Hello all!
We are home. Everyone is safe. All luggage was delivered on time.
Thank you for your prayers thus far, and for all the encouraging words from so many people about the blog. You all have been such an active part of this trip and I can't hardly express how much your prayers and participation have meant. Continue to pray that everyone will readjust to home and American culture well. Pray that God speaks to our friends and families through our experiences. Pray that He stirs our hearts for the next adventure, and speaks to us about our purpose in the life He has given us.
I pray that He will reward and bless you deeply, enrich your life with His tangible presence, and give you opportunities to see Him in the far corners of the world. Or in the near ones.
:)
Hopefully, lots of pictures and videos will be posted here in the coming days, and maybe some words.
Love,
AM
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
day 10. (final day of ministry)
What is up everyone!!! Its Brent here, Annie has asked me to write! Partly because she is extremely tired but I like to think she just wants everyone to see my incredibly amazing writing skills! :)
I can't really put into words all that God has allowed us to experience of Himself as well as the people and the nation of Liberia. He is truly so GOOD. At the end of each day we have our debrief as a group which I think you already know. But at the close of each day its like we are all reminded of just how engaged God is, in the lives of His children. God displays wonders and creates miracles each day as we are actively engaged in our relationship with Him and serving others. I really believe that God has poured out His power through us as well as over us and for that we are all humbled and honored. He has shown each of us LOVE that is beyond comprehension and our prayer is that He will continue to expand our capacity to love!
Today was the last day full of planned ministry activities. Annie, Danielle, Dimitri, Dave, Lindi, and Jesse all went to "Think" as myself, Jeremiah, Kayla, and Amy worked with Orphan Relief and Rescue. All those that went to "Think" had a bitter sweet experience. It was saddening in the context that we won't be back there however it was extremely encouraging to see the progress that was made in the lives of children, teenagers, and adults. God has truly worked miracles there. I can't wait for you all to hear the stories from everyone. For those that worked with Orphan Relief and Rescue, I guess I will just say that it was simply a rewarding time being able to go to orphanages and pass out clothes and a pair of sandals to children and see how joyfully grateful they were for them.
We closed out the night with a final dinner at the compound with some extra guest of Christine's. It was crazy for all of us to think that tomorrow we will begin our excursion back home. In someways it seems like we have just gotten here and then in other ways it seems like we have been here for 2 years. :)
But in closing I would just like to say how grateful I am to have been provided this opportunity by God even when I don't deserve it. I am also so very, very, very proud of each person on this team and how encouraged I have been in my relationship with God by just being around them. I am so overfilled with joy that I am apart of this team.
ONLY GOD COULD HAVE DONE ALL THESE AMAZING THINGS!!
PS. I am sorry for any grammatical errors or if something doesn't make sense! :)
I can't really put into words all that God has allowed us to experience of Himself as well as the people and the nation of Liberia. He is truly so GOOD. At the end of each day we have our debrief as a group which I think you already know. But at the close of each day its like we are all reminded of just how engaged God is, in the lives of His children. God displays wonders and creates miracles each day as we are actively engaged in our relationship with Him and serving others. I really believe that God has poured out His power through us as well as over us and for that we are all humbled and honored. He has shown each of us LOVE that is beyond comprehension and our prayer is that He will continue to expand our capacity to love!
Today was the last day full of planned ministry activities. Annie, Danielle, Dimitri, Dave, Lindi, and Jesse all went to "Think" as myself, Jeremiah, Kayla, and Amy worked with Orphan Relief and Rescue. All those that went to "Think" had a bitter sweet experience. It was saddening in the context that we won't be back there however it was extremely encouraging to see the progress that was made in the lives of children, teenagers, and adults. God has truly worked miracles there. I can't wait for you all to hear the stories from everyone. For those that worked with Orphan Relief and Rescue, I guess I will just say that it was simply a rewarding time being able to go to orphanages and pass out clothes and a pair of sandals to children and see how joyfully grateful they were for them.
We closed out the night with a final dinner at the compound with some extra guest of Christine's. It was crazy for all of us to think that tomorrow we will begin our excursion back home. In someways it seems like we have just gotten here and then in other ways it seems like we have been here for 2 years. :)
But in closing I would just like to say how grateful I am to have been provided this opportunity by God even when I don't deserve it. I am also so very, very, very proud of each person on this team and how encouraged I have been in my relationship with God by just being around them. I am so overfilled with joy that I am apart of this team.
ONLY GOD COULD HAVE DONE ALL THESE AMAZING THINGS!!
PS. I am sorry for any grammatical errors or if something doesn't make sense! :)
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
day 9. (the end is near)
Thank you so much to Mrs. Stanford for sewing and cutting this pillow craft for us! They are beautiful!
I have officially forgotten what it feels like to be cold. At night, the generator provides us with AC for the sleeping rooms, but sitting here in the living room feels sort of like being breathed on by an enormous animal: humid, sticky, and very hot. When my roommate wrote to me today that she was standing outside on New Year's Day and shivering, I had to mentally reposition myself on the planet for a second. I have grown accustomed to this previously unbearable heat for the most part, but occasionally I dream about the snow that could possibly be falling when I land back on Georgia soil. Sadly, if there was snow in Atlanta, they would probably halt all activity at every important location in the state, which would include the airport, which would leave me stranded in Chicago for several days. As much as I would love to build real snowmen with the Northern US snow, I can't wait to feel the South beneath my feet again.
Even as I'm typing I can hear Danielle telling some of the team that even though we have tried to be as African as possible during our stay here, we are far from actually assimilating into the complex and beautiful culture we have found here. I will miss the things that are a part of Liberia that do not come as naturally to the American people. There is a sense of family and community that is surprising and sweet no matter how often I have seen it in the last nine days. The children take care of each other, and of us, as though we were all sisters and brothers and not at all from completely different sides of the planet. Don't get me wrong, whiteness is a big deal here. Driving down the road, you can hear "white people! white people!" coming in from the open windows. But when I stood up from sitting in the grass today, one of the THINK girls just came up beside me and started to brush off the back of my pants, then tugged my shirt down into place when she was done. I don't know if you can see it the way I felt it, but I just met this girl 3 days ago and already I am her "sister." They do these things for us and for each other and I pray that they never lose that sweetness.
Anyway, today I was with Jeremiah, Brent, Amy, Jesse, and Florence at THINK. If you want to know what the rest of the team did, check out Lindi's blog at www.crazymissionsinliberia.blogspot.com.
I'd first just like to thank you for all of your sweet comments and much needed prayers. In the course of the last three days, we have seen changes in some of these kids that should have taken weeks. Every day is a new blessing and a new battle as we return to the JTC to minister to these children. Today in particular began on a victorious note because our friend and hostess Christine Tolbert Norman came to visit the Center to observe the tragedy that is taking place with the disabled children in particular. She tells us, and we understand, that this place is tragically one of the best places those kids could be living in. Most disabled babies are killed or thrown on the streets once the defect is recognized; it is grace on these babies' lives that they are still breathing. Still, it's not okay. Christine came to look and see the conditions of their circumstances, and her heart is so much for Jesus that I have to believe God could change their lives through her.
Or through us.
I keep thinking of Brooke Fraser's song called "Albertine." If you haven't heard it, it's worth finding it on youtube to hear it. The chorus proclaims,
"Now that I have seen, I am responsible. Faith without deeds is dead. Now that I have held you in my own arms..."
I wonder what Jesus would have us do besides just love these women and children the way we already are. Pray that he would reveal to us our part in His plan, and that He would help us to guard diligently against the guilt of having so much. It is difficult to imagine being home again, in a place so separate from where we will be leaving these precious faces that have captured our hearts. I was thinking today about how it would be to switch places with Praises, who is handicapped in many ways and is never taken down from her high chair for the entire duration of her normal day. My heart recoiled from the thought, even as I reached out to hold this little girl's hand. And yet, that's the kind of sacrifice Jesus made for me once. He found me in the most trapped and desperate and untouchable situation, and let me take His place of honor at the King's table. I can't even get my mind around that right now. Pray that Jesus would continue to sink His love and comfort deep into each of our hearts and spirits.
Anyway, as of now I am entirely exhausted and I will be awakening early again to go out for our last day of THINK. I do want to say first before I sleep that we spent a long time today sewing pillows to illustrate Psalm 4:8 ("I will lie down and sleep in peace; you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety"), and it was a blast. The girls are fantastic seamstresses, even the tiny ones, and they seemed to so enjoy having things that belong to them only. Many of them do not have pillows at all, and we managed to provide 50 for the JTC and safe-house combined. And they had fun doing it, thank God. There was some fighting over the supplies that we were giving, but ultimately I feel like things resolved well. Jesse did a fantastic job handling the bedlam, and I tried to be as involved as possible, but there were needles and thread flying everywhere like some kind of Sunday School siege. Well done, Jesse, for keeping your cool in the midst of chaos.
So, I have so much more to say but not enough energy to say it. Pray that God speaks to each of us on both of the split teams tomorrow morning before we ever leave the house. The Orphan Relief team gets outta here at 8 and we will be gone shortly thereafter... pray, pray, pray for the adults and children we will be working with. Pray for deep conversations and fruitful intercession. Pray for continued and increased unity over our team as a whole; patience is wearing thin as our time together comes to a close. Pray for spiritual and physical protection, for weather that we can handle, for supernatural energy to give everything that we have left to the children and adults we'll be with.
I love you all. Forgive me for my sleepiness. We will be home soon and you won't be able to stop these words from falling out of our hearts. More soon.
Annie
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
day eight. (help us, Lord)
Today was another very full and intense day of ministry as our team split again to go out to Diana Davies Orphanage (Brent, Jeremiah, Amy, Lindi, and Dave) and THINK Abuse Shelter (Annie, Danielle, Jesse, Kayla, and Dimitri). At THINK, God lessened the burden of tragedy on many of our hearts, but for some it was a day of struggle with the devastation around us. The Diana Davies crew returned again with happiness to spare, so overwhelmed with the joy of ministry that they got to take part in. Overall, there were so many captivating stories that I thought it would be best to just let the team tell you themselves. Here are some of the things we’ve heard and seen...
Jesse & Elizabeth’s Story
“Elizabeth is six years old. She has beautiful facial features and a sweet spirit. I observed her day begin lying naked on a small trampoline next to two other boys who are also naked. Next, she is pulled from the trampoline to be bathed in a round tin tub, dried, and then wrapped with a cloth diaper and onesie. Once she is dressed for the day, she is placed on a ripped mattress in the corner of a closed off porch. There, she lays flat on her back with flies swarming around her head.
While Elizabeth is six years old, she can’t physically hold her head up. To say it was difficult to see this is quite the understatement. But, in the midst of a confused and broken heart, God gave me courage to sit by her and begin touching her skin. She looked at me and I was certain that she was aware of my presence. After a few minutes of this, God lead me to pick her up. I’m not sure why I was shocked, but as I put her in my arms, her head fell limp like an infant who can’t support their own head. While her body was limp like an infant, it stretched longer than my lap. I let her head rest on my shoulder and sat in a chair to allow her to see the rest of the kids playing and also to sit in the light of the sun.
I tried to talk to God about Elizabeth as I held her, but my heart broke faster than I imagined. Tears came on quicker than I expected and I stopped praying before I could remember what I was asking God for. God blessed my heart by holding Elizabeth yesterday. I know that the touch she experienced by me, and then by Annie and Kayla today has already impacted her. She has started to smile, and with the help of Annie was able to hold her head up. I know that God is with Elizabeth, and that she will be dancing in heaven one day.” Jesse Stanford
Jeremiah & Detomu’s Story
“When you meet Detomu Paye, you will notice his amazing smile and the limp he has when he walks, but the story of his past is one that is covered with sorrow and God’s love. The Diana E. Davies Orphanage is not the first orphanage Detomu was put into, it is actually his second. The first one he was put into neglected and abused him. They gave him only enough food to keep him alive, abused him mentally and physically, and would stick needles into him with who knows what in them. It was like this for many years before God moved him to where he is now. I have grown close to him through playing soccer and talking about the Bible, so his last parting gift to me was a picture of a soccer field that he had drawn. Detomu’s story is a reminder of what God’s grace looks like for us.” Jeremiah Klinect
Amy & Prince’s Story
"When we went to THINK on MOnday for the first time, we had no idea what God was going to show us and press on our hearts. I basically fell in love. We saw a little boy tied up to a rail and asked about his story. His name is Prince and he is 6 years old, had not spoken for a year, and only ate his food after he had thrown it on the floor. He was tied up to that he could not roam around, pick up random things, and try to eat them. He has been at THINK since June and was at another place before that, but probably not for long. He was found on the streets where he was abandoned and managed to take care of himself for who knows how long. Dimitri decided to untie him and play with him, and at first Prince just sat with us for a little while and loved holding our hands. After a while of being with him, holding him and singing him songs, he started to respond to me more. He has so many expressions and you could tell he knew what was going on around him. We would clap together during songs and he called me 'mama' many times during that day, speaking for the first time in months. I could hardly believe it! Altogether, he said 'mama' to me at least 5 times and said 'yes' twice! Having Prince speak to me after such a long silence gave me a sense of comfort ad joy that is indescribable. He also ate out of a bowl while I held it, and even held it himself without throwing his food on the ground. It was extremely hard to part with him because I knew he would be tied up again, but God did something beautiful that day. This is only the beginning of how Prince's life can be changed and how he has changed us all." Amy Lyford
Pray that God continues to soften and strengthen us, and that He would increase our faith to pray boldly and accurately according to His Spirit. Pray that tomorrow He would lead us organizationally as the teams are going to be split differently than they have been the last two days. Pray that He would fill us in the morning before we go out, and fill us continually throughout the day. Pray for everything in His heart to come rushing out of our hearts and hands and mouths and movements. Pray that our hearts would be guarded against selfishness, judgments, envy, pride, and anything else the enemy would use to keep us from participating fully in what God is doing. And please include our new friend Florence in all of your prayers for the THINK team, as well as the women who serve at the orphanages we’ll be visiting.
Team split for tomorrow...
Orphan Relief and Rescue (Kayla, Dimitri, Danielle, Dave, and Lindi)
THINK (Jesse, Brent, Jeremiah, Annie, and Amy)
And just for smiling’s sake, Danielle and I got to experience a real African dance party today. They mostly laughed at us, but I think Danielle really impressed them with her ability to follow their moves! It was so much fun, and the whole place was just filled with the joy of dancing together.
Don’t forget to check Lindi’s blog at www.crazymissionsinliberia.blogspot.com, and Rodney’s blog at www.servicetoservants.com.
Love to you all! We’ll be home soon.
Jesse & Elizabeth’s Story
“Elizabeth is six years old. She has beautiful facial features and a sweet spirit. I observed her day begin lying naked on a small trampoline next to two other boys who are also naked. Next, she is pulled from the trampoline to be bathed in a round tin tub, dried, and then wrapped with a cloth diaper and onesie. Once she is dressed for the day, she is placed on a ripped mattress in the corner of a closed off porch. There, she lays flat on her back with flies swarming around her head.
While Elizabeth is six years old, she can’t physically hold her head up. To say it was difficult to see this is quite the understatement. But, in the midst of a confused and broken heart, God gave me courage to sit by her and begin touching her skin. She looked at me and I was certain that she was aware of my presence. After a few minutes of this, God lead me to pick her up. I’m not sure why I was shocked, but as I put her in my arms, her head fell limp like an infant who can’t support their own head. While her body was limp like an infant, it stretched longer than my lap. I let her head rest on my shoulder and sat in a chair to allow her to see the rest of the kids playing and also to sit in the light of the sun.
I tried to talk to God about Elizabeth as I held her, but my heart broke faster than I imagined. Tears came on quicker than I expected and I stopped praying before I could remember what I was asking God for. God blessed my heart by holding Elizabeth yesterday. I know that the touch she experienced by me, and then by Annie and Kayla today has already impacted her. She has started to smile, and with the help of Annie was able to hold her head up. I know that God is with Elizabeth, and that she will be dancing in heaven one day.” Jesse Stanford
Jeremiah & Detomu’s Story
“When you meet Detomu Paye, you will notice his amazing smile and the limp he has when he walks, but the story of his past is one that is covered with sorrow and God’s love. The Diana E. Davies Orphanage is not the first orphanage Detomu was put into, it is actually his second. The first one he was put into neglected and abused him. They gave him only enough food to keep him alive, abused him mentally and physically, and would stick needles into him with who knows what in them. It was like this for many years before God moved him to where he is now. I have grown close to him through playing soccer and talking about the Bible, so his last parting gift to me was a picture of a soccer field that he had drawn. Detomu’s story is a reminder of what God’s grace looks like for us.” Jeremiah Klinect
Amy & Prince’s Story
"When we went to THINK on MOnday for the first time, we had no idea what God was going to show us and press on our hearts. I basically fell in love. We saw a little boy tied up to a rail and asked about his story. His name is Prince and he is 6 years old, had not spoken for a year, and only ate his food after he had thrown it on the floor. He was tied up to that he could not roam around, pick up random things, and try to eat them. He has been at THINK since June and was at another place before that, but probably not for long. He was found on the streets where he was abandoned and managed to take care of himself for who knows how long. Dimitri decided to untie him and play with him, and at first Prince just sat with us for a little while and loved holding our hands. After a while of being with him, holding him and singing him songs, he started to respond to me more. He has so many expressions and you could tell he knew what was going on around him. We would clap together during songs and he called me 'mama' many times during that day, speaking for the first time in months. I could hardly believe it! Altogether, he said 'mama' to me at least 5 times and said 'yes' twice! Having Prince speak to me after such a long silence gave me a sense of comfort ad joy that is indescribable. He also ate out of a bowl while I held it, and even held it himself without throwing his food on the ground. It was extremely hard to part with him because I knew he would be tied up again, but God did something beautiful that day. This is only the beginning of how Prince's life can be changed and how he has changed us all." Amy Lyford
Pray that God continues to soften and strengthen us, and that He would increase our faith to pray boldly and accurately according to His Spirit. Pray that tomorrow He would lead us organizationally as the teams are going to be split differently than they have been the last two days. Pray that He would fill us in the morning before we go out, and fill us continually throughout the day. Pray for everything in His heart to come rushing out of our hearts and hands and mouths and movements. Pray that our hearts would be guarded against selfishness, judgments, envy, pride, and anything else the enemy would use to keep us from participating fully in what God is doing. And please include our new friend Florence in all of your prayers for the THINK team, as well as the women who serve at the orphanages we’ll be visiting.
Team split for tomorrow...
Orphan Relief and Rescue (Kayla, Dimitri, Danielle, Dave, and Lindi)
THINK (Jesse, Brent, Jeremiah, Annie, and Amy)
And just for smiling’s sake, Danielle and I got to experience a real African dance party today. They mostly laughed at us, but I think Danielle really impressed them with her ability to follow their moves! It was so much fun, and the whole place was just filled with the joy of dancing together.
Don’t forget to check Lindi’s blog at www.crazymissionsinliberia.blogspot.com, and Rodney’s blog at www.servicetoservants.com.
Love to you all! We’ll be home soon.
Monday, January 4, 2010
day 7. (so much to say)
Hello everyone... I'm back. :) Thank you to sweet Danielle for giving me a night of rest. She is such a blessing to all of us on the team, the girls in particular. She never hesitates in an opportunity to serve... what a beautiful heart! I'm so glad she's here with us.
Anyway, tonight I am praying that God will give me the words for what I need to say. This was our first day on site at Diana Davis Orphanage and THINK (home for sexually abused children), and everyone came back with handfuls of stories to tell. It would be impossible to overstate the impact that the events of today have had on our team... I just hope I can convey some part of that to you all.
I'll say first that the Diana Davies crew came back with only good things to say--their faces are just glowing tonight with the joy of what they got to take part in today. I am so thankful for their victorious report. To know more about what happened with Lindi, Brent, Kayla, Jeremiah, and Dave at the orphanage, go to Lindi's blog at www.crazymissionsinliberia.blogspot.com.
Danielle, Amy, Jesse, Dimitri and I traveled to THINK today to do VBS and hang out with the kids there, and I can certainly say that we could never have prepared ourselves for what we felt and saw. Most of the children there are girls from the ages of a few months to 19 years, with the exception of two boys who didn't talk much at all, but seemed to be about 8 or 9 years old. The THINK girls usually live in a safe-house at a confidential location, and so we met them instead at the Juvenile Transit Center just down the road from our compound. Now, if you're wondering what on earth that means, don't think you're the only one. It took a good amount of explanation before we really understood what the Center does, but eventually we came to understand that it is a temporary home for juvenile delinquents, runaways, and abandoned children. About half of the 30 kids were residents of the JTC and the other half came from the safe-house. Try to imagine that kind of an audience... the abused and the abandoned, welcoming us with songs and smiles into their temporary home.
I will be honest and say that the effect was heartbreaking from the very first, and I found myself fighting tears within moments of our arrival. As a result of that, though, I also found myself feeling very dependent on strength that I knew could only come from God. It was subtle and subconscious, but I remember feeling that if I leaned on Him for survival through the saddest of stories, maybe I would still be able to minister to these girls in spite of my struggle. I think that is what happened. We sang songs and danced and ran barefoot in the dirt together; they became so affectionate with us within such a short period of time that it just felt miraculous. How could a group of such wounded young women so quickly open their hearts to a group of strangers, especially strangers who look and sound totally different from them? I don't know the answer, exactly, but I thank God for their openness and welcoming spirit.
The program that we had organized for the day was centered around the story of Joshua and the wall of Jericho, and every step of the way the girls managed to blow my mind somehow. When we sang songs, they belted out melodies we had never heard, unafraid and beautiful in their boldness. When we had them act out the story together, even the older girls were involved and they didn't balk at doing "little kid things" like pretending to blow trumpets while marching around an imaginary wall. During the game, they loved letting me have my turn at kicking, cheering and clapping with the same ferocity they have in their singing. My heart ached to hear that some of these girls had never held a crayon before, never drawn or colored anything in their life. Is that even possible? We pressed crayons into their palms and wrapped our hands around their own, tracing out simple shapes on the paper in front of them. And these are 14 year old girls, not toddlers. It was sweet to watch them grow in confidence at simple tasks like cutting and drawing, meanwhile hoping that the change transfers to the more vital parts of their lives as well. Each of the older girls that Jesse and I worked with said she wanted to be a doctor, a lawyer, a journalist, a minister... they have real dreams and affinities, but how will they ever grow to such heights from where they are now? Pray that God would gird them up in confidence and strength of character, and that opportunities and resources would find them. Liberia needs these women to become all that they already desire to be.
During our time with the older girls, Jesse and I heard more honest and difficult expressions of faith than we had even hoped, I think. Many of them expressed times when they had felt God was or was not with them—experiences that I could not even imagine living through. I am so grateful to God for already making open connections between us and those girls. We’ll be there with the same group every day until we leave, so pray that the connection between us only deepens and becomes more powerful.
Pray also for increased faith among all of us as we beg God to drastically redeem the lives of the children we meet. Pray that we would see the world with as it is filtered through the loving heart of God—so many people are spiritually feeling orphaned and hungry, and may our hearts be beautifully softened to their needs.
There are more things we saw at the Center that we are all still processing, carefully and with our hearts turned to the Father, because of the sadness before our eyes. There were disabled children there who were not well cared for, and who should be loved full time by people who can recognize their unique needs. Pray that God heals them in surprising ways, and provides strength for our spirits to intercede even while we are in the midst of devastation. He can do anything through us with Christ as our center and our strength.
Your prayers are working. We are so covered and so well-protected—thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and for going before God on our behalf.
I’ll end by saying that tonight we got to make dinner for and serve the staff here at the compound who are usually so graciously giving themselves away to serve us. As payment for many delicious Liberian meals, we gave them a taste of America with freshly grilled cheeseburgers and home-cooked fries. For dessert, there were enormous cookies and a whole plate of candy bars. Life is good when you’re living in the best of both worlds!
Love to you all... I’m sure I’ve forgotten many things, but I’m exhausted and we have another full day of THINK and Diana Davies tomorrow. Kayla and Amy are switching places, I think, but other than that the teams for both locations are the same. Pray for each of us by name. The heaviness of ministry lies thick over these places sometimes, but the joy of the Lord can easily overcome.
Goodnight all!
Anyway, tonight I am praying that God will give me the words for what I need to say. This was our first day on site at Diana Davis Orphanage and THINK (home for sexually abused children), and everyone came back with handfuls of stories to tell. It would be impossible to overstate the impact that the events of today have had on our team... I just hope I can convey some part of that to you all.
I'll say first that the Diana Davies crew came back with only good things to say--their faces are just glowing tonight with the joy of what they got to take part in today. I am so thankful for their victorious report. To know more about what happened with Lindi, Brent, Kayla, Jeremiah, and Dave at the orphanage, go to Lindi's blog at www.crazymissionsinliberia.blogspot.com.
Danielle, Amy, Jesse, Dimitri and I traveled to THINK today to do VBS and hang out with the kids there, and I can certainly say that we could never have prepared ourselves for what we felt and saw. Most of the children there are girls from the ages of a few months to 19 years, with the exception of two boys who didn't talk much at all, but seemed to be about 8 or 9 years old. The THINK girls usually live in a safe-house at a confidential location, and so we met them instead at the Juvenile Transit Center just down the road from our compound. Now, if you're wondering what on earth that means, don't think you're the only one. It took a good amount of explanation before we really understood what the Center does, but eventually we came to understand that it is a temporary home for juvenile delinquents, runaways, and abandoned children. About half of the 30 kids were residents of the JTC and the other half came from the safe-house. Try to imagine that kind of an audience... the abused and the abandoned, welcoming us with songs and smiles into their temporary home.
I will be honest and say that the effect was heartbreaking from the very first, and I found myself fighting tears within moments of our arrival. As a result of that, though, I also found myself feeling very dependent on strength that I knew could only come from God. It was subtle and subconscious, but I remember feeling that if I leaned on Him for survival through the saddest of stories, maybe I would still be able to minister to these girls in spite of my struggle. I think that is what happened. We sang songs and danced and ran barefoot in the dirt together; they became so affectionate with us within such a short period of time that it just felt miraculous. How could a group of such wounded young women so quickly open their hearts to a group of strangers, especially strangers who look and sound totally different from them? I don't know the answer, exactly, but I thank God for their openness and welcoming spirit.
The program that we had organized for the day was centered around the story of Joshua and the wall of Jericho, and every step of the way the girls managed to blow my mind somehow. When we sang songs, they belted out melodies we had never heard, unafraid and beautiful in their boldness. When we had them act out the story together, even the older girls were involved and they didn't balk at doing "little kid things" like pretending to blow trumpets while marching around an imaginary wall. During the game, they loved letting me have my turn at kicking, cheering and clapping with the same ferocity they have in their singing. My heart ached to hear that some of these girls had never held a crayon before, never drawn or colored anything in their life. Is that even possible? We pressed crayons into their palms and wrapped our hands around their own, tracing out simple shapes on the paper in front of them. And these are 14 year old girls, not toddlers. It was sweet to watch them grow in confidence at simple tasks like cutting and drawing, meanwhile hoping that the change transfers to the more vital parts of their lives as well. Each of the older girls that Jesse and I worked with said she wanted to be a doctor, a lawyer, a journalist, a minister... they have real dreams and affinities, but how will they ever grow to such heights from where they are now? Pray that God would gird them up in confidence and strength of character, and that opportunities and resources would find them. Liberia needs these women to become all that they already desire to be.
During our time with the older girls, Jesse and I heard more honest and difficult expressions of faith than we had even hoped, I think. Many of them expressed times when they had felt God was or was not with them—experiences that I could not even imagine living through. I am so grateful to God for already making open connections between us and those girls. We’ll be there with the same group every day until we leave, so pray that the connection between us only deepens and becomes more powerful.
Pray also for increased faith among all of us as we beg God to drastically redeem the lives of the children we meet. Pray that we would see the world with as it is filtered through the loving heart of God—so many people are spiritually feeling orphaned and hungry, and may our hearts be beautifully softened to their needs.
There are more things we saw at the Center that we are all still processing, carefully and with our hearts turned to the Father, because of the sadness before our eyes. There were disabled children there who were not well cared for, and who should be loved full time by people who can recognize their unique needs. Pray that God heals them in surprising ways, and provides strength for our spirits to intercede even while we are in the midst of devastation. He can do anything through us with Christ as our center and our strength.
Your prayers are working. We are so covered and so well-protected—thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and for going before God on our behalf.
I’ll end by saying that tonight we got to make dinner for and serve the staff here at the compound who are usually so graciously giving themselves away to serve us. As payment for many delicious Liberian meals, we gave them a taste of America with freshly grilled cheeseburgers and home-cooked fries. For dessert, there were enormous cookies and a whole plate of candy bars. Life is good when you’re living in the best of both worlds!
Love to you all... I’m sure I’ve forgotten many things, but I’m exhausted and we have another full day of THINK and Diana Davies tomorrow. Kayla and Amy are switching places, I think, but other than that the teams for both locations are the same. Pray for each of us by name. The heaviness of ministry lies thick over these places sometimes, but the joy of the Lord can easily overcome.
Goodnight all!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
day 6. (sabbath)
Hello everyone! Danielle here. :) I thought we'd give sleepy eyed Annie a little extra rest tonight. I am personally loving being here with the team. Today was our Sabbath, so we took some much needed rest. We woke up this morning to a special Sunday Liberian breakfast. They feed us so well here. The table was filled with cornbread, fruit, ham, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal, then we headed off to church. In my limited experience of travel and missionary work in Africa, I always find so much joy in going to church here. This morning we went to Providence Baptist church in Monrovia. Everyone here puts on their best for church, and I can't get enough of the ladies fashion. So maybe the land is one of the poorest places on earth, but not on Sunday morning. Ladies dresses are vibrant and tailor made for their shape. Beautiful dresses and head dresses shine out against the red dusty roads. Its like a painting.
Church was so encouraging to me. Africans in general, seem to have such a special way of doing it. There is so much joy overflowing out out everything they do. They dance and sing and hug, and hug while they sing. I would recommend it, to anyone who has never done this.
Our goal today was to be refilled. All of us have been pouring out a lot of ourselves here, and we all felt the need to take some chill time. So Brent, Dave, Rodney, Jesse, and Annie took naps this afternoon. Dimitri, Amy, Jeremiah, and Kayla visited our neighbors next door for a football (soccer) game, and I spent some time resting and looking at the other team blogs. (I am so encouraged by what God is doing all around the world.) A Liberian tailor came over, and we are all getting dresses made for us, so hopefully we can do a fashion show for you of some kind.
I'm curious to know if anyone more then our parents are reading this blog, so please take a second to show us some "comment love :)" if you are following us.
Brent is doing great. We are so proud to have him as our leader. He such an example to follow went it come to crossing cultural barriers to form meaningful relationships with the Liberians, and the kids at Rafiki adored him. He is always so good at engaging the kids. He just oozes with love and joy over them, and the kids just soak it all up.
Dave is sitting in front of me, but he doesn't know that I'm writing about him right now. His love for Liberia is uncontainable, and he is such a constant joy to have around. He is always the first one to glorify God through some amazing story, in fact he's working right now--so hopefully you'll be able to hear some.
Jeremiah is full of energy, and full of Jesus' love for the Liberian children. He has recently discovered that teaching children is a large part of his calling... which is incredible news for any 18 year old seeking purpose. We can always count on him for jokes too, he loves to make the kids laugh however he can.
Jesse is soaking this place in. Last night Christine Norman told us her testimony. What an incredible woman she is. Jesse really connect to her story. Christine told us about the coup, when her father, the President of Liberia, was assassinated, and she was put under house arrest with her sisters among other things (solitary confinement, refugee escape, battling food shortage, depression, and a victorious round of cancer). Christine life is so full of trusting God one step at a time-- which seems to be a theme for Jesse this trip. Jesse is so precious.
Dimitri is so good at connecting with people. The soccer players have all nicknamed him Drogba...which he is loving. He brought a guy named Henry to church with us this morning. It was cool because when Dimitri met Henry in the neighborhood a few days ago, Henry told Dimitri that he couldn't go to church because he didn't have shoes. So Dimitri, without thought, gave Henry his extra pair of shoes, which lead to Henry coming to church with us today. In many situations, Dimitri seems to find many creative ways to be generous and practically love people.
Lindi is connecting with the girls really well. She's been here a week longer then any of us because she got here before Christmas with her Dad. Lindi LOVES the children, and she is so good with them. Her teachers heart shines through whenever she speaks to them. Her stomach was feeling better today, but I'm sick of this. Please pray that she will be able to enjoy the rest of the trip without having to think about feeling bad.
Kayla is such a sweet soul. She connects so well with the young women here. (I am secretly jealous) ;) Yesterday she boldly walked around the hospital, and prayed for women. Some of them woman were so close to death, and she was fearless in the way she interacted with them. Today she taught the children in the neighborhood dance moves. She is becoming more and more alive.
Amy is loving this place. I've heard her say a few times, "I just feel like everything in my life has led my up to this point." It's so good to hear from her. Right now she is trying to figure out what direction God would have her take for her life. Pray that God would direct her steps in every way. She also went to the neighborhood next door today, and also came alive. She painted nails and danced with them. (The kids here really like to dance).
Annie's hearts melts when she holds the
African babies, and at this point she would say that she has not held nearly enough. Pray for the next week that God would set her exactly where he wants her. Pray that God would put her in her "sweet spot".
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For continuing to keep us in your prayers!
Tomorrow Brent, Jeremiah, Kayla and Lindi are going to Diana Davis Orphanage, and Jesse, Annie, Amy, Dimitri and I will be going to THINK (Home for Sexually Abused Kids). Please pray for us.
Good night :)
Danielle
Saturday, January 2, 2010
day 5. (briefly...)
Hello everyone!
P.S. For more pictures and perspective on this trip, check out www.servicetoservants.com.
We have had an incredible, and incredibly full, day of ministry today. Breakfast at 8 was followed by a morning with the Rafiki orphans, time spent at the Service to Servants construction site burying the Word of God in the foundation of their new facility, and then a few hours at ELWA hospital praying with sick men, women, and children. We ended the day with a Liberian meal and spent an hour or so listening to our host, Christine Norman, tell us her amazing testimony of life through the war. Then, we returned to our rooms and Danielle led the girls through an exhausted debriefing of this very full day. Needless to say, we can't wait to sleep tonight!
You should all know that the wifi came on last night after I came home from blogging... your fierce prayers are powerful and effective! Thank you for praying! Please pray tonight for Lindi, one of our teammates, who has been experiencing some difficulty with her stomach for several days now. Pray that God would restore her health and her joy completely--it's pretty difficult to be happy when you're sick in a country across the planet from your home.
Sorry that this is so short tonight... I wish there was time and energy for more. Tomorrow, we will go to church and have our sabbath day before we begin a week full of ministry. Good things lie ahead... but first, my pillow is calling.
Love,
Annie
P.S. For more pictures and perspective on this trip, check out www.servicetoservants.com.
Friday, January 1, 2010
day 3, day 4. (happy new year!)
Hello everyone and Happy New Year from Liberia!
Apologies again for the 24 hour delay—I know you are all anxious to see what’s happening on this side of the planet.The wifi at Christine’s home is a fairweather friend, and when I need it most it seems always to leave me. There are moments of grace, but for now we have had to abandon the attempts at blogging in the house and escape to a remote location. I am presently located in an upscale hotel somewhere in the midst of Monrovia’s poverty-covered streets, sitting with two of my teammates and waiting for our expensive hotel food to arrive. Being the team blogger certainly seems to have perks!
Honestly, though, it’s strange to be on an island of luxury surrounded by an ocean of devastation and war recovery. The more I learn about the needs of the Liberian people, the more my heart and mind are overwhelmed by the thought of it. This place is real, their civil war actually happened and the devastation in its wake is evident everywhere you look. And yet, the hope that I spoke of last time I wrote is even more powerful than the tragedies I have seen.
Yesterday, our team had the privilege of attending an NGO reception at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, who live here with their children as missionaries for ELWA (Eternal Life Winning Africa). The reception was basically just a lot of teachers, doctors, dentists, nurses, and passionate people who are all living and working on Liberian soil to bring hope, life, healing and Jesus to this beautiful country. Jesse and I made it our goal to meet as many of them as possible, but every conversation was so full of mind-blowing testimonies that it took 3 hours to meet less than 10 of these people. By the end of the party, my feet were killing me from all the standing, but my heart was glowing with inspiration. I met one man who has been serving God in Liberia with his family of 8 for 23 years. That, my friends, is 4 years longer than I have been alive on this planet—doesn’t that just blow your mind a little bit? He works with EQUIP Liberia to fight against unconvicted rape, torture, secret societies that practice ritualistic killing, and many other enormously important issues—check out their website at www.equipliberia.org.
Anyway, seeing all of the beautiful faces of those missionary people helped me to realize that although the devastation and injustice may be larger than I imagined, the pool of people who are working against those things is large as well, and it will grow. There is so much hope in that. Later that night, I read a passage from Isaiah 44 that I believe is God’s heart toward Liberia. It’s a little long, but here’s a snapshot...
“O Israel, I will not forget you.
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you."
Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this;
shout aloud, O earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.” (21-23)
Imagine Liberia’s name in there, and I believe it’s so true for these people and this land. Please read the rest of that chapter, and pray for that redemption over this country. It is so clear that God’s hand is here and He is working—we are all so blessed and so grateful to be able to take part!
After the reception, we put on our bathing suits and sprinted into the Atlantic to swim while the sun was setting. I don’t know if any of you have ever spent New Year’s Eve swimming on the shores of an African beach, but I highly recommend it! It was so beautiful and the water was the perfect relief for a day spent in the hot Liberian sun. On the drive home I couldn’t help but feel like I was just living a dream. We have spent these first few days assimilating ourselves into the culture and resting together, learning to be comfortable with one another even when the circumstances aren’t comfortable at all. It has been beautiful.
That morning we spent the morning in the market, and managed to make it in and out without any pickpocketing or panic attacks. I won’t spend very long talking about that experience, but I will say that it was a monumental one! We, a group of white Americans, looked like a circus attraction in the middle of the throbbing Liberian culture all around us. At one point, people were clapping and cheering for us as we passed by, shouting, “Eyyy, white girls! Americans!” We laughed. It was great.
That was yesterday, and it was wonderful. Today we traveled to the Rafiki Village, which is an orphanage that focuses on raising up responsible Christian adults rather than on adoption. Every child there is considered a “true orphan” and not just an abandoned child, meaning that their parents are either unlocatable or dead, and they have no other family members to take them in. This was our first day where the whole team got to participate in service, and it was so much fun we decided to go back again tomorrow! We sang songs, taught about Daniel and the lions’ den, made lion masks out of paper plates, played games, and loved every minute of it all. These 21 kids barely talked when we first met them all, but when Brent put them all in flag tag jerseys and shouted “Go!” the air was immediately filled with so much laughing that I couldn’t help but grin. These little ones have literally been rescued from certain death and brought into a place of laughter and life; there is so much redemption in that sound! Pray that we would see and act on the opportunities to learn from and give to these kids as we interact with them again tomorrow morning. I wish I could bring them to you—they would surely melt your heart like they have melted ours.
And, as a side note, I love watching my team do what they do. Jeremiah with his puppet, Brent leading flag tag, Danielle singing “Joy” with so much joy in her eyes, and Dimitri playing King Darius with a yellow paper crown on his head... these are the sights that make my heart smile. I thank God for putting me here with people whom I love so dearly. Pray that we would minister to one another and grow in unity as a team as we still have so many days ahead of us.
My battery is running low—I think I need to stop. Thank you to everyone who commented on the last entry! All of your messages have been read and I will deliver them when I get back to the compound tonight. It means so much that you think of us, and that you pray unceasingly! Praise God for your faith and intensity and love! One of our leaders, Dave, was talking to me the other night about the darkness that resides in the tribal religions of Liberia. He reminded me that although the darkness is great, the power of our God is greater, and we are covered in His protection through your intercession for our team. Your prayers are being sent up like a barrage of arrows coming over us from behind, stopping the enemy coming against us in his tracks. Your ferocity and passion in prayer are necessary and I can’t tell you enough—I am grateful!
Pray now for the wifi to return so I can keep keeping you in the loop. Pray that VBS goes smoothly tomorrow again, and every day next week. We are also visiting two hospitals tomorrow; pray that God would powerfully work in the people we meet through our presence and our prayers. We want to bring joy, hope, healing, strength—the Lord knows what these people need more than we do, for sure. Pray that He whispers those secret things into our ears, and give us the courage to follow Him wherever he leads! Pray for continued protection physically, spiritually, emotionally, and logistically. Pray we would all know our own unique calling and purpose both now and for our lifetimes.
Pray boldly. Tell Him you love Him—He is so good!
Love, as always,
Annie
P.S. Mom, Dad, Katie, Johnny, my fabulous girls, and my Ogle family, I am thinking of you all often. I miss and love you much! I'll be bringing back the music of this country I am in, and we will dance in the kitchen (or the common room, or around a pool table) when I return.
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