Are We There Yet?

So, things today haven't gone exactly as planned. I mean, it seemed like this was going to be a flawless traveling experience . . . until that one time, when we hit a little bit of turbulence and felt the whole plane turn. Odd.

I had been distracted for a good stretch of our journey by a friendly drunken man that was standing up taking selfies while simultaneously fighting the turbulence and loudly proselytizing the entire plane. At one point, when our tipsy preacher was trying to get the cabin to 'clap for Jesus,' I realized we were a little less than an hour away from Monrovia. That giddy I-get-to-see-my-people feeling was just starting to take control of my tummy, when the crackly voice of the pilot came over the loudspeaker letting us know that we were rerouting to Dakar. Giddy was quickly replaced with 'huh?!?" Apparently two of the four layers of the cockpit windshield had cracked and, for that reason, we were going to have to land using autopilot at an airport that had the technical support to figure things out. Enter: Dakar.

Kristi, Dia, and I deplaned with the masses, receiving our very official laminated "TRANSIT" card and went to claim all 300 pounds of our additional luggage. We schlepped that stuff along with our combined six carry-ons out of the airport to partake in a 3 hour bus loading extravaganza. Did we know where we were going? Negative. But we were told we would have a place to sleep. Food to eat. A shower to clean up in. Don't mind if we do, Brussels Air. Merci.

Well, turns out, they were putting us up in the King Fahd Palace Hotel. This isn't your Holiday Inn Express or Motel 6, people. This is a place for fancy folk. As I hang out in my own room, resting up for tomorrow, I'm grateful. Grateful for a safe landing. Grateful for a plan. Grateful for a buffet fit for royalty. (Sure, I like cream puffs. Yes, I'll have another. Fresh mango juice? Well, twist my arm.) Grateful for flexible travel buddies and new friends to navigate this with. Grateful for a hot shower, superb toothbrushing facilities, and a comfy room. Grateful for patient Liberian friends that are rearranging their schedule to make a second airport run tomorrow. Grateful that God is slowing me down a little bit--that I get to rest my voice for one more day.

Am I sad to miss a day with so many loved ones at the Children’s Rescue Center in Liberia? Absolutely. But God's got plans for this. I'm not questioning that . . . just waiting to see a clearer picture of what that might be! Until then, I have my suspicions. ;-)

T Minus ONE DAY!

Thursday, July 23. That's the day. THE day. (Holy TOMORROW, Batman!) Kristi, Dia and I will board our United Airlines flight with an obscene and embarrassing amount of bags, loaded with letters, Days for Girls hygiene kits (http://www.daysforgirls.org/), journals, pens, clothes, and a variety of hygiene items. And, then, there's our own stuff. That's a lot of pounds. But we're excited. And our kiddos in Liberia are excited. I'm thrilled that we get to take you with us! Your prayers, your letters, your family pictures . . . all these things are like gold to the sweet ones we will be connecting with. If I, for just a minute, could let you see the joy those things carry, your heart would be full to bursting. The kids walk around with your family pictures, showing them of like a proud grandparent. They talk about you with authority, telling anyone that will listen that 'these people pray for me!' And THEN they proceed to ask me one million questions about you. And I make stuff up. Because that keeps things interesting! ;-) In all honesty, though, you are so loved. Your prayers and commitments to these kids are absolutely beautiful and priceless. Kristi, Dia, and I are thrilled to be Ambassadors of Christ and of you as we visit our Liberian friends.

As we prepare to go, we would ask that you pray through the following things:

1.)  For safety and God's favor in our travel. (And that all luggage would be at the correct weight and get where they're supposed to go.)
2.) For positive and helpful discussions with school administrators as we visit each of the schools where we have students being sponsored.
3.) For the storytelling project I will be walking through with several of the kids--that God would handpick the students to participate in this and that they would be released to fully participate; that they would feel safe enough to be vulnerable, to be truth tellers, to feel and experience ALL of the feels . . . and that they would see God's faithful hand at work in their lives. That, as we explore what it means to live a better story, that the kids would dig deep and that God would reveal to them His direction for their lives, and that it would bring about healing. (AND that God would equip ME for this--that my words would be sensitive and wise as I lead them through this process. I feel excited and passionate about this, but not necessarily equipped.)
4.) That our team would be open to be used however and wherever we are needed . . . and that we would see with the eyes of our Father.
5.) One of our dear teachers at King's Arms Academy passed away yesterday due to complications with asthma. This has rattled the little community. Please pray for comfort and peace for Teacher Sayzay's family, his students, and the community as they mourn his loss.
6.) That God would grant us sweet moments to speak truth into the lives of the kids, the caretakers, and the teachers. That they would feel encouraged and uplifted and filled, and that God's love would be clearly communicated through actions and words.

7.) That God will be totally glorified and the name of Jesus etched a little more deeply on the hearts of our kiddos.

While in Liberia, Internet connection is sparse and sketchy. If we're able, we'll send a couple of updates while we're there . . . otherwise, you'll hear from us when we get back!

In service of the King and His Kids,
Whitney

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