No One Beyond My Reach

The teary good-byes were said, final hugs were given, and last minute letters were being frantically pushed through the open car windows as we drove off the mission property for the last time this year. This good-bye stuff never gets easier . . . BUT, our time there was good. The memories are sweet. God was at work in and through our team and we saw the Lord at work in the kids as well. However, the kids are up against a lot in a ‘do as I say and not as I do,’ rough, post-war culture.  The sweet solace continues to be that God, our good, loving Father, is still in control. The kids were His long before they were ‘ours’ and he continues to have their best interest at heart.

The end of this trip did not bring me back to Minneapolis, however. Mark and I continued on to Rwanda to meet up with a team from Pennsylvania that have been part of starting Umuryango Boys’ Home. This is a children’s village that takes in street kids, primarily boys, and places them in a family-like setting, serving the kids holistically--making sure they know Jesus, providing them with a quality education, introducing them to various trades, feeding them nutritious meals, and ensuring that each child knows that they are loved. It is a beautiful model, and I am looking forward to being able to observe and ask questions and soak it in, and then seeing how God uses this experience. We will be going to the village for the first time tomorrow, and I’m excited to meet the kids and see what life is like outside of the bustling hub of Kigali.

Today was an emotional day, though--I woke up with the ache of missing my kiddos in Liberia, and then, we were off to the Genocide Museum, an emotional experience to say the least.

As I cried and prayed my way through the museum exhibits, I was struck by the human capacity for brutality toward other human beings--staggering, absolutely staggering. Ten thousand people brutally murdered for one hundred days straight. With each turn in the museum, I could feel my heart grow heavier and, to be honest, I was getting angry. Really angry. It doesn’t make sense. How do groups of people determine that they are superior to others, deeming them unworthy to live, and then hunt them like animals? And it’s not like this is the first time in the history of the world that this has happened. People who were your neighbors and friends, so brainwashed, that they turn on you and hunt you down like an animal. Living in fear every day. One thing that hit me hard was that machetes and clubs tended to be the primary weapons in this atrocity. This means that you had to be close enough to look someone in the eye, see the terror and silent pleas to be spared as you were taking their life. Then, we entered children’s room only to read about young kids--4, 5 . . . 8 years old--being hacked to death by machetes. Heavy just got heavier.

I wasn’t even directly affected by this atrocity, but don’t feel that I could forgive those involved in the wiping out of so many innocent people. I can’t even imagine being there. Seeing it. Living through it. Then there’s the strange reality that as you walk the streets of Kigali, you are moving past the very people who most certainly took the lives of people you loved. 

In all of this, I heard God whispering into my heart, “No one is beyond my reach. Not one.”

Seeing Rwanda now, nearly ten years after the genocide, and how far they have come is astounding. Forgiveness has happened. Healing is happening. Hearing stories of lives transformed is such a beautiful reminder of the power of our loving God. If he can transform and redeem Rwanda, surely He can bring Liberia to her knees and muster change there, as well. His arm is not too short. No one is beyond His reach. Not the kids at the mission. Not their caretakers. Not the people in the surrounding village. Not the ex-combatants. No one.

Please join me in praying that God’s redeeming love would be known in Liberia. That our kids stories would bear witness to God’s transforming power. That caretakers would learn to love like Jesus. That God would reach down and touch the lives of our Liberian friends, draw them close, and that they would be culture changers in their generation. 

Team 2 update

Team 2 has arrived (Mark on Monday, Julie, Chris and Tony on Tuesday) and we have spent the first week making connections with the kids at the mission.  Mark and Chris got to meet their prayer buddies, Mark and Prince Sumo (specific kids they have been praying for for over a year) and Tony and Julie are on return visits to Children's Rescue Center.  

Highlights of the first week have included:

- Sis D's cooking

- Learning how to make peanut candy with Sis Patience.

- A working well (water) pump AND generator

- Spending a lot of time with the kids down at the mission - singing with them, reading with them, talking about the Bible with them, and just loving and affirming them.

- Friday's trip to the beach - an incentive for those who met their reading program goals.

- An early morning 3+ mile (round-trip) excursion to cut and fetch wood with some of the boys from the mission.

- Praying for a group of students before taking their entrance exams for the 10th grade (King's Arms Academy ends at grade 9).

- Laughing lots with Brother John, Mitchell, Daniel, and Isaac.

- Seeing the Lord answer prayers and reveal Himself in so many big and small ways.

Next week includes, among other things: church tomorrow (Sunday), planning our (student-led) outreach at Peter Sayklon's (another orphanage further out in the bush) - the outreach itself will be Wednesday, a annual soccer game between the two "clubs" at the mission, a field day with the kids, movie night, and more time using our actions and words to express to these kids how much God loves and cares for them.

We appreciate your prayers for us and for the next week as we are already almost half-way done.  Hopefully another update can be made.  Either way your prayers mean so much!  

Love,

Team 2

Far apart, but close to the heart

Little can I express in words about my 12 days in Liberia. Photos are great but don’t do justice. Even the eyes can’t catch everything, and the mind forgets easily. Chaos and being overwhelmed sets in almost instantly. However, through the chaos there is peace.

Peace in the faces of the smiling kids. Peace in the brand new life that Percy/Macy, the house cat, gave to her four kittens. Peace that comes in the form of the love that kids share with hugs, and peace that we as a team share through the love of Christ.

Meet Yebah. A second grade boy who constantly wanted to hang out with me. He would like to be a minister someday -- Amen to that! It was very rare to hear that from most of the kids that I spoke to. Some of the older kids wanted to go into “Military Science” or the Army/UN. I am unsure about why they want to enlist other than making “good money”. I pray that they dream beyond making money but to be reminded of God’s love and to help the people in need.

A song that kept resonating in my mind during the trip was “Spirit Speaks" by “All Sons and Daughters”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qoWjtnVBPI

Here is part of the lyrics that spoke to me.

You spoke life into my lungs

You are the air I breathe

You are the air I breathe

Still you move inside of me

You are the song I sing

You are the song I sing, Jesus

With every breath I breathe

With every song I sing

I want to shout it out

Lord I am listening

To every word you speak

I'll go where you will lead

To love the least of these

Is my greatest offering

I learned about their handshake, their passion to sing to the Lord, their welcoming love, their willingness to learn and their ability to memorize, particularly Bible verses.

Dia Aka Uncle Spoon.

Moments like these . . .

Here in Liberia, there are days that you constantly feel surrounded by the masses. It’s loud. It’s chaotic. It’s fun. However, there are sweet, quiet moments, too, where you feel God doing His thing. Moments like these  . . .

Meet Joshua. On a good day, he’s a little spitfire of a near three year old. A downright stinker, if you will. He’s in constant motion. The other day, though, Adam was holding a droopy looking Joshua and brought him over letting me know that this child was not well. Sure enough, he had the telltale fever that accompanies malaria. I cradled his hot little body and just rocked him, sang to him, and prayed over him. With silent little tears rolling down his face, he finally fell asleep and we were able to put cold, wet cloths on his head to bring his temperature down. It’s moments like these . . . when you get to bring a mother’s touch to a sick little someone, that are just sweet.

Meet Pauline. Pauline and I go way back. Well, seven years back when she was a 3rd grade student at the King’s Arms Academy. Pauline is beautiful, vibrant, and funny. She is sweet with a heart for the Lord and hard not to love. Over the years, Pauline and I have enjoyed being in a Bible study together, praying together, reading books to one another and just sharing life. Upon arriving at the mission, I immediately noticed that Pauline wasn’t there. After asking around I found out that she had gone to spend time with some family but would be coming back soon. When she came back, Pauline found me and let me know that she would like to talk. Later that night, we sat in the dark under a mango tree and she talked. While Pauline was with her family, they revealed to her that her mom had passed away in April. They had waited for her to finish the school year to tell her. Now, she was truly an orphan and feeling very alone in the world. How incredibly sweet God’s timing is. I feel truly blessed to have been able to be here to listen to Pauline, to ask her to tell me about her mother, to hold her while she cried, and to pray with and over her. Please pray that God would be healing Pauline’s heart and would continue to reveal himself to her as a perfect, loving Father.

And then, there’s the whole crew. Bless their spunky hearts. As a team, we have been working with a group of about 25 kids from the Children’s Rescue Center to prepare them for an outreach program to Peter Sayklon’s Orphanage home. They decided this year that they would like to bring the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from Daniel 3. They prepared a drama, chose a memory verse, brought craft supplies, and pulled out all the fun songs and games they could come up with. Let me just say, I felt like what I imagine a mother would feel like as they watch their child take his first steps. These kids stepped up to the plate and hit a home run, and I was overcome with pride. They were loving and gentle in their instruction to their small groups. They were poised and prepared. They were selfless, enthusiastic and effective . . . and, most of all, the message of Jesus’ love came through. Even the orphanage mother, Mother Martha, was getting into the drama and the songs. The beautiful thing in all this was that we, the American team, got to step back and let the kids do their thing. We could see leadership qualities in some of these kids that were so impressive--I’m pretty sure we have a couple budding youth pastors among us! We are looking forward to going back this next week, when the CRC children get to put together gift bags for their friends (their idea!) and put on a field day. Two chances to share God’s love with the darling kiddos!

In other notes, there has been a reading frenzy happening down at the orphanage! The kids are working hard to earn their trip to the beach. One group has already made the trek and we felt God’s favor as we woke up to a sunshiny morning that blossomed into a perfect beach day! The kids ‘swam’ and splashed, ate ice-cream, and just got to be kids for a few hours! Not a bad way to spend the day!

Also team two will be rolling in in the next day and a half. Please be praying for them as they transition into life here and pick up where team one left off!

AND . . . we've been back in the light for a week and a half now due to a generous donation toward a generator. (Thank you thank you . . . you know who you are!)

-Whitney

We're Here! We're Here!

Arriving to a hoard of excited children and an ominous line of driver ants in the bathroom, we made it! The children, we greeted with hugs, high-fives, and wide smiles. The driver ants received a less jovial greeting--we let them take to their path and, eventually, they found their way out of the house.

It has been sweet catching up with the kids. Yesterday was spent overcoming jet-lag, playing soccer, teaching new games and talking about everything we've missed in each other's lives in the last year.

Today, we were off and running. Two days of teacher workshops began this morning as we discuss how Jesus views children and how that should play out in the classroom. Our reading incentive program also kicked off today. The kids are geeked! They are ready to read and, even more so, get to the beach when they meet their team's goal. Later this afternoon, we will meet with the student leaders that will be planning the outreach trip to Peter Sayklon's Orphanage. They are excited to return again this year and I've been hearing talk of Samson, Gideon, or the Prodigal Son for stories to share. It should be good! :)

While the well is up and in working order (which means we can bathe regularly and wash clothes), the generator definitely bit the dust last night. While we can do without electricity, it does make life easier. As a team we are praying through buying a new one. Please pray along with us on this!

Other than that, please pray that the team continues to work cohesively and with servant hearts, that God would protect the health of each person, and that we would continue to connect with the children and build trust so that they can trust the message we bring.

- Whitney

Blessed by a Dress (or many, many dresses!)

Girls from Children's Rescue Center modeling their new dresses!

On our last two visits to Liberia, we have been able to bless some of the girls with brand-spanking new dresses. This may seem like a little thing to many of us, but to children who always, always, ALWAYS receive their clothes as hand-me-downs, this is a sweet, big deal.

A small smattering of women (the kind gifted with the domestic talent of sewing!) have made pillowcase dresses with which we have been able to bless the girlies of the Children's Rescue Center Orphanage. Their smiles as they don their new duds is enough to melt hearts.

Well, last year, after taking our kids out to visit and minister to the children of Peter Sayklon's orphanage, they noticed a need. They saw that the children there needed clothing and asked that what we bring for them next year be donated, instead, to Peter Sayklon's kids. What?!? This stirred and blessed my heart in such an enormous way. So, in honoring the wishes of our kiddos to gift Peter Sayklon's children with 'new' clothing, we put out a request for people to make pillowcase dresses for us to bring over. And the response has been amazing!

Many people have asked for the pattern for these dresses and have been updating me on the progress. Sharon Woyke delivered 30 adorable dresses to church on Sunday and told me, "It is my joy to make these. Please let me know if you will need anymore." I am humbled by the generosity of God's people and I am so excited to see how little girls, all deserving of a new dress, are blessed by this.

I wanted to share one more dress story with you. I had shared with a group of moms from my school about the ministry in Liberia and threw out some different ways they could get involved if they felt called to do so. Making pillowcase dresses was one of those ways. Well, on the last day of school, my little Grace brought me a gift bag and was beside herself with excitement as she waited for me to open it. As I moved the tissue paper aside, I was overwhelmed with sweet emotion. I pulled out a bright pink pillowcase dress with green ribbon shoulder ties. Absolutely precious (and will look darling on that beautiful dark brown skin of the Liberian children!)! And then, I pulled out another dress. And another. Six in all. What touched me even more, was the e-mail I received from Grace's mom, Cary, that told her part of the story in making and praying over these dresses. Read it below and be blessed and encouraged by it, as well!

Hi Whitney!

I thought I would send you an email explaining a bit more the gift Grace brought you yesterday.  Sorry I didn't have time to write this before, but I was trying to get those done!  =)

I was truly touched by your talk at Katy's a while back.  I have a heart for orphanages myself, as my in-laws' friends have run one in Haiti for many years and we have kept up with them and the orphanage.  They are mainly very young kids though, and no school.  So I was so interested to hear about the school aspect and your work there with the kids and teachers!

You showed us the pillowcase dress that night and I loved that idea to take those along for the girls - every girl should have a dress right?!!  Well, sewing is not a talent of mine, but I do own a sewing machine and I use it more as a means to an end for projects.  Like once a year.  So I kind of blew it off that night thinking I really don't have time with all the kids and I am not that good at sewing, etc.
Then I bought Grace another dress last week.  It was used, but it was another dress.  She has lots of dresses in her closet already but it was cute and cheap!  The Lord put it on my heart when I was hanging that dress up in her closet that I could do this.  I could help.  There are other girls who need dresses way more than Grace does.  So I did.  I searched online and actually found the pattern at Dress A Girl Around the World.  A lot of prayer went into those dresses (for the girls they will go to and also for me to make it through!! =) so I hope that they can bless someone through you this summer.

We will keep you in our prayers this summer as well as your teams and everyone in Liberia that you are working with too.  We love you Whitney and God Bless!!!

Cary 

And that's what 36 pillowcase dresses look like, friends! :)

Here We Go Again :)

The beautiful children of Liberia are never far from my mind. Whether celebrating a holiday, attending a church service, working with the students in my classroom, or bumming around the house, they are there with me. I can see their faces. I can hear their voices. God has kept the ache for these specific children alive in my heart throughout the past seven years. Praying that God would break your heart for the things that break His is a scary thing to do, and mine has been broken (repeatedly) for the children of The Children’s Rescue Center/King’s Arms Academy in Liberia. I feel blessed that God continues to call me to be part of a team that ministers to the 90+ children here, though. I have seen blank stares fill with the light that the hope of Jesus puts in their eyes. I have watched them grow academically--becoming readers and thinkers. I have seen them maturing into young men and women who, I pray, will be culture changers making an impact for the Kingdom in their generation. The continued transformation is beautiful, inspiring, and exciting!

On July 14, we will be head back to Liberia--two teams, two weeks each. This year we will have a team of eight--it will be neat to see how God uses each individual to minister to different children! Over this period, we will be serving the children and staff of the Children’s Rescue Center Orphanage and The King’s Arms Academy.  We will have the privilege of encouraging the orphanage staff and teachers, facilitating teacher workshops, leading a Bible study with some of the kids, implementing a reading incentive program, helping out with projects/work at the school and orphanage, planning those beautiful outreach trips with the kids to another orphanage, and spending time with the kids-- ministering to them, pouring into them, playing with them, having intentional conversations with them, and loving on them! As is the goal every time we visit, we are aiming to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we work and play alongside the kids and adults.  While these children know about Jesus, they rarely get to see a Christian life lived out with integrity and authenticity.  It is my prayer and deep desire that these kids receive a glimpse, through us, of what their loving and gentle Heavenly Father looks like so that they desire to be in relationship with Him! As we continue to invest in the lives of these children by being present on a regular and consistent basis, trust is built, and it opens doors for conversations and opportunities that might not normally occur.

We look forward to having you along for this journey . . . your prayers and partnership are crucial to this ministry and we're excited to show you how God is at work in our lives and in the lives of the children of Liberia!

Blessings,
Whitney