ServiceToServants

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June 2011 12Stone Water’s Edge

Vision

4 W’s & a H

Comments or pictures

My Liberia cell phone is 011-231-665-2187. You can also reach Robert Cuppah at any time by dialing 011-231-655-3223.

Page last updated: 6/17/2011

See Rodney’s comments here

A few general comments:

Rachel Moye will be updating this site and providing a portion of the content and pictures. She is serving as an STS Intern in charge of documenting the trip and producing a bound book to be made available to all who would like a copy.

The primary goal of the trip is to introduce a group of 12Stone young men and women to what God is currently doing in Liberia so that they might lead their church in service here. David Bearchell will be the mentor for the group and Brad Chahoy will be the team lead.

Day 1 – Sat, 6/4

Comments

We have been looking forward to this day for weeks. The anticipated time has finally arrived for the 12Stone Church group to pack up their belongings and head to the beautiful country of Liberia.

Before heading directly to the airport, the group gathered at 12Stone Church to share prayers of safety and transformation. Mixed emotions filled our body as we weren’t sure exactly what to expect for the next 16 days. One thing we all knew, God has a beautiful purpose for our trip, and we cannot wait to discover His many blessings

The bags were organized and counted at the gate in preparation for departure. The entire team met for the first time and made sure everything was in line for the 11 hour journey to Liberia.

Although the flight at times felt endless, we spent our time watching movies, preparing our hearts and reading our team book “When Helping Hurts.” This book warns of the dangers of short-term mission trips, and gives a unique perspective of the best ways to combat the social, economic, spiritual and physical aspects of poverty.

Pictures

Meet your travelers (L to R) David, Chris, Brad, Taylor, Kristin, Dimitri and (with the most incredibly white legs you’ve ever seen) Rodney. Rachel was not with us yet as this was taken at 12Stone prior to going to the airport.

Day 2 - Sun, 6/5

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Still in the air, the group anxiously awaited the arrival into Liberia. After about 11 hours, we finally landed in Accra, Ghana for a two hour layover in order to refuel. The stop was much needed as many of the group members took the opportunity to stand up, walk around and even get some fresh air.

But the real trip didn’t seem to begin until we found ourselves standing in the customs line. The air was hot and muggy. The room was crowded, filled with people who were speaking foreign dialects. But even halfway across the world, we were reminded how small the world is. After making small talk with the security guard in line, we discovered he used to live minutes from 12Stone and went to Gwinnett Tech. It really is a small world.

Walking through the doors from customs to baggage claim was pure mayhem. The Liberian Airport is small due to destruction from the previous civil war. The room was crowded with people waiting around one carousel for their bags. We made our way through the tight crowd, keeping a watchful eye on our personal belongings, and discovered that all of our bags made it!

After leaving the baggage area, we loaded up the cars and started the drive out to our temporary home. It wasn’t until the drive that people started to realize that we weren’t in America anymore. We suddenly felt like millionaires, taken back by children playing in the dirt, roaming without parents. Women were sitting outside fixing other women’s hair. Men were cleaning their motorcycles. Street vendors were attempting to sell fabric and produce. This world was much different than our own. Thirty minutes later, we arrived at the compound.

The compound is beautiful. We have lovely accommodations that include warm meals, cool showers and cozy beds. After the long trek from America to Africa, we are going to sleep exhausted, yet thankful. The journey has just begun.

Pictures

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A view from the car on our way from the Airport.

A room at the compound.

Below are a few pictures of the surrounding area of the compound. It’s beautiful!

Day 3 – Mon, 6/6

Comments

We could not have asked for a more Spirit-filled day. God truly makes beautiful things. When we asked Him to move this morning, we had no idea the blessings in store for us at Rock of Divine Orphanage. From the moment we arrived, we were reminded that we were created to create. The Lord is already moving in unimaginable ways and transforming our hearts to be more like His.

Let’s start from the beginning.

We woke up bright and early at 7 a.m. to prepare our hearts for the day ahead. Our morning devotional focused on John 15, which talks about Jesus as the vine and us as the branches. Essentially, it’s about remaining in Jesus in order to bear fruit. By remaining in Jesus and spending time with Him, we are able to produce fruit for His kingdom. We knew we could only be His hands and feet if we were to pray without ceasing.

After our lovely breakfast of hot oatmeal, scones, eggs and coffee, we packed up our suitcase with the VBS material and piled into the cars. After about 30 minutes in the car, we found ourselves at the door of the orphanage. We jumped out of the cars to the noise of children laughing, playing and singing inside the compound.

When we first arrived, Kristin and Brad lead the team upstairs to the boy’s dormitory. The director asked us to paint the room blue and white. As soon as the paint was poured and the brushes were laid out, the young boys rushed into the room hoping to help with the project. We soon realized there weren’t enough brushes for the entire team to paint so we delegated the job to the younger boys.

Your first though might be, “You flew all the way to Liberia to make the children paint their own room?” But take a moment to think about it. We came to give them things that they normally aren’t given. This was a chance for them to take leadership and ownership over their work. Plus, they LOVED it!

For the majority of the day, we simply loved on children. It was incredible to be able to hold, laugh and love on a child that normally didn’t receive day-to-day affection. A child’s faith is a beautiful example of God’s love and grace towards us. We were reminded of that each time we looked into the eye and connected with one of the children.

After lunch, we setup a VBS program that included songs, storytelling and coloring. They blew us away at how well they listened to Dimitri illustrate the story of the Old Testament, from Adam and Eve up to Jesus. Kristin led the songs and was brought to tears at the children’s knowledge and excitement while singing “JOY” and “Deep and Wide.” They knew the songs better than we did. For that moment, it seemed as if time stopped and nothing else mattered.

The rest of the afternoon included playing soccer, games, piggyback rides and even a few staring contests. Even though they were wearing old clothes and playing in the dirt, these children displayed more love and joy than many of the people around us back home. Including ourselves. A few of the children even asked us not to go home and we were struck by their immediate trust and desire for love. Taylor was even asked by one the younger boys not to leave. She was brought to tears when the reality hit her that soon we would be back in America. Our time here is special, and we are quickly realizing how difficult it’s going to be to say goodbye. We came to bless children, but were blessed tenfold in return.

After saying our goodbyes at the orphanage, we traveled to the Liberian coast to visit Myrtle beach for a quick dip in the ocean. Although 5,000 miles from the Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, it was exciting to know that we were sharing the same ocean. It was a fun, carefree time for us to unwind and enjoy bonding as a group.

When we returned to the compound, we ate a delicious spaghetti dinner before debriefing our day. The food here is incredible! Many thanks to Louise for providing us with bountiful meals. We are grateful. During our time of debriefing each member of the group shared their most memorable moment of the day. It’s only the first day, and our hearts for poverty and children are breaking. God is revealing himself to us in powerful ways through the children at Rock of Divine Orphanage. Favorite moments of the day included: playing with children, singing songs during VBS and getting the opportunity to watch prayers be answered.

After a time of prayer and reflection, we said goodnight and began dreaming about the exciting moments to come.

We can only imagine what tomorrow will bring.

Pictures

The front of the orphanage home.

The guys lining the room with tape to get ready to paint.

One of the children working hard painting his room. He was enjoying every second.

Kristin leading a few songs during VBS.

Dimitri telling the story of Moses.

Taylor was focused and committed to finishing coloring her page.

Anita laughing while coloring her page. She is a fantastic artist.

Dave and his new friend in a serious staring contest!

Dave and Anita. He shared a beautiful moment with her praying for a child back home.

God makes beautiful feet.

These girls brought so much joy to Kristin. They were attached at the hip the entire afternoon.

Below are a few pictures from the afternoon reflecting the beauty of God’s creation:

Love in action.

This little guy was the most loving child! It’s safe to say every member of our team became attached to him.

The soccer field. These guys worked hard.

Dimitri with a few of his teammates.

She’s stunningly beautiful.

“The most beautiful thing in the world is a child’s laugh.”- Kristin

Taylor’s friends who loved on her unconditionally.

Rachel and her new friend Kris.

The group enjoying our moment on the beach. We loved the yellow/red rocky sand!

Day 4 – Tue, 6/7

Comments

Children are incredibly beautiful to Jesus because of their ability to love and trust with an open, recklessly abandoned heart. Today, we began our day reading in Mark about Jesus asking the children to come to him. Our prayer during our morning devotional was to allow God to show us His amazing love for us through the children. He answered our prayers in miraculous ways.

When we arrived to Rock of Divine Orphanage for our second day, we found the children on the porch eagerly waiting in the rain for our arrival. What a blessing it’s been to have bright and smiling faces exploding with love for us. It’s been a truly heartwarming experience.

Despite the rain, we dove right into our activities. Our goal for the day was to finish painting both the boys and girls dormitories. The boys room was almost complete, excluded a few touchups. We were just starting to paint the girl’s room yellow, hoping to add some brightness a windowless, dark room. After pouring the paint, girls were recruited to help with the project.

Kristin, Taylor and a few of the younger girls spent the next few hours working in the room. Singing, laughing and words of encouragement filled the air as the girls hilariously completed their task. They dipped their large brushes into paint and stroked the wall, splattering paint onto them in the process. I don’t think a single girl escaped that room without yellow paint covering their entire body. By the end of the day, the girls were exhausted from the hard work.

Meanwhile, the boys were playing hard out on the soccer field. Dimitri learned quickly that playing futbol in Liberia is no laughing matter. After only minutes of playing he was drenching. Brad and Chris were inside playing games with the children and loving on them. It’s remarkable how children’s games, such as Duck Duck Goose and Simon Says, translate the same around the world. Children are children no matter where you go.

The VBS lesson of the day was similar to yesterday, including animated songs, a story and a craft. Dimitri led our VBS time with the children. He has a beautiful way of engaging the children and capturing their attention. This time he was moving on from Moses and turning the focus to the most important person in the Bible: Jesus. He shared the gospel through going through the “Christian bracelet” or black, red, white, green and yellow beads. The children eagerly raised their hands when Dimitri asked them if they wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior. They ran to all of us, and repeated a simple prayer after Dimitri while holding our hands. Moments like those are precious. Then, we distributed bracelets for the children to make. The children LOVED making the bracelets, and we loved helping them along the way. They now have a physical reminder of the cross and of Jesus’ love.

At first, Dimitri was concerned that the children just wanted to conform to their peers and accept Jesus. But Dave reminded us that it’s not our job to worry about the motive behind someone’s heart. Our job is simply to share the Good News and let God move in their hearts.

During our time with the children, God blessed us with incredible moments. One of the children who favored Taylor hurt his toe badly. Dimitri brought him upstairs to rest his foot. With tears streaming down his face, his brothers quickly surrounded him and began praying for him. My heart is full thinking about the love, community and power of the Holy Spirit that filled the room in that moment. There is nothing more beautiful than watching children embrace the power of prayer with their loved ones. After the prayer, Taylor heard he was hurt and came upstairs to comfort him. Taylor sat on the bed for the next hour, holding his hand and encouraging him. This was the most connected she has ever felt to a child in her entire life. What powerful love.

Saying goodbye today was nearly impossible. We gathered all the children together and asked them to pray for us. Without hesitation, the children in unison began loudly praying for us. I was brought to tears at unreal the moment was. Here we were, in a dilapidated orphanage, surrounded by children praying in concert over us. I hope heaven is like an extension of that moment because it was beautiful. We witnessed for a few minutes how deep the faith of a child runs. We then proceeded to pray for them before getting in our cars and driving away with a new love for the children of Liberia.

After the wonderful experience at the orphanage, we drove to the Greater Love Ministries to tour the radio station with Pastor Wesley. We had the amazing opportunity to hear his testimony. He knows what it means to trust God for daily provisions and living out the scripture. Through the war and other experiences he’s been through, God has given him the strength to continue and has always provided for his ministries.

Although we were unaware, when we went upstairs to the radio station, we were told that we were going to do a brief on-air interview. The radio host asked us where we were from, what we were studying and what our purpose in Liberia was. It’s not every day you’re on the Liberian radio!

We ended the day on the beach, relaxing and unwinding as a group. We enjoyed swimming in the ocean and jumping on the rocks together.

Ultimately, today we learned that no matter who you are, what you look like and what you have to offer, the children we were with today just want to be near you. You don’t have to even say anything. This is what our love for the Father should be like daily.

Pictures

A girl hard at work painting her room.

Playtime with the children.

They boys enjoyed painting so much they painted the water container.

Dimitri teaching the boys a life lesson.

She never stopped smiling. Such joy.

She clearly had fun painting.

The children’s lovely bracelets.

The team helping them make the bracelets.

The boys playing a competitive game of futbol.

Taylor comforting her friend who hurt his foot.

Our team during our impromtu radio broadcast.

Our team with Pastor Wesley at Greater Love Ministries.

Day 5 – Wed, 6/8

Comments

We are falling more in love with Liberia daily. Our entire group was left with broken hearts and a renewed love for God’s children after our time today with THINK, a safe house for abused girls and a few disabled children. It’s amazing what you can learn from a 5-year-old child, without them even having to speak.

This morning, we started our day with a devotional about guarding our hearts and for surrendering our plans to the Lord. It was a message that carried throughout the day as we ministered to abused children who needed to hear that God has a beautiful plan for their life. He has a beautiful inheritance full of hope and joy, not of brokenness and destruction.

After breakfast, we traveled in the rain to THINK. We had to park down the street from the building because the organization works hard to protect the children’s locations and identities. Upon our arrival, the children burst out of their seats and ran into our arms while singing a song welcoming us to their home. We were overwhelmed with the immediate trust and attachment. They were craving love, and were clearly excited that had chosen to spend our day with them.

Our immediate reaction to the safe house was its immaculate condition. All the rooms were spotless, including the bathroom. The children also appeared to be well taken care of. Joy seemed to be the running theme throughout the day. Even though most of the children had been brought to the home because of some form of sexual or physical abuse, they carried smiles on their faces and embraced us with open arms.

We spent the first few hours holding the children, putting together puzzles with them and getting to know them. The first step to gaining a child’s trust is to start building a relationship with them, and that’s what we tried to do.

After lunch, Kristin led the children in a few songs, while Chris shared the story of creation through the Ten Commandments. Afterwards, the children spent almost two hours coloring. It was precious to watch them soak up the activity, songs and lesson. They were incredibly attentive the entire time Chris talked. While they were coloring, they meticulously colored within the lines, with multiple colors. It was an incredible experience.

We then broke up into small groups to share stories and pray with the women and children. For many of the women and children in the house, this was a wonderful time of healing because they don’t have counselors and social workers to contact on a daily basis. It was therapeutic for them to receive words of encouragement, love and to simply share their experiences. Most of the stories we heard were painful to endure. It broke our hearts to see the scars on the victims’ backs and to see the pain in their faces when they couldn’t even look us in the eyes. Although their experiences are beyond horrendous, we know that the God we serve is greater, and he is our healer. We believe that he will restore, redeem and provide for the broken women and their families.

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing with the children. We played with balloons, rivaled each other in a kickball game and even had a dance party. By the end of the day, we felt like we were one of them. To see the joy in their faces and to hear their laughter while trying to catch a balloon was priceless. Our hearts were full, overflowing with gratefulness at the experience we shared today.

While we were hanging out with the children, Dave spent time talking with Genevieve, the caretaker of the house. As you can imagine, being the caretaker of more than a dozen abused women and children, can be draining in all aspects of the word. He quickly learned that the children were in great hands. She is a woman of faith, standing firmly upon God’s word. When asked what she needed, she replied that she couldn’t get enough of God’s word. She craved more Biblical learning resources because she wasn’t able to always make it to church. If only we all had that kind of desire for God’s Word. I can only pray to have that kind of faith some day.

One of the children, Junior, was a ten-year-old boy who suffered from mental and physical impairments, clung to Chris the entire day. Last year, the team from 12Stone prayed for healing and watched him take a few steps. It was a miracle. This year, our team saw tremendous improvements. His entire demeanor had changed. He was laughing, smiling and even danced during the end-of-the-day dance party. We have full hope that in time he will experience a full recovery and be able to walk one day. We serve a big God.

Our day was transformational. God moved through each one of our team members in unique ways. At the end of the day, we are going to bed excited and eager to return to THINK to see how God is going to chose to move tomorrow.

Pictures

One of the girls in the safe house, Blessing.

Chris sharing the story of the Ten Commandments to the children.

The group leading “Deep and Wide” for the children.

The children coloring their Ten Commandments.

Chris and Taylor playing with the children.

The children playing with the balloons.

Taylor didn’t let go of this baby for a minute. It was incredibly precious.

Our kickball field.

Dave holding Junior during our dance party.

The group ending the day dancing.

Chris walking around with Junior.

Day 6 – Thu, 6/9

Comments

Today we left around 9 a.m. to spend the morning with THINK. This was our last time with the younger children, and we knew it was bound to be bittersweet. When we arrived, they were just as excited to see us as yesterday. We immediately jumped into puzzles, games and catching up from yesterday.

After hanging out with the children, the group broke up into our small groups. This time we shared with them our favorite verses (we had previously shared these verses with our group during our morning devotional). Taylor and Rachel’s group had the unique experience of having one of the women in the group share her favorite verses as well. Dimitri was prayed over by the girls in his group. The time was incredibly powerful as the body of Christ worked to encourage and support one another through prayer and scripture.

Most of the girls understand who God is and that he loves them, but many don’t understand that he hasn’t forsaken him. For that reason, we felt God leading us to share the story of Ruth with them. When Ruth and Naomi’s husbands died, they were left without a guardian. Naomi, who had little trust in God, turned her back on him, changed her name to “Bitter One”, and moved back home. Ruth, on the other hand, was faithful and continued to love her mother-in-law and trust God. In the end, God provided, not only a guardian for their family, but a son. This son would become the grandfather of Jesus. This is a tremendous story of home, love and redemption that we hope made them see that God will provide, even though at times it seems he’s abandoned us.

The story of Ruth then led into Taylor explaining the gospel and how to make a gospel bracelet. The children spent the next hour making bracelets with us. We hope that these bracelets will serve as a reminder of not only God’s love, but our love as well. The rest of the time we held the children and soaked in our last few hours with them.

One of the more precious moments of the day was watching Junior kick a soccer ball. He isn’t able to walk, but he was able to kick a ball. This gives us hope that one day he will be healed. At one point, Dave was holding Jacob, a small 3-month-old child. It was an incredibly precious moment. For him, this was a beautiful reminder of how God holds us and cares for us. Once again, we are learning to love Jesus more and more through his tender children.

Leaving THINK was incredibly difficult. We had fallen in love with the children, and had bonded to specific children. One of the younger girls even called Rachel “mama” and many were left in tears when we left. It’s heartbreaking to know there is so much need, and feels like there’s little we can do about it. Children like Junior, changed our world, as we watched him grow stronger and stronger each day. His smile growing bigger and bigger, too. We can only pray that the ministry and children at THINK will be blessed and that God will have his hand of protection over them.

Making the transition from THINK to Rafiki Village was a challenge. The drastic lifestyle and infrastructure differences were enormous. The other few orphanages we had visited were somewhat dilapidated with paint chipping off the walls. The rooms were small, and all of the girls and boys lived together in their respected rooms. They children clung to you because the caretakers aren’t able to feed, clothe, pay overhead and provide individual attention to each child. Meanwhile, things were quite different at Rafaki.

Rafiki was a structured, organized and well-planned living community. Each home on the campus housed 8 children and a “mom.” The goal was to provide as close to a family unit as they possible could. From education to healthcare, all of their needs, except church, were met on campus. All of the homes and facilities were particularly Westernized. This Westernization also extended to the way they both disciplined and educated the children. This is the pattern used by the most progressive orphans’ homes in the United States.

When we arrived to the cafeteria to share our VBS lesson, the children were neatly sitting on mats and in rows of chairs. This was quite a contrast to the previous places we had visited. Chris shared the lesson and Kristin led the songs. After praying, we broke the boys and girls up into teams for soccer and kickball games.

Although we didn’t stay long at Rafiki Village, it was good to see a different side of the Liberian orphan care system. God is using both Rafiki and Orphan Relief & Rescue to accomplish his purpose in Liberian. Both organizations are equally needed in order to raise up leaders and bring transformation to Liberia.

At times the day felt long and emotional, but in the end, it was worth it. We gained wisdom from the children at THINK and insight into the progressive orphanage system at Rafiki Village. Tomorrow will be a new day, with new mercies and challenges. We pray that we will continue to walk in humility and act justly, treating everyone we meet with compassion.

Pictures

The team, minus Rachel, at THINK.

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Junior looking studly in Dave’s glasses.

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Blessing and Rachel spending a moment together.

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Kristin enduring through the pain of having her hair braided.

Dimitri showing off his newly done hair.

Rachel and her new friends at THINK.

Kristin and a few of her small group girls.

“K” looking beautiful.

Dimitiri, or Yori Yori, as the kids called him, was always crowded by a group of children. They loved him!

Taylor and her friend making their Christian bracelets.

Junior never left Chris’s side. They become great friends.

Yori Yori and a few of his small group kids.

The women making soup for the children.

Kristin blowing bubbles with the children. They were a complete hit.

Brad and “God’s Gift” in a tickle war.

Peace and Kristin sharing a moment.

Rafiki Village

“The Tank” showing off his large muscles.

This little one was enamored by his reflection in Dave’s glasses.

The girls’ kickball field.

Brad and Dimitri attempting to show the boys how to pass.

Brad coaching his soccer team.

The young girl kicking a ball during the kickball game.

Brad sharing Genesis through Exodus with the children at Rafiki Village.

The children intently listening to Brad.

Day 7 – Fri, 6/10

Comments

This morning the group traveled to the University of Liberia to get an inside look into what it’s like for college students in Liberia. Before we left, Kristin shared with the group an insightful devotional regarding trusting God. Throughout the day, we meditated on what it means to fully rely on God for all of our needs.

In order to get the school, we were forced to face Red Light, which is a highly densely populated market that stretches for miles down the road. It’s pure mayhem. People and motorcycles are running through the street, people are coming up to the cars trying to sell things and it’s nearly impossible to cars to pass through. We were all relieved when we made it out alive.

When we made it to the University, our initial impression was surprise and excitement. Immediately, we noticed a large, new building, surrounded by improved dorms. The building had been donated and built by the Chinese.

Today was special because we had the privilege of having Christine travel with us. She is the daughter of the ex-president of Liberia and has an incredible story of faith, trust and healing. When we got the University, she was able to find the dean and get us a meeting with him.

During our meeting with the dean, we learned that he had graduated from both Yale and Missouri. He told us all about the University, from the tuition to the individual colleges. Most of the students at the school are studying agriculture, hoping to learn how to help Liberia become self-sustaining. We then toured a couple classrooms.

The classrooms were full of men and women eager to learn. It was encouraging to look into the faces and the future leaders of Liberia. These were the people who are going to transform this country. In the first room, we were asked where we were from, what we were studying and they generally thanked us for coming. The second room was a little more interesting. We were asked about predestination, agriculture and other topics that we didn’t have the time to discuss. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

We then had the amazing opportunity of being the first people to tour the new building and dorms. Although we weren’t excited that it was built by the Chinese, we loved that the University was expanding.

After touring the building, we jumped in the cars and headed down the road to visit Christine’s project, REAP. REAP, which stands for restoration education advancement program, focuses on helping children learn life skills. The children come from off the street, orphanages and the local village and are put into leadership training, freedom in Christ and skills development. Now, they are focusing more on life skills, such as agriculture. Talking with Dave, they have come a long way. The last time this group was here, the building didn’t have a roof. Now, it’s fully renovated and is a beautiful facility.

We spent time singing with the children, learning about REAP and spending time in the village. We enjoyed being outside of the walls of an orphanage, and simply being with a community. As we were walking through their village, we noticed a man studying, women cooking and children relaxing on front porches. It was clear that this community had been well taken care of, and that REAP was impacting their lives. After spending some time with the village, we had the opportunity to view the community garden.

Christine’s passion in life is education, and her next project is to help the community learn how to become self-sustaining through agriculture. Currently, Liberia imports most of their produce and goods, even though the land is rich in natural resources. She is hoping to change the mindset in Liberia, and help empower the people to take ownership of their own food and survival.

Pictures

The new university building. Isn’t it amazing?

The group introduces themselves to one of the classrooms in the School of Agriculture.

Christine discusing the school with the dean.

A view from the car driving to REAP.

Kristin and Taylor playing with the village children.

This is a writing from one of the houses. It reflects the positivity of the community.

Palm nuts used to make palm oil. They use this oil to cook everything.

Our group in the REAP building teaching songs to the community.

The children and elders awaiting our arrival.

Day 8 – Sat, 6/11

Comments

The problem with mission work comes when you spread yourself too thin, without ever taking any time for yourself. This time is important to regain strength, regroup and simply rest. Today, that’s what we did. Nothing was planned today except for going to the market and then attending the NGO reception at Dr. Keith Chapman’s home.

The group woke up today ready to experience the Liberian market. We traveled about an hour into Monrovia to shop for a few hours. When we arrived, we soon realized this was going to be much different than shopping at the Mall of Georgia. It was pure madness. There was little organization anywhere. Cars were attempting to drive both ways in a one way lane. Motorcycles were cutting cars off, people were running in front of cars, and people were constantly approaching you to ask you for support.

Fortunately for us, we found a parking spot rather quickly. We proceeded to jump out of the cars and embraced the market culture. The girls and guys split up because we were obviously looking for different items. The girls searched for fabric, jewelry and bags, while the guys were more interested in the drums and men’s clothing.

The market was fascinating. The merchants and shoppers were running around, attempting to sell their products to “the white man.” The energy in the air was exciting and contagious. We had to be extremely careful wherever we went because it was over crowded. It would have been easy to get lost in the dense crowd. For the next few hours, we walked up the steep hill, testing our bartering skills with the locals. In the end, we left with beautiful fabric, a pair of shoes, a Jembee and other random items.

The weather today was brutal. Although it was absolutely gorgeous outside, the sun beat down heavily. By the end of our time shopping, we were drenching in sweat and ready to swim at the beach.

We left the market to go to Myrtle Beach to relax and catch a few waves. Now the water here is much different. Liberia is known for its awesome surf and powerful currents. By the time we parked at the beach, we were all in the water in .2 seconds. The cool water felt amazing. We laughed as we watched members of our group get overcome by the huge waves. It was a sight to see! The time at the beach was an incredible time to unwind and laugh together. If not for these moments, I’m afraid we’d all be overcome by the emotional burdens and exhaustion we were facing because of the long days spent out in the field.

After making complete fools of ourselves playing in the water, we decided to come back to the compound to shower and get ready for the NGO Reception. Let me explain what I mean by NGO Reception. This was essentially a time for all the nonprofits in the area to get together, share stories and get to know each other. A few of the groups represented were Samaritan’s Purse, Rafiki Village, Orphanage Relief and Rescue, Elwa hospital and a few more.

Speaking for myself, I was tremendously blessed through the stories shared tonight. It’s unbelievable to hear stories of God’s faithfulness to his people. Moreover, it’s exciting to watch the body of Christ come together from all specialties and walks of life. For example, tonight I had an incredible conversation with a group of pre-med students from Wheaton who are here to serve at Elwa on a medical mission trip. Although I’ll never understand the medical field, it was special for me to get to hear a different perspective on the current needs in Liberia. Plus, the brownies were delicious and we were all in need of a sugar rush.

The group was blessed today and is excited to attend church tomorrow at Greater Love. Until then….

Pictures

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Day 9 – Sun, 6/12

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Today was entirely about rest. After a full week of service and pouring out, we had the opportunity today to relax and rejuvenate. When we first woke up, we were served a feast of cake, eggs, coffee, avocado and oatmeal. It was simply divine. Then, we loaded the cars to drive out to Greater Love Ministries to attend Pastor Wesley’s church.

This was the same church we had visited previously. Remember, the place where we became radio stars. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Pastor Wesley led us in a Bible study of John 15. Sitting in the midst of his congregation hearing about the persecution that the church was enduring was unbelievable. It gave us a completely new perspective on freedom of religion. Through his message, we were reminded that if our lifestyle harmonizes with the world than we are not walking in the love of Christ. The mark of being a Christian is being rejected by the world. It’s evident that God is speaking through Pastor Wesley to bring his Word to His people.

Not only was Pastor Wesley bringing truth to his congregation, he was living proof of what he believed. His ministry has been attacked several times for preaching God’s Word. Men were even killed during a fire that was started by someone trying to kill Wesley. Through it all, he has remained firm, always enduring. That’s the kind of faith our team is fervently praying for.

After the Bible Study, we attended the church service. While most churches in Liberia are teaching the prosperity gospel, Greater Love continues to remain true to the Word of God. The pastor preached on 2 Timothy 2:1-3, which states that we must remain strong in Jesus, entrusting what we’ve heard to reliable men. For the next two hours, we had the incredible opportunity of singing with a heavenly choir and worshipping with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We even witnessed 12 people get baptized during the service. We left feeling blessed, overwhelmed and grateful for the freedom we experience in America.

For the rest of time, the group took the afternoon to walk around the compound, take naps or catch up on some reading. The time resting was much needed in order to be ready to embrace the next week. However, the highlight of the day wasn’t until our debriefing period.

The group split up into various places around the compound to pray, journal and worship for an hour. When we regrouped, it was amazing to hear people talk about what the Lord had placed on their hearts. It was clear from everyone’s responses that Jesus has miracles in store for us. Miracles larger than we can imagine. If we would only humble ourselves and seek him, he will move through us.

It’s safe to say that going to bed tonight, the group is excited, better yet, ecstatic about what God’s going to do through us this week. We would appreciate your prayers for continued unity, love and patience with each other. God bless!

Pictures

Dimitri making french press Duncan Donuts coffee for breakfast. We’re living the high life.

A view of the radio tower, which enables Greater Love to proclaim God’s Word every 15 minutes throughout Monrovia.

The sign for the Greater Love health clinic.

The Greater Love radio tower.

Below are a few pictures of the baptisms:

A view from the congregation.

Rachel and Taylor at church playing with the Tambourine.

Day 10 – Mon, 6/13

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People love making plans. Our group loves making plans. However, God’s plan always prevails. Today the group spent the day at the Phebe Grey Orphanage home. When we first arrived, we thought we were only going to be meeting with 9 girls from the THINK home, but God had other things in store. It turned out that we were meeting with not 9, but 100 children.

When we first arrived, we noticed that the orphanage was extremely open, with lots of space for the children to play. We also learned that this specific orphanage was used as a refuge for children during the war. God kept the rebels away, and it was clear today that his hand of protection and love has remained constant. After being greeted by the leadership, we set up our things in their largest classroom.

The kids flooded into the large room. It was excited to see that they looked sincerely happy and well-taken care of. Pastor Williams introduced us to his staff and the children. We could tell by the way that he introduced his teachers how much he appreciated them. He treated them with an incredible amount of respect and honor. After his introduction, their choir sang for us. Our entire group closed our eyes as we listened to their beautiful voices fill the room with harmonious praise. It was heavenly.

At first glance, it was easy to notice that the rooms were in need of renovation. The walls needed to be painted, and the roofs needed to be fixed. But when you took a closer look, the love that resonated in the eyes of the children and teachers clearly told of another story. The children were sitting in their desks, eager to learn and participate. The immediate vibe from the students was pure happiness.

For the next few hours, we led the children in song, story and coloring activities. Dimitri even took the time to individually grade their coloring sheets. Most of the children received A’s although I’m fairly certain there were a few B’s. How a child receives a B in coloring is beyond me, but you’ll have to take that up with him. We then proceeded to break into groups by age group to spend more intentional time together.

While Dave, Taylor and I spent time with the teachers, Kristin, Dimitri, Chri and Brad broke the children up by their age appropriate age groups. For most of the day, we had to improvise because we didn’t come prepared to speak and talk with that many children. We learned an important lesson that God always equips those he has called.

The conversation with the teacher was especially impactful. We asked them what their greatest needs were, and how we could pray for them. The resounding answer was: resources. From textbooks and computers, to the internet and copy machines, the teachers are in desperate need of resources. They asked us how are the children to learn Biology if the’ve never seen what bacteria looks like? They are right. Learning visually is incredibly powerful, and it seems as if it would be nearly impossible to learn efficiently in that environment. We prayed that God would bring his will to Phebe Grey and provide the tools needed for them to teach effectively. One thing was clear, their hearts were in the right place. They were not in it for the money or honor, but because they loved the children.

Within the next few hours, we played kickball, jumped rope and even had a dance party. After we were done with our large groups, we met with the 9 children from THINK. We shared stories with them, made bracelets and prayed with them. We heard beautiful stories of redemption and dreams for education and a future. Afterwards, we danced with them and then traveled back to the compound.

We spent the rest of the afternoon resting and regrouping as a team. Later that evening, our friends from Orphan Relief & Rescue, and the Wheaton Elwa team came over to worship with us. It was a special time for our community to come together as the body of Christ.

Overall, we feel blessed for the relationships and experiences God has put in our path this past week, and we cannot wait to see what he has in store for us tomorrow as we travel to the Elwa mission hospital.

Pictures

Day 11 – Tue, 6/14 [See the Report here]

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It’s getting the end of our journey here in Liberia and everyone is feeling the exhaustion. We are completely relying on the Lord for strength, and He is proving to be faithful. Today the group woke up early to serve at ELWA, a medical mission hospital. We ate breakfast and because of car trouble, crammed 6 people into one Ford Focus. It was only necessary to drive in style, the African way.

Earlier in the week we had met a team from Wheaton College who were working as interns with the hospital. They greeted us at the entrance and gave us a tour of the facilities. Although the hospital wasn’t large, it was peaceful. It was clear that the staff not only loved Jesus, but also loved serving their patients. Before breaking up into groups, we met with the director of the hospital. We prayed that the Lord would sustain and bless him.

After praying with James, the team broke into groups to pass out cross necklaces and love on the patients. The women spent time in the maternity and women’s wards, while the men prayed in the men’s ward and throughout the hospital. The first ward the women went into was the delivery room. We were blown away by the condition of the room. It was far from the American hospital experience. One woman was in the process of having a child, completely uncovered, and exposed. The room was dark and old. Even though we were excited that ELWA was providing medical services at a reduced price, we couldn’t help be thankful for the healthcare in the U.S.

Personally, I spent most of my time in the women’s ward, comforting women suffering with Typhoid, Yellow Fever and the ever present Malaria. We prayed, read stories and even had a mini dance party with the women. It made my heart happy to watch the women have a moment of joy and laughter. The gleam in their eyes as we made complete fools of ourselves dancing was priceless. One of the most incredible moments of the day was watching Taylor kneel beside a lady who had been at the hospital since March with Yellow Fever. As Taylor was reading her a story, the lady looked up at her and touched her face. It was at that moment that God reminded me once again how much he loves His children. By the end of the day, Taylor, our nurse-to-be, was ready to pack up her things and move to Liberia to serve as a nurse.

Around noon, our friends from Wheaton took us back to their house and served us lunch. We were grateful for their friendships and hospitality towards us. Not to mention, their house overlooked the ocean. It was surreal getting to eat and fellowship as the breeze of the ocean cooled us off.

For the rest of the afternoon, we did a prayer walk. We felt God leading us to pray for those who were serving the patients on a daily basis. It is exhausting to be at the hospital everyday and we hoped to be a source of encouragement for them. We also dropped in to Dr. Chapman’s dentist office to help pray for their team. While we were there, Dimitri took the opportunity to get his tooth slightly filed down. (He had previously slightly chipped it). It’s not every day you can say that you went to the dentist for free.

After our prayer walk, we had hoped to unload the STS container, but it had some problems at the port and we were unable to help. We took the opportunity to spend the rest of the afternoon resting. We ended the night hanging out, playing cards and laughing together as a team.

Pictures

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The group cramming into a Ford Focus to make the trek to ELWA. A total Africa moment.

The outside of the ELWA compound.

The inside of the hospital.

The delivery room.

The inside of the delivery room.

The inside of the post-maternity ward.

A precious mom and newborn daughter.

A set of adorable twins. They were born hours before we arrived.

Kristin praying with a patient.

She was beautiful.

Taylor reading a story to Elizabeth, the woman suffering from Yellow Fever.

The view from our lunch spot.

Rodney hanging out with his motorcycle.

Dimitri getting free cosmetic dentist work done.

Day 12 – Wed, 6/15 [See the Report here]

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Getting up this morning was a struggle. Our team is running on fumes, but what’s beautiful about the exhaustion is that God is able to demonstrate to us that He is stronger. It’s at these times that we must trust that His grace is sufficient in our weakness. Realizing that God had amazing things in store for us today, we headed out to the ELWA compound to help unload the STS container.

For those of you who don’t know what I mean when I talk about the container, it is the large crate that carries supplies from the U.S. to ministries working in Liberia. From underwear and desks to microwaves and even a car, every square inch of the container was tightly packed with resources. The entire experience was absolutely amazing. It was especially meaningful because we have had the opportunity to visit most of the places that were receiving goods. For instance, we heard teachers at Phebe Grey talking about how they were in desperate need of classroom resources, and we watched as men unloaded desks and chairs for their orphanage. How incredible! God is faithful, and He always provides. Furthermore, it was wonderful to be able to be present in Liberia when a container arrived. It takes a few months for the container to travel from the U.S. to Liberia, and it was a blessing to be able to see the entire process come to fruition.

It took us about 2 hours to help unload the container. Afterwards, the group walked to the beach to rest on the sand. We ended up eating lunch and taking a quick nap on the beach for the next hour. It was magical. We were literally sitting under the shade of a palm tree, eating our lunch and listening to the waves crashing in the background. It was a gift from God.

For the rest of the afternoon, one of the members from the Wheaton team traveled with us to the JFK Hospital to show us a different perspective of hospitals in Liberia. On the outside the hospital looked like any American hospital. However, when we walked inside it had a kind of eerie feeling. The hallways were long and dark and Andy, our friend, showed us around the hospital.

Our first stop was the pediatric unit. It was heartbreaking. Most of the children were suffering from large tumors, mental disabilities, malaria and severe coughs. We walked through the unit, praying and loving on the children. Immediately, our team was drawn to one boy named Davies Mishel. He was a 14-year-old boy who had recently been paralyzed as a result of a fall. Brad, along with the rest of our team, felt God telling us that he was the boy He was planning to heal. Over the next hours, we intensely prayed with him. Words cannot describe the amount of passion, unity and confirmation our team felt. We knew that God had something special in store for the young man, and God had drawn us to him for a reason. Even though, God did not choose to physically heal him in our presence, we believe with all our heart Mishel will walk and play soccer again.

Another impactful story was that of a 3-year-old girl who suffered from mental and physical disabilities. The nurse told us that her parents had left her at the hospital in February. Left alone, the nurses took on the responsibility to care and love on the child. She was special, always laughing and smiling. It was amazing to look at a child who had the right to be in tears, yet was a bright light in the room. We believed with our entire hearts that God had chosen to look upon her with favor, and will bless her with extraordinary joy. Once again, we were reminded that He loves His children. He will take care for them.

The rest of the time at the hospital was sobering. We talked to patients suffering from broken bones and minor injuries to burn victims who barely made it out of their burning house alive. Regardless of the situation, we saw joy and love in the patients eyes. They wisely reminded us that God was enough. They solemnly showed us that joy is not dependent on circumstances. As we were touring the hospital, it was hard to not picture ourselves in that situation. Whether physical or spiritual, we are broken beyond repair without Jesus. We must cling to Him in every situation, and realize that our lives on this earth are temporary. The experience in the hospital made us thankful not only for our health, but also inspired us to live each moment as it’s our last.

After our emotional day at the hospital, we went to the beach to attempt to unwind. Our friends from Orphan Relief and Rescue brought surf boards and boogie boards for us to play with. The waves here are masterfully powerful, and it was difficult for us to even make it past the first few set of waves. Even though we quickly discovered that surfing is not our calling in life, it was a great time to simply be and hangout.

From the beach, our group met up with Christine to have dinner with some friends. Among those present at the dinner was Neil Anderson. It was an honor and a pleasure to meet him. Also, it’s always a blessing to be around Christine and her community. She is a beautiful example of a servant leader who constantly walks out in humility. We could all learn from her bright spirit and contagious hospitality.

After a long day of learning, serving and laughing, we were craving a good night’s rest. We had a time of debriefing and prayer before getting some rest for another God-filled day tomorrow.

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