My Kind of Man

What kind of man uses a fan like this? One who is very secure in his masculinity or very hot.  In this case, maybe both!

I Got By with A Little Help from My New Friend

Sunday we preached at a church in the Monrovia District.  This is the capital city, but because it is rainy season, we were told that we might have to drive to a certain point and then walk the rest of the way to the church. I know that many of you reading this will find it hard to imagine that there would be enough rain to make roads in town impassable, but I can tell you first-hand, that it is so.  We had to use four-wheel drive a time or two, and we always try to avoid potholes with standing water because it is not clear how deep the hole underneath might be.

We stopped at a designated location to collect a gentleman from the church to ride with us and direct us to the church.  When we drove as far as we could go, he informed us that we would have to park the car and walk the rest of the way to the church.  The distance wasn't far, but the church was built amidst houses and other buildings where there was no road and where you had to cross a couple of foot-bridges to reach.

The concrete foot-bridge was not a problem.  Neither was the wooden-beam foot-bridge, but I wasn't sure of that at first.

 We had a very nice service with the local pastor and congregation.

As we left, I told Gaylord that I wanted him to go ahead of me with my camera and take a picture of me crossing the wooden beam. I paused to ensure that he had the camera ready.  As I did so, one of the usherettes from the church raced in front of me to assist me.  I guess she thought that I was faltering with hesitation.  I really wanted to ask her to move so that I could have my picture made, but she was too busy re-assuring me that we would not fall and that I was going to make it just fine.  She was so considerate and attentive.

So though you may not be able to see me being dramatic as I stepped on the bridge, you can see that I made it safely across with a little help from my new friend.

What Teacher In-Service Looks Like from Here

Gaylord and I were asked to conduct teacher training on classroom management to one of our church schools. I hope my teacher friends take particular note of the facilities, realizing that in this one building, 170+ students, pre-k through 8th grade, gather every day. There are insufficient desks, texts, and materials. Teachers do the best they can with what they have. This school is the norm, rather than the exception. We had a great day of training, and I learned as much from these teachers as they did from me, I am sure.

 

 

How Different

I couldn't help but look at this precious little one and wonder how different my granddaughter's life would be if she were born in Africa instead of America. My prayer is that the God who knows all and sees all, would make His faithfulness and love known to His children all around the world.

Oh, Brother!

At first glance, one might look at the photo above and think, “Oh, that’s nice.  New faucets are being placed in the shower.”  NOT!

A second photograph reveals water all over the floor, thus signaling the fact that the faucet fell from the wall WHILE I was finishing my shower.  Yes, you read it right.  As I was finishing my shower, I touched the faucet, and it literally fell to the shower floor.  Oh, brother!  Water went everywhere!

Gaylord was across the hall in bed reading.  I called for him – 3 times!  I don’t think he was prepared for the sight he saw.  Water was shooting horizontally from the two pipes, and, in my state of unpreparedness, I had failed to tuck the shower curtain in to contain it.  Needless to say, there was a huge mess and, subsequently, no water.  My dear husband's major concern seemed to be that he did not get his shower first.

On a positive note, that was the most water pressure I had had in that shower since arriving. 

Before the War

We arrived in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa, four weeks ago today. Daily life is proving to be more cumbersome and challenging than daily life should be in the 21st century.  Part of the reason for this is that much of Africa is still economically and developmentally lacking.  Liberia, specifically, has endured political and economic instability since a military coup in 1980 and two successive civil wars that left approximately 250,000 people dead and devastated the country's economy.  Today, Liberia is recovering from the lingering effects of the civil wars and their consequent economic upheaval, with about 85% of the population continuing to live below the international poverty line (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberia (accessed August 6, 2013)).

A phrase that I have heard countless times since our arrival is before the war. It seems that the war is an ever-fixed point in time from which all other life events are predicated.  While looking for housing, this fact was very evident.  We viewed over 17 properties, and almost all of them were in a current state of deterioration and disrepair, though they hinted of former days of luxury and beauty.  The explanation?  Before the war….  The electrical grid and water purification systems are no more, thus the need for generating power and filtering water and disinfecting vegetables to rid of contaminants.  Why?  Before the war…

Seeing the obvious effects of war in the physical elements of this country, I cannot help but consider the spiritual and emotional effects of war as well.  A recent article in Newsweek magazine (MacDougall, Clair. “When Liberian Child Soldiers Grow Up.”  Newsweek, July 7, 2013. http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2013/07/31/when-liberian-child-soldiers-grow-up.html (accessed August 6, 2013)) states the following:

The civil war in Liberia became known around the world for its atrocities, often involving children and teenagers as both perpetrators and victims. More than 38,000 children are estimated to have taken part in the war as fighters, porters, ammunition carriers, cooks, and sex slaves. What they saw and did—and what was done to them—is an unredeemable reality.  In the aftermath of the wars, the government and Western aid agencies created programs to help former child soldiers reenter society, but many have been unable to build normal lives—especially the girls and women whose soldier past is seen by Liberian society as more of a transgression. While many male commanders negotiated government positions after the war, female combatants were largely excluded from the process. Today many of the women who went to war are shunned and live in slums, scraping by for survival, often by prostituting themselves for a few dollars.

Oh, the recollections these young people must have before the war, and, yet, how different life must be for them now. As men endeavor to re-build buildings and power plants and water systems, only God can re-build the human heart and spirit.

A person does not have to live through a literal war to have wounds from battle.  Life offers to each of us opportunities for devastation and destruction.  Disappointment, loneliness, heartache, abandonment, sickness, disease, abuse, poverty, and neglect wait for each person.  Do you have an event in your life that has become your before the war moment?  Most of us do.

John 10:10 says that the thief comes not, but to steal, to kill, and to destroy but that Jesus came that we might have life – and not just life but life more abundantly. Through Christ there are no unredeemable realities.  Paul shared with the Romans (5:12-21) that by one man, Adam, sin entered the world, resulting in spiritual death for all men, for all have sinned. But as by Adam’s offence death reigned, much more the gift of righteousness reigns in life by one, Jesus Christ. Sin endeavors to leave us forever altered in this life, but where sin abounds unto death and defeat, grace much more abounds to life and victory in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Can you recall your before the war situation or circumstance?  Jesus stands ready to heal your hurts and to restore you to the person you were before the war sin waged in your life.  My prayer is that you will allow Him to do so.