From top left corner clockwise, 1) the porch outside my room. 2) REAP's office and missionaries' house. 3) Little house where the generator caught fire. 4) View from my bedroom's porch
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Cultural experience in Center Monrovia and more.....
These last days I have had more Liberian culture experiences.
On Wednesday, I went with Christine to the Samaritan’s Purse office for a morning meeting 10 am with
the steering committee for the All Liberian Life Festival. I went just as an observer, to take notes if needed
and to meet the people involved in the planning of the Festival.
After this long meeting went to a bank in the Center of
Monrovia; now I know why I wouldn’t live in big cities; just like México City it is crowded, bad traffic, no parking, busy, and with noise and fumes pollution.
After the bank we stopped in few other places and got home till almost 6pm.
Rainy season here is from April through October, and I have experienced some serious thunders, like the ones made tremble not long ago. (I guess I have grown up some, they don’t scare me anymore). Rain has not stopped since Thursday evening and I really like rain, but
let’s see how much I can handle. : )
Today Friday one of the pastors from the CCM (Community Church Ministries) came to have breakfast and talk about how to help REAP in
the WRT YEE center and how REAP can help the church with Freedom in Christ seminars.
We also had a short exciting time in the early evening. The Disel
generator started smoking; when I went out, there was a small fire coming from out of it, the gate keeper, house keeper (Big Esther) and Christine were trying to put the fire off. Esther pushed it out of the covered area to avoid the fire spreading to other things. We threw dirt inside of the generator to put the fire out. For a little while we didn’t have electricity, so I came to my room to read using a flashlight. The other generator was connected just in time for dinner time when a new guest came from Chicago; Shemilis an Ethiopian Lawyer assigned to work here for 3 weeks with the UNICEF The world is so small, he is from Addis Ababa a city in the north of Ethiopia where one of the HOM missionaries has gone many times to transfer patients from Sudan to the Fistula hospital.
Well I have been here for 5 days and I am still trying to establish a routine (Don’t know if I will be able, I am not usually a routine person). Don’t have plans for Saturday, but Sunday I will go to one of the CCM churches and see how I can get involved there.
Posted via email from lauraelena's posterous
On Wednesday, I went with Christine to the Samaritan’s Purse office for a morning meeting 10 am with
the steering committee for the All Liberian Life Festival. I went just as an observer, to take notes if needed
and to meet the people involved in the planning of the Festival.
After this long meeting went to a bank in the Center of
After the bank we stopped in few other places and got home till almost 6pm.
Rainy season here is from April through October, and I have experienced some serious thunders, like the ones made tremble not long ago. (I guess I have grown up some, they don’t scare me anymore). Rain has not stopped since Thursday evening and I really like rain, but
let’s see how much I can handle. : )
Today Friday one of the pastors from the CCM (Community Church Ministries) came to have breakfast and talk about how to help REAP in
the WRT YEE center and how REAP can help the church with Freedom in Christ seminars.
We also had a short exciting time in the early evening. The Disel
generator started smoking; when I went out, there was a small fire coming from out of it, the gate keeper, house keeper (Big Esther) and Christine were trying to put the fire off. Esther pushed it out of the covered area to avoid the fire spreading to other things. We threw dirt inside of the generator to put the fire out. For a little while we didn’t have electricity, so I came to my room to read using a flashlight. The other generator was connected just in time for dinner time when a new guest came from Chicago; Shemilis an Ethiopian Lawyer assigned to work here for 3 weeks with the UNICEF The world is so small, he is from Addis Ababa a city in the north of Ethiopia where one of the HOM missionaries has gone many times to transfer patients from Sudan to the Fistula hospital.
Well I have been here for 5 days and I am still trying to establish a routine (Don’t know if I will be able, I am not usually a routine person). Don’t have plans for Saturday, but Sunday I will go to one of the CCM churches and see how I can get involved there.
Posted via email from lauraelena's posterous
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Departure from California and Arrival to Liberia
Leaving California Liberia
We spent a good time trying to pack books, tools, battery fan, flashlights, battery charger, seeds, plus clothes and 4 months supply of shampoo, tooth paste and other toiletries.
I could only take three 50 pounds suitcases and two carry ons; it was difficult but we did it. We didn't have to leave anything behind and I had no problem checking in luggage. 1st of many praises.
You never realize how tired you are, until you can sleep all the way from California Liberia
Today I took it easy, Christine brought me breakfast to my room (I guess a welcome home treat), worked a little bit on plans for the week, and after dinner we went to the beach. We didn’t get to spend much time there since it was already dark; we only went to pick up a laptop donated to REAP.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Getting ready for departure
I have 5 days left before I go to Liberia. Time is short to pack, wrap up things in the office, say good byes, raise the remaining of my support, and in top of everything try to plan a wedding.Pray for energy and emotional strength.
The beginning
Last December during a house build trip in México, someone told me that there was a need in Liberia for a person to help in the REAP office. That person also said “Laura you told me you wanted a challenge.” At that point I didn’t consider it AT ALL. I told my bible study group about this opportunity but I told them “don’t pray, I don’t want to go.”
In January I attended a Missions Conference with all the HOM staff. On the way to the conference I was asked if I thought about going to Liberia, my first reaction was NO WAY! I can’t leave now, my mom’s health wasn’t good at that moment and didn’t want to leave Robert for a whole year. Those 4 days in that conference were very hard. I had a feeling of guilt because of my unwillingness to GO, because all you hear in a missions conference is, GOD SEND ME, WHEREVER YOU SEND ME I WILL GO. I struggled with a selfish and unwilling heart, feeling the pressure of what is the right thing to do vs. what do I want to do. I didn’t want to go for the wrong reasons.
My prayer during the conference was “God if you want me to go, please change my heart and give me peace about it”. This prayer was more emotional when I heard the song “Still my soul be still”, which was sang few times while there.
At the end of the conference GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYER, I was willing to hear more about Liberia.HOM had already plans to visit Liberia in February and after prayer and talks to some people who have been there before, I decided to see if it was where God was calling me to go.
I went to Liberia with an open heart and met amazing people, who live every day in dependency of the Grace and Mercy of God. Their lives were so hard during the war that ONLY GOD could help them daily to forget the horrors of the war and move on to serve HIM. I never thought my experience in the manufacturing industry could help ministry in Liberia. However, as REAP staff and I worked together, we thought of ways we could use to empower those working with REAP and to minister to those who we would want to reach out to. It was in meeting people with the desire to help Liberia, to rebuild it, to help the youth and young adults who have lost their parents or are indigent as a result of the civil war, that I realized what was God asking me to do.
In January I attended a Missions Conference with all the HOM staff. On the way to the conference I was asked if I thought about going to Liberia, my first reaction was NO WAY! I can’t leave now, my mom’s health wasn’t good at that moment and didn’t want to leave Robert for a whole year. Those 4 days in that conference were very hard. I had a feeling of guilt because of my unwillingness to GO, because all you hear in a missions conference is, GOD SEND ME, WHEREVER YOU SEND ME I WILL GO. I struggled with a selfish and unwilling heart, feeling the pressure of what is the right thing to do vs. what do I want to do. I didn’t want to go for the wrong reasons.
My prayer during the conference was “God if you want me to go, please change my heart and give me peace about it”. This prayer was more emotional when I heard the song “Still my soul be still”, which was sang few times while there.
At the end of the conference GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYER, I was willing to hear more about Liberia.HOM had already plans to visit Liberia in February and after prayer and talks to some people who have been there before, I decided to see if it was where God was calling me to go.
I went to Liberia with an open heart and met amazing people, who live every day in dependency of the Grace and Mercy of God. Their lives were so hard during the war that ONLY GOD could help them daily to forget the horrors of the war and move on to serve HIM. I never thought my experience in the manufacturing industry could help ministry in Liberia. However, as REAP staff and I worked together, we thought of ways we could use to empower those working with REAP and to minister to those who we would want to reach out to. It was in meeting people with the desire to help Liberia, to rebuild it, to help the youth and young adults who have lost their parents or are indigent as a result of the civil war, that I realized what was God asking me to do.
Even with this desire, I sought God’s confirmation. He heard my prayer and gave John 15:16 “you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name”. This verse made me realize I was not going, I was being sent. So I will be going to Liberia from July 10th through November 23rd.
Thank you for being part of this Journey with me.
Thank you for being part of this Journey with me.
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