening (and let me just say those warm bucket baths at night were quite the highlight!). The food was a struggle for me as I learned that when it comes to pepper I am a wimp! :) I had been excited about the thought of going to bed at 8 when the sun went down every night, but I had forgotten 2 minor details. These being that 1. not everyone else would be going to bed then and 2. there are animals roaming around that don't just get quiet. We would wake up some mornings to goats jumping on the ledge of the porch. I was convinced that one day, they wouldn't just jump back down but that they would end up jumping on my tent. Fortunately for me, I was not attacked by a goat, although I did find myself dreaming about attacking them and the roosters just to get some peace and quiet! :) Overall though, village life was not as hard as I had anticipated. I know I have God to thank for that. He guided us through every day moment by moment.

Day 2 of vbs was critical for us because at the end of the second session, we were presenting the gospel to them. We were hoping that they would get the connections. And some did! We now have at least 10 new brothers and sisters in our family of God!!! Praise the Lord for this! After we ended day 2, we told the kids that if anyone had questions to stay behind, and some did. We were then able to talk more in depth with them to find out if they really did understand what Jesus did for us on the cross and how we were now able to have a relationship with Him. 

It was hard to say goodbye because my heart wonders how they will do now. This village is not a "safe" place to leave a new believer. I pray these kids stay strong. They were being shown the Jesus film tonight, so we pray that what they learned these past couple of days will touch them even more as they see visually the story and hear it in their own language. Tears started to form in my eyes as one of the boys that I was privileged to spend a good amount of time with picked up the megaphone minutes before we were to leave and starting quoting the Bible verses they had learned. He then helped all the other kids with the last one that we spent the least amount of time on. He was then able to explain what that verse, John 3:16 meant, and he finished with singing Father Abraham. I turned away for a few seconds as the tears were forming as now it was ok to get on the chopper. This boy knew what decision he had made, and he could then be a leader for his friends. My heart was happy. I know that God is in control, so no matter what temptation comes or what these kids are faced with He has got them in His hands. 

Here are the names of the children who said yes to making Jesus Lord of their lives. Please join us in praying for them as they have a lot ahead of them. They are Maly, Josh, Danil, Gballea (Balla), Mark, Regina, Ruth, Mary, Hauwa, and Princess. I could go on and on with stories, but I will try and wrap this up. God did awesome things this week!!!! 

Missing Home....

I know that today only marks 6 days since I left home, but I woke up this morning really wanting to be home. I'm not sure what the driving force behind the feeling was other than maybe because it is Father's Day and Sunday and with those two biggies I was hurting. This marks the second Father's Day to be away from home with the family, and I don't like it. I know I am where I am supposed to be, but it can still be hard. All that to say, Happy Father's Day, Dad! I love you.

I knew that I would probably struggle today with going to a different church, so a few days ago I asked Lisa if we could go to the most Americanized church this week. I know that may sound bad, but I figured singing songs that I was more familiar with would make a huge difference. And it did. It was cool to sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness," "How Great is Our God," "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord" with the African church. It was so loud! I loved it. I tried to sing louder and louder but still could not sing louder than them. I can't wait to sing songs with the little kids blaring them at the top of their lungs. It will be hard to wipe the smile off my face then. Today was a good reminder of the church around the world worshiping the same God! It doesn't matter where we are, God is the same. I can't tell you what a comfort that was for me this morning. 

It was quite the culture experience for me to step out of the building after service and see ice cream and other treats being sold. Just another reminder that I am not home! Ice cream did sound like a good idea although I passed it by because as they would say here, "It is hot-o!" I think today has been the hottest so far. 

With that being the case, it was definitely time to take a plunge in the ocean. It still amazes me how beautiful the ocean view is. It is a different feeling sitting on the porch, looking out at the ocean, and it not being commercialized. It is nice.

We had to send our clothes bag up to Bopolu today in preparation for the drop off in the bush. Sure hope we packed all we needed. This is going to be fun! I've decided to turn it into my very own version of Survivor! I figure if I keep thinking of it that way, I will be fine! :) 

In all seriousness though, please pray. Pray we don't get sick. Pray we get good sleep. And pray God changes so many lives! 

We are so not in Kansas anymore

Reality, I do believe, is starting to set in because I am starting to see things that make me go wow that is different! Today as we were driving, there was a truck just packed with people all around the bed of the truck. As you looked further, you could see a casket, and it was just a wow moment as you realize that is how they carry the body to the funeral. Along the street was a crowd of people in shirts saying something like, "In Loving Memory." And that part of what a funeral is here.

American food is very accessible here, but you have to pay top dollar for it. An example would be a box of mac and cheese costs 2 bucks here instead of 50 cents like I am used to seeing at home. It is nice to have the "comfort" of seeing things from home, but I am quite content with their rice and sauce so far. The biggest thing for me with the food is how much pepper they put in it! My word... I thought my mouth was on fire yesterday! :)

We met with the team again yesterday, and I think we are pretty set for Tuesday. Lisa and I have some work ahead of us as we prepare to teach. I am excited, but at the same time, I am getting nervous at the thought of standing up in front of lots of kids and teaching about the most important thing in life. Pray God gives me the words to say. I don't want these kids to miss out on truth.

I tried to post pictures on here yesterday, but I can't get it to work. Hopefully I will be able to get that working soon, so I will be able to share just a little bit of Liberia with you.

Thanks again for all of your prayers. 

But God....

We made it! We got here safely on Wednesday night after two very long days of travel. Connections were mostly hassle free, so we are very thankful for that. At times, it is hard to believe that I am actually in Liberia. I don’t think it has completely hit me, but I imagine that when we go into the bush on Monday that I will be hit with it full force.

 

I have entitled today’s entry as But God…. because Lisa’s mom has titled our trip that. There have already been several instances where things haven’t worked quite like we would have wanted them to, but each time we can end the sentence with but God…. We are waiting on Him and trusting Him for our every move, so even when those hurdles come we trust Him to have His way and look forward to answering many more sentences with but God…..

 

Well one thing I have now experienced about Liberia is the rain. It rains harder here than I have ever heard before in my life. That is one reason I find myself awake at 12:30 in the morning. The best way to describe it would be to say that the sky must open up and every water particle that is in the clouds comes out all at once. It was incredible. I can only imagine what it would be like to get caught outside in it, and I am sure my imagination will become reality before long.

 

We met with our team this morning for a little bit which was exciting, and tomorrow we will meet again to go over some more things in depth. It is going to be fun to see how God is going to take 6 individuals and form us as this VBS team.

 

It hasn’t really hit me that I am indeed in Liberia. Sure there are moments when I am hit with the difference such as when I am greeted with “You are welcome” or when I shake someone’s hand and they snap their fingers at the end, but for the most part I think I am living in a surreal world not quite grasping where I am. I know that will all change when I experience bush life but for now it is a slow and steady change.

 

Liberian English is hard for me to understand. We sang a song in devotions this morning, and, at one point, Lisa turned to me and asked if I knew what they were saying. I had no clue. It helps that she knows mostly what they are saying and in time I think I will find it easier to follow the phrases they say. Even though I don’t understand it all, it helps to hear English words. It makes a little less lonely.

 

Please continue to pray for us. Pray that we will have a good time with our team tomorrow and that all of us will be unified. Pray for travel with it being rainy season. There may be times when we find ourselves stuck in the bush because the chopper is unable to get to us due to the rain. If this happens, please pray for our flexibility to kick in as plans will change. Pray that my time with God would be renewing each day, and that I would trust Him like I never have before. Thank you so much for all the prayers. 

Tomorrow is the Big Day

Well, the time has finally come to head out. We leave tomorrow morning around 11:30. Please keep us in your prayers as we fly. We should be in Liberia on Wednesday afternoon, so we have a couple of long days ahead of us. We both are extremely tired, so pray that God would give us the strength to trust Him to put one foot in front of the other. We know He has great things in store! Can't wait to share them with you. 

All Part of His Plan

We found out today that although our itinerary is not what we originally thought it to be, we are still going to Liberia. Instead of leaving on Monday, we will be heading out on Tuesday, flying a different route, but it is all good. God has been continually guiding this trip, so although this was not our plan, it is ok because apparently it is His.  

Excitement is starting to really mount as the big day gets closer and closer. I am not going to lie though because with the excitement is apprehension for what these weeks hold. So it is with mixed emotions that I pack my bags, but it is with great anticipation that I go as I wait to see how God will get the glory. 

Music is a big part of my makeup. I often find other people's thoughts ministering to me in the moments of my life and then in turn use them to paint an outward picture to those around me of my inward pondering. I am sure that over the next seven weeks, I will write many people's thoughts to show you mine. This next song is a prayer for life but now more specifically for this trip. It is a raw picture of pride, so I would ask that you would pray that I cling to God more than I ever have. Pray that I wouldn't allow pride to tear down His plan, but that I would continually hold His hand.

Savior, please take my hand 
I work so hard, I live so fast 
This life begins, and then it ends 
And I do the best that I can, but I don't know how long I'll last 

I try to be so tough 
But I'm just not strong enough 
I can't do this alone, God I need You to hold on to me 
I try to be good enough 
But I'm nothing without Your love 
Savior, please keep saving me 

Savior, please help me stand 
I fall so hard, I fade so fast 
Will You begin right where I end 
And be the God of all I am because You're all that I have 

I try to be so tough 
But I'm just not strong enough 
I can't do this alone, God I need You to hold on to me 
I try to be good enough 
But I'm nothing without Your love 
Savior, please keep saving me 

Hallelujah 
Everything You are to me 
Is everything I'll ever need 
And I am learning to believe 
That I don't have to prove a thing 
'Cause You're the one who's saving me 

    -Josh Wilson

God as we walk this world,
We want to be a sign
Our prayers flow into love,
Giving your life
Broken but singing
Our hearts keep shining
Let my life shine, come and let my heart shine
We’re going to walk the world and lift the bread and wine
Like the stars shine, come and let our hearts shine
In a dark world, we lift the bread and wine
And we were born for this
Born for this day and time
Our prayers flow into love
Giving our lives

     -Charlie Hall

As I sang this song for the first time a few months ago, I immediately claimed it as my Africa song. It says it all. So as Lisa and I journey into what is unknown to me, I want to WALK THE WORLD! 

Our plans are to head to Liberia, West Africa sometime next week. We are currently waiting to hear when it will be for sure due to some travel complications. Already we are being given an opportunity to trust that God already has this whole trip figured out. He is in it, and He is all throughout it. I am so excited to see what He is going to do through this trip. 

We are going as volunteers with Samaritan's Purse to teach Vacation Bible School in different villages. This will be challenging because we will be flown in to each location every week and will be stretched as the whole experience will be nothing like we know. 

Please join us in walking the world by praying for us. We definitely need it! Come along on this journey with us to see what God is going to do in Liberia. Please pray that travel arrangements will come together, that God will prepare Lisa and my heart for all that He has for us, that we would be moldable vessels for Him, and that He would be preparing the hearts of every child we meet in VBS as well as allow us to be a blessing to every single person we come in contact with!