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

long over due---koris liberia experience

My Trip to Liberia, Africa

GOD is good all the time, All the time GOD is good.

God has done amazing things at the children’s orphanage rescue center in Liberia. As well as many other places in Liberia. He has giving lost abanded children a safe place to live, loving, caring brothers and sisters in Christ. God has made the staff at the mission and all of the children their one big graceful family.

Being my first mission trip, let alone first time out of the country, I was pretty hard for me to be outta my comfort zone. I was very nervous. It definitely took a few days to feel safe and settled. I just prayed to God that he would give me the strength and encouragement to live only for a short period of time how the Liberians do. I just took one day at a time and eventually I enjoyed my stay and would definitely go back again someday. I met some amazing people that I now consider part of my family. I had so much fun playing games with the kids and staff, reading books to each other, and just talking about life. Seeing God work through all the children and staff was motivation itself. Everyone is so thankful for the little they have. They make the best out of every day, and are so eager to learn more about his work in other people’s lives,

This was a life time experience that I will for surely never forget. I will continue to be praying for every single staff and child at the mission as well as other Liberian Christ followers.

P.s I really enjoyed the team members that I got to get to know a little more well on our adventure. I also thank God for each one of you as well because if it weren’t for meeting all of you I wouldn’t be where I am today!

God bless you, all keep in touch

KoriAnn Rose Priglmeier

.

My other home, Liberia!

So heading back to Liberia I had a good idea of what to expect. I remembering on our flight coming into Monrovia what was ahead of me. I remember getting off the plane and going through customs without a problem. Then I walked through a door to pick up my bags and there was complete craziness. People every where going for their bags. I went into the mass of people to retrieve our teams bags. I am not going to lie this was making me feel a little tense. This was not how it was for the other two trips that I had been on. We got our bags without a problem but the tense feeling was present. I walked out the door and there was one of the boys that stays with us, Mitch. And he gave me this big hug and I just felt all my anxiety from the bags just melt away. It was a feeling that I was in a familiar spot. Seems kind of crazy that a tall boy from the suburbs of Minneapolis could feel at home in Liberia, Africa. Its crazy how God works.

When we got to the orphanage my relationship with the kids picked up right where it left off. The best part and one thing that I will never forget was my relationship with Isaac. He was a young man that I had the pleasure of getting to meet in my past two trips. One night Isaac was at the house just hanging out and he comes to me and says, "Lets read, you read me your favorite Bible story and I will read you mine." We sat down that night and Isaac read me the parable of the prodigal son and I read him Shadrak, Meschak and Abednigo. It quickly turned into one of my favorite times of the day, when I got to sit down and read the bible with Isaac. This went on every evening until we left. I really enjoy Isaac and he is growing into a wonderful man of God.

Those are a few of the things that really hit me and stuck with me through the trip.

Isaac & Tony

                 Thanks for reading.  Tony Mueller 

Kids from Children's Rescue Center Reach Out

After days of practice, it was time to load the kiddos up into the decrepit old van we had rented from Red Light. It’s a vehicle intended for 16, but you better believe we packed it to clown car capacity with a whopping twenty-three passengers. It was hot. It was uncomfortable. It was a vehicle full of anticipation, enthusiasm, and joyful excitement for what was to come.

Leading up to this day, we had been meeting with a small group of kids from the Children’s Rescue Center to plan a trip out to Peter Sayklon’s Orphanage in a village about two hours away. The purpose of this trip was to allow our children to take on the role of spiritual leaders, serve others, and fellowship with children from another mission. The kids had decided to share the story of David and Goliath in order to share the message that God can use small people to do big things. They prepared the story and questions to work through with their small groups, developed a sweet drama, brought a treat to share, and a craft project to work on.

When we pulled onto the orphanage property, we could see the kids out in the field with the mother of the orphanage. When they heard the rumbling vehicle, they began to run toward us, waving excitedly and shouting their greetings. They quickly sat us down in their open air gathering place, shared a welcome song with us, recited 97 Bible verses (that they practice at both morning and evening devotions), and led us in some praise and worship. One of the sweetest moments was when two of the youngest boys, Bright (4 years old) and Jonas (5 years old) were called forward to present us with a song. They looked at us timidly, peeking back over their shoulder for direction. After being gently prompted, these two sweet boys--children who had lost everything . . . parents, family, had next to no earthly belongings--came in with one of the most blessed sounds I have ever heard. They sang “It Is Well,” beautifully articulating every word to every verse. With tears in my eyes, I smiled as these two little guys, the future of this broken country, sang with voices that seemed to start down at their little toes a song of hope--”It is well with my soul. It is well. It is well with my soul.” As they sang, it was my prayer that this song would resonate in the spirit of each person present--that each of us, no matter what our circumstance, would be touched by these words and echo them in our hearts.

And this was just the beginning of our sweet time at this sweet place. Our kids broke off into their small groups, leading Peter Sayklon’s children through the story from I Samuel 16. They did a fantastic job in their leadership role, causing me to walk around grinning like a proud mama watching her kids thrive. It was a thing of beauty to be able to step back as a team, equipping the kids, but allowing them to lead and watching how God was using them in this place. Seeing the children fellowshipping, learning, and laughing together was a most incredible thing for us to take in. Our kids nailed their parts in the David and Goliath drama, with the other children giggling as our big, masculine Goliath was brought down with a hacky sack to the forehead and as David danced for the Lord! We closed in a time of singing and prayer. The sound of children’s voices being raised together in praise is one of the greatest things to behold. I could almost feel Jesus smiling as the songs were sung.

When it was time to go and our children had said their good-byes to their new friends, Peter Sayklon’s bunch began to sing a song of gratitude and farewell as we drove away,  waving until we were out of sight.

One of the sweetest things that came out of this was the conversation I was able to have with the kids on the way home. They immediately asked when we could come back to this place. Then, quietly, Deborah tapped me on the shoulder, “Miss Whitney, you know the clothes you all brought for us. It shouldn’t be for us, Miss Whitney. Please can we give it to those children?” This sentiment was then echoed by others in the van. “Yes, those clothes should not be for us.” “Can we get shoes for them, too?” My heart was set to burst. These kids, who, through Western eyes have next to nothing, were recognizing a need in someone else. They knew that these children were wearing their very best for us, and it wasn’t much . . . torn and stained clothing, mismatched flip-flops, a misshapen barrette. They wanted to give something good to these kids to bless them. What a beautiful way to end this trip, echoing our Father’s heart to care for those in need and give good gifts to his children!

 

Here. We. Goooooo! :)

And . . . we're off. In just a few short hours we will be boarding a plane and heading out to Liberia! I'm filled with eager anticipation to see the kids, but also excitement to share this country and its people with a new group!

As we board, we're a man 'down' this morning. Our teammate, Herris, got delayed in London yesterday and wasn't able to make it home to catch our flight today. Please pray that God would work out the details for Herris and bring him over soon and without incident.

Also, as we board, I would appreciate prayers for my back. I have been experiencing lower back pain for the past few weeks and it has gotten progressively worse. I've been to the chiropractor a few times and have been taking my Aleve religiously, but the thought of getting on an airplane for many, many hours is a little bit stressful.

Other than that, please pray for team unity, health, and safety as we head over, and that God would continue to prepare our hearts and the hearts of those we are going to bless and serve.

Stay tuned . . . we look forward to sharing our adventures and the ways in which God is working!

Who Will Go! Send Me...

Tomorrow we leave for Liberia.  What does God have in store for the team?  It is exciting and at the same time nervous to be going.  Exciting to see how God will use us in His ministry.  Nervous of the unknown, and being a representative of Christ.  Pray that we don't offend the gospel message in anyway, that we will be vessels that Christ will use to let His light shine.  Pray for good health, and great attitudes even when we are tired and weary.  Thanks be to god, who gives us strength and wisdom on how to be His hands and feet.