Prayer for Peter

(Peter and I on our way home from our last M&E field visit together)

I learned yesterday that my close Liberian friend, Peter, lost his younger sister while she was giving birth to twins ... he wrote me this note:

"Things were really moving fine until on November 11, 2008 when I lost my younger sister in child birth at the JFK Memorial Hospital in Sinkor. The news came as a complete surprise to us the family members as she was not sick at all.

But we can't ask God why cause He giveth and He taketh. We ask Him for strength and courage to carry through. The Burial is scheduled for saturady, November 22 , 2008."

My heart breaks for Peter. I agree with my friend Marcel, it's all so confusing sometimes. Please feel free to join me in praying for Peter and his family...to cry out to God with Peter today...our Lord promises us that He hears our cries.

"Lord, do not hold back your tender mercies from Peter and his family today. Our hope is in your unfailing love and faithfulness." Psalm 40:11

Dancing with my namesake

I think about Malawo a lot. I think about my namesake, Gdobo Dede. Always smiling when she spoke to me. I remember how she took care of me and the other ladies. Making sure we had hot water for evening bucket baths on the hill. I remember our instant, seemingly unconditional friendship, when she found me and spoke my name. There was something of God in that.

I wonder with hopeful tears, was she one of the 30-some that accepted Jesus Christ?

I remember dancing with her and the other ladies of Malawo. I was so excited when she pulled me over! It was so much fun!! (And this was a dance I could do.) Man, these ladies can dance I tell you.

I think of that day - of that joy. I think of the little bits of love we got to share. There's really something of God in that. God is so good to have given us that time together - that bond - that dance - that love. He really is something amazing.

Praying for Gdobo Dede today. That she would be dancing for joy because of what our Father has done for her. That she would know His love and love Him too. That we would get to dance together in Heaven someday!

"Love Him totally who gave Himself totally for your love. "

Saint Clare of Assisi

**Photos courtesy of the wonderful, talented Joni Byker

Home Sweet Home!

Liberia seems like a dream already and Pennsylvania feels like home again. I have so much more to tell you about Liberia - especially more photos to post. I plan on doing it soon.

If you're from PA and want to hear a little about SP Liberia - please feel free to come to Mt. Zion Church in Girty for a little prayer and praise service at 6pm on Nov 2nd. I'll be speaking to folks about what God's doing across the ocean and showing a wonderful Malawo video that my friend Joni made.

So what have I been up to these days? Hugging my mom, four wheeling with my dad and hanging out in his treestand, surprising my Providence family, making apple dumplings with my gram, talking for hours and hours with Dane-girl, and wedding-planning with Sarah!!

HAPPY ENGAGEMENT SARAH AND JONATHAN!!!

Sarah was so good to let me use her computer this morning. And I was so happy to be able to steal these photos for my blog.

I love you, Sarah!!

Christ in Mafi Conadu

Mafi Conadu is a muslim, Mandigo village in Lofa County, Liberia. Today, Peter and I visited our Community Health Education/Evangelism (CHE) program there. We were hosted by two young men, Stephen and Octavius, who are currently living in Mafi Conadu in order to train them on safe health and hygiene practices while teaching them about Jesus for the next year. The village people just adore Stephen and Octavius. They both speak Mandigo and Octavius grew up a muslim and accepted Christ as his Saviour just two years ago.

One of my questions for the Mandigos was, "what have you learned from Stephen and Octavius?"

"We learn about Abraham and how God provided a sacrifice for him so that he didn't have to sacrifice his son."

"We learn about Jesus. Jesus is in the Koran too. We know that he is really Son of God."

"Then, we learn about cleaning. That we must clean dishes and wash hands so that we don't get mosquitos and so we don't get malaria."

We continued to talk about God and Jesus. They don't think there should be division between Muslims and Christians. Amazingly, Amara smiled and said today,

"My children are free to be Christian."

Peter said, "God set everybody free." Everyone smiled and agreed.

"What could we do to make CHE better for your community? " I asked.

"Films - we'd like to see films about Jesus."

"We also have land we could give for a church to be built."

INCREDIBLE!! I am amazed at the work our Lord is doing in this muslim village through Stephen and Octavius! Please pray for the Mandigo tribe in Liberia. That they would accept Christ as their Saviour. That a church would indeed be built in Mafi Conadu. That they may enjoy Christ's love at work in their lives.

Pray also for Stephen and Octavius as they continue to minister to this village. For strength, perseverence, and encouragement in the weeks and months to come.

Thank you so much for your many prayers, my friends. I cannot say this enough - God is hearing and answering them every day! He loves us so very much.

(I will post a photo of this village shortly...my apologies for the delay.)

More about Liberia

Liberia’s 14-year civil war displaced an estimated 500,000 persons, of which eighty percent were women and children. During the war, schools were demolished and learning ceased, resulting in approximately 35 percent of the population never attending school - including nearly 44 percent of females. Furthermore, Liberian women and girls have suffered from an epidemic of gender-based violence (GBV). It is estimated that 40% of women and girls were raped during the war and currently teenage pregnancy, which is often due to forced early marriages or rape, is as high as 68%. This lack of schooling and violence against women and youth has created a significant need for education, skills training, and psychosocial care throughout Liberia.

I've been working on a proposal intended to procure funding that will provide skills training, literacy instruction, and psychosocial care to the war-affected women and youth of Lofa County, Liberia. I just thought I'd share with you a little more about the people of Liberia tonight. Please remember these women and youth in your prayers.

Blessings to you all.

God is Good -- Here we go Steelers!

This is my new favorite Liberian photo! Let me tell you why...

First, there is my wonderful friend Phil, sporting his favorite t-shirt -- you can't hear him, but he's chanting "Here we go, Steelers, here we go -- Pittsburgh's Going to the Superbowl!"

Then, we have the amazing new volleyball net that Phil set-up in our front yard this week! I am LOVING it. I even beat him in a game of quadrant ball yesterday. Life is good!

Don't miss the beloved UN car escorting all the Speedos home for the day. :)

And last but not least, we can see the beautiful sunset over the Atlantic.

This photo reminds me of God's goodness. That He has wonderful blessings in store for us, a great sense of humor, and He loves us so much. May we all give Him more of ourselves today. Trust Him. Enjoy Him.

"Delight in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4

Top 20 things you WILL want abroad

This list is to make international travelling a bit more easy-oh. These are 20 things that my houesmates and I are really glad we brought - or really wish we would have. It's primarily for those of you traveling for more than one month, but would be useful for shorter-term missions as well. Hope this helps some of you someday...

1. iPod (don't forget to download some good sermons)
2. Cocoon sheet (aka. sleeping bag liner)
3. Travel pillow (ThermaRest makes GREAT roll-up ones)
4. Gravel or Dramamine (someone always needs it - trust me!)
5. Cold Medicine (Day and Night Quil)
6. Sports balls (soccer and volleyballs are best)
7. Duck tape
8. Head lamp
9. EXTRA 3oz plastic travel bottles
10. Rope (for clothes lines, hanging mosquito nets, and other repairs)
11. Carribeaners (just clip a few to your bag - you'll use em)
12. Good pocket knife (must be SHARP, with scissors)
13. Terry towel (get the big one - you'll use it more)
14. Cards for friends and family back home (it's GREAT to surprise them!)
15. Dr. Bronners 18-in-1 soap (but, don't solely rely on it)
16. Memory Stick
17. Baby wipes
18. Buff (http://www.buff.com.au/, I live in this thing up-country)
19. Bibles to give away
20. Small, but framed-photos of family and friends

And if you're staying for a couple months, I highly recommend buying your souvenirs for friends and family ASAP. Because you can decorate your home-away-from-home with all their stuff! Double blessing!! :)

Take care, my friends. Know that I miss and love you all very much!

SALVATION in Malawo!

Two nights ago, my fellow staff members took the Jesus Film and Gospel Story to Malawo. The people had heard about the Jesus Film and specifically asked to see it.

Remember, Malawo is the center of juju magic and witchcraft in Liberia. Their altars and devil bushes are not ancient artifacts, rather they represent the present day evil that has entangled this village even today. It consists of only 32 households, but every Liberian knows of and is fearful of this city on a hill.

Could there be a better place for our God to display His glory?

So the plan was to show the two films over the course of about 4 days. But as the people of Malawo began watching the films, they didn't want us to turn them off - so we didn't. The plan was not to give an invitation to accept Christ yet. This is of course a very sensitive and potentially dangerous place. But as our ministry team was witnessing the work God was doing, they felt on their hearts that God wanted the people of Malawo to have a formal opportunity to accept Him this night. So Dennis gave the invitation - to anyone who wanted to accept Jesus Christ as their one and only Lord and Savior - to come in front of their village and proclaim their faith.

35 people from the village accepted and proclaimed Jesus Christ as their Savior on Tuesday night - including their village chief !!!

Tears fall from my eyes right now.

Their first-ever church service will be this Sunday. Please pray for them.

Our God truly is amazing! Let's rejoice with the angels and people of Malawo!

(The women of Malawo rejoicing!)

"But now a righteousness from GOD, apart from law, has been made known, to which the prophets testify. This righteousness from GOD comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD, and are justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Romans 3:21-24

Fresh rain

"Praising the Lord - always

Praising the Lord - always

Praising the Lord - with all our hearts

Praising the Lord with all our hearts always"

I am waking up today with this Liberian worship song on my mind. I am reminded by the rain that - Our God Provides. He sustains. He is refreshing. He loves us.

His hand is so clearly on this nation - guiding them to peace and reconciliation as they surrender their hearts and their lives to Him. My prayer is that we are all refreshed by our Lord today. May we love Him more and surrender ourselves to His goodness.

"The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice." Psalm 97:1

Fish Ponds

(Fish pond manager and his ponds in Bopolu)

During the war, Liberians felt hunger. Many fled from the fighting to neighboring countries Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire, and Guinea leaving behind their livestock, aquaculture, and produce farms. Fleeing was no easy task. For many, it was weeks of walking, hiding, fear and hunger. I've been told many times about the hunger Liberians felt. They ate mayonnaise and tissue paper sandwiches, pets, any/all bush meat, and by rebel command - each other. Their scars are deep. Our Lord continues to heal them.

Today, Liberia is a new country - full of hope. Many Liberians are able to harvest again. Through projects such as the livestock, fish ponds and swamp rice farm rehabilitation, the people of this nation are re-learning how to produce food for themselves and their communities.

One example is the fish ponds like those pictured above. The direct beneficiaries are churches, though the entire community benefits indirectly. Members from the church are selected to receive training on fish pond management. The fish ponds are constructed with the help of the community. They are initially stocked and then handed over to the church to manage. They are sustainable because after each harvest, fingerlings are used to re-stock the ponds. These ponds have been known to last 30-40 years. They generate harvests large enough to supply the entire church body as well as to sell some for income generation. The income is then re-invested into the church to help meet their needs.

This project also provides for the spiritual needs of Liberians. It demonstrates Christ's love to them - His desire to provide for them - to feed their physical and spiritual hunger. It leads to relationship building with SP staff - which provides the opportunity for witnessing and sharing about Christ. Please pray that Liberians would come to know their Savior Jesus Christ in a meaningful and intimate way. Please pray that their faith would be deepened and that our Lord would continue feeding their physical and spiritual hunger.

Thank you so much for your prayers! God is answering them everyday.

PENNDOT isn't so bad after all...

So after a few jungle rides, you realize that our PA roads are pretty sweet. Though I must admit, the Liberian commute is a lot more fun. This is a bridge we crossed on our way home from Bopolu.

Yeehaw!!

Malawo cont...

Praise God! I can share some photos with you today...enjoy!!! Sometimes, it just works? :)

(This was our crew...we're all packed up and ready to roll!)

(This is Malawo - we popped tents in a house just like this one.)

(Dinner time - Bon apetite-o!)

(Here's a little view into their homes...this is their kitchen.)

(They're just too cute!)

(Installing biosand water filters - every house in Malawo has received one!)

(This is their "altar". And that was our hut directly behind it.)

(Entrance into the "devil bush".)

(Sunset from Malawo.)

(Taya, our leader, and the beautiful women of Malawo.)


(This is us again - Erin, Joni, Me, Patty, Taya, and Hauwa)

Ciao for now!

Malawo Update

So we went to Malawo, a village that is infamous for its juju magic. We went to love the people, to be Christ to them and to provide for a couple of their basic needs. I was excited and a little nervous. I thought the people would be hesitant to meet us - that they might be a bit closed off and perhaps difficult to interact with. I couldn't have been more wrong.

We were welcomed with open arms - literally. I was given a hug by a village woman (Vahmu I think) when I reached the summit of our 1 hour hike to Malawo. The entire village came out of their homes to meet us and shake our hands. They wore bright smiles and received us with warm thank yous. I felt like I was going to church that evening. I mean, it was the kind of welcome you would expect from Providence Church of Pittsburgh.

We spent two nights in their village on the hill. We installed 6 biosand water filters and worked on plastering a latrine. To be honest, I mostly played with the chitlins (kids). They were such an easy, fun crowd I couldn't resist! They loved repeating my "sorry-oh!" and "oh la la!" - I think, just to make me smile.

God is indeed doing a mighty work on this hill. One woman of the village recently went to a Christian conference in a nearby city and a man asked to see the Jesus Film. God is stirring their hearts!

Please continue praying for salvation for the people of Malawo and for wisdom for our ministry staff as to how lead us in evangelism.

Love and blessings to you all,

"Kgobo Dede" (my Loma name)

PS. Again my apologies, internet is slow and therefore photos are difficult to post, but I'll keep working on it...

Prayer for Malawoo

This morning we're leaving to spend the weekend in Malawoo. This village is famous in Liberia for its juju magic and human sacrifices. Please pray for us as we spend a couple nights sleeping in their village and a couple days being Christ to them.

Visit http://www.jonesinliberia.blogspot.com/ for more details about Malawoo and what we are doing in this village

Commute to work

Sunday PM: Happily packing for an 8am departure up-country to Bopolu

Thinking in my head, "I'm so glad that we're leaving early!"


Monday

6:15AM: Wake up to the roosters (I haven't needed an alarm in 2 months)

7:45AM: Walk up to the office, big smile on my face, ready to go to Bopolu, baby!


8:00AM: "Hmmm....so Phil, what truck do you think we are taking?" I ask. I was expecting that we'd be packing the truck already. I was expecting that we'd at least have a truck already. Neither were true. Oh beloved expectations...

8:15AM: Mobile Hannah (our truck) arrives! BUT, Mobile Hannah is having electrical issues. What time will we be able to hit the road?" I ask Mason our logistics guy. "10AM." he replies confidently.

10:00AM: Hannah is still in the shop with 5 maintenance guys standing around her. "Are we ready to go?" I ask promptly. They look at me puzzled. I just asked a ridiculous question. Obviously we're not ready to go. Obviously there's still something wrong with the truck because there are 5 guys standing around it. But in my mind, since no one is actually working on anything in particular, I wonder, "if you're not really doing anything, then everything should be finished already, right?"


Wrong.


11:00AM. Hannah is a still a work in progress... I walk upstairs to see Phil. He has been in Africa a lot longer than me and therefore still working on his computer at his desk with no expectation at all that Hannah is ready to go. And he was right.

11:15AM: I talk to our driver, Walker. "Ca va, Walker? What time do you think?" "We can always go tomorrow.' Walker replies. "No. We need to go today, Walker" I tell him as sternly as possible.

11:45AM: Hannah is out of the shop and ready to go!! We decide to eat first and hit the road after lunch.

12:15: Walker asks me nervously if he can run home to get his bag. I tell him he MUST be back by 1:00.

12:45: Lunch is served late and I'm told that Walker is just now getting ready to go home and get his bag. I run outside to catch him. "No, Walker. Let's get it on the way. Please go eat some lunch."

1:30: We hit the road!! Woohoo!!

2:00: We're trying to decide where to go first - to backtrack twice of three times through the city.

2:30: We're still in Monrovia picking something up. What? I don't know.

3:00: I think we actually left the city.

4:30: Yep...literally on the road...we got a FLAT tire. :)

5:00: Still fixing the flat because we had the jack was too short for the Land Cruiser so the guys are scouting out sticks they can use to prop the jack on to lift the ATV high enough to get the tire off.

5:30: On the road again... :)

5:45: Walker tells me "Je suis condu".
"Qu'est-ce que c'est condu, Walker?"
"I'm tired" he translates.
"I might fall asleep. "
"Are you serious?" I ask, almost laughing. (He is the driver you know.)
"Yeah, do you think someone else can drive?"
I look back at Phil and ask him if he'd mind.
He laughs a bit too and jumps into the driver's seat.

6:45 We arrive in Bopolu!!

Interesting commute to work, eh....

Housemates

Just sharing with you a couple of the lovely guys that have become our Monrovia housemates these days....

This spider is so big that I really don't want to kill him - he'll make too big of a mess!

Living in Liberia, you quickly get comfortable with these new housemates - among others like geckos, cockroaches, and persistent mosquitos. Most often, they provide good comedic relief for us ladies. I mean all you can do is laugh while your friends are chasing cockroaches around the kitchen with lethal bug spray!

Foya Fotos

I'm visiting a beautiful new part of the country called Lofa this week. It's been a wonderful experience so far. I'll tell you a few details through pictures today....

This is our sub-base where we are staying for the week. Beautiful place!

These are the crazy muddy roads we travelled to see our projects today. We drove for over 45 mins on these jungle roads to visit communities where churches were being constructed. Honestly, these people amaze me - I mean, how do they get their rice the whole way back here? It's so heavy! And they certainly don't have cars. I tell you - Liberians are strong and determined people, my friends.


She is a beautiful woman that I thought you would enjoy meeting.

And he had the brightest smile of the day!

I went on a walk with my friends Phil and Celestina two nights ago. We came across this beautiful rice farm just as the sun was beginning to set. Isn't this country gorgeous?

This is a bit of the forest we were walking through. A forest full of palm trees. The smell is beautiful too. So fresh and crisp. I wish I could take you all on a little stroll with me.

Finally, we headed over to the Pakistani batallion tonight for a delicious dinner. We ate all too much Pakistani food, Celestina got to chat in Urdu, and we laughed about pitiful volleyball matches and dog-eating. Quite a crew we are here...Liberians, Pakistanis, and Americans....who would have ever imagined us all together sharing a meal in Lofa, Liberia? Life is definitely interesting these days. God is good!

I'm reminded of this verse...

"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:1-2

I feel like God has blessed me with some angels in my life these days...thanks for your prayers!

Rebuilding local churches

I've been helping my friends with logical frameworks for the past week in Monrovia. Today I was helping Eddie, our Liberian Ministry Coordinator get his logframe organized. In the process, I learned more about the ministry that's being done here and I was reminded about this jungle church near Todee District.


This is one of many churches in Liberia that has become badly dilapidated as a result of the 14 year civil war (among other things.) They continue to worship inside this building, despite its poor condition.

However, Eddie has been explaining to me that it's difficult for a congregation to grow spiritually within such a poor structure. Therefore, part of his job is to work with congregations to rebuild their churches structurally and spiritually.

This rebuiling process consists of partnering with the local church and empowering them to rebuild their structures. The local church does all of the construction work and they supply much of the building materials such as concrete blocks. Eddie works to provide these churches with the resources that are not available in the jungle and those which they cannot afford.

In addition, the local church is offered discipleship and leadership training. Many Liberian churches are lead by pastors with little or no training. Therefore, we are coming alongside them to provide bibles and sound biblical teaching to these pastors and their congregations.

Finally, we are empowering these local churches to reach out to their greater community through events such as the Jesus Film showings. After the Jesus film usher those who have been impacted into one of these local churches in order that they can be quickly cared for by a church family.

Below is broken ground for a new church to replace the one above. Please pray for this congregation and for these ministry programs throughout Liberia. That God would use them for His glory!

a Love story

LOVE is the name of a friend of mine. He is a young Liberian man who lived through much tragedy during the war. I know only bits and pieces of his story, but enough to want to share some with you.

Love is a funny, soft spoken guy. He loves to laugh and make you smile. I feel very comfortable around him, so I asked him about his family and where they went during the war. One day he told me a few details. He said softly, "We fled to Guinea because Monrovia was a battle field. Gunfire everywhere. I watched my best friends gunned down on the street."

"Oh no. What about your family, Love? Was your family okay?"

"No, my ma died" Love said bluntly.

He stared at his feet. My eyes welled up in tears. All I could say was that I was so sorry. Empty words. But a meaningful moment. I didn't ask for more details.

--------------------------------------------

One day, my housemate Erin came home with another Love story. Love was captured by rebels during the war along with a group of young boys. They were taken to the top of a hill and told by a particular soldier to turn around. He ordered them to begin running as soon as they heard gunfire. They turned as they were told, sure that death would follow. Moments later gunfire began and they sprinted. As Love ran for his life, he looked over his shoulder to see the soldier firing directly above their heads - but missing all of the boys. Love remembered his face. Most Liberians remember these faces.

A few months ago, Love was walking down the now peaceful streets of Monrovia. To his surprise, he saw him - it was that soldier's face. He stopped, pointed, and shouted, "Hey! Hey you! You tried to kill me!"

The man looked at Love, a bit alarmed, saying "I don't know what you are talking about?"

"You tried to kill me!' Love yelled. Now making a scene - drawing attention to the two of them.

"No I didn't!" the man squawked back - continuing to deny Love's accusation.

Love was certain that this was the man. He would never forget that face.

Love persisted, "I forgive you. I forgive you."

A crowd of people now watching. They all hear LOVE, but the man says nothing. He looks embarrased and continues in denial, but nonetheless hears Love.

------------------------------------------

Are you hearing Love today? There is pain in this world. There is death. There are unbearable trials and burdens. But amidst it all - there remains Love.

Love was able to forgive that man only because of God's work in and through him. He knows and believes in Jesus Christ as his savior. He's living out his faith. Love is being Christ to the lost, unconditionally.

This is a true Love story, my friends. Remember that you are loved by our Father in heaven today. May you remain in His love.

Please continue to pray for Liberia - that Christ's love would go forth and save souls.

------------------------------------------
Sorry for the lack of photos. My internet connection hasn't been very good. So, I must leave you with only a story tonight.

The new details

So I've been back in Monrovia for a week now and loving it. Yogurt, couches, and flushing toilets are all great to me these days! I have a few new details to share about life in Liberia. I am finished with VBS and now helping to set-up a monitoring and evaluation department. It sounds much less exciting, I know - BUT it is a great way for me to use this master's degree that I'm toting around and I get to work with a wonderful woman from Pakistan, Celestina.

Another person that I get to work with these days is my friend Phil who was serving in Zimbabwe. Because of the deteriorating situation in Zim, he was sent to Liberia for a little while to work with our team. It's been fantastic sharing a piece of this experience with him. I never in a million years expected Phil to come and work in Liberia. God is good!!

Finally, the picture above is of my housemate Janell with JJ. Please keep Janell in your prayers as she is suffering from a tough bout of malaria. She's receiving treatment, but still vulnerable and very fatigued.

By the way, I saw a cockroach the size of a mouse last night and the spiders are bigger than the palm of my hand - no lie. I've learned that when I open the kitchen door, I need to pause a couple moments to let all the critters run back in their holes. And today my friend Willie killed a snake whose bite will supposedly kill you in an instant. Crazy Africa - lovin it! I'll post some more pictures soon!

Precious JJ

One night in Bopolu, we met JJ. His sister braided my hair. His mother taught us how to make doughnuts over a charcoal fire. And his brother Saki emphatically called me "whitewoman!" as I walked passed their home on my way to and from VBS each day. I think JJ is absolutely precious - so I'm sharing him with you.

Could you please pray for his health? He may be suffering from worms as his stomach is swollen outwards and his belly button is protruding quite far from his body. Praise God, there are programs in his village that will soon provide treatment and on-going care for his condition. In the meantime, please pray for his complete healing.

Thank you so much for your love for children like JJ! It is a privilege to pray with you to our good and gracious God.

Wading for a Sale

I woke up to the rain this morning. It was a pleasant sound that coerced me to stay in bed a bit longer. I awoke an hour later - the rain continued. Still a pleasant sound that relaxed me as I sank into our cozy couch for some reading.

Yet another hour goes by and realizing that a window was broken in the Landrover, Janelle and I decided to run out into the still-pouring-down-rain to fix a plastic bag over the hole and avoid a messy car flood. We laughed as we ran back inside -drenched from only a few moments in the storm.

Another hour past - still raining - we drove to church making our way through many flooded areas. Janelle asked Patty and I, "isn't there a way to avoid flooding the engine of this car?" We couldn't quite pinpoint it, but we agreed it's one of the following:

1. Have a Hutton jump out to assess the water depths and navigate us around the deepest parts
2. Gun it!
3. Hop out and dig a french drainage system around the car
4. Leave Liberia and come back during the dry season

After church, pasta, and brownies, Patty and I decide that it's time for a little photo-taking and mangoe buying. The rain is only drizzling at this point, so we start walking - forgetting about the flooded roads ahead of us. Our lifesaver Thomas sees us walking along the road and stops to pick us up. "What are you doing?", his wife Hauwa asks with a laugh. "Buying mangoes!", we say with a smile while hugging her. They offer us a ride which we take, realizing that there's no way we'll make it back without a little swimming involved. Really - what were we thinking?

So we bought some mangoes from our friends....

This is normally a joyous occasion for Patty and I. We love visiting this family. However, today their smiles are labored. They remember us and ask us where we've been. "Bopolu", Patty replies, "sorry-o, we've missed you guys!"

"We suffering-o" Fatu gently tells Patty as she sends her daughter wading through the flood waters to bring us a plastic bag for our mangoes.

We caught a ride back through the flood to the junction and as we walked the last leg to our warm, dry house Patty says, "My heart breaks for them, Mel."

"Mine too, Patty - mine too." I say.

In prayer, we go to bed. Realizing that the pleasant sound of the rain that continues to pour without relief tonight, is gently putting us to sleep as it harshly puts our friends out of their homes.

Please pray with us tonight. Pray that our Lord would provide safe shelter for those displaced by the rain. Pray for protection from disease and violence for all those affected. And pray for the sun to shine tomorrow!

Volleyball!!!

And even better than the motorbiking, is the volleyball here in the jungle of Bopolu!! They have a serious team out here. It's competitive and let me tell you - it's a blast! These guys are nuts. They play with their feet and their heads and they hustle like crazy -- I love it!!! We won our match against the neighboring village on Saturday - score!!!



They were pretty surprised that the short whitewoman knew how to play. But they've been awesome and even let me on their starting 6 on Saturday! I think they like having me on the team for a few good laughs. :)


One of my favorite parts about playing here are our awesome fans. These boys are characters -- they crack me up! And they are so cute!!

So the purpose of the volleyball matches in Bopolu is to bring the communities together and to build relationships with one another. I must say - since playing on Saturday, I've seen a lot of the boys around town and it's great to have something to talk to them about. It's a wonderful building block for sharing Christ. My hope is to get the young girls out on the court someday -- teach them a few skills -- and build them up -- in Christ! We'll see....you could pray for that. ;)

Bopolu Biking Baby!!

(My name is Melanie and I am an SP Intern. -compliments of Bev Kauffeldt)

One thing that's been a lot fun since I've been here is motorbike riding...woohooo!! Bev and Janelle were super brave and taught Erin, Hauwa, Patty and I how to rock n roll on these babies. After crushing Bev's hand in the clutch and jerking us all around the soccer field...she let me brave it on my own. (Smart woman to bale while she could. ) Here's a picture to prove that I can indeed drive a motorbike now! I mean it's a work in progress, sure. But look out Monrovia...here we come!!!

VBS Cont....

Friday was our last day with the children in Sappimah. The week had gone fantastic! The theme was "Jesus loves Me!" Everyday we talked about accepting Jesus into our hearts, following Him, praying to Him and living with Him forever. The last day many of the children repeated a simple, life altering prayer with me. It went something like this:

"Jesus, we love you.
Jesus, we believe in you.
We believe that you died for our sins.
Thank you, Jesus - for dying for me
so that I can live with God forever and ever.
Jesus, please come into my heart.
Please forgive me for my sins.
Thank you for forgiving me.
Thank you for loving me.
We love you, Jesus.
Amen."

Because the children heard the gospel and because of this prayer - the week ended well. I trust that God will use this week as a seed that will bear fruit in their hearts and lives.

To give you a very real picture of our Friday. Patty and I left the village on the verge of serious discouragement. Surprising, right. I mean isn't this work supposed to make us feel good at the end of the day?

Honestly, we didn't feel good. Before we left, we joyfully gave a toy to each child in the program. However, many unhappy parents in the village quickly demanded toys for their children who were not in the VBS program. (We offered the VBS to every child - some chose to decline.) I had to explain to angry mothers that I would like nothing more than to give every single child in this village a toy today, but I only have enough for those in the VBS. Sadly, these words fell on deaf ears. And my name was crudely being mocked by one mother "Auntie Mel, Auntie Mel..." Finally, I realized we just had to leave. So we did. A difficult end, to a wonderful week.

But do me a favor now and read the prayer we said together again -- envisioning the words being spoken from the lips of the little girl pictured above.

It doesn't always feel good at the end of the day. But we're not here to make ourselves feel good. We're here to tell these children about the hope and love of Jesus Christ. It's about Him and for Him - not us.

So I leave you with this wonderful piece of scripture - a verse that I am repeating to myself tonight:

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

Philippians 4:8

A few more pictures to enjoy!

(Their beautiful faces!!)

(My wonderful SP VBS teammates (from left to right): Patty, Hauwa, Levi, Erin, and Willy)

(The bridge we crossed each day to get to Sappimah.)

Thank you so much for your many prayers. Please continue praying with us ... we have another 100 children with whom to share Christ's love next week!!