Christmas gifts

Looking for a last minute Christmas idea? Give a child in Liberia an opportunity to go to school. $75 will provide a work-grant/scholarship for a youth for one school year. $25.00 provides a school uniform. That doesn't sound like much to us, but to a Liberian, $75. is almost 40% of the per capita income for the year! Each student that receives a scholarship works 3 hours per month on their school campus, and has to maintain certain academic and attendance criteria. If you are someone connected with this blog, it would be a great present for one of the individuals going on our work team to St. Matthew's school in January. If you are just surfing and see this, go to http://www.gbgm-umc.org/operationclassroom/. There is information for this and several other opportunities to help operation classroom students! If you can't help monetarily, would take a moment right now to pray for the children of Liberia? Thanks. CLG

The building is started! Anthony Dioh, our Liberian contact at the school, has contacted the team and told us that the school has started the building project. As of right now, the foundation is dug and the blocks are going up. They are hoping to have the project far enough along that our team can help with stucco and painting.
Our Warsaw District, which includes United Methodist Churches in Kosciusko County, and stretches to Columbia City and Plymouth raised over $10,000 to begin this project. What a joy that all of our district, in partnership with the school, are helping to get this building done!

As the Christmas season intensifies, I find that my view of giving is changing. I wonder how much the prospect of going to Africa to work and mingle with St. Matthews school is the cause. Maybe the economy and so much need in this country is also a factor. I am sure my first Christmas with my Grandson Jackson also bears some responsibility. How can I give enough to overcome poverty and starvation? How can I help those in need or out of jobs? What can I give Jackson that will be the key for him to find happiness and hope throughout life?

In 5 weeks we will be ready to leave. I go to Liberia, not to preach the good news of Jesus Christ, but to live that good news. "Go and make disciples" means to me to go and sweat, and work, and show the destitute that they are loved, and that someone cares. It will be a life changing 10 days.

What kind of gifts am I giving? What will I leave behind? I will bring small tokens, give my work, sprinkle smiles and caring. I will hope that I briefly mirror Christ. But what I bring back will be the most important part of my Christmas giving this year. If I come back and ignore those in need around me, if I do not share that love here, my trip may just become another vacation.

I suspect I will come back having received much more than I have given. Maybe that is what I seek this Christmas--To know that whatever I give others will not just be a shiny new toy or a small item they don't want, but rather a gift that grows our love and understanding of one another.

I can't save the world from itself. I can only reach out in love to those around me and the world, and hope that each gift I give will be one that reflects the grace and peace of Jesus.

We are currently anxiously getting ready to go to Monrovia - clothes are being purchased (it will be hot), vaccines have been injected, passports and visas obtained, books being read, and prayers being said. We will try to post frequently between now and January. After we arrive in Monrovia we will attempt to post daily.