Do You Think You Are Thankful?

One of the most striking cultural differences I noticed during our time in Liberia was the thankfulness of the people. Granted, Americans aren't known for being particularly grateful (especially in light of our conveniences) but the level of gratitude that I saw from the people of Liberia was humbling.

Our first day at the orphanage, we took a walk around the town of Camp Four. We had many people introduce their-selves and ask questions like what we were doing so far out into the county. But nearly everyone we talked to would thank us at least once for coming. "Thank you for coming to Liberia," or "Thank you for coming all the way to Camp Four" were common refrains. These people didn't even know us or receive anything from us but they were grateful for four Americans taking the far journey to their small town in the bush of Africa.

But more significantly people thanked God for their blessings. At church gatherings they would thank God for allowing them to come "because many who wanted to be here today were unable to come and some have fallen asleep". Even when we gave out gifts, many of our friends thanked God for what they were given. And they were right. It was God who provided the donations we handed out. It was God who provided the funds for us to travel. It was God who got us safely to the orphanage. In reading the letters that the children at the orphanage wrote us, it is clear that Ma and Pa Jonah have been raising them up to thank God. One of the boys wrote "Thank God for your coming here. Your coming here means a lot to me." Even when speaking to us, they gave God the praise just like Paul did in Romans 1:8.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

I've tried to take some of that thankfulness with me. When I pray, I've been trying to recognize more of the blessings that I would normally skip over. Am I thankful for my job, for the car that allows me to travel, for the people who have supported me, for people who teach me the word of God? From our perspective, the things we have often seem ordinary but people come from all kinds of circumstances. And wherever we have come from, we have not made it on our own.

Letter from one of the boys at the orphanage

Recently Bekah was reading in Acts chapter 3 where the Apostle Peter heals a crippled man. The man's response struck me as being very similar to the reaction of the people of Liberia when they are blessed.

"He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God." Acts 3:8 NIV

The crippled beggar in Acts recognized that such a gift of healing can only come from God and in his joy he publicly gave God praise, not the man through whom that gift came. I think sometimes we are uncomfortable doing this. Even if I know that God showed me grace in some way, I don't always give God the credit when I tell the story. I don't want to share the God who has placed me where I am and provided for me with other people because I don't want to be outcast. However, by not sharing what God has done, I make God the outcast; the one who doesn't belong despite all he's done.

On the flip side of the spectrum, we should avoid cheapening praising God to just a cultural phrase. In any place where Christianity is the majority religion, we need to make sure that our words about God convey meaning. Using God's name in vain doesn't just condemn using the phrase "Oh my God" flippantly. We need to make sure our "praise God" means "give God praise" not "I'm a good person". And this is where true thankfulness is difficult. It requires consciously recognizing that what we have has been given to us.

I hope that thanksgiving is not a once a year thing in our society. Beyond that, I pray that we don't misplace our thanksgiving. While it is good to thank those who have immediately helped us. we cannot loose sight of the creator who provides for us through others.

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
Psalm 105:1-5

Peek into Education

The teacher in me would love to share what I saw and heard about education in Liberia.  Before we traveled to Liberia I was asked to conduct teacher training sessions.  Unfortunately our delay in Senegal canceled the first training, but I was able to work with the teachers at the Randy Godfrey School (RGS) in Camp 4.  This school is located between Redeemer Baptist and the BJO and it is the school the kids from the BJO (and children from Camp 4) attend until they are in high school.  Once they are in high school, the closest  school is the ArcelorMittal High School (AMHS) in Yekepa.  The students at the BJO walk 1 1/2 hours each way to attend high school there.  I asked a student attending this high school when he started his walk.  He said he gets up around 5 am and begins his walk at 6 to be there by 8 am.  He indicated school was over about 1:30 or so.  He then walks home and eats his first (and sometimes only) meal of the day.  There are no after school sports teams.

A visitor during our training

Redeemer Baptist and RGS campus

During the teacher training I heard questions teachers in the US might have asked.  Questions like: "How do I motivate my students?" "How do I know the right work load?" or "How do I plan a good lesson?" But I also heard some differences.  Students at the RGS stand and greet the teacher. (Love that!) Classrooms elect officers (usually based on grades) to help with classroom management.   The teachers wanted to know how to address the problem of students not being engaged because of hunger. Another discussion focused on why public shaming was inappropriate.  But in spite of the differences and the lack of classroom materials, the teachers were genuine in their desire to learn methods to help them teach their students.  They were eager to "Do their work heartily as unto the Lord " (Col 3:23-24)  Each teacher received a notebook, ruler, one red pen, a highlighter, and a calculator.  Two years ago when Bekah helped with report cards, she told us the teachers ALL shared a red pen and a calculator.

The only map of Africa I saw was
in a small school in Yekepa.

Compared to the  US, the classrooms seemed tiny.  Books and materials are in short supply. Each of the three schools I visited had  books stored in a reading room.  Few of the books looked used and many were still wrapped in plastic. Most of the books were sent from the US, but teachers lacked training in how to use them.  Few classroom walls had any bulletin boards or posters to engage students. Sometimes two grades shared the same room. NO lunch is served. Students do not receive report cards if school fees are owed.  AMHS students must supply "12 copybooks, a geometry set and a scientific calculator".  These can be huge expenses for many families on top of school fees.

But probably the most surprising aspect about school in Liberia is that a student MUST PASS to be promoted to the next grade.  Some students have to repeat a grade many times before they are promoted.  It was not uncommon to see a 15 year old in grade 4 or an 11 year old in grade 1. Last year  schools were closed mid-year because of Ebola so students continue to remain behind their peers in other African countries and the world.

Classroom in Yekepa school. Notice
the ceiling.

A RGHS classroom still under
construction.

In 2004 Liberia celebrated a sober occasion.  Fifteen years of intermittent civil war ended.  This period of war undermined the educational system.  Roughly 80% of the nation's 2400 schools closed. An estimated twelve thousand public school teachers had to emigrate or find other work during the war.  Teacher training institutes were destroyed. (Thank you to Samaritan's Purse who helped rebuild the African Bible College University in Yekepa.) Literacy rates dropped to 28% after the war.  Many families had been forced to flee their homes.  Children often fled to other countries to avoid becoming a child soldier.  Students lost years of formal education.

I loved the saying on this chalkboard.
"Win the lost at all cost."

A classroom in a school in Yekepa.
Again, look at the ceiling.

Today the literacy rate in Liberia has risen, but as a country it ranks 188 out of 194 countries world-wide.  The literacy rate is 63% among boys, but 37% among girls.  The national school attendance rates mirror these percentages.  But the attendance rate is about 85% for orphans. Sponsorship helps to keep these children in school.  Sadly, one report I read stated that only 14% of children attend high school. The World Bank statistics reports that 82% of Liberians drop out in the 12th grade. This is most likely due to the standardized West African Examination Council test every student must pass in order to graduate.  These out-of-school youth are less likely to become economically productive and are more likely to need assistance, become teen parents, and commit crimes. Few students ever have a chance at college. 

The teachers outside what will be the new high school
once it is completed. 

While all this information looks a bit overwhelming, there are things that YOU can do.  Sponsor a child at the BJO (thru LCMI).   Sponsor an orphan through The Rafiki Foundation, Christian Aid Ministries or another reputable organization (We met lovely workers from Rafiki and CAM while "stranded" in Senegal).  Sponsor a student at ABCU in Liberia.  They are slated to reopen late August, 2015 and their website has pictures and bios of needy/worthy students.  This is how we met our good friends Remington and Laytopoe. They were both students at ABCU who were blessed to get sponsorship to help with college fees.  Both remain active in their churches and the  community.  By keeping a student in school, you can "touch the future".

This room in the girl's dorm is a multi-
purpose classroom.

I encourage you to act.  The Bible tells us to BE DOERS of the Word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves (James 1:22).  You may not think you have much, but you are blessed.  You have  more than the average Liberian family.  Liberian families have few safety nets.  They constantly pray for God's provision and are incredibly thankful for everything.  I encourage you to pray and seek God's guidance and direction on how you can be a blessing to "the least of these" (Matt. 25:40).

A billboard on the road.  I am always reminded that God
gave us His Word in written form.  It must be
important for us to know how to read. 

- Margaret

Glimpses of life at BJO

This is Margaret.  Anthony and Bekah have asked me to share a little about our recent trip.  What I'd like to share with you is a few snapshots of life at the Betty Jonah Orphanage. They say a picture speaks 1000 words so here goes. . .

If you must ride on a ping-ping, choose the Jesus bike! Milton drove us around on occasion.  Even Ma (in her 70s) rides with him.

We saw Ebola posters everywhere.  Billboards, bulletin boards, airport walls, doors.  These were on the clinic door. I even saw one above a girl's bed at the orphanage.  It was her only wall decoration.

First you wash your clothes and then you dry them.  Pauline has hers drying on the lawn.

If you don't have a toy car, just make your own! These were made from a motor oil bottle and some tin cans.  Ingenious.

The remains of our lunch.  On this day Ma has made us rice with pumpkin soup.  We brought our own bottled water.  Usually we had bananas or fried plantains, or pineapple too. Delicious except Ma always thought we needed to eat more.

Moses made this craft while waiting for his measurements and pictures to be taken.  I would be Grandmother Margaret listed on his cross.

Sarah is in the kitchen watching the food cooking.

Dorcas has just washed her bowl.  The children eat a big meal at lunch.  They usually eat rice and beans or rice with some kind of "soup" in it.

Aletha checking out her photo sent by a loving US family. 

                                                                                                     

                             
                           










Margaret showing off her friend's photo.

Edwin hoped to clear the field in a hurry so we could play on it.  The kids, wearing flip flops, put the fire out by beating it down with branches.  I was pretty nervous watching the fire burn and crackle towards the buildings, but everyone seemed to take it in stride. (Pa came out and spoke with Edwin afterwards.)  The next day we had a rousing game of Ultimate Frisbee on this field.  The kids thanked us on the last day for bringing these "plates for chunking!"

 

Bethina is thrilled with her new doll! Each bag also contained hygiene supplies, a few school supplies and a bookmark with Bible verses on it. 

 Josephine is ironing her choir dress.  Their choir dresses were so beautiful! With no electricity, hot coals are placed inside the iron so it will stay warm.

 This is a game like Trouble.  The kids used a piece of cardboard and colored the game-board onto it.  Next they cut the pieces from 4 different colored plastic containers.  They stored the pieces and the dice in an old Tylenol bottle.  We found that the children were very resourceful and wasted little.

One day we made giant bubbles for the kids.  They had so  much fun with these.  Regular bubbles are exciting so imagine how impressive these were. Anthony became quite the bubble-maker.  (Note to self, next time bring more bubble mixture.)

Balloons are popular with the kids.  They even saved the broken pieces and tried to reuse them.
They were happy to choose their own color and had so much fun with them until they popped.  One even came to church and was quietly held until the service was over. (I had to apologize to Ma and Pa for teaching them how to make that squealy noise when you let the air out of a balloon.)

 Some boys from town came to play marbles.  The boys LOVE to play and they are quite good.  Several boys stored their marbles in empty water bottles.

 It was more fun to spin the jacks than to play the game.  This way more kids can have fun at the same time.  Pauline showed me how to play jacks with just stones.







I have many more pictures and stories that I hope to share with you. I hope this gives you a little taste of some of what we experienced.  And a HUGE thank you for those of you who donated those balloons, bubbles, jacks, hygiene and school supplies, and those "plates for chunking".  Thank you also to  those of you who donated monies for travel, and the purchase of supplies we bought for the orphanage. You blessed many children and families that you might never meet this side of heaven.  We may have been the hands and feet that carried the supplies, but you had the hearts that were soft and listened to God when He whispered "give" and "pray".  Thank you for storing up your treasure in heaven.

God Has Not Forgotten You

                 Without writing a novel about our “travel woes” to Liberia, let me fill you in on the basics of our unexpected “adventure” traveling to Liberia.
        Forty minutes from landing in Liberia, our plane hit very unexpected turbulence, causing ice to crack the first of four layers of windshields in the plane’s cockpit. Knowing they were unable to fix/replace the windshield in Liberia, we were diverted to Senegal. Without any word of where we were going (other than to a “hotel”) or how long we would be in Senegal, all 150 passengers (baggage included) were herded like sheep to two small busses. Considering the average bag per passenger was probably around 4, it took us 3 hours from landing to get our luggage and ourselves to a hotel (which happened to be a beachside, 4 star hotel). After two days of absolutely no information of when we would arrive in Liberia, we were finally put back on buses and taken to the airport. We boarded the SAME PLANE (new windshield) and flew the 1:30 to Monrovia, Liberia - over 48 hours later than expected.
        We were picked up by our friends, Pastor Emmanuel and Wintee Jonah around 10 in the evening - but not before the power blacked out while we were getting our bags in the “arrival terminal” (aka - a small shed with a baggage belt). We piled into two cars (we had a lot of bags - and people) and rode the 2 hours to Emmanuel’s house - where we would stay until our departure for Yekepa.
        The day after our arrival happened to be a big holiday (Liberian independence day - kind of like Christmas), so we were unable to start our long trek to Monrovia. However we were set to leave the next morning (Tuesday) at 5:00 am. When I woke up at 6:30 am I quickly realized our taxi never arrived. After waiting a few more hours, we decided our taxi was not coming and we piled into an unreliable van and left Monrovia at 9:15 am.
        A broken van and two different cars and a motor bike later, we arrived in Yekepa at around 9:30 pm. Now while the fact that our travels took 12 hours may mean nothing to you, this was a journey that should have taken us about… six hours (198 miles). There is a newly paved road from Monrovia to Ghanta (161 miles and an estimated 3:30 hours). However, between broken cars, having to barter for a new one, and the craziest, most-hole-filled, muddiest, hilliest roads I have ever seen made the trip double the time. If only we could have taped out trip from Ghanta to Yekepa - I can honestly say I do not think I have ever prayed so earnestly for such a long stretch of time in my whole life. God is so good because we made it to Yekepa by the skin of our necks.
        However, there wasn’t a single moment I would not have done the trip ten thousand times over again - and I mean that. To see the kids standing on the corner of the street in pitch darkness (there aren’t street lights - or any electricity for that matter), singing a beautiful song at the top of their lungs in their native language brought tears to my eyes. They later told me the song was saying “I have brought Good News.”
        Once we pulled into the orphanage’s gates I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. And thought I could make out nothing but teeth and eyes in the darkness, to have all of my kids surrounding me was the ultimate reward for the 4 day journey we had just been through.
        You see, there were definitely times when I let deep discouragement set in. I kept thinking about how short our trip was and how the unknowns made it impossible to guarantee our arrival. There were times in the car when we were spinning out or losing traction in our truck that I honestly doubted what the heck we were doing in the middle of a jungle in Africa.
        But then the Lord gently reminded me of all that He went through to show me His love. The heights He went through were unimaginable and un-replicable. He stopped at nothing, and if conditions had demanded even more of Him, He would have willingly given more.
        And even if we had gotten stuck in the mud in the middle of who knows where - if we had had to give away every penny and piece of clothing and donation we had away to make it to the orphanage we would have done so. As much as I am fearful to even say it, if we had had to spend the night on the floor of a hut if it meant getting to see the kids again I would have done it - because reminding a child that they are loved and prayed for and thought about daily is worth whatever height we must go through.
        Because how often do I need to be reminded of my Father’s love? I live in the privileged country of America. I have a home, a job that I love, more food that I could eat in a month, clothes enough for the entire orphanage, an incredible family and church family, and a husband who has never once gone a day without telling me how much he loves me. And yet there are times when even I doubt the love that the Lord has for me. I can’t imagine what a child may doubt about God’s love who is either orphaned, abandoned, or given away due to a lack of resources.
        During my first trip to Liberia, our leader, Tawn, wanted us to focus on a theme for the children: God has not forgotten you.
        I still desire to be an ambassador for this theme. I want our journey, no matter how difficult or how long, to serve as a reminder for what God has done for us to show us love and to continue to remind us of the depth of His heart. He has never once forgotten us.


A note about short term missions:
There are benefits and hindrances to any mission trip - short or long. If God has not called you to go long term, do not count out His calling for a short term trip. God is a big, BIG God and can do the unimaginable with even a brief contact. You could be the meal that gets a person through another day, the contact between two people who God wants to be connected, the prayer that stops an unthinkable act, the face that reminds someone years later of how deep the love of the Father is.
It was amazing to me how often our Liberian friends thanked us going to Liberia. When we were thanked for the donations or the money we brought for the orphanage’s needs, we explained how many people had given to this trip. We explained that while we are the faces they see give, there are countless people in the states who gave donations, money, and who covered us and the orphanage in prayers. And what Ma Betty said in response I will never forget.
"But if you don't come, the people will not give."
Short term trips have a place in missions. They may look completely different. They should have different goals and realistic expectations of the outcomes. However just because they are different doesn’t mean they shouldn’t happen.
Its popular today in the Christian culture to hate on short term mission trips, but I'm here to tell you that it does has a place. If you are being called to go on a short term mission trip, don't let the disapproval of others to discourage what God is asking you to do.

An Overview of Our Trip

For those of you who had checked our blog while we were in Liberia, I'd like to apologize for our lack of updates. We were unsure of what our housing situation would be but we knew that during Bekah's last trip she could get online from her housing at the African Bible College campus. This time around, we only had extremely limited access to the internet via mobile phones so we used that for shorter updates on Facebook rather than full posts.

But in order to let you know how our trip went, we'd like to share a little of our experience with you now. For brevity, I will just give you a summary of what we did as there is too much to put in one post. Hopefully we will be able to tell you more after we have had time to write.

Senegal

As stated in our one post made during the trip, on our flight from Brussels to Monrovia, one of the layers of our airplane developed a crack and our flight had to be diverted to Dakar, Senegal where repairs could be made. We were eventually transported to a hotel where we spent two days mostly just waiting to hear when our alternate flight would be. The hotel was very nice and certainly our best accommodations during the trip but it was disappointing to be held back from our desired destination. On Sunday afternoon, we were loaded back onto the repaired plane and headed to Liberia.

Arrival in Monrovia

When we got to the airport late Sunday we passed by temperature reading cameras and grabbed our many pieces of luggage. Pastor Emmanuel Jonah, son of the couple running the orphanage, met us and drove us to his house. It was dark by the time we arrived. His wife Wintee treated us to a meal as we caught up with them.

The next day was the celebration of Liberia's independence day and we were not able to travel to Yekepa where the orphanage was so we stayed in town and checked out LCMI Church and the local ministry. Emmanuel also took Paul, Margaret, and I around to meet some members of the church and pray with them.

View from Emmanuel's house of LCMI church

Inside LCMI church

Tuesday we arranged transportation part way to Yekepa and headed out passing through ebola checkpoints, dodging pot holes, and trying to keep the van from overheating. When we got to the last town before the pavement ends we transferred vehicles. It was a long day of travel, but we made it up the slippery dirt hills to get to Camp Four where the orphanage is. The children greeted us in the dark with singing and Anthony and Betty Jonah (Ma & Pa) invited us inside for some food. Then we traveled the 20 minutes to our housing in the larger town of Yekepa where Remmington, the missionary that Bekah helped support through bible school met us and helped us prepare for the upcoming days.

Waiting for the van to cool down after it overheated

Time at the Orphanage

When we had all gotten some rest, we started by going through all of the crates of donations we had brought and organizing them. We wanted to take a few things over to the orphanage each day. Upon arriving in Camp Four, Remmington took us for a tour of the town as little children followed us "white people" around. We also got to connect with the kids at the orphanage for the first time.

Sorting through the donations

Children in Camp Four

Each of the following days followed a similar format, spend some time preparing for the day, get some motorbikes to give us a ride to the orphanage, eat lunch with Ma and Pa Jonah, and spend as much time with the kids at the orphanage as we could before going home, spend some time talking to Remington and planning for tomorrow. But we mixed things up some days. On our first Friday in Liberia, Ma invited us to go to a new church that had been built in the town of New Yekepa. Milton, one of the boys from the orphanage lead the bible study. Meanwhile, my mother-in-law Margaret gave a three hour workshop for the teachers of the local school. The next day, Bekah and I went with Remington, his wife comfort, and two older children from the orphanage to a larger town where we bought mattresses and clothes for the children.

Remington and I traveling to the orphanage

The new church in New Yekepa

Margaret giving teacher workshop

Taxi bringing back the mattresses

On Sunday, we went to Redeemer Baptist Church, where Anthony Jonah is one of the pastors. After worshiping with them, we took a sight seeing trip to the mountain where the mining company had stopped operating 18 years ago. Monday Bekah and the older girls made spaghetti and funfetti cake at the house we stayed at while I hiked into the bush with the boys to gather logs for cooking. We were also able to meet with some of the friends Bekah had made on her last trip as well as with the leaders of Remington's church. But not all of our fun happened away from the orphanage. We made giant bubbles, played ultimate frisbee, wrote letters, made milk candy, and spent time with the children in their dorms.

Blue Lake on Mt. Nimba, former mining site

Girls and their funfetti cake

Bekah's friend Laytopoe

Our last full day at the orphanage it rained on and off. Around mid-afternoon the orphanage put together a going-away ceremony for us. The children started by singing songs together as the adults came in, including some of the members of the community. Emmanuel Lugon, a boy who had been though the orphanage and is now going to the local bible college, lead the ceremony as people gave testamonies. The orphanage gave each of us a traditional Liberian outfit.

Our Return

We had been planning on leaving Yekepa at about 6 the next morning but more transportation trouble and couldn't leave till 8. As we passed by the orphanage all of the children and Ma Betty were waiting for us by the road. We continued to travel the long road back to the airport. We arrived with just enough time to get through the required screenings and various lines to get through the tiny Monrovia airport.

More To Come

Again, thank you all who supported and prayed for us and our trip. It was a blessing to be able to bring the gifts and encouragement to the people of Liberia and we couldn't have done it without you. We would like to share more stories from our trip with you through the blog in the coming days but also feel free to ask us directly.

The people of Liberia still need a lot of help and we hope that our role in what is going on there will continue. God is working through people there to bring hope and provide needs. We will be looking to see what our role will be now while we wait for the next opportunity for us to go again.