At The Beach

We have just enjoyed three weeks of break from school. We had some extra people from the States at the village during this time, and many activities were planned to keep children busy and out of trouble! Like a big soccer match and baseball games and kickball games for the older ones. Sand toys and dress up clothes were made available for the younger set. Some days, there was a movie shown for the oldest kids, and story times with sing-a-longs for the little ones.

One favorite activity that was held throughout the three weeks vacation was a beach walk scheduled for each cottage. A mama and her "family" walked to the beach and enjoyed a couple hours there, just hanging out and playing on the sand. Lots of shells were gathered during these adventures and brought back to the village.

Some cottages now have pretty shells scattered around their steps and under the bushes. Many sand crabs were chased on these beach walks, and slower crabs were captured. In the process, a few fingers were nipped by irate crabs. There are some boys who will be a little more cautious about crab chasing in the future!

Sand castles were also sculpted. Budding architects worked carefully to build delightful creations with moats and tunnels. School resumes on Monday, so fun and games are over for awhile. Here are some pictures of good memories of those sandy walks.

For Your Eyes Only

 Yesterday, I took Trudy (age 12) to an eye clinic being held at an orphanage about 45 minutes away, just outside the Firestone Plantation, at a community called Cotton Tree. The clinic was being run by a group of people from Georgia.  This group comes every year and they go into the bush to an orphanage they began a few years ago. They added this orphanage in Cotton Tree to their itinerary this year, to help another organization, and then the head of THAT organization contacted me (Debbie and I had talked about Trudy's vision before).  I was very excited to have Trudy get a real eye exam.

 

The eye clinic was to be held from ten until four. We drove up to the building at 9:45am and we were the first vehicle there and everyone thought we were the eye team. I had Trudy, Patience (along for the ride; she is in the same cottage as Trudy), and Amanda and Sydney,  two mini missionaries with me. We were welcomed warmly, and immediately babies were handed to Amanda and Sydney. For the next two and a half hours, they never had their arms empty! And everyone always wants to touch the white people.  So children were constantly touching us. They love to touch our arms and run their fingers through our hair.

 

The two vans (which we had passed on the highway) pulled up soon after us. The folks from Georgia were nice people, but a bit overwhelmed. For several of them, this was their first visit to Liberia, and they had only arrived in country the day before.  There were hundreds of people crammed into this orphanage waiting for eye exams (or for whatever they could get!). Many of them were children under the age of ten. There were mothers with four/five kids in tow. And lots of babies....people thought the babies needed an eye exam. Not sure how that works. And there was no order. Just a mass of humanity all crammed into a room, waiting expectantly.

 

The Liberian man with a bullhorn was totally ignored. He told the people that anyone without an eye problem needed to go home. No one left. He told the crowd that only children older than ten and adults would be seen today. The five million kids all stayed and stared at him. Mothers with little babies sat and waited. The roar in the room got louder and louder, as people yelled across the room to their friends and children scuffled in the "aisles" ( I use the term "aisles" loosely, as there were NO walkways. Just people. Everywhere.)

 

Trudy and I waited on the edge of the crowd, waiting to see what would happen next. Upon their arrival, the team had said we would be first, as we had driven a ways and probably had things to do yet today. Obviously, for most of the others in the room, it was a social event. Cotton Tree is a very poor area and there is not a lot to do for entertainment. An eye clinic would probably be the social shindig of the month!

 

The team set up a registration table in the adjoining room, and the crowd surged forward. I told Trudy to stay with me and we pushed forward. At times it was a bit scary, as we were pushed from behind with nowhere to go in front! Mostly we stood, and then we moved about four inches. And then we stood again. And Hot! Did I mention how hot it was in the room with a million of people? A few years ago, I might have fainted, but now I am a pro, having endured many a hot, airless room waiting in various medical clinics. Of course, if I HAD fainted, I would not have fallen over, as I was nicely braced by people on all sides. And then the guy with the drum began to play. Ohnminegoodness! At that point, I was really kind of wishing I would faint!

 

Trudy and I finally made it to the registration table in the next room. There were people leaning over the table, telling the poor white ladies in "perfect standard English" that  they could not see far away or close up, they had runny tummy, their legs hurt, this hand was swollen, they had a cough for many weeks now, the one month old baby needed to see a doctor...it was nuts! The man with the bullhorn was besides us, in the doorway, still trying to get people without eye issues to GO HOME.

 

This smaller registration room was also filled with people...mostly mothers with babies and lots of children. They had taken their chairs from home to sit and watch the strange white people. (It is not an uncommon thing to do here, to BYOC...Bring Your Own Chair). Trudy registered, was given a piece of paper and told to stand in the next line. Trudy turned around to get in the next line, and she was there. She did not move from the table, but just turned around. The next line was jammed up next to her. The room was so full of Looky-Loos that the ones who actually were to receive an eye exam were squeezed off to one side. That was the last straw! I could not stand it any more. These foreigners from Georgia were much too polite! I asked the ladies at the table if I could clear the registration room and reorganize the treatment line. They said Please do!

 

First, I kicked out all the Looky-Loos. I made at least fifty children go out the side door, and then kicked out most of the mothers with babies (Yes, I am the heartless one.) I had them all take their chairs outside. After we finally had some space to maneuver, I moved the treatment line to the opposite side of the door leading to the "exam rooms" (which were the orphanage bedrooms).  Meanwhile, Man With Bullhorn was keeping the first doorway blocked, so no one else could enter the registration room.  The room became quieter, organized, and the poor harried ladies at the registration table began to smile again. Man With Bullhorn only allowed one person in at a time now, as a space became available at the registration table. Folks received their treatment paper and walked across the room to stand at the back of the line. It was a beautiful thing to see! A cool breeze wafted through the room (Ok, I might have imagined that it was a COOL breeze, but there was a little air movement) and I am pretty sure that angels in heaven began to sing.

 

I did have to stand guard at the side door, as several kidlings kept trying to sneak back in. Finally, Man With Bullhorn got a security guard to stand at the side door. Yes, a little order is a glorious thing. Ah-h-h-h...

 

The optometrist in charge came out to say Hi. He thanked me for the crowd control. I told him that at our village, we do lines well. Trudy thought that was funny. The optometrist had heard of the foundation we are a part of, and he asked some questions about the village. He was wearing a cool t-shirt that said "If not me, who?"  

 

When it was Trudy's turn for an exam, it was such a delight to see how she could understand the English being spoken and follow the directions. And, yep, she is nearsighted. They fitted her with a pair of glasses. And the optometrist also gave her a pair of sunglasses. He liked Trudy. She was polite and well-spoken and a proper young lady. A wonderful representative of our village. And now she has a pair of glasses and can see. 

 

Trudy and I fought our way back through the big room on our way out. It was still wall-to-wall people, waiting to see the eye team for malaria meds, or Ibuprofen, or crutches, or burn medicine, or worm medicine, or clothes, or money, or whatever they thought they could get.  Oy! What a deal.

 

Patience, Amanda, and Sydney were waiting for us outside. They had been playing with little kids for the past two hours. Time to go! Amanda made sure that I did not run over any children as we backed out of the orphanage courtyard, and we got the Land Cruiser headed out of Cotton Tree. Whew!  We were all exhausted by this experience, and I am pretty sure that our new friends from Georgia slept very well last night, also. 

 

I am very thankful that God provided an opportunity for Trudy to receive an eye exam from a reputable eye team and that she was able to get glasses. Today, at church, she could see the pastor!  I am also thankful that our God is a God of order and peace. And we must demonstrate this whenever we can. If not us, who?

 

love, Babs

Mother's Day 2013

Mother's Day in Liberia is a big deal. A "Mother of the Year" is chosen in every church. Names are submitted by the congregation, and secret voting is done to chose the special lady who is to receive the honor this year. The  names of the winners are announced a few weeks prior to Mother's Day, and then these ladies are celebrated and honored throughout the service on Sunday, Mother's Day. These Mother's Day services can go on for hours, as there is special music and "pinning" (candy and ribbons are pinned on members of the congregation who go to the front of the sanctuary and place money in the offering box. We think this money is to pay for extra expenses incurred for the special Mother's Day worship service...like flowers and fancy bulletins and candy and ribbons.)

The ladies of Liberia wear their best outfits to church on Mother's Day, as all women are honored on this day. Attached are pictures of mamas from the orphanage, all decked out in their pretty church clothes. These ladies know how to dress. I usually feel a little dowdy next to the colorful dresses, high heels, glittering earrings, matching head wraps, large necklaces, big hand bags...It's a bit much for me, a simple Dutch girl.

At the village, Mother's day is treated as a  holiday! The tables are set with tablecloths, matching napkins, and fresh flowers picked from the jungle. Handmade cards and small gifts are set at the mothers' places at supper. A special meal is served (like Jolliff Rice with Chicken, or Spare Ribs with Rice), and cake is served for dessert. 

All the children at the village made Mother' Days cards for their mamas. Many hearts and flowers and butterflies (plus a few cars and space ships) were carefully drawn, and sweet sentiments were written inside the card. My favorite sentiments were "Happy Moter Day" and "Happy Day to You" and "Mama, You are all Right!" One little boy wrote a heartfelt note: "Mama, I will try to be good." The kids colored their best and the children vowed to not tell the mamas that they made anything special for them. (Right! Like anyone can keep a secret here!)

It was a fun day, filled with excitement and love. I, too, received some cards from children. One girl wrote "I pray for God to make you strange and healthy." Dave tells me that her prayers have been answered.

And I wish a "Happy Day to You!"

---Babs

Taxi Wisdom

Here are the latest life philosophies being proclaimed on Liberian roads these days:

March

 We are often asked by visitors which month is the warmest here in Liberia. The answer is: “the first three months you arrive.”  After that is just becomes a fact of life. That being said, March can be rather hot. March can also be dry or wet. Once again it is a month of change, from the dry season of little moisture to the rainy season.  Each morning we do not know what to expect when we leave our air conditioned bedroom. It may feel like a blast furnace or a relatively comfortable 78 degrees (always with some humidity, though).
March is the month we usually start painting the exteriors of buildings here. The exteriors walls get painted every eighteen months. On a morning when rain has fallen during the night, the maintenance guys wash walls the till noon and then paint until quitting time. In the other months, it is either too wet or too dusty from the dirt road to paint.

The month of March has two holidays here. This year they came one day apart. The kids went to school Monday and Tuesday; then had Wednesday off. Back to school on Thursday and then off again on Friday. This gives every employee the chance to show their work ethic. “Do I get up and go to work on Thursday, or do I call in sick and take a three day vacation?”  There are always those who opt for the latter which keeps us well versed on how to do all the jobs as we cover for “sick” employees. 
 

A holiday means that it is time to do something special with the kids. It was decided to do a beach walk on Friday. Going to the beach is always fun. Babs helps the kitchen staff pack a lunch (like one hundred sandwiches and lots of cookies) and there are plastic bags available for the kids to save those special sea shells. To Dave’s chagrin, for some kids, the sea shells are not the main thing anymore. Older boys want to bury large logs in the sand and chase sand crabs into the surf; and then a few of the older girls are on the lookout for that special male day student who is “so cute!” Dave is not too excited about dealing with Jr. High girls and all those emotional fluctuations.   
 

We also celebrate three birthdays in March: Miatta, Darris , and Romeo all turned seven this year. Babs tells them that the most special people are born in March! (Can you guess what month she was born in?)
 
This year, Good Friday and Easter also fall in March. Most churches will have Good Friday services, beginning at noon and ending at 3:00pm. The mothers will take the children to church, and most families will leave the village by 10:00am, in order to get to church on time. And, of course, Easter Sunday will be a special day in every church. March is one busy month!

Kingdom Thinking

I sat on the swing and pulled him onto my lap.  We gently floated back and forth. He nestled into me and began to enjoy the ride. I considered this little boy. He was four years old, and unable to talk. He was a happy guy, full of energy and he could understood what was being said; he responded appropriately. However, it was obvious that he was not "normal." He would say a word correctly now and then, but would be unable to repeat it. He was scared of dolls and stuffed animals. He had the attention span of a gnat. Definitely some developmental issues going on here.

 

How could this be? We are certain that each child in this place has been chosen by God to be here. To cut through the maze of bureaucracy and with all the hurdles that present themselves as each child is considered for placement in this village, it is amazing that ANY child comes through the gates.  We are certain that each child here has been placed in this orphanage for a special purpose; that they will have the opportunity to do some great work in the Kingdom. This village places a high emphasis on quality education; it is basically a college-prep institution, with the long term goal of preparing these children for godly leadership in their country.

 

So how could this be? Here was a sweet little boy who probably would never be a clever CEO or a discerning Supreme Court Justice or a dynamic preacher or a brilliant surgeon. Very possibly, this child might not even finish eighth grade. What special job could there be for him?   Swinging back and forth with my friend, I considered these thoughts.

 

And suddenly, it came to me and I understood! 

 

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said "the first shall be last."  There was a lot of discussion about this statement in our Bible study, and several different thoughts were shared.  One idea was that part of what Jesus was telling the disciples with that declaration was "Hey, there is nothing the same about my Kingdom. It is totally different from this world that you are used to!  Like the first will be last, and the last will be first;  and to be great, you have to be humble and serve others;  don't hate your enemies, but in the Kingdom, you love your enemies!"  Jesus said to stop making things so difficult: just remember to love God first with your whole being, and then love others.  He said those that self exalt themselves here will be humbled later, and those humbled here in this world will be exalted in the Kingdom.

 

It occurred to me while sitting on that swing with this precious child of God that I had been thinking like the world. I was not "Kingdom thinking." With God's eyes, when He sees my little friend,  He sees the potential of a young man who loves others without judging. God sees this boy as one who CAN accomplish whatever work God has set for him to do in the Kingdom. God knows the abilities of this child. He knows his weaknesses and strengths, and God will use them for the Kingdom.

 

My thoughts rambled on: is the Sunday school teacher less important than the preacher? Not in the Kingdom. Is the janitor less important than the choir director? Not in the Kingdom. Is the school secretary less important than the Minister of Education? Not in the Kingdom. In the Kingdom, nothing is as it seems here in this world. So is a "perfect" child (whatever that is) more important than one who has learning disabilities?  Not in the Kingdom. "The first shall be last". 

 

As the swing lazily drifted back and forth, I was filled with awe. I held upon my lap a person who had a great destiny before him. I may never know what purpose this boy will someday fulfill, but I have no doubt that as a member of the Kingdom of God, he will do great things. My young friend grinned up at me, and I thought how God had ALREADY used this boy to teach an important lesson.

It's Starting to Look A Lot like Christmas

What makes Christmas for you? Is it the music, or the shopping, or decorations, or parties, or cookies, or the special Sunday school program? Here, we have it all!

"O Come, All Ye Faithful" is belted out in music class by the first graders, and the dining hall is quite festive with the Christmas tree and paper garland draped from the ceiling. It is the end of school, so there will be a special program for the parents of the day students with lots and lots of cookies. The average Liberian does not get to eat cookies ever, so our homemade treats are a big hit!  Oh, I guess the biggest thing missing here is shopping. Dave would say that is certainly not a big loss, but one of us is feeling slightly retail deprived.

 

Is it the weather that makes it feel like Christmas...snow or overcast days with rain or fog? OK, we do not do well in the weather category. It is hot, and mostly sunny and dry, with the occasional thunderstorm thrown in every few days. The humidity is high, so it is sultry and steamy. Not a mitten or scarf in sight! No. It does not feel much like Christmas.

Is it the gifts that you enjoy about Christmas? The children have been making Christmas presents at school for their mothers. Fingers slathered with paint. Glitter, glue, crayons all working their magic into wonderful cards. Amazing creations out of paper and wood and ribbon. Excitement and enthusiasm for the special projects crafted with maybe more love and enthusiasm than talent. Gifts wrapped in hand decorated paper. It is a time for secrets and smiles.

Is it time spent with family and friends that make the days special for you? We miss our family very much during the holidays. This is our fifth Christmas away from home, and it is no easier this year to be far from those we love most. But we are surrounded by sixty five children and forty two employees, so we are certainly not alone!  And it is a busy time, so the days fly by. Accumulating and wrapping gifts for the kids takes many hours, and special meals and treats must be planned and organized. As children make gifts, we help supervise craft making and we clean up a lot of paint. Christmas Day itself will be full of activities and special food, and as it will be a skeleton work crew, we will help the kitchen staff that day.

One thing that makes it seem like the holidays here are the Christmas birds. White cranes arrive early in December, and their appearance officially marks the beginning of the holiday season. When the first Christmas bird was sighted around the seventh of December, there was much excitement on the village. Christmas was coming!

Another activity that marks Christmas for us is the Annual Traveling Christmas Pageant. A few days before Christmas, the children perform the story of Jesus' birth to the neighboring villages. It is a fun event, with angels, soldiers, shepherds, innkeepers, magi, and prophets making the trek through the sand with Mary and Joseph. Dress rehearsal this week went well. Shining angels smiled and the wise men sang their solos beautifully. Mary dropped Jesus, but quickly scooped him up and held him close. 

 

We hope that whatever makes the season special for you will be present in your celebrations. But mostly, we pray that King Jesus will be in all your celebrations. No matter what the weather is like, nor how many miles separate us from loved ones, or no matter how "unChristmasy" it feels, none of these things change the facts:  Jesus was born;  He walked this earth; He died for us.  Wow. What a Savior!   

Merry Christmas!

Love, Dave and Babs