Liberia - Thoughts Part 7

Day 9 - orphanage and departing - Friday
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Sitting at the airport now. Today we went to the orphanage and prayed over all the rooms and entrance. The guys went and got water. I took a bunch of pictures and video of the kids playing, posing, singing and dancing. From there we went back to pastor’s house and hung out there and packed up. I left a bunch of clothes for the boys who helped us this week; Morris, Power, Matthew, Amos, Prince and the rest. I told Laura (pastors wife) I was so sorry for the stinkyness of them but I was leaving them. She seemed grateful. It was fun to spend the last few hours with the pastor’s family and friends. But it was sad too. A whole bunch of people were crying, including my favorite kid, Priscilla. She is pastor Wesley’s daughter. She is 16 and very adorable. I asked her if she was glad to get her room back from 2 stinky boys and she said no, with tears in her eyes. I asked why and she said because we are going. Mad me feel sad. I hope we showed our love for them by being real with them. I hope to see them again. It hurts my heart to think I won't. I am glad to be going home and to cleanliness. And I am glad to be getting away from the poverty and everyone asking for help. But at the same time...I don't want to leave. I want to stay and make these people laugh and have fun. It doesn't seem like they get much pleasure. I don't know what I want god to call me too, but like Romania, this just feels right. I still don't think I'm prepared for this but its so right feeling. I can't understand how to do this and have the family life I want too. God will figure it all out. Oh and we ( I ) got some sweet video of George the monkey. And some cool pics. I so love the monkey...I want one! When we were driving away for the last time, the monkey was not out. The van was really sad and teary so I just said “well I'm going to do this”...and I stuck my head out the window and yelled by to the monkey real loud. Everyone laughed. We all laughed even more when we saw a stream of pee come out under the gate.

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As we went through baggage claim today, the bag checker saw dianes bible and he asked if she had another. She brought him one and after he found out we were all Christians he said "search is over" and let us through. It was pretty awesome.
-- random airport funny
Ryan just asked me if I had a comb...then didn't get it when I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Then he got it and teared up too. ... I guess you had to be there.
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So we are flying now and I just had the most overwhelming feeling of missing my Romania mission trip members. Sarah, Bill, Chuck, Jenny and of course Stepan. They would have enjoyed this trip as well. I have no idea what brought that up, probably god. Father as I sit on this plane making our way back to friends and family I pray to you to blanket my teammates from the Romania trip with your comfort, love and blessings. I pray for their families lord and for their homes. I ask that you would just fill their hearts with you lord. I love them father and I love you lord.
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Just landed in Brussels. That wasn't too bad a flight. I slept a bit but I am still pretty tired. It is 5:40am right now here. I hope we plan to rest for a bit before doing anything today. I think I may be coming down with a cold or something.

Liberia - Thoughts Part 5

Dec 6 - day 7 – Wednesday – Clinic and Orphange
Today we will be heading over to the orphanage. It'll be my first trip over...I'm anxious to see it. Afterwards we will be going back to the clinic to hang the medicine shelves and take inventory of the medicines. I just saw the video mike put up today and it'll make Wife cry.
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So we are back at the clinic now. We went to the orphanage and man oh man. They should be commended and praised for doing all they are doing in the conditions they live in. It was so sad to see the room about the size of my bathroom or even smaller, that sleeps 2 precious babies. The rooms for the girls is so small that the 2 bunk beds can't fit in the room properly. And the boys rooms are the same, too small for the beds. There are 13 girls in one room, then 7 boys in 1 room and 8 in another. The mattresses, or lack thereof is depressing. One of the girls beds had a 1/2 inch thick piece of foam. The bathroom is an outhouse. The well for water to clean with is about 300 feet away and the drinking well is about 1/4 mile away from the home. The clothes they were wearing were all tattered and torn. I pray for this home and those kids. They are so precious and god is so good, they are getting an education and provisions and exposure to god.
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I'm in bed now and I feel so guilty. There are kids sleeping on the floor in the hall way. Ugh. I don't know what to do...if I offer my pillow or mattress to one others won't have anything. My stomach hurts. Other things to journal about: we put up the shelves at the clinic today. All the medicine is in the clinic and Pastor Wesley will put it all up when he is ready. I also bought a cool African wood carving of the Liberian handshake. He threw in a couple of huts as well.
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I just went out and gave the boy outside my door my pillow. I couldn’t wake him, so I hope he wakes up and can/will use it.
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From tonight Bible Study: Pastor Wesley said this quote and I really loved it "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care". How unbelievable true is that?

Liberia - Thoughts Part 4

Dec 3 - day 4 - church day
Good morning. Its Sunday and we are all sitting around having some quiet time before we head off to church. I think we will be leaving soon. Across the way, boys are getting their hair cut, or rather shaved with a straight edge. I should go get my head shaved, my hair is getting long. It should look pretty funny by the time I get home. The clothes the women wear for church are pretty cool. One woman is in a cool yellow get up with a head covering. How manly of me to notice the dress of the women.

-- Church
So the music is amazing. I love it more than any other worship music I have ever heard in my life. I teared up more than a few times. It’s so amazing how spirit of god can pour over a body of believers when you the whole body is singing out to him. The African worship is just unbelievable. Dancing and singing and harmonizing...goosebumps and filled with Jesus.
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Well we are sitting at the restaurant and I can't get online, which stinks. Kelly did and he brought up the blog and I saw Wife and the kids post. Instant tears of course. We walked up to the restaurant from the church and man oh man did I sweat. I've sweat so much this trip. I'll be curious to see how stinky my suitcase is when I get back home. I got a few email addressees and phone numbers of some of the kids from the church. I gave my email out to a few as well. We shall see if I hear from any of them. I think after lunch is a time of rest back as pastor Wesley’s house.

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So we are hanging out playing games with kids. I'm having a great time. Its so cool to see kids be kids. People all over the world are the same. Its just social and economic issues that shake it up.
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Just got done playing football and doing prayer bracelets with the kids. This has been a good day. Just playing with the kids and hanging out and really being the light of Christ. I don't know if we are making a difference but it’s been fun. It’s a weird feeling, I guess its pretty much helplessness. But, I have to remind myself that no man is going to be able to fix this country and continent only god can and he will.
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It’s at this point I deleted an entire entry of notes and prayers, about 2 and ½ days worth of notes…dang it all!