Similar phrases normally revolve around the lack of amenities that are available in Liberia such as no electricity, little to no running water except in Monrovia, very poor roads, and an infrastructure that is probably 100 years behind America.

Yet, each time I hear these type of comments, I remember a quote I once heard that says,

“How much is too much for something or someone you love?”

The reference, as I recall, was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The Lord Jesus Christ, who had need of nothing, laid aside the splendors of glory to come down to a sin-cursed world, took upon Himself human flesh, and became a servant, obedient even to the death of the cross. This was NOT too much for our Savior to do in order that He might redeem to Himself His elect from every tongue, people, and nation.

2000 years have passed since the Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth and there are billions who have never heard the gospel even once. Here in the west, we hear it on the radio, see it preached on the television, sit through brief sermonettes supposedly proclaiming the gospel and the glory of Christ, but rarely does anything change either in our hearts or in our lives.

Little more than 100 years ago, here in America, most did not have electricity, and very little running water unless it was hand-pumped. Trains were slow and travel to many parts of the USA was difficult. There was no Starbucks, no Wal-Mart, and no grocery stores lined with enough merchandise valued at what some small countries spend in an entire year on their own economy.

Let me put a little perspective into this last statement. The US Central Intelligence Agency puts Liberia’s GDP at $3.6 billion per year. Wal-Mart has annual sales of more than $370 billion. In other words, the total income of Liberia is just 1/10th of what Americans spend at Wal-Mart alone! This does not include the next top 5: Home Depot, Kroger, Target, Sears, and Costco. These last five stores account for another $340 billion in annual sales.

Does this not startle us? Does it not shock us? What about Starbucks? Annual sales for Starbucks in 2010 was $8.96 billion, which is 2 1/2 times the size of Liberia’s entire GDP!

Now it is no secret to family and friends that I do not like Wal-Mart for a variety of reasons, but I will admit to having had my share of Starbucks $4-5 cup of coffee. The more I consider the poverty around the world, the more it hurts when I take money the Lord has entrusted to my stewardship to buy a drink that is the equivalent of 2-3 days of work for a Liberian brother or sister. Yet I wonder how often our conscience is often soothed while we drink our lattes and iced cappuccinos and maybe even offer a quick prayer that the Lord will bless our Christian brothers overseas.

With this post, I am not advocating the boycott of Wal-Mart or Starbucks. What I am seeking to do is put a little perspective into what is often a mundane existence for us in the West. When our brothers and sisters are in need, I grow more and more convinced that we will give account for what we do with our finances.

So, we go back to the question of “How much is too much for someone or something you love?” Do we easily and glibly rattle off “For God so loved the world” and proclaim that while the gospel is for the world, we cannot be bothered to reach out because we are more interested in spending our funds on that which will gather moth and rust and will eventually decay?

Sundays in many evangelical circles even take this to an additional level. We gather around bagels, donuts, and lattes because without them we won’t draw the same size crowd. While everyone sips their drinks and proclaims how good and awesome God is, souls are slipping into eternity while we ease into Sunday barcoloungers and absent-mindedly throw a few crumpled dollars into the offering plate. As it slips from our fingers, we may even ask the Lord to “bless” our humble offerings and cause the gospel to be spread around the world.

Who are we fooling? What is wrong with us in the West that we can be blessed with so much and yet think that we have a responsibility to give so little? Jesus Christ came and gave of Himself in death – the ultimate sacrifice – so that we might be free from the penalty of death. How much is too much for us to give? Are we willing to do more than give of our finances? Will we give of ourselves?

The phrases often quoted to us are not just fair pictures of the malaise in evangelical churches when it comes to true sacrifice and the cause of missions. It is actually a reflection that maybe even at the base level – sometimes even a Starbucks White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha is too much for the Someone we claim to love.

For awhile now, we have been looking for a PA speaker system that would enable outdoor evangelism as well as for use in preaching services and conferences. I do not have a loud voice, so this was going to be a vital find. It would also be a help to the pastors and church-planters while out preaching in the marketplaces. The Lord has blessed us by finding a very tiny system that works incredibly well and comes with rechargeable batteries. It only costs $24.95 which makes it very affordable. Others interested in using this technology can find it from the B&H company.

Secondly, we had need of solar lighting without all the expense involved with installing a full solar panel setup for which we do not have the funds anyway. Once again, technology has proven very helpful and we have found some solar lanterns from Harbor Freight that work a treat. They are bright enough to read by and will allow us to light the path in front of us as we are walking to our home or along a jungle path or even just to cross the village to somebody who needs help.

Thank you once again for your continued prayers for the work in Liberia, West Africa.

Throughout my life, I have been blessed to grow up in a home that first loved missions, then in a home that became the home of missionaries serving on a foreign field. Today, my parents still serve as missionaries after more than 30 years of service to the Lord. I was also blessed to have had the privilege to read missionary stories and biographies from shortly after I first learned how to read. Boyhood favorites included: C.T. Studd: Cricketer & Pioneer , Mary Slessor: White Queen of the Cannibals, and Jungle Pilot – just to name a few of the many I could easily recommend.

Sadly, as I look back, the one aspect that is often missing is the area of finances. Some stories do give accounts of times the missionaries had little to live on, but most seemed to bypass the subject as though it is taboo. As time goes by and I often reread some of these stories, I have come to the realization that the subject is not so much a taboo as it is that many of these true heroes of the faith learned that what is expected of them is best left in the Lord’s capable hands which stand ready to provide for His children whom He loves with an everlasting love. Their learning to live by faith was and often became an intensely humbling and private matter between them and their Master.

Many learned to live by faith in ways that are hard to imagine in today’s western church scene. Some months they had little to eat, but what they obtained from the land. Other months, a large expense was forthcoming and the Lord graciously provided in a way that left the donors often anonymous. The name of the Lord was many times praised because the need was never spoken of outside of hushed circles by the husband and wife, but He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and the hills themselves, knew what they needed long before they ever asked.

As we consider our move to Liberia, West Africa, I cannot help but wonder at what it truly means for my family and I to consider living by faith. How should we do this? What can we learn from the lives of others who have gone before? Am I willing to ask the Lord to increase my faith in whatever way He chooses so that He alone will be glorified in all that is said and done in our lives?

There are many options available to those wishing to serve on mission. Some missionaries serve with denominations whereby a stipend is received each and every month. Others write letters and ask for help from family, friends, etc. for a specific time-frame while they serve the Lord for normally a short-term mission endeavor. Others call pastors, make contact with churches, and visit hundreds of churches before finally raising enough support that they believe will allow them to be self-sustaining on the field. This last option is often controlled by mission boards that require a missionary to raise a certain amount or the mission board will not grant approval for the missionary to leave. Yet, others go fully supported by the church that commends them to the work. Finally, there are some who go without the publishing of any needs, and trust the Lord to provide what they may need.

Before I go any further, I want to say that each missionary is accountable first to the Lord whom he or she serves. Second, a biblical missionary will be directly accountable to their local church before they are ever accountable to a mission organization. To be accountable to the mission organization first is to put the cart before the horse. Each missionary is responsible for his family and must give account of whatever finances he or she receives as to whether they have been a good steward or not. So saying, this blogpost is simply my own personal thoughts on what the Lord is doing in our hearts, and is not to cast dispersion on a missionary who chooses a different path than another in the area of finances.

We must be careful that whatever decision is made, that we do not cross a line from faith to foolishness. In our prayer and meditation before the Lord, each missionary has to decide what direction the Lord has for him or her. For example, it may very well be foolishness for one to simply drop everything and move somewhere without even $1 in guaranteed support. But for another who has been called to a country or area where additional employment is not necessary, it may require faith on their part to trust that God will help them to raise the necessary funds.

Sadly, because there is little accountability or lack of knowledge about some locations in this world, there are millions of dollars every year that is given to missions where greed is the mode of operation. The missionary lives far above the people, has little contact with them, and has little need of depending on the Lord because the level of financial assistance each month allows them to live in whatever manner they so desire. We could write more on this and may do at a later time.

Regardless of the methods chosen for the receiving of finances, how does one learn to live by faith? Does it matter how the money is received? What impact will it have on the national pastor or church-planter who hears from the missionary that he must live by faith with no guarantee of a monthly salary? Is it right to tell such a man to depend on the Lord if we are not willing to do the same in some way?

Hebrews 11:6 has come often to my mind, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Is it pleasing to God when I must have all the answers to the problems that assail my little piece of the vast universe? Do I have to know not just what is required of me, but what talents and resources I must have to complete the job before I will be willing to face the tasks that without God are impossible?

A person who joins the military has no ability to go to Basic Training thinking they have all the answers necessary to be a good soldier. They do not bring their own equipment to the battle when facing the enemy, and the daunting task of facing that enemy only comes through the instructions and courage drilled into every step and action of the one being trained. When the soldier faces the enemy, he cannot tire himself worrying about whether he is going to receive his meals a week from now. He will lose heart if he spends time concerning himself with who will provide the next batch of ammunition that his weapons require when he runs out in the heat of battle.

No, the logistical nightmare of outfitting the army is not left to the soldier facing the frontlines. It is left to those who are trained in such procedures. That incredible responsibility is tasked to those who are thinking more than 1 day, 1 meal, and 1 bullet ahead. They are often considering 1,000,000 meals down the road, a 1,000,000 bullets to deliver, and extra clothing for each soldier as he needs to change.

So, why do we come to the spiritual life and find it so difficult to live in the same manner? Has not our Commander-in-Chief told us that the promise is to provide us with food and raiment? Nothing else has been guaranteed. There is no guarantee as to what hour we will receive our next meal, no guarantee as to when our next load of ammunition will be delivered, and certainly no guarantee that our life as a good soldier of Jesus Christ will be anything but a daunting task. He has promised to always be with us. He does promise that no temptation will overtake us but will with that temptation make a way for us to escape. He has lovingly guaranteed that He will lead us into battle and that at the end of all battles, victory will be ours in Christ Jesus. Whether by life or by death, we belong to the Captain of our souls.

2 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” The affairs of this life must include what we will wear or what we will eat. The affairs of this life must include what we do with each day and whether Christ is the preeminent factor in every part of our life. We can seek to justify all we want in what we do, what we read, what we listen to, what we eat, and who we choose to spend our time with, but the end result is the same – “Just two choices on the shelf — Pleasing God or pleasing self!”

This means that whatever path each of us takes in our lives whether a missionary, a pastor, or a church member, we must be learning to please God. We must be learning to endure hardness. We must be learning to please the One Who chose us to be a soldier in the first place. We must learn the cost of sacrifice and what it means to cease from the entanglements of the world.

Where the walk of faith takes each of us is not ours to decide, but is from the Lord. Each of us will walk a different path, but the end result should be the same – eternal rest for the weary, war-torn, battle-scarred soldier when his Captain returns to take us to be with Himself. May our lives be filled with the joy that comes from pleasing the Master, even when it comes to living by faith. If our faith is lacking for the tasks ahead, may we pray with the disciples, “Lord, increase my faith!”

Our goal was to see the New Testament put into audio format for the purpose of providing pastors/church-planters with the Word of God in their heart language. We were not aware that a major project has been made available to those working in the remote areas of the world.

In fact, New Testaments in audio format are available in several of the languages in Liberia on the above pictured device. This little device is solar-powered and on a full-charge can play up to 14 hours. It is simple to operate. I am including a link to Renew Outreach where these devices can be obtained.

The Lord is so good and we thank Him for allowing us to be directed to this 21st technology that will be used to the glory of God. What a blessing to these people who cannot read or pastors who struggle to read that they will be able to share that God’s Word is not just in English. Sometimes we have not because we ask not!

For the cost of a good leather Bible, this Renew Papyrus can put the audio Bible in English and a local Liberian dialect of the New Testament into the hands of nationals. Total cost with shipping is only $70!

In each church, we simply seek to share the desperate condition of the lost in West Africa. We do not show pretty pictures of lakes, rivers, and pristine white beaches for this is not what missionary work is ever about. Our goal is not to raise money to build “American” churches. It is not to raise awareness of needed vaccinations or mosquito nets, nor even of better food and water supplies. As we have written before, those things have their place, but without the gospel of Jesus Christ being preached boldly, these dear people will die and go straight to hell if they do not hear the gospel of the Savior.

However, there is one aspect of missionary ministry that still amazes me. In fact, it more than amazes me. It actually saddens me that after all the years of missionary work around the world, sometimes we seem to have learned very little. This is not for the purposes of those who are already convinced in their minds, but for those who may be considering work in the future. It also may be for some who struggle with what they see as a current trend in our American style of missionary endeavors.

More times than not, we have been questioned about our connection with a local church and the answer is always the same. We are part of a fellowship of Christians in Monrovia, Liberia – the Maranatha Baptist Church. The teaching pastor is James Togba and it is to this work that we hold ourselves accountable. Having seen and heard the problems on the ground in Liberia and even throughout many different parts of the world, we prayed that we might be able to have an impact where the Lord called us to serve. Part of the problem is that very few missionaries ever have direct accountability on their respective fields. Few pastors ever visit the field to see what their missionaries are doing, and for the most part, it seems that much of the national leadership is simply ignored.

I have had some question me with statements like, “Do you speak regularly with the leadership of your church?” “Will they be willing to initiate discipline should the need arise?” “What if I need to contact the leadership of your church?” Or, the one that takes the cake is, “How can you be accountable to a Liberian church?”

All things being equal, these are almost all valid questions. The problem is that things are not equal because of the patterns we have sought to follow which are far from biblical. For years, some mission boards had problems with a national pastor or church planter wanting to be a part of their board. Even today, there are some boards who will not permit a national to be part of their organization. Then the rules changed and some mission boards amended their perspective to allow for national pastors with one main caveat – they had to be a member of an American church located in America being pastored by an American pastor.

When we began the process of considering mission work in Liberia, I contacted a number of boards and read a number of different sites to see what they required and the majority of them made it clear that the way forward was “an American one.” So, the bottom line is this – if you are called to be a missionary church-planter, then we expect you to go over to your respective field, you will be expected to teach them what the Bible says, you must have a goal to train pastors and elders (which is a goal actually lacking in many circles) to lead their people, but everything must be from an American perspective. Then when one of the men who is called to minister the gospel desires to be supported, often they are sent to the West, go to Bible College, get their degree and are then able to raise support to go back to their home country. However, in order to do that, they are required to be a member of an American church.

How in the world have we come to the point that American churches have all the answers? How have mission boards come to accept guidelines whereby they dictate to the missionary and to the local church what is or is not acceptable on the mission field? But is there an even bigger issue?

When we doubt that a national church has the ability to lead their own people, when we doubt that the best person to pastor a national church is a national pastor, when we begin to think that an American must remain in charge, and when we think that the only good missionary endeavor is one based out of the West then we have seriously undermined the biblical principles of indigenous church planting. The goal of every missionary should be to facilitate training until the Lord raises up leaders in each assembly of believers and then turn the work over to them.

Many countries, particularly in Africa, struggle today in the realm of spiritual matters because mission boards and, in turn, missionaries have failed to relinquish the work into the hands of fully trained men. They either hang on too long, or they think that the national is not capable of leading his own people to the level of the American missionary.

While I do not have all the answers, I am fully confident in the inerrant, infallible Word of God and the answers that it provides. 2 Peter 1:3 assures us that, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.”

If a national church is not able to stand on its own indefinitely without the missionary, then the missionary has failed in his responsibility. If a national man is never qualified to take on the role of a biblical elder in his own local assembly, then again the missionary must be held accountable for failing to teach. Further, if a national church is not “qualified” or “good enough” to assume the role of sending out missionaries to her own people or even to other countries, then the question must be asked – “Is it because the church has not been trained?” Actually, maybe the heart should be prepared to give an answer in the negative because this is not always the case.

Many times the question should be more forthright, “Why are we in the West so arrogant as to think that the national church and the national leaders are inferior in the work of the Lord?” Why must a national pastor be a member of a church in the West? Why must a missionary be held accountable only by churches and leadership in the west? When we make statements like this, we are in essence making it clear to the Christians in other lands that they are not good enough. Their churches are not good enough to lead. Their pastors and elders are not strong enough to make hard decisions. Their missionaries and church-planters are only good enough if they do things “our way!”

The only way churches will grow and become what they should be is when we who give them aid allow them to make mistakes, take credit where credit is due, sometimes take the hard knocks when they come, bathe them in prayer, and overall, allow them to grow and become what the Lord Jesus Christ would have them to be – namely a local church of chosen believers who are being molded into the image of the Savior. Christ did not die for His “American” bride, but for all those who will place their faith in Him. Surely, if He did the choosing, He can make them what He wants. Too often we forget that the standard must be a biblical standard, not an American one.

Often the missionary can learn a great deal from the national church and its leadership. Many of them have suffered great hardships and tribulations. They know how to endure suffering for the name of Christ. They have learned to truly live by faith when there is no possibility of anybody in the world knowing who they are or where they are. These men are not inferior to us in anyway. Their churches are not inferior. They may need more teaching and direction, but they will grow through the exposition of the Scriptures. They will take their own place within the realms of Christianity and they will do in a style that is truly Asian, African, European, South American, etc. Praises will be sung but it might not sound like anything we are familiar with. Services will be conducted but they might not look like our hymn-jam sandwich style so common in churches in the West. Preaching will sound different as well, but it will probably last 1-2 hours longer than what we are comfortable with in our normal circles.

This brings us full-circle back to our case. Our home church is in Liberia. We are accountable to them. Our pastor has worked with us on our mission trips. The leadership will be visiting the works and seeing first-hand what we claim to be doing. We will not have to worry about whether “spiced-up” prayer letters will make the work look better than it really is. Our goal is just to please the Savior and to be in subjection to those who rule over us.

Our pastor is a godly man and we respect him greatly for the work he is doing. Our church stands as a lighthouse in a very dark land and stands with us as we seek to be one more extension of the ministry of Maranatha Baptist Church. These men are counted as brothers and friends and family in Christ. A missionary could not truly ask for any more than that from a national pastor and a national church.

In fact, a missionary has no right to ask more than is expected from the Word of God or even more than what is expected from an American church. The quicker we learn these truths, the more help we will be to those who are every much our equals in Christ Jesus.

We are still about $200 short of our goal to get the next batch of mattresses for the Bible camp. Please enjoy the pictures sent to me of these dear people rejoicing. Even the village got in on the celebrations. You will notice that the mattresses were stuffed Liberian style into the back of the taxi as this was the least expensive way to get them there.

Thanks for your continued prayers and outpouring of love for the believers in Duaita, Bong County, Liberia, West Africa!

Mattresses on the way to Gbarnga

Pastors with mattresses for Bible Camp

Pastor Philemon praising Lord for mattresses

The door opened to the first little building and we were all shocked to see what these brothers and sisters were sleeping on. They had nothing else but were willing to sleep on these bamboo slats in order that they might be able to come together and fellowship with others. Not once did we hear any complaints, although, I will admit that my thoughts would have been different if it was my wife and I that were offered these beds to sleep on. I do not sleep well anyway, but I felt very spoiled with the air mattress we were sleeping on. It was not comfortable and it kept deflating; however, I am sure that it was more comfortable than bamboo slats. These little houses are just one room each and ZERO amenities. They have no toilets, no kitchens, and no water.

We were touched by what we saw and asked what could be done. A couple of the pastors told us that they could get mattresses for $20 (US Dollars) a piece. These are more like camp mattresses and not real thick foam. However, they would be very easy to transport from Monrovia and would give those who come to use the facilities much better sleeping conditions. They have a total of 48 beds in 6 different little buildings. These beds are bunk bed style with 8 beds to a room (4 upper and 4 lower).

The total to furnish these brethren with mattresses would be a total of $960 (US Dollars). If any of our readers are willing to consider helping with this need, please contact VCP. Thank you and may the Lord bless you!

Now, if you have ever lived in an area that required the use of mosquito netting, you will know the problems associated with such usage. First, you don’t want to have make middle of the night treks if at all possible. This requires untucking enough of the netting to be able to exit without letting in any nasty bug types. However, before you get out of bed, you get your flashlight to make sure that there is nothing crawling around on the floor that you might step on in the dark. Once you make the trek, you quickly return and have to go through the process in reverse and make sure that the netting is tucked in nicely once again.

However, what do you do when scratching sounds by the bedroom door awaken you? First, you rule out all the possibilities. A) It is not Fido trying to get in hoping to lay curled up at the bottom of your bed. B) You are pretty sure that snakes don’t make that much noise. C) It is not the cat or a pet genet making nocturnal forays through the house in search of — wait a minute, no cat and food in the room means – rodents!

“Violet, did you hear that as well?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Not sure, pass me the flashlight!”

Sure enough, after turning on the flashlight, a quick survey of the floor revealed African rats, which in this case looked more like overgrown light brown pet store mice. A quick pass of the light and they quickly vanished. The room went quiet again – that is, until we had just fallen asleep again – and they decided that since the missionaries were providing a buffet style meal so readily available that they might as well take advantage of the free goodies.

The procedure the rest of the night was 1) rats enter room and make a beeline for the buffet line, 2) Mark wakes up AGAIN, 3) Mark shines light at rats to run them off, 4) Mark wishes for a dart gun, 5) rats run off knowing the light will be off again in a few minutes, 6) Mark finally gets to sleep again, 7) Cue back to number 1!! The crazy thing was that we only figured out what we needed to do to keep them out after three nights of this. The third night, we thought we had everything but had forgotten about a box of oatmeal in a bag. The rats chewed their way into the plastic bag and through the box and enjoyed their ill-gotten gains.

Well, enough of the night time furry-tailed visitors. The next morning dawn came way too soon. We were already tired from having to deal with the rodents and the heat. Mornings in the Liberian interior are very nice. A mist often hangs over the jungle floor and the temperature is easily twenty degrees cooler than during the day, sometimes even more. Before the sun rises and burns off all the mist, you awaken to the sounds found only in a tropical rainforest. Liberia actually contains over 40% of all the rainforest found throughout West Africa.

Time for another bucket bath and with the cooler air temperature comes cooler water temperatures as well! Much cooler water! As I told Violet, the best way to take a quick shower in Liberia is just like going swimming in the summer time. You know the water is going to be cold, so you just take a deep breath and take the plunge. Pick up the small water bucket, take a deep breath, and take another deep breath, gather a little more courage, and then – take another deep breath and pour it over your head! Very refreshing!! Don’t worry about turning on the heater because there isn’t one, and the sun will be coming up very quickly anyway and you will be wishing for another cold bucket bath!

The room we were in had a porch just outside the bedroom. Opening the door to the outside, I stepped out to greet our first morning in the jungle. It was beautiful. Wisps of smoke from charcoal cooking pots rose from the village down below us and even in the distance, you could see the smoke rising from other villages accessible only by walking a jungle path. Women had already begun their arduous tasks long before the dawn, and even now, I could see some walking across the airstrip carrying large colorful striped plastic bowls full of water or bundles of leaves to be prepared for the meal later in the day. Down in the communal kitchen area of the conference campground, pots filled with steaming ingredients were ready for consumption. It was not long before one of the pots with oatmeal and one with rice and soup made its way up the hill towards the mission house.

It was a wonderful place to have an early time of devotions. The bell rang signalling to the children that school would soon be ready to start. However, as with many in Liberia, children are often deprived of an education because parents often cannot afford the uniform for their children much less the cost of the schooling itself. Education while a top priority for the Liberian government has not seen as much progress as in more developed countries and conservative estimates put just one out of three or four children attend school.

The few who would be going today began making their way across the open field and headed up to the next hill where the school building was located. I spent some time taking more pictures and a video of the area. Some of the braver students stopped and indicated that they wanted me to take more pictures, so I obliged. However, it was almost like somebody had broadcasted a newsflash to the village because children began to come in greater numbers to have their picture taken again. It seemed like they never got tired of it. After we took their pictures, they all wanted to crowd around and look at themselves. They always seems surprised and would laugh with delight as they pointed out each other and called them by name. “Whaaaa!” “Ahhh!” and the next picture would send them off in jabbers in Kpelle.

Finally, the few in uniform headed off to school making their way leisurely down the mission hill and across to the school hill. One of the pastors came out and sent the others on their way and shared with me that the breakfast was ready. Fortunately, kolo nuts were not on the menu and Violet and I joined the others for a breakfast of very hot oatmeal with a handful of sugar cubes. However, not nearly as many as the Liberians enjoyed. They seemed to like a little oatmeal flavoring with their steaming bowl of sugar! Coffee or a hot cup of Ovaltine was enjoyed the same way. More than once I stopped counting at 7 or 8 sugar cubes as they dissolved into the already sweetened mixture.

After breakfast was finished, Jerry and I spent a little more time preparing for the morning sessions. As we looked down the hill, we saw pastors and church leaders start making their way to the meeting place. Again, we had to remember that we were on Liberian time. 9:00am was the scheduled start time but some did not arrive until 9:15, while others would eventually stroll in and take a seat around 9:30am.

Violet and I left the house around 8:50am and after saying goodbye where the men were meeting, she continued on to the building that also housed the communal kitchen at one end. Violet shared that there were already a number of women waiting for her when she approached and all eyes watched as she moved to the front of the open room.

In the meantime, Pastor Philemon was on the search for one of the women who would be able to translate for Violet. He returned with one woman that he felt spoke the best English and could translate into Kpelle. This proved a fruitless endeavor as she was only able to understand about 2 or 3 sentences. Pastor Philemon watched as Violet and the woman stared at each other. The language barrier was proving to big an obstacle for either one. Noticing that Violet did not seem to have the gift of tongues (LOL), Pastor Philemon graciously agreed to translate for her and their meeting continued.

In the meantime, our first meeting began with the men. Jerry and I knew we were in for an interesting time when we finally realized what materials two of the men had tucked under their arms. It was the last thing we expected to find in the Liberian jungle.

(…to be continued…)