First Impressions

We arrived in Monrovia, Liberia, one week ago today, beginning a four-year mission assignment.  Already I can tell that life here is going to be different from anywhere I have ever lived before. It is rainy season right now, so it has rained a part of every day or night since our arrival.  The air is humid, and the weather is hot.

 

Liberia lacks most of the modern conveniences to which I have grown accustomed. I am adjusting to cooking with gas from a propane tank and remembering which tasks can be done with electricity and lighting, and which tasks cannot.  Just this morning Gaylord was commenting that the room we were in needed more electrical plugs.  Really?  I was thinking it needed more electricity!

 

 

DeVane and Mary McGee are the resident missionaries here, and they have graciously hosted us and assisted us in getting settled.  They have taxied us about town for groceries, telephone and internet connections, and introductions to some of our pastors and institutions.  They have done all of this while also hosting a gentleman from the states and regional personnel from our missions organization.  I am reminded of the scripture that speaks of the reward of giving a cup of cold water in Jesus' name. Surely there will be an extra star in their crowns for their hospitality, especially since this has been their pattern for the past 2 1/2 years of ministry in this country. 

The national church leadership of the Liberia Assemblies of God (LAG) hosted a dinner in honor of the American guests and the new missionary couple.  It was very nice, and we appreciated the warm welcome into their country.  We toured the new radio station and two of the Bible schools that have been or are being reconstructed/refurbished.  There is much to be done to assist in church planting and training of national pastors.  As one of the Bible school administrators stated, "Many of our pastors were killed during the war or fled our country; therefore, we need more pastors, and we need training for them. The time is far spent."  I think that puts in perspective the focus of training to fulfill the great commission as stated in Matthew 28:19,20:  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

So one week into this new assignment, I say thank you, Lord.  Thank you for the honor of your call upon my life.  Thank you for the opportunity to serve as you lead and where you lead.  May I extend to others the grace that has been extended to me, both by you and by your servants.  May I ever walk worthy of the life you have called me to live.

Beginning Life in Liberia

I can already tell that life in Liberia is going to be more challenging, but I am not yet overwhelmed!  We are already beginning the search for living quarters.  The main thing I am looking for is airflow (for the times when there is no electricity).  Hot and sticky are not usually my style, but they can be for the sake of the call and the kingdom!

The LIBERIAN LINK Newsletter: June 2013

The LIBERIAN LINK Newsletter: March 2013

The LIBERIAN LINK Newsletter: December 2012

Day 30: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful that in 1863, in the midst of civil war, President Lincoln declared a national day of Thanksgiving to be observed each November. Not all countries do this. May we each take this time to pause and reflect on the rich bounty of God toward our nation and her people. I pray that you have a great day of celebration with family and friends. I am thankful for each of you who enrich my life by sharing through this social network.

 

 

Day 29: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful that I have many more blessings than this challenge allows. Though 29 days have passed so far, I trust that I will always remain thankful for the blessings of God in my life and will take some time each day to express that appreciation to Him and others.

Day 28: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful for the opportunity to serve our next missions term in Liberia. This country and its people need the restorative work of the Holy Spirit, not only spiritually but emotionally and physically as well. We are expecting much fruit for our labor and the labor of those who have gone before us planting seeds of faith and works.

Day 27: Thanksgiving 2012

Day 27:  I am thankful for cool, crisp early mornings and hot, relaxing bubble baths.

Day 26: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful for music. I have discovered a local radio station that plays music from the ‘70s. Oh, what memories of high school and college it evokes! Christmas music is always a favorite, and religious music from Southern gospel to contemporary Christian can stir my heart to praise and worship. I wake up singing and continue so throughout the day. To quote a lyric, “I got the music in me!”

Day 25: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful for my brothers and sister.  Though time and circumstance have altered our relationships, they remain the keepers of cherished family memories and hold a place in my heart that cannot be filled by anyone else.  I first learned to love and be loved through each of them.

 

 

Day 24: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful for the children in my life. Children remind me of the values of wonder, honesty, and creativity. What an opportunity and responsibility we have to speak into their lives and to allow them to speak into ours!

Day 23: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful for sleep. I have never had a problem with falling asleep at night nor sleeping soundly. The older I get, the more I revert to childhood and even appreciate the once-dreaded nap. Oh, to refuel for another day or another task!

Day 22: Thanksgiving 2012

Today I am thankful for fast food. Variety, cost and convenience certainly make my life easier and will be sorely missed in a few months.

Day 21: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful for technological advances - specifically computers and internet connectivity. I have become so dependent on both for business and pleasure.

Day 20: Thanksgiving 2012

I am so thankful that we spent our extended first missions term (aka second term) in Malawi, Africa. The Malawi Assemblies of God is comprised of beautiful men and women full of passion and energy. There are few experiences that rival travel and ministry across this extraordinary country.

Day 19: Thanksgiving 2012

I am so thankful that God allowed us to minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of God in the country of Namibia. This was our first assignment as missionaries and our first time to live in another culture. I know we made mistakes, but our friends were so gracious to love us anyway. We forged relationships that will last a lifetime.

 

Day 18: Thanksgiving 2012

I believe that the commission to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world is for all Christians - at home and abroad. I am thankful that God called me to be both a minister and a missionary. 17 years of pastoral ministry in the USA and 9 years in foreign missions have brought challenges, faith, and fulfillment that I pray have served to honor God in obedience to His great call.

Day 17: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful that I am now a homeowner (well, us and the bank). We lived in parsonages for 17 years, then missions/rental property for 10. Thanks to a good housing market for the buyer, low interest rates, and God's direction and provision, we have just purchased a home for retirement some day. We bought a bit of a fixer-upper, but so thankful for a place to call home in a few days.

Day 16: Thanksgiving 2012

I have loved taking pictures since I got my first camera as a child.  There is no telling how many photos I have taken since that time.  I am thankful for cameras - past and present - and  modern-day digital technology.  I no longer have to mail off film and run to the mailbox every day hoping to receive my snapshots and wondering how many of them will have turned out okay. 

Day 15: Thanksgiving 2012

I am so thankful for health and strength. At our different stages of life, I can still outlast my girls when it comes to shopping or completing projects.  Medical tests upon our return to the USA resulted in a clean bill of health - the better to continue serving as the Lord leads and enjoying life to the fullest!

Day 14: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful for running water and electricity. It is hard for Americans to realize sometimes that people TODAY in many parts of the world, live without these luxuries that we take for granted. I have not yet had to haul my own water, but many of my friends do daily. I have had to go prolonged periods without electricity and function by candlelight; whereas, so many of my friends do not even have the option of electricity where they live.

Day 13: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful that I have the abiltiy and license to drive a vehicle.  The attached photo shows me beside a trusty little vehicle that served me well up and down the roads in Malawi.  I have driven all over America, in Namibia and Malawi, Africa, with an international driver's license and licenses from Texas and Malawi.  I have driven on some of the best roads and highway systems and some of the worst roads with no highway system. I have driven fast, and I have driven where walking would have been faster.  In every situation I am thankful for the independence and adventure available to me because I can drive.

 

 



Day 12: Thanksgiving 2012

I am so thankful that I am a Christian.  I am glad that I came to know Jesus Christ as lord and savior at an early age.  Since He and His word are one, the Bible is my primary source of counsel and instruction for living.  It brings me closer to God and God closer to me.

Day 11: Thanksgiving 2012

I am thankful for a dad who always believed that I could do anything or be anything that I wanted in life. Not all girls are encouraged to pursue education or professions, but my dad always had high expectations for me and bragged to others about my abilities and choices.