Home ....but I left my heart in Logantown

After being up for 51 hours for our final day and trip home, we are taking a couple of days to get acclimated and adjusted to being home. This blog sight will remain active for several weeks as Jerry and I and team members use this forum to reflect on our trip and to ponder how God is speaking through our experiences. I will begin today with just a brief review of our last few days in Liberia for those of you that have been faithfully following this blog.
Friday was our last work day. We started the morning touring the Operation Classroom offices, and shared worship with our fellow United Methodists at the UMC compound which was a block from where we were staying. Then we were back to St. Matthews to finish up. When we arrived the workers had already done a lot of work, so we helped with the final stucco work around the lower outside foundation, and some final areas inside. Some of the guys helped hammer wooden frames for the windows, and after lunch we used different looking brooms to attempt to sweep the entire inside and newly cemented floor. The week saw all of the stuccoing finished inside and out, sand laid inside as well as 2 inches of cement over the entire inside. That may not sound like much, but bear in mind that all of the cement and stucco was mixed by hand and shovels as there are no "modern" cement mixers around, and each load when prepared was moved and spread by wheelbarrow and hand. Before we left on Friday we joined with the workers, School teachers and leaders, and ourselves to have a brief dedication service in the new cafeteria. Rev. Cindy Reynolds held the hand of the Vice Principal and prayed, and then Cindy Gack enlisted two taller men, Pastor Jim from our team and one of the workers from the Liberian group to reach up over the threshold of both sides of the entrances, and administered anointing oil. Some of the school personnel spontaneously began singing "What a friend we have in Jesus", and we all sang. American and Liberian hands made the sign of the cross over the entrances. We really were united as one at that moment in our love for one another, Jesus, and our concern for children everywhere. It was very difficult and sad to leave the sight, and it was like leaving family behind.
Saturday was spent in the van, touring the countryside. We wanted to have a vision of what the area outside of Monrovia was like. We toured the "red Light" district in Monrovia, which is an area around two intersections that at one time had a working red light. It is now a market area that is extremely crowded with people and anything that anyone in the area might want to buy. As we entered the country we saw more evidence of the civil wars that had taken place from 1989-2003. Places that at one time had been prosperous with large homes were gutted with destruction, with small mud huts next to them with new people living there. We visited a UMC retreat center and again met up with our singing women from St. Matthews that were there on ad district women's retreat. They again welcomed us with great hospitality. The country reflected the poverty conditions of the country in a little more laid back fashion, and gave us some good views of some of the natural resources of the land in bananas, rubber plants, pineapple plants and rice plantation. As we finished our tour we tried shopping the streets of downtown Monrovia, which in itself was an eye opening experience.
Sunday was worship. Rev. Cindy Reynolds preached at St. Matthews, the church that houses the school where we had worked. Pastor Jim, Pastor Mary and Pastor Bill all went to various other churches in the area to preach, and then were brought back to join us for the latter part of the service. Pastor Cindy G. chose to stay at St. Matthews to worship with Jerry and to sing with the Work team choir. It is impossible to totally capture the awesome experience of the worship service, but I will give my impressions. Hopefully other members of the work team will comment with their impressions also.
The service itself followed a definite order of worship that generally followed a typical book of worship format. The choir had no instruments other than drums, bongos, and their voices. They did not let that keep them from singing and dancing their praises to God. We sang some hymns together as well as praise music that was really animated with dancing and singing. The youth choir from the school sang an awesome song. Pastor Cindy Reynolds offered an inspiring message, and everyone came to the front in joy to give their offerings to God. At each part of the worship, it was emphasized by the church at how grateful they all were for our presence there and the Warsaw District's help in building their cafeteria.
Toward the end of the service they took time to officially honor us and they had a surprise for each of us. They called Cindy R up and gave her a beautiful hand made African dress, and head dress to match, which they preceded to have her wear. Then they called each of the work team up individually for recognition, and we each received African dresses or shirts to wear for the rest of the morning. This was an overwhelming display of generosity and thanksgiving by a church that didn't even have the funds to pay their Pastor over the past month! We were all humbled and so appreciative of this gift from the heart of a group of people that we each had learned to love.
We were able to give back. We had decided as a group to buy them a keyboard, which we presented to them that morning. Cindy L played the keyboard and the "district choir" sang 'Amazing Grace/Our Chains are gone' with the Liberians. They were so excited and thrilled to have an instrument to play for morning worship! We also presented a check for their offering and for the pastor so that he could get paid for the month.
We reluctantly again said good bye, and went back to the compound to pack and get ready to leave later that day.
Though the trip home took a chunk of two days, we were grateful to sleep in our own beds last night. The blogs over the next few days will be more of a reflection of the Liberian experience by myself and other members of the team.
I am thankful to be home, to have a toilet that flushes and electricity that runs my house. But a part of my heart remains with the people of Liberia that shared such joy of living, love and gratefulness for our presence, and hope in the Lord despite so many reasons not to. CG (Or Cindy #2)

We're home

This will be a very brief posting. It is now 4:00 Am Tuesday Jan 20 and we just arrived home. Praise the Lord!!There were flight delays in Brussels and in Newark, but we made all connections. Thanks go out to Merle Heckaman from Walnut Creek for meeting us at the Indianapolis airport in the Walnut Creek bus and driving us back to Warsaw. After we get some sleep we will post again later today.


Jerry

Thursday - day 4

Good evening or good afternoon - We have just returned from a day of sweeping, hauling, shoveling, mudding, pounding, mixing and most importantly talking and interacting. It looks like the cafeteria will have everything but windows and paint by the time we leave tommorrow!! The friendliness and willingness of the high school age guys who are working on the building is amazing. They are all working very hard and long days trying to get done this week. Most of use have been asked for contact information for after we get home. Even though these young men have been through a long war they are still able to dream for the future. I attached a picture of some of the neighborhood children that love to stop by and get their picture taken. It is again very hot today, but we did not get the rain shower in the afternoon like we did Tuesday and Wednesday.

We hope everyone is staying warm and healthy.

Jerry

third day and trying again

As you may have guessed, we are having trouble getting internet to send from Liberia. Today we continued our work on the building. Bruce and the workers finished the cement floor today with help from Jerry and Jim. Vern and Cindy Gack helped the stucco guys with the cement mixture. Cindy has found her calling playing in the mud. Cindy R and Mary took a morning trip to purchase some surprises for the school, and then helped with water. Cindy L helped with water and Bernadene continued to smooth stucco, up again on the makeshift ladders. Tommy helped the water patrol. Bill continued to converse with the many kids in the neighborhood, and encourage the high schoolers in their future plans. We learned today that our guides here, Anthony and Jennifer, went to the hospital. Jennifer has malaria, so please pray for them both. the people here are so friendly and stop by to just thank us and all from the Warsaw District for allowing them to have a new cafeteria. Thank you all for your prayers. cg

Second day

TODAY was an exciting and busy day. Jerry helped to stucco, and hauled 40 bags of concrete that weighed 80 pounds each. Bernadene stuccod and even climbed a makeshift scaffold. The 3 Cindys shoveled lots of sand, and mary eileen hauled water and shoveled. Jim stuccod and helped with the concrete. Vernon and Bruce worked on the concrete floor. Tommi guarded and dispensed water. Bill talked with a bunch of kids and helped some highschoolers talk about future plans and the need for money. It rained this afternoon, and though it was hot, it felt great. We celebrated Cindy R birthday in several ways. A group of women stopped by to thank us for the cafeteria, and then sang to Cindy. The other cindys joined in to sing and dance with them in praise to God. Tonight we had dinner at the royal hotel

Second day

Today was an exciting and busy day. When we arrived the workers were already very busy and we started right in. Jerry helped stucco and moved

We've arrived

HELLO TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY: We arrived safely yesterday at about 9 pm Liberian time. It was a long and grueling trip, but 34 hours after we started, we got to the complex in Monrovia. Today we went to St. Matthews school. They were all waiting for us, and they had a special assembly in our honor. They are all so excited and happy to have us with them< and the cafeteria is blocked and roofed< and today we worked on putting a concrete floor down> we continue that tomorrow as well as starting to do stucco work> sORRY about the typing, I am at an internet cafe and the computer is different, but the internet at the compound is down. So we may be a little slow getting back to you again, but know that we feel your prayers and that the Liberians here are so grateful and loving. The conditions here are worst than expected, but the joy of seeing the children and youth so excited in our presence makes it easier to see. Please continue to pray for us as we work this week. Our compound has electricity at night so the heat is not so bad. We are all healthy and ready to get back at it tomorrow. Blessings and prayers to all. Cindy G

a typical work day

We hope to arrive in Liberia this Sunday. On Monday, our work day will begin. We have been given an approximate idea of what a day will entail:
Breakfast and Devotional
Leave compound approximately 8 AM
About 30 minute van ride through town
Arrive at worksite and get to work!
Eat lunch at the school
Leave around 3 to 4 PM or later.
Our evenings will be free to share with others, blog, and relax

keeping time

It is now 7:30 PM as I write tonight. Liberia is 5 hours ahead of us. That makes today tomorrow in Liberia. Doesn't it? 12:30 AM on Sunday morning. As I think about tomorrow, I think about my trip being just about one week away! Wow. I can hardly wait. cg

9 days to go! We are spending this first day of the new year trying to get a little more organized for our trip. We started our anti-malarial tablet today,and somehow, that made the trip suddenly seem closer to reality.
My brother-in-law asked a very intriguing question during Christmas about our trip. "Why are we going, and wouldn't it be more effective with the high unemployment rate and need of the people to just send the money we are spending on the trip to the people and let them get paid for constructing the building?
This is a great question that I open up to all. As I have pondered that question, I think of my own family and friends. When they are in need of money or help, I could just open up the pocketbook and give them money and leave it at that. There are times that is appropriate. But there are a lot of times when they seem to appreciate and need our presence. I treasure the times we have worked together on a project. When times are difficult, a hug and expression of love speak volumes when we need it most. In my own life some of the most sacred memories are of working together with others to overcome adversity or to see a project to completion.
I look forward in nine days to working with my new friends in Liberia, and sharing relationship and work with them.
What do you think?