The LIBERIAN LINK Newsletter: December 2013

The LIBERIAN LINK Newsletter: September 2013

Here Is The Rain You Asked For

I know I have mentioned it before, but do you remember that it is raining in Liberia?  Here is visual confirmation from our journey to church this morning in the pouring rain.

When we got to the church and parked as close as we could, we realized that the path we had to walk to get in the building was at least ankle-deep in water.

I wore sandals, so other than water-sanitation issues, that was not a big problem.  Gaylord, on the other hand (or foot in this case), wore dress shoes and socks.  What was he to do besides roll up his trouser legs, take off his socks and shoes, and wade into the building? That is exactly what he did! 

One of the ushers was gracious and brought him a towel to dry his feet before putting his socks and shoes back on.  The people were impressed that the missionaries would go to this length to minister to their church.  I guess they don’t know us that well yet, but they are learning.

Here are some random photos of sights seen from the inside doorway of the church.

We had a great service and enjoyed a delicious lunch of fish and rice with Pastor Amos and his wife, Agnes.

Several of you from Texas have asked us to send some rain your way.  This is the best I could do.

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.