New Jersey Event Update: Reunion, Missions Conference, Worship Encounter, and Much More

The New Jersey event turned out to be much more than a book signing. It began as a reunion of three long-time friends. When I arrived at Liberty International Airport in Newark, my boyhood friend, Robert Saydee, came with our mutual friend, Rev. Luther Tarpeh, to pick me up. Brother Luther is the Director of Pillar Of Fire ministries in Liberia, and was recently invited by Congress to represent our nation at the congressional Prayer Breakfast in Washington.

The three of us (Saydee, Luther, and I) attended Oceanview Christian School (formerly Pillar Of Fire) located at Po River in Rivercess County, Liberia. In fact, I was actually Luther's first grade teacher! How fulfilling that this young man has become one of Liberia's top spiritual leaders! Imagine the conversations that sparked as we drove by to Saydee's residence. It was after 2 AM when Saydee and I reluctantly said good night, and went to bed.

On Saturday, around 7 PM Eastern, the Missions Conference on Liberia began, with Jeff Olszyk, the Missions Director for Pillar Of Fire International, as facilitator. Jeff introduced the conference, then Robert Saydee, who made remarks about the work in Liberia, before turning things over to Gordon Tanner, who has been on mission trips to Liberia six times already, and will be on the mission team that leaves on February 16, 2012. Mr. Tanner showed PowerPoint slides of the school facilities being built in Buchanan, Liberia, as well other related aspects of the work there.

Brother Luther spoke on the impact of mission work on Liberian youth, citing the three Liberians in attendance as proof of how the generosity of the Pillar Of Fire people have transformed the lives of hundreds of Liberians over the decades. He also mentioned the ten previous times the American Embassy had denied his application for visa to travel to the US.

Later, Pastor Rob Cruver, of Zarephath Christian Center, the 3,000-strong congregation located on the Pillar Of Fire campus, shared information about mosquito-repellant garments ideal for those going on mission trips to countries in Africa.

For my part, after expressing gratitude for how God used Pillar Of Fire missionaries to transform our lives, I used four letters (CSES – Connections, Salvation, Education and Suffering) to sum up four points that turned Refugee Was My Name, a war diary/journal into a published book.

Following the talk interspersed with brief Q&A sections, I took my stand behind the table with copies of the book spread out. Attendees began buying books, making payments to Saydee, and handling me their books to be autographed. Many emotional pleasures … emotional treasures.

Luther, Saydee, and I attended both worship services at Zarephath Christian Center on Sunday at 9:30 and 11:30 AM. A converted Jew named Raphael, also a guitarist, led worship music backed by voices, keyboard, drums, saxophone and other guitars. And the presence of God descended in the former gym that is now the temporary sanctuary of the church. Pastor Cruver delivered a gentle but anointed word of God from Revelation chapter 17, highlight the probing question, “Are you being seduced (by the prostitute – a symbol of worldly attractions, distractions and pleasures)?”

After each worship encounters, Saydee received payments for books and sent to me buyers who wanted their books autographed.

On Sunday evening, Saydee took me to a gathering of the mission team that he and Pastor Rob Cruver are leading to Liberia on Thursday, February 16. The fellowship was hosted by Steve (engineer) and Jen (nurse), a young couple who discovered their calling to be long-term missionaries to Liberia during a short-term mission trip there. They will serve Christ at Po River, the same campus where Saydee, Luther and I attended school and were converted. For me the highlight of the evening came in the form of personal connections and chats I had with Mary Ann Lawrence, Jimmy Desmond Jr, Pastor Rob Cruver, and Gene Huntington (agriculturalist); I learned so much from each of these precious believers and leaders. The last two copies of the book were purchased at that final gathering of the mission-minded.

Every time I autograph someone's book extended into a moment of very personal conversations, often preceded or accompanied by handshakes and hugs. Meeting and connecting with people is by far the best part for me every time. But even greater than that this time was having the nation of Liberia in the spotlight as the chosen target of so many mission efforts. For instance the annual Pillar Of Fire Freedom Ride for this year will benefit mission work in Liberia. It seems like the God of Heaven has pulled out His sovereign map and circled Liberia, then select this moment in history, saying, “It's time to help My suffering Liberian children in a focused way!”

Truly, that little nation has God's favor now like I've never witnessed before in over 20 years of speaking to people about Liberia. Just about anyone who hears about Mission Liberia and other mission efforts in Liberia is touched at heart, desiring to jump in. Exciting! That, my dear friend, is the greater cause to which I have dedicated the book, Refugee Was My Name. Mission Liberia is a much meaningful cause with eternal impact than me becoming a published author, though I am grateful for that too. Thanks for being a part of Liberia's solution from God.

Let me thank everyone who has prayed for me, especially Miss Harriet my wife, who prayed with me over the phone before I drove off the lot at Nashville International Airport. On my way to Owensboro I suddenly entered the snow and sleet section of William Natcher Parkway where the speed limit is 70 MPH. The tires on my car went spinning out of control, taking me into the ditch between the two halves of the road, before I turned the wheel away from an oncoming semi truck, applied the brakes, making it back safely to my side of the highway. Talk about being traumatized... I shortly recorded my brush with death on my smartphone before stopping to thank the Lord for sparing my life one more time. Once again, it seems like an angel took over. Traveling grace makes the difference, doesn't it? I arrived home to the solemn joy of my wife around 1:30 AM, after giving more thanks to the Lord in our driveway.

Next book signing event is at Owensboro Community & Technical College, this Thursday, February 16 at 11 AM and 6 PM. My coordinator there is Miss Lorna Hollowell, the college's Director of Diversity. Still standing in need of your prayers... ~mogama~

Report on Book Signing at Kentucky Center for African American Heritage in Louisville

Thanks to each of you who prayed and sent words of encouragement about the book signing in Louisville. The event was made more special by a change in family plans that allowed Miss Harriet to go with me, along with our 7-year-old daughter.

Having relished the hospitality of Dennis and Juanita White in their auspicious home on Friday night, we followed the turn by turn driving directions of our Garmin GPS unit to the residence of Stanley and Rose Cooper for an unforgettable fufu feast on Saturday afternoon.

Then it was on to the main event, guided by our Garmin GPS unit, that gave us turn by turn directions to 1701 Muhammad Ali Blvd to the attractive, evolving facility that is the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage. Thanks to a rainy Saturday, attendees trickled into to the hall at first, but before long a good crowd had gathered. Miss Harriet reminded me to get the guestbook out to record people's names, phone numbers and email addresses.

By then the books were out, spread out on the front table, draped with black cloth, Miss Harriet seated in one of two chairs behind the long table. Favor hung out somewhere in the crowd, meeting and making new friends, seemingly the only one not that interested in the main event. Juanita White stationed herself behind the refreshment table, as Martina N. Kunnecke, the center's Director of Exhibits and Collections, introduced the event and me.

Starting out I did a scan of the historic, unique founding of Liberia as Africa's first republic, established to resettle former African slaves. I pointed out lingering elements of inequity that would later set the stage for Liberia's blood military coupe d'etat of April 1980 and the 14-year brutal civil war that was ignited nine years later. I highlighted our flight from war, along with the some of the strains and sub-themes of refugee life. Finally, I related how my war diary/journal turned into a book … how Bruce Horst, the owner of the articles website WryteStuff.com, connected me to Jean Purcell of Opine Publishing.

The audience listened intensely to every word of my extemporaneous, relaxed talk, which seemed rather too informal at times. But I wouldn't have it any other way. The floor opened for Q&A, one of my favorite parts of a book signing event. Questions ranged from the personal and specifics of war survival to philosophical issues like belief in God in the face of pain and suffering.

For me the most thought-intensive question was one about African tribalism, which seems to underlie most conflicts on the world's second largest continent. How can Africans overcome divisive, and often deadly, tribalism? As shown in the book, tribalism quickly emerged as the leading fuel that inflamed the Liberian civil war. Not only that, but since the war, the curse of tribalism appears to still be a key factor in many aspects of Liberian life and politics, as demonstrated in Liberia's 2011 presidential elections. My brief response is that confronting the beast of tribalism is one of the goals of Mission Liberia, the outreach that Church For All has launched to play an active role in lifting post-war Liberians out of poverty. Refugee Was My Name has found a big-enough cause in Mission Liberia.

Finally came the best part of any book signing event: people standing in line, buying books, and having their books signed by the author. How thrilling it was to shake hands, share smiles, personalize chats, meet old friends, make new friends. Though we fell short of our target of selling 100 books, we did achieve the important goal of establishing  connections that we believe will yield much fruit in the future of this book. For example, a school teacher promised to have her class read the book. Another person, employed within a Catholic organization that works with immigrants, plans to share the book with her colleagues. Overwhelmingly, the Louisvillians were friendly, supportive, encouraging.

Then it dawned on me: I had completely forgotten to read from my book! The huge misstep sort of froze me for a while, knowing it was too late to correct the blunder. Why didn't anyone say something? How can it be a book signing without a reading by the author, especially when that was a centerpiece of how the event was promoted? 

Somehow I composed myself and took comfort in the self-promise, I will not ever repeat that blunder for the rest of the life of this book!

The last person to get a book autographed was Rita Phillips, the Operations Manager, of the KCAAH, who purchased a copy of the book for the Center's library. Then Rita informed us that Mrs. Michelle Obama, will be visiting the Center on February 23^rd . That's when Miss Harriet brought up the idea of how we can get an autographed copy of Refugee Was My Name into the hand of the First Lady.

We're looking into that...

Thanks again, Juanita White along with Dennis White for your organizing efforts, and for hosting us so generously. Thanks, Martina Kunnecke, for placing me on the KCAAH 2012 Black History calendar of events. And thanks, Rita Phillips, for welcoming me, Miss Harriet and our daughter to the Center, with open arms. Blessings to each and all.


Upcoming Book Signing Events:

• Zarephath Christian Center, Zarephath, New Jersey, on Saturday, February 11, at 7 PM. Traveling by plane on Friday, February 10.
• Owensboro Community College, on Thursday, February 16, at 11 AM and 6 PM

Thanks again, everyone, for your valued support and prayers.