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Daily
Snapshots of Liberia
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Thursday, Nov. 2
David in Dulles Airport
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Friday, Nov. 3
Gayla in the Brussels ariport
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Friday, Nov. 3
The new bed that was graciously
provided
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Saturday, Nov. 4
David with Gertrude on the porch
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Sunday, Nov. 5
I’ve finally got Gayla where I want
her
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Monday, Nov. 6
An “old” friend in Pastor Wesley and
some new friends, Audrey and Dave Waines of Equip Liberia
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Tuesday, Nov. 7
JAIL BREAK! The container is liberated from the Port of Monrovia after 36 days!
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Wednesday, Nov. 8
Gertrude outfitting Gayla as a true
Liberian
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Thursday, Nov. 9
Jan & Andres from Crown – Africa
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Friday, Nov. 10
Today is the Pastor’s Conference!
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Saturday, Nov. 11
Business & Governmental
Conference
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Sunday, Nov. 12
Gayla being refreshed with fresh
coconut milk
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Monday, Nov. 13
A sunrise at the Edwards’ house
(actually this is Tuesday morning)
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Width of column is 2.5”
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Service To Servants
Post Office Box
771
Murfreesboro, TN 37133
615.202.3517
info@servicetoservants.com
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For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;
only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Galatians 5:13
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VIEW ALL PICTURES HERE!
David Gayla Rodney Matt
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David,
here’s your link to all the pictures
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Dates
in BLUE with an underline are linked to a full journal for the day (if
I’ve had time to put it in).
To call
Rodney, Gayla or David while we
are in Liberia dial the following:
011 231 6 652 187
Remember that you will be charged
for the call but our cell phone will not. The safest way to call is with a
phone card from Wal-Mart. If you
use your personal phone please call and find out the rate. Normally you will pay 35 – 50 cents
per minute.
Prior
to departure:
Pray for today- First, that we will take
everything that is needed (it’s so easy to forget key items in the last
minute rush). Second, that
everything that happens on this trip will bring God glory and that we
will remain in the background (as servants should).
Planned- Have everything ready ahead of time and
be at peace with the world.
Actual- Frantically packing at midnight with a
“getting up” time of 3:00am. I’m
sure Dave had all his stuff together.
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Thursday, November
2nd (click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- that the Crown books and tapes
that are needed for the conference will arrive the day before the conference
as planned.
Planned- Travel from Nashville
(Gayla & Rodney) or Atlanta (Dave)
to Washington Dulles and then on to Brussels, Belgium. The time together will let us
finalize plans for the trip and discuss the follow up effort.
Actual- Gayla and I actually made it up at
3:00am, got to the airport and made it onto the first flight of the day
(I’m typing this on the plane).
Dave has a much more civilized departure time and will meet us
at Dulles for the Brussels
flight. We made it onto the Brussels flight
and will arrive there tomorrow.
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Friday, November 3rd
(click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- The physical condition of our
team. Remember especially Matt
who has traveled to Kiev and will then
come to Monrovia
on Thursday.
Planned- Today is all about travel. If no difficulties arise we will be
in Monrovia
tonight at 6:50pm (12:50pm CST).
Shadrach is to pick us up at the airport.
Actual- We made it! Everyone is looking forward to a
night spent sleeping in the horizontal position.
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Saturday, November
4th (click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- That we will make contact with
some additional leaders in Monrovia
and that we can gain a clear picture of what remains to be done and
develop an effective plan to move forward.
Planned- Visit with Shadrach, visit SIM and get
to an internet café to send these updates.
Actual- Spent time with Shadrach &
Gertrude. Made a visit to the
internet café. Rested.
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Sunday, November 5th
(click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- A renewal of our spirits through
worshiping with those who God has allowed us to serve. Pray also that people’s lives will be
transformed by the preaching of His word.
Planned- Worship today in, I hope, two different
churches. It would be good to
visit with pastors from the pastors’ committee.
Actual- Worshiped individually due to our driver
being in church until 3:00pm (see Ron, you’re not too long). Visited the ELWA compound where we
meet James Kesselly, the director, and also some Samaritan’s Purse interns
and ran into Dr. Brownell along with a visiting group from the U.S.
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Monday, November 6th
(click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- That the shipping container will
be released from the port and the offerings given by our supporters in
the U.S.
will begin to benefit those using them.
Also pray that we will be able to meet with Dr. Reeves and Mr.
Perkins, chairmen of the two committees.
Planned- Visit the proper governmental offices to
get the container released. Visit with Dr. Reeves to determine the
status of the Pastors’ committee and with Mr. Perkins to determine the
status of the Business/Governmental Leaders’ committee.
Actual- Visited with Emile
Sam-Peal, Pastor Richard Wesley, Major Ben Baymo and
the Freeport of Monrovia where they promised to release the container
today! I just heard that they
are looking for the truck to load it onto so that’s a very positive
sign. An update at 8:00pm says
our container is loaded on a truck and will be delivered tomorrow
morning.
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Tuesday, November 7th
(click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- That we will be able to meet with
additional business and governmental leaders and encourage them to attend
the conference. Pray especially
that the meals have been planned and that the cost has remained within
the budgeted amounts. This is
the biggest unknown right now.
Planned- Go by the Baptist Compound to look at
Crown team’s lodging. Invest in
Rhoda Giwlay as a potential STS employee by paying her final graduation
fees at the Methodist
University. Visit Daniel McGee during the Equip
USA “Train the Trainers” session he is hosting. Participate in the container
unloading at the Baptist Seminary.
Participate in the Pastor’s Committee meeting at Providence Baptist Church. A very full day.
Actual- We visited the Baptist Compound where 3
very nice rooms have been made available for the visiting Crown
conference trainers. We made the
required payment to allow Rhoda to graduate from college with an
Economics degree. Our visit with
Daniel McGee turned into an invite of 200 pastors to the Crown
conference. The Port of Monrovia finally released our
container (Yea God!). And we
meet with the Pastor’s Committee and were overwhelmed with their work.
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Wednesday, November
8th (click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- That Carol
Chambers will make it in from Dothan,
AL, Matt Elsberry from Kiev and our three Crown trainers from South Africa
(they are flying Belleview Airlines, not a good thing).
Planned- Get the large generator out of the
container and the container in place at the ice making business. Move our lodging to the Baptist
Compound and prepare for the arrival of our Crown trainers. Continue visits with anyone who will
allow us to come.
Actual-
Read it on the full journal please.
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Thursday, November 9th
(click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- That the balance of the Crown
materials will arrive on time and that Crown event final preparation
will go well. Continue visits
with anyone who will allow us to come.
Planned- Work through the conference schedule
with the Crown trainers and assist the Pastor’s Committee with the
setup of the conference beginning at 2:00pm. Rest for the conference tomorrow.
Actual- Read it on the full journal please.
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Friday, November 10th
(click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- That the Pastor’s conference will
achieve the purpose for which God intended. Also for strength for the committee
and team and that technical problems will not arise.
Planned- Spend all day at Providence Baptist
assisting with the conference.
Actual- It was a fantastic day. We had over 400 pastors
enthusiastically participate in the day long training. 209 of these pastors signed up to train
other pastors who were unable to attend.
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Saturday, November
11th (click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- That the key business and
governmental leaders through Monrovia
will come and that their lives will be changed in such a way as to
benefit the entire country.
Planned- Spend all day at Providence Baptist
assisting with the conference.
Actual- Approximately 110 business leaders
attended and they were very attentive and supportive. Approximately half signed up as
trainers to other business owners.
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Sunday, November 12th
(click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- That God will say to all those
involved in this effort, “well done, good and faithful servant”.
Planned- Worship with one of our committee
pastors. Leave for home at
8:20pm
Actual- We worshiped individually at the Compound
and ate a great lunch. We said
goodbye to old and new friends and left for the airport at 5:15pm. Had a flat, fixed a flat and still
made the flight with lots of time.
Home by Monday night.
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Monday, November 13th
(click for full journal and photos):
Pray for today- Strength for the hard day of
travel and quick recovery as well.
Planned- Fly from Brussels
to Dulles then to Nashville (Gayla &
Rodney), Atlanta
(Dave and Matt).
Actual- In Brussels
now. Gayla and I just did make
the connection in Washington
and made it home okay. I’m still
waiting to hear from David and Matt.
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Aftershock:
Pray for today-That we will not be tired but
rather invigorated by the trip and more convinced than ever that God
has called us to serve Him in Liberia.
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“Surrendered
to serving those on the mission field”
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