Mission Trip 2012 Blog 15

Before we evaluated ourselves on Friday, March 23, I heard days ago that one of the missionaries at ELWA was very impressed with our mission team: how unified the team is, how team members do not complain about conditions and workers at the guesthouse, how handy and helpful our Liberian hosts have been in keeping team members' company and taking them places. The ELWA people are used to seeing in-fighting among short-term missionaries, hearing team members grouch about the guesthouse, seeing their Liberian hosts dumb the missionaries at the guesthouse and abandon them. My response to such raving praise from an outsider was, “Thank God we forgot to read the template!”

Pastor Isaac Dayugar took Brother G to the home of CFA Assistant Pastor Moses Kollie, who showed us 2.5 lots (more than half an acre) of land for sale. Brother G videotaped the land, then instructed Brother Kollie to negotiate a price with the seller without mentioning CFA's American connection; that's to prevent the seller from raising the price.

Brother Kollie later reported that the seller asked for $3,500, but he negotiated her down to $2,800. That is a steal for land that close to the major township of Barnersville. The land is big enough to host not only a church building, but a guesthouse too, if we decide to build one there. Besides the great price, the land is located in a growing community (Old Town, Barnersville) that has no churches in sight. That means room to grow and impact the large number of families in Old Town, especially if CFA were to open a school, using the church building (to be constructed). Pray for the Lord to provide for us to acquire this land as the site for our headquarters church in Liberia.

On Sunday morning, March 25, Brother G was the guest preacher at Pentecostal Holiness Church, one of 42 churches that rent classrooms at Tubman High School on 12^th Street, Monrovia. Visiting the church with me were Pastor Isaac Dayugar, Edison Garsuah (my younger brother), Salome Garswa Karnley (my niece, the singer), and Terry Saydee (the young businessman and nephew of my friend Robert Saydee). The Pastor of this church, Brother Moses Dean, served as team leader for the Planning Team that organized our meetings in Liberia. Pastor Dean and the Pentecostal Holiness Church have decided to become a Church For All congregation. It seems the Lord has moved CFA's work in Liberia in the fast lane!

Sunday evening, March 25, we conducted the memorial service for my mother, Martha Nyonochen Garswa, at the First Evangelical Free Church, near Zone 3 Police Station in Congo Town. Our host was Pastor James McCarthy.

As some of you may know, Brother G's mother fell mentally ill, then suddenly disappeared in 2006. His trip to Liberia in 2007 was to search for Mother, but after 10 days of stay, the search yielded no result. Before returning to the US in 2007, Brother G instructed Judy and Edison to continue looking and listening for signs of where Mom might be. If Mother had not been located by the time of his next trip to Liberia, the family would have a memorial service to celebrate Mom's substantive life.

The March 25^th memorial service brought together children, grandchildren, and other relatives, as well as fellow pastors who are friends of Brother G's. The celebration featured praise music, primarily led by Patience Wallah (Judy's daughter), and later by Salome (our late brother Abraham's daughter). Family members paid verbal tributes to Mom, repeatedly emphasizing her devotion to personal holiness, her work ethic, business acumen, wisdom, generosity, hospitality, and passion for education, though she herself never attended school. It was Mom who made the decision for me to be educated, like my other three siblings who attended school before me.

Brother G eulogized his mom, using Proverbs 31:10-31, as his text, stating Mom was truly one of the few women on earth who can realistically be called “the virtuous wife”. Just about every detail of that passage, describing the ideal woman, could be seen in the life of Mother Martha, once she was converted from a life of worldliness to the righteousness of Christ . Wrapping up his message, Brother G asked family and relatives present to stand and commit to having an annual family reunion, beginning 2013, to honor the memory of our mother, who served as the glue for the extended family that spans Grand Bassa and Montserrado Counties. May Mother find eternal rest in the presence of Jesus Christ for whom she labored so well and so long, while suffering so much. ~End Blog 15~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 14

Friday, March 23

• Today is departure day for seven members of our mission team. Brother G will be left behind to tie up some loose ends.
• Elder Martin picks me up at Pastor Luther Tarpeh's house shortly after 6 AM, and we pick up Bro. Ron Miller, along with Joe Walker, from the ELWA guesthouse at 6:30 AM, for Bro. Ron's 8 AM radio interview with Pastor Tarpeh on his Family & Society talk show on Radio Monrovia. During the radio conversation, Bro. Ron pleaded with President Sirleaf and other Liberian leaders, who listen to the show, not to turn Liberia into a secular nation, but to keep the nation a friend of the Church. He also cautioned Liberia to be ware of the hook that may be hidden within the lure of Chinese foreign aid. (Let me insert that America's lack of serious, consistent interest in Liberia has left a void of partnership which China has been eager to fill.)
• Mission team members continue packing to leave. Jason Toler gives Brother G $100, plus two plastic bags with foods, shoes, and other items to be given to Pastor Luther Tarpeh for the boys at The Transformation House. Kevin Young gives Brother G a new Dell laptop, and Brother selected Pastor Moses Dean, of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, as the recipient of the precious equipment. Pastor Dean served as the leader for the Event Planning Team for the conference, dental clinic, and revival services. He has computer-generated several impressive publications – bulletins and reports for our events. By donating this laptop, Kevin has made a significant contribution to the ministry of Pastor Dean and his church.

• Brother G holds a 15-minute Evaluation Session with the mission team around the dinner table at the ELWA guesthouse. Some team members responded at random to the following questions:

• What went well … the best of your experience in Liberia
• What needs to be done better
• How to make the impact last
• The key connections you made
• The financial cost of this trip to you
• How this trip has impacted you … changed you

• Brother G asked team members to write their evaluation via email as well; their written responses to the above topics can be useful to Mission Liberia in planning our next mission trip.
• Bro. Ron Miller described ours as “the perfect team”: we have all the major components needed on a short-term mission team – the spiritual (conference and revival led by Ron Miller); worship music leader (Jason Toler); humanitarian effort (dental clinic by Charlotte Nichols and Heather Hodges); youth and street ministry (Jason Toler, Kevin Young, and Corbin Young); an elderly person (Joe Walker who is 72 years old); a native of the host country who also lives in America (Brother G). Charlotte liked the fact we did not need to exchange American dollars for local currency.
• Next time we want to have a cooking team to plan the menu. Brother G had recommended Tabitha Walker (wife of Pastor Sam Walker) to cook for our team as she has done for missionaries over the years); in fact, Tabitha cooked for the Pillar Of Fire Mission Team that was leaving Liberia on the heels of our arrival. But some team members wanted to eat American, for fear of contamination in how the Liberian cook may prepare the food. Brother G thinks this fear is unwarranted, and it caused our team members to overspend on food – not a great use of God's money.
• On the next trip we should plan women's events, where the women on our mission team can better minister to Liberian women. We should organize youth events for youth workers on our team to minister to youth. Also, we should have a couple of GSM phones on hand so team members can reach one another when separated by divergent schedules; Brother G and Jason Toler were the only ones with phones that work in Liberia.
• Transportation needs to be done differently. Upon arrival, our team began spending $135 per day for two vehicles – a KIA compact SUV ($60 daily) and a Toyota Sienna minivan ($75 daily). The solution is a van that seats 12 people, including a mission team of 8 and Liberians to take us to places. Liberians in the know advice us to get a Nissan or Toyota van, because parts for those brands are cheaper and easier to find in Liberia; that means lower maintenance cost.
• To accompany our team to RIA (Robert's International Airport), Brother G invited four pastors (Isaac Dayugar of Church For All, Jonathan Williams of Heritage International, Moses Dean of Pentecostal Holiness, and Daniel Tarpeh of Covenant Church). Also accompanying us to the airport is Salome Garswa (the daughter of my late brother – I'm her dad now) and Ruth Dayugar (Pastor Isaac's adopted daughter). Driving us to the airport were Lassana Farfee, Abraham Kollie, and Elder Martin Curlon (back up driver; the third vehicle with the Liberian pastors was driven by a gentleman we did not know.)
• Joe Walker gave Salome $150 for her to record a demo CD and send with me for Joe to copy and pass out to churches in America. Joe is convinced that Salome is a genuinely anointed singer whose gift should reach the Christian audience in the United States. Joe knowing Salome was one of the key connections of this mission trip.
• A problem with figuring when to leave the guesthouse for the airport is that the Americans returning are on two separate flights, whose departure times are three hours apart. Beginning next year we want all team members to be on the same flight, coming and going. We decided to leave the ELWA guesthouse around 2 PM for the 1-hour trip to the airport; we formed a prayer circle and prayed before stepping out of the house overlooking the beach. Jason, Kevin and Corbin are to check in with Delta Airline between 2 to 4 PM. For the second group (Bro. Ron, Joe, Charlotte and Heather), check in with Brussels Airline (same as United Airlines) starts at 7 PM the latest. Most of us hung around in the airport restaurant; others (Pastors Isaac, Dean and I) found a cook shop where we ate fufu with soup. The wait was long and fun, but the time came for the those sad goodbyes, as the Americans left and the Liberians returned to Monrovia. ~ End Blog 14 ~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 13

Thursday, March 22

• Charlotte Nichols, Heather Hodges, and Bro. Ron Miller went shopping, while the other four of us (Corbin Young, Kevin Young, Jason Toler, Joe Walker, and Brother G) visited Ricks Institute, one of the elite schools of Liberia. With the support of the American Women In Liberia and of my missionaries-guardians, Gordon and Paul Hodgson, I attended Ricks Institute in the 1980s as a boarding student, and graduated from there in 1985. After earning my first degree at the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary, the Lord blessed me to serve Ricks as teacher and administrative assistant, before fleeing the Liberian Civil War in July 1990.

• Pastor Edwin Doley, my former Ricks classmate, and currently the school's Administrative Assistant, gave us a tour of the campus. He showed us the administrative building, the clinic, cafeteria, school building, library, girls dormitory. As we stood between the cafeteria and the clinic, we observed a large herd of cows treading the campus; the livestock are part of Ricks' agriculture program. Noticing that Bro. Joe Walker was having trouble with the heat, we cut short the campus tour, and returned to Monrovia.

• We went shopping on Randall Street, Mechlin Street, then descended to Down Waterside (Monrovia's biggest marketplace). Jason had so much fun negotiating prices on merchandise that displayed no price tags. The first rule of bargain-shopping is this: the buyer should never pay the initial price named by the seller. You can bargain the initial price down by as much as 30%. Jason did just that, paying $15 for a scarf-hat combo with “Liberia” woven into the cloth, instead of the $20 initial price, and that was just one of his many deals.

• Bro. Ron Miller was invited to preach at Salem Baptist Church, near Ricks Institute. Pastor Jonathan Williams and Abraham Kollie (driver) accompanied him to Salem Baptist. Bro. Ron found out the church was “in revival”, and that Liberian Baptists shout and dance a lot, with little difference in worship style from Pentecostals and Charismatics. “If those people were Baptists”, Bro. Ron later said, “I'm a kangaroo”. According to Bro. Ron, nearly 30 persons claimed to have been converted when he gave the altar call.

• Our slice of the mission team finished the day at The Transformation House, where Rev. Luther Tarpeh (my host) houses 18 boys. In addition to a safe place to stay, Bro. Luther provides food and education for the boys. More importantly he shares Jesus with them, trains them to become young men of Christian integrity, who, in the near future, can serve Liberia as businessmen, public officials, and in other capacities. Preparing these boys to form the core for a new generation of Liberian leaders, free of corruption, is Luther's grand vision for boys who experience The Transformation House.

• One of the young men, Wardea Richards, shared his testimony, highlighting how his life has been transformed since meeting Brother Luther and coming to The Transformation House. Wardea went from selling drugs and mostly living in the streets to becoming a true Christian and staying in school.

• Jason Toler and Joe Walker encouraged the young men to remain devoted followers of Christ as the basis for a better, brighter future. The boys sang and harmonized the song, “I Want to Be Like Jesus”, like they were a professionally trained chorus group. Those boys can really sing. We then held hands with the boys, and I uttered prophetic prayer and blessing over them. Two of our team members made monetary donations to Transformation House, and Luther told me that the timely gift will go towards buying supper today and paying for some school expenses. One day later, Jason and Kevin gave additional donations of money, clothing, and food for the boys. Our visit to The Transformation House was one of the highlights of our time in Liberia. ~End Blog 13~
  
  

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 12

Wednesday, March 21

• This was the last day of the dental clinic run by Charlotte Nichols and Heather Hodges, who are from Kentucky. On average they have worked on 25 persons per day for the six days of the clinic. Charlotte told me of a Muslim man who came to have his teeth worked on. Many lives have been touched by these two dedicated women and their Liberian helpers.

• Around 11 AM, minus Charlotte and Heather, the rest of the team visited the school and church established by Pastor Daniel Tarpeh three years ago. This young man, without any financial support from outside, started the church, and later the school, by serving cool aid and pop corn to children in the community. He said people called them the “Cool Aid and Pop Corn Church”. The mockers are not laughing anymore, because the church has built a cement block structure!

• Pastor Daniel said the money used to build the church edifice, which also provides some of the classrooms for his school, came from an idea from a Bassa woman who is member of the church: The Five Dollar Rally. Every Sunday, worshipers give $5LD (Liberian dollars – that's about eight cents in US currency – people can give more than five dollars if they want) toward the building; then they use the amount to mold few cement blocks. A builder in the church donated his labor, and the young men of the church served as work crew. And that's how they have built this fine structure in just three years with no outside financial aid.

• During our visit Brother Daniel had two surprises for us. (1) He planned a Welcoming Ceremony that involved the teachers and students of the school. Two of the students read little welcome speeches that just touched our hearts. Three of us (Jason, Bro. Ron, and Brother G) spoke to the students on the importance of Christian education. (2) The church prepared lunch for our team – chalk rice with gravy and fruits (pineapples, watermelons, etc). Everyone loved the meal, plus the warm time of sharing.

• Our team was very moved by Brother Daniel, and how he has allowed the Lord to work through him. He wants to become a Church For All congregation, so I met with him and three of his leaders about that, advising them to take time to talk with their church family, so whatever decision they reach will be in “one accord”, not causing dissent and disunity in the church. Pastor Daniel will be a great asset to CFA expansion in Liberia.

• Later in the day at 4:30 PM, Jason and Kevin went with me for Bible study at Church For All in Slipway. I taught from the Book of Ruth on the subject of Divine Connections. I touched on how to recognize a divine connection, like Naomi's relationship with Ruth, and Ruth's relationship with Boaz. We also discussed why it is important to nurture (not just maintain) the relationships that God brings us into.

• After Bible study, Jason and Kevin sneaked away to minister to children in the street and from the street. Jason said there was a Muslim kid in the group, and Jason shared the Gospel without watering it down. Jason, along with Kevin, has been a magnet for children; they love the young people, and the young people just get glued to them. ~End Blog 12~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 11

Tuesday, March 20

• Bro. Ron goes on ELWA radio station and takes questions for the second day. The station will begin airing his Sword & Shield radio broadcast, Monday through Friday, on April 1 this year.

• Salome (my brother's daughter) comes to the guesthouse to spend some time with Joe Walker, who is fond of the young singer. Salome spends the entire day with the team, and I use this time to further bond with my daughter. I dream of having Salome sing at Church For All in Owensboro, Kentucky.

• Dental clinic continues in Slipway. Charlotte and Heather, along with their Liberian helpers, lovingly ministered to the long line of people needed their teeth cleaned and/or pulled. The practical ministry lasted four hours, from 10 AM to 2 PM.

• Elder Martin Curlon drove us (Jason Toler, Kevin Young and Brother G. Matally) to Capitol Hill for business-related meetings with Rep. Clarence Massaquoi, brother to Abraham Kollie, one of our drivers. We were surprised by the youthfulness of the Liberian legislator, whom we find to be dignified and knowledgeable. He described himself as a Christian who wants to see Christian principles undergird how Liberia is government and how business is done in the nation, saying, integrity is the key to business arrangements between Liberians and their foreign counterparts. 
   
• Mr. Massaquoi then led us to the office Rep. Hans Barchue, the Deputy Speaker, and I found out he and I are from the same tribe: Bassa. We would have met with the Speaker of the House, but he had traveled out of the country. Rep. Barchue is from Owensgrove, the same town where my 125-year-old grand matriarch, Aunt Banty, lives on the Buchanan highway. Mr. Barchue commented the need for real partnership between Liberians and Americans in business ventures. Our visit with the two legislators lasted until it was time for them to attend their Tuesday session of the Liberian legislature.
  
  
• It is my prayer and vision for the two businessmen, Jason and Kevin, to discover an opportunity or two for doing viable, profitable business in Liberia. A middle class is almost nonexistent in post-war Liberia, and Liberians becoming business owners beyond petty hand-to-mouth operations. For example, we want Liberians to operate large restaurants; presently, such businesses are owned by foreigners.

• One of the most important connections thus far took place between agriculturalist Joseph Morseray and Jason & Kevin at the ELWA guesthouse. When I rejoined the discussion, Joseph explained rice farming. Though rice is Liberia's staple food, it is difficult to find locally grown rice here; the vast majority of Liberians in Monrovia, and I hear even some Liberians in the villages, now live on imported rice. That is a sad reality, considering the imported rice from China, etc, is very unhealthy, probably contributing to the declining lifespan of Liberians. This tropical country with rich soil and 100s of inches of rainfall should be able to easily produce all the rice Liberians need, plus some to export!

• Around 5 PM, we meet with ministers and others who want to join the Salt Covenant Network. Some 45 Christian leaders attended. Starting with Titus 1:4-5, Bro. Ron explained the importance of ministers and churches returning to the New Testament order of church leadership, which is rooted in spiritual father-son relationship. This father-son order will only work as ministers lay down their titles, abandon self-promoting competition, forbidding to speak ill or evil of one another. Numerous attendees asked questions, which Bro. Ron, and other mission team members answered. Both Bro. Ron and I emphasized repeatedly that our network is not denominational, that we are not asking ministers to convert their denominational affiliations in any way. Finally, in prior agreement with Charlotte and me, Bro. Ron appointed Pastor Jonathan Williams to lead the Salt Covenant Network in Liberia. Pastor Williams came forward, knelt, with his hands lifted upwards, and the group of ministers encircled and prayed over him. With that, the Salt Covenant Network in Liberia has been officially launched. ~End Blog 11 ~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 10

Monday, March 19

• We have canceled the events for Buchanan city. Why? (1) The condition of the unpaved section of the road would put too much strain on the body of Bro. Ron, who was scheduled to teach and preach six times for three days straight. And having seen the effect of the Monrovia meetings on his body, I hesitate to risk taking him to a town where there is no hospital. (2) We should get the most mileage from our time in Monrovia: follow up with ministers who have attended the conference; meet some Liberian government officials who can connect the businessmen on our team with key Liberians who can help them find opportunities here to raise a Liberian middle class that is largely nonexistent.

• In lieu of canceling the Buchanan events, we gave $80 to Pastor Moses Dean for the Buchanan planning team to announce the cancellation over the radio stations there. Twenty dollars ($20) of that amount will go towards the radio announcements.

• Charlotte Nichols (dentist) and Heather Hodges (assistant) decided to reopen the free dental clinic in Slipway for another three days – Monday through Wednesday, 10 AM to 2 PM. The place was packed with people about two hours prior to Charlotte and Heather arriving to start cleaning and pulling teeth. A football (soccer) player on the Liberian national team left training camp and came to our dental clinic, but because he came after 11 AM, he did not get treated by 2 PM when the clinic closed for the day. He appealed to us, and I agreed with the dental team to take of the athlete's toothache tomorrow, even when he comes after 11 AM, since he cannot leave training camp any sooner than 10:30 AM.

• The Liberian Business Forum at the Baptist Seminary fell way short of the 25 persons I had hoped. However, the low attendance allowed Jason and Kevin to give personalized attention to those who came. One woman presented her idea of opening a Christian Recreation Center. Instantly Jason saw the possibility of a Monrovia branch of The Refugee youth center in Rockport, Indiana. Our businessmen advised the lady to put her ideas on paper, then show them at a later date. She later called me to sit with her after the mission team leaves, so we can look at what she will have written. She thinks her first need will be land to put a building on, but I think training to run such a business/ministry should be the first step towards establishing a Christian Recreation Center. ~End Blog 10 ~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 9

Sunday, March 18

• After hearing that my boyhood friend, Robert Saydee, had fallen seriously ill upon his return to New Jersey, after his latest mission trip to Liberia, I asked Pastor Luther Tarpeh (my host) for us to pray together for Saydee's healing. Pastor Luther said Saydee has been having very severe headaches; his body is very weak, and the doctors have not been able to diagnose what's wrong. Praying for Saydee I felt breakthrough power, and I expect the Lord to touch and heal his body soon.

• Our mission team worshiped with Church For All, which is one of many congregations that rent school rooms at the MCSS (Monrovia Consolidated School System) building located in Slipway, Monrovia. The Church For All pastor, leaders and congregation expressed their thanks and appreciation to our mission team by “gowning” everyone of the eight of us with African wear. The classroom cannot hold everyone; tens of people sit and stand on the veranda of the second floor where CFA meets. People took pictures and videos of the event. Jason, Kevin and Corbin sneaked away into the classroom packed with kids, and passed out gifts to the children, in addition to worshiping with them; these three are attached to kids.

• I preached from Genesis 39:1-5 on “The Joseph Factor”, urging the CFA family to learn how to spot and support each “Joseph” that, like diamond or gold in the mud, may be within the ranks of their families. My main point: Your “Joseph”, whose secrets are the presence and favor of God, holds the key to a bright future for your entire family, team, community, city or nation. I handed the microphone to Bro. Ron, who, among other things, asked Heather Hodges to pray a special prayer over the Liberian women. Heather prophesied that the daughters of Liberia will rise from the weight of suppression to be a vital part of the Lord's army in their country.

• Later in the day, on our way to Sunday evening service, I called and spoke with Bro. Roger Morris, the associate minister at Church For All in Owensboro, Kentucky, to thank him for his effort that led to Sceptre Mechanical (his employer) giving $2,000 towards the cost of the 2012 mission trip. I sensed that Jason Toler (who is on this mission team with us and is the president of Sceptre Mechanical) probably helped with arranging this generous gift that will pay for the remaining cost of transportation, lodging, etc, for the team, and for the remainder of my stay here after the team leaves on March 23. As soon as the check clears the Mission Liberia bank account, Victor Annan (leader of the Mission Liberia team) will send the funds via MoneyGram. Once again, God has provided for His work in an awesome way. Oh praise His mighty name!

• On Sunday evening we climaxed the week's events with one last revival service in the sanctuary of Heritage International Ministries. Before the message I asked my niece, Salome, to lead in worship by singing; she sang “Shout to the Lord”, and the atmosphere becomes wet with the presence of God. This young lady has a special anointing on her for worship music; I pray the Lord will open doors for the larger body of Christ to experience the power of Salome's anointed voice. By African custom I am now considered Salome's father, since her father, my elder brother, had passed away in 2005; but it is only now that I am really getting to know Salome, having been separated from her for over two decades.

• Using Ezekiel 37:1-14 (The Valley of Dry Bones) as his text, Bro. Ron and the team led in Liberian church leaders who in turn led the congregation in fervent prayers of renouncing false religions, witchcraft, and secret societies. Bro. Ron confessed the sin of slavery, saying, “I'm sorry for what my ancestors did to your ancestors by enslaving them. I ask you to forgive me.” With cheers and tears the people replied, “We forgive you!”

• Various members of our mission team led in prayers and exhortations. Bro. Ron declared a message of hope in the midst of the despair that faces most post-war Liberians. At one point Brother Ron, Pastor Williams, and I held hands, prayed, cried; later, Pastor Isaac wrapped his arms around our circle and joined in prayers with us. Ministers prayed with the crowd at the altar. I remember praying for a young lady who had been having “bad dreams”; a woman who wanted supply of used bed sheets and used living room curtains for her business; a mother whose 14-year-old son is living in the streets. For that broken-hearted mother I based my prayer on Luke 15:11ff (The Parable of The Prodigal Son), pleading and declaring that the boy “come to himself” and return home to his loving, waiting mom.

• Brother Jason took hold of music and sang deeper into the night, none of us knowing exactly when to end the revival service. The people just won't stop singing, dancing, rejoicing. Hearts are being changed. Ministries are being born. This could be the start of transformation in Liberia.

• By the time I reached home it was after midnight; my family members (Judy and Patience) got home later than that. ~End Blog 8~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 8

Thursday through Saturday, March 15 – 17

• The Salt Covenant Conference started around 10 AM with sensational singing and dancing by our Liberian Christian friends. Brother Ron Miller, leader of the global Salt Covenant Network, served as the main speaker for each session of the conference. He explained that the “salt covenant” is much more than the loyalty pack that Easterners make by mixing and exchanging salt. Brother Ron showed in the Scriptures that “salt” is a symbol of personal holiness that preserves integrity in the true believer while creating thirst in the unbeliever for God and the things of God. “You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus told His disciples. Parallel to Christians being “the salt of the earth”, Jesus called Himself “the bread of life” (John 6:35,48). The “bread” speaks of God's grace by which we are given eternal life in Christ. Thus the climax point of the Salt Covenant is that Christians should balance the grace of God (the bread) with personal holiness (the salt) in our covenant relationship with the Lord and with one another.

• We issued over 100 certificates to attendees of the Salt Covenant Conference. Each recipient also got a copy of Bro. Ron Miller's book, “Walking in the Covenant of Salt”.

• Charlotte Nichols, assisted by Heather Hodges, along with their Liberian helpers (Florence Nagbe, Patience Corlon, Patricia Armah, and Moses Kollie) conducted a dental clinic from about 10 AM to 1 PM. After lunch they reopened the clinic from 3:30 PM to 5 PM. Over these three days they listed 65 persons. Of those persons, 52 were cleaning and extractions (pulling teeth … literally), and 13 were cleaning only.
• Revival service began around 6 or 7 PM each evening, and lasted till 9 or 9:30 PM, sometimes 10 PM. Every night there was exuberant singing, dancing, praying. The altar was constantly crowded every night after Bro. Ron's powerful preaching and altar calls. Preachers and congregants alike cried and cried out, pleading with the Lord to bring true revival to post-war Liberia. ~End Blog 8~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 7

Wednesday, March 14

• The rest of our team (seven persons) arrived at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Harbel. Delta Airline Flight 134 landed around 4:30 PM as scheduled with Jason Toler (worship music leader and businessman from Indiana), Kevin Young (businessman) and his son Corbin (from Tennessee). Immigration and baggage claim (the craziest part of arrival) lasted for over an hour. Then Jason stepped outside the terminal, looking around as a lost soul in no man's land. Then I yelled his name, and ran to greet, hug, and welcome him to Liberia. Kevin and Corbin followed close behind; it was my first time meeting them, so Jason introduced us briefly.

• We moved swiftly to stack their luggage in the Toyota Sienna minivan and Kia Sportage compact SUV, then went to the airport's only restaurant where we waited for the second flight, coming from Brussels, with Brother Ron Miller, Charlotte Nichols (dentist), Heather Hodges (all from Kentucky), and Joe Walker (from Tennessee). Their flight touched down around 6 PM, and about an hour later they had survived immigration and baggage claim, as they showed their faces outside the terminal after 7 PM. 
  
  
• Our guests' luggage could not all fit into the two vehicles driven by Martin Curlon and his mechanic, AB, so we chartered a station wagon for the 45-minute drive from Harbel to Monrovia. Arriving at the ELWA guesthouse, we spent another two hours or so to get everyone into rooms: Joe and Bro. Ron each had his own room; Jason, Kevin and Corbin shared one room with three beds nearly jammed one next to the other; Charlotte and Heather shared one room with one bed, and they didn't seem to mind. It seems this group is ready for the African mission field. The guesthouse is located right on the beach; they really love that.
  
  
• It was after 10 PM when the two drivers (Martin and AB) took us to the Golden Key Hotel and Restaurant for a late dinner. Some team members made use of the wifi Internet connection at the hotel to catch up on email, while we wait for our expensive meal orders to show up.

• I briefed the team on the our compact schedule of events; it will be quite hectic, but then this is not a tourist vacation; this is mission WORK. I went over the financial needs yet to be met, relating to the cost of meals for conference attendees for three days at $383 per day. Also costly is transportation cost, which includes rental fee and gasoline for two vehicles that will be available to the team throughout our stay. Upon hearing my concerns several team members quickly offered to contribute. Relief came over me, and I quietly thanked the Lord for the generous hearts on this team. 
  
  
• Some things have become very expensive in Liberia. Part of the reason has to do with the rocketing cost of gasoline. With post-war Liberia importing just about everything from food to building materials, it is easy to see how gasoline at $4.52 or higher per gallon can fuel rising prices for nearly all goods and services. The word of hope is that oil has been found at several points along the Liberian coast. Gasoline price could fall dramatically if Liberia's leaders require Chevron, which now has an office here, to not only drill and extract the oil but to refine it into gasoline, diesel, etc, right here on Liberian soil.

• By the time our team got done eating and returned to ELWA, the gate to the main entrance was shut. The American missionary couple who orientated team members to the guesthouse did not inform us that the gate would be locked. Isn't it ironic that people who work with a radio broadcast campus fail to communicate such important info to foreigners on their grounds? Fortunately, we found a second entrance which remained open, and we made it back to the guesthouse the long way. I doubt the team will get enough sleep tonight, owing to the difference in time zones between GMT here in Liberia and Central Time where our team members came from in the US. But I am confident this bunch will do just fine, little sleep notwithstanding. ~End Blog 7 ~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 5

Saturday, March 10

• Three persons visited me: Rebecca Baba, Bindu George, and Edison Garswa.

• Rebecca is married to Mike Baba, who has promised to help with security arrangements for our mission trip events in Monrovia. Rebecca was reared by Ma Bronkahn, our late matriarch on the mother side of our family.

• Bindu is studying agricultural management at the Booker Washington Institute (BWI) in Kakata. So far, Bindu's education has been made possible by financial support ($50 per month) from Bells Run Baptist Church through arrangements made with the church by my long-time friend Betty Cambron. Financial assistance from Americans is an important tool in giving Liberian youths quality education that is key to lifting them out of poverty. Bindu will graduate from BWI in August, and hopes to continue higher education in the same field at the University of Liberia, though she does not yet have the money needed to pay for her university education to become an agriculturalist.

• Edison is my youngest brother, who has been out of touch for months now. He was doing some no-pay work in Grand Cess in southeastern Liberia. Ever since Edison completed his computer programming course in Ghana and returned to Liberia, he has continued to educate himself in other areas. He now has the skill to build speakers. Also, he has learned to install solar panels on homes to utilize solar energy to power electronic equipment and electrical appliances. With all that knowledge and skill, Edison is currently unemployed. Pray for him to land a job soon.

Sunday, March 11

• I rode with Pastor Luther Tarpeh (my host) and his family to Harbel for worship at the five-year-old Pillar Of Fire Church, founded by Brother Luther and his wife Christine in 2007. The growing church meets in a school building on the grounds of the Firestone Rubber Plantation. The music, the singing was electrifying, the air of worship soaked with the presence of God, as Liberians danced away their troubles and for joy. As guest preacher I delivered the message, “Give Me This Mountain”, based on Joshua 14:6-14, sharing lessons from Caleb, the 85-year-old mountain climber and giant killer. It was my third time preaching this message, which I first preached during a Wednesday evening service at Church For All in Owensboro, Kentucy. Pastor Luther, his wife Christine, and others said the message was very timely and encouraging for their church, which is on the brink of constructing their first building.

• On my way home from church I met Israel, son of my late elder brother, Abraham, who passed away in 2005. Elder Martin Curlon, who has been driving me to places, took Israel and me to a meeting with Harriet's family, my in-laws. I had asked Alice Dennis, one of Harriet's older sisters, to arrange this special meeting. We kicked off with fufu meal, then Elder Martin manned my FlipVideo camera to record each family member's video mail to Harriet. Some of the messages were light-hearted, funny. Two of the messages were packaged with desperate calls to their American sister for assistance with their education. The remaining messages were pure gratitude to Harriet for the help she has rendered her family members over the 17 years she has been in America. In all all, Harriet has not seen her family for 22 years, since she fled the Liberian Civil War in 1990.

• After my time with Harriet's family, I took Israel with me for some one-on-time loaded with fatherly counsel for him to receive Jesus Christ to fill the biggest need of his life, then to re-enroll and complete high school; he is 22 years of age, and in the 9^th grade. Israel dreams of studying business, perhaps to became an entrepreneur like his late father. ~ End Blog 5 ~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 4

Friday, March 9

• Before Rev. Augustine Yeagar was about to leave Monrovia and return to Buchanan, I scheduled an impromptu meeting with him. Rev. Yeagar teaches at the community college in Buchanan. I was connected with him by Rev. Toby Gbeh, the Vice President of the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary. I asked Rev. Yeagar to use his ministerial connections in Buchanan to help towards getting 100 church leaders to the Buchanan Salt Covenant Conference on March 20–22, starting at 2 PM.

• Rev. Sam Walker came by on a motorcycle, and we drove over to near-by Carver Mission campus to finalize arrangements on guest rooms for two of our mission team members, since ELWA only has rooms for five guests out of seven. Finding Rev. Jarbah we located the lady with the keys to the Carver Mission facility, and I inspected the rough-looking rooms in the really beat-down guesthouse. I decided in favor of two separate rooms with a single bed each, instead of one room with two beds; the cost is $20 per night.

• Elder Martin Curlon picked me up from Carver Mission for a visit to Ricks Institute, the high school I graduated from in 1985 and taught at in 1990 before fleeing the Liberian Civil War in July of that year. My high school classmate, Rev. Edwin Doley, welcomed us and gave us a quick tour of the campus. I asked Rev. Doley to see the apartment where I once lived. My hope was to locate the deeds to land that Ma Ethel Gbapayweah entrusted to me before she left Liberia during the War. She intended to transfer title of the land to me, but the war prevented the transfer. I left the documents at Ricks when I left Liberia in July 1990. According to Rev. Doley, it is useless checking my former apartment, since the rebels who invaded Ricks ransacked every house on campus, leaving no contents in any of them. My next hope is to check with the Ministry of Lands and Mines to check the archives for the name Ethel Gbapaywea for deeds on parcels of land in the Clay Ashland area. (By the way, Clay Ashland is that settlement named after Ashland, Kentucky; the settlement was originally named “Kentucky in Africa”, and it was home to Mr. Moses Ricks, the largest donor to what became Ricks Institute.)

• Though there is still much improvement needed, Ricks Institute seems to be rebounding in many ways, with the cafeteria functioning, separate dormitories for boys and girls reopened, the clinic back in operation, and the annual Ricks Olympics (scheduled for March 29 this year) back in swing. Elder Martin and I made the 25-minute drive back to Monrovia, and met with Liberian businessman, Mohammed Kanneh, President of Orbital Incorporated. Mr. Kanneh is Muslim (which I found out during our meeting), and elder brother to Martin.

• A meeting with Pastors Isaac and Dean closed out the day's business. Both men made it clear to me that CFA Liberia does not have the funds to feed the 200 church leaders expected to attend the Salt Covenant Conference on March 15 through 17. Our mission team should stand ready to foot the bill for our lodging, our food, our communication (cell phone service and internet), and our transportation (gasoline cost is approaching $5 per gallon, not to mention the cost of car rental), as well as cover the cost of feeding 200 conference attendees in Monrovia and 100 conference attendees in Buchanan. Having the minivan shipped in time would have definitely reduced our transportation expenses, but I refuse to keep whining about the gross failure of Mr. Molubah Kamara, the shipper in Louisville! Pray that the Lord will provide every dollar and for the health we will need to get His assignment done on this mission trip.
  
  
• Have I told you yet that driving in Monrovia is the closest thing to crazy? You may have heard of the blind leading the blind. How about the blind driving the sighted? There are probably rules of the road, but it may have something to do with blowing your horn and diving in, nose first, hoping other drivers will yield. Oh, then there are the motorcyclists swarming like bees and flees among the cars. But I'm still alive and blogging; somehow this pseudo race car bonanza works. Hopefully I'm not scaring anyone from coming on a short-term mission trip to Liberia! Enjoy -:) ~ End Blog 4 ~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 3

Wednesday, March 7

• I found a pair of shoes for $75, but using the bargain ritual that is typical of buying and selling across Africa, we negotiated a $50 sales price for the Italian footwear. After the purchase I asked myself, “Why did I leave my dress shoes in Owensboro? Really?”
  
  
• On this special day I finally met Judy, my only sister, who appears to be having psychological or mental problems. However, she was stable enough to cook a dumboy (a version of fufu) meal for me, Pastor Isaac Dayugar, and Elder Martin Curlon. In addition to dumboy and pepper soup, Judy added palm butter with rice. She beamed with joy feeding us, seemingly enjoying something far more sumptuous than the delicious food she served us.
  
  
• Judy informed me of Aunt Bahnty, the oldest living matriarch of our paternal family tree. We agreed that Judy would meet Pastor Isaac and Pastor Moses Dean at ELWA junction around 10 AM on Thursday so, on our way to Buchanan, we can stop in Owensgrove and see Aunt Bahnty who is estimated to be about 125 years old. Dad used to tell us about his eldest sister, but I don't remember ever meeting her.

Thursday, March 8

• Patience Wallah, my niece, called early, saying Judy (her mother) packed up last night and left the house, telling them she was going to visit me at Rev. Luther Tarpeh's house where I am lodging. “Judy did not come here,” I told Patience. That's when I realize my sister is having mental issues, the same kind of problem that my mother and older (late) brother suffered on and off.
  
  
• I informed Pastors Isaac and Dean to not wait for Judy at ELWA junction, but move on to Rehab Junction, where I would be waiting. Patience called again; she got a call from Judy who had gone to Harbel, home to Firestone Rubber Plantation, a 45-minute drive from Monrovia. Upon calling the number that Judy called Patience from, I asked the lady on the line to tell my sister to walk to the nearest bus stop to wait for us so we could pick her up. Apparently, Judy did not get my message until we had long passed the spot where she should have been waiting. We had already reached Owensgrove, a young man had led me to the small, half-lit room of the house where Aunt Bahnty laid on a bed.
  
  
• In the Bassa language she asked who I was. Answering her in Bassa, I told her my name, “Moses son of Garswa Zawodogbo, your mother.” That's when she pulled herself away from the bed, sat up, and teared up. Upon hearing I have been living in America all these years, she wanted to know how long I would be visiting with her. I told her I would return to spend a day with her, but that we were going to Buchanan. Solemnly I walked back to the road and joined my colleagues, continuing the ride to Buchanan, which took two hours longer than it should due to the rough, unpaved portions of the semi-highway.
  
  
• The pitiful sight of Buchanan city echoed a strong reminder of Liberia's post-war condition. The main street in Buchanan is unpaved, and the primary mode of transportation is commercial motorcycles operated by youngsters. Pastors Isaac and Dean got on the back of one motorcycle, while I climbed aboard another, as the operators took us to the home of Edith Zeon, sister of Pastor Isaac. Our next stop was the Christian Revival Church, the venue of our Buchanan event scheduled for March 20 through March 22. To free up some morning hours for our team, we aim to begin the Salt Covenant Conference at 2 PM, followed by the dental clinic, with the revival service slated for 7 PM to 9 PM. The church building will need to be wired for electricity from a borrowed electric generator; if wiring the church is not cost-effective we will have to find another venue for the events.

• Next, we stopped by the Administrative Building of Buchanan, which houses the important offices: the Superintendent of Grand Bassa County; the City Mayor; the Religious Consultant Rev. Joseph Garber, the only one still in the non-electrified building. Rev. Garber expressed himself at length before we had something to say. He was elated that we treated his office with respect; he asked that we formally write him a letter, stating our mission in his city. Then he offered to pray with us before we left his office.
  
  
• I bought a pineapple from a street vendor, and as I paid her, we spotted Elder Tamba from Church For All in Monrovia. He drives for a shipping company, and frequents the Monrovia-Buchanan road. We rode with him to Edith's, ate pepper soup rice, and changed our plans from spending the night in Buchanan to returning to Monrovia, since we considered our business in Buchanan done. We arrived back in Monrovia around 7 PM. ~End Blog 3 ~

Mission Trip 2012 Blogs 1 and 2

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 2

The easiest to arrange this blog is by dates. To keep each blog brief I will only hit the highlights.

Saturday, March 3

• I went with Edwin Juah, my brother-in-law, to see Alice Dennis and Delicia Brown, my sisters-in-law. I found that Harriet's mom, Mary Brown, lives in another part of town, in her own house. Alice nearly jumped off her seat when I gave her the laptop that Harriet sent her as a surprise gift to help Alice with her computer education.

Sunday, March 4

• Worship at Church For All was feverish with Liberian praise and worship, which is dressed in dances and served with drum beats. We did a brief FlipVideo recording of an excerpt of the worship service. The CFA family here were so joyful about our interest in them. The church currently meets for Bible study and worship in a school. As some of you may recall, the Liberian government demolished the CFA building on the basis of eminent domain.

• With Joshua 14:6-14 as the sermon text, I preached the message “Give Me This Mountain”, taken from the words of 85-year-old Caleb. The message was received with much enthusiasm and seriousness, with at least ten persons responding to the altar call to take on their “mountains”. Pastor Isaac asked me to lead the Communion Service, after which I was led to the room of Children's Worship. I noticed just how many children there were, nearly as many as the adults in church; that tells us that CFA Liberia has a great future.
• After lunch with Pastor Isaac Dayugar and his wife Frances, my cousin Martee Willie came, and we went to see Patience (niece) and Wallah (nephew), children of Judy Munneh, my only sister. Their living condition is so deplorable; I was shocked and overwhelmed to weeping out loud once Patience took us into their room, with a thin foam mattress on the floor. Patience informed me that Judy was in Harbel, about 45 minutes of driving away from Monrovia. Patience's dream is to become a nurse, and Wallah wants to attend IT (computer) school, but poverty has a choke hold on them; they do not have the money to pursue the training that would led them to employment or entrepreneurship, thus pointing the way out of poverty. I prayed with them, pleading with the Lord to make a way somehow.

Monday, March 5

• Brother-in-law Edwin Juah came with a taxi to pick me to visit my mother-in-law, Mary Brown, whose main concern is to see her daughter (Harriet) in Liberia soon. I informed her that Harriet wants to visit Liberia in 2014 to see her homeland and family from whom she has been away for nearly 22 years. Alice had already given Ma Mary the items that Harriet sent for her.
• I met with the CFA Planning Team that is responsible for the details of our mission in Liberia. Their proposed budget tops $6,000, and I really don't know where they will get the money, but they appear to believe it will all work out somehow. Upon prayerful reflection I suggested changes in the plan: move the venue of the revival services from outside, and have them in Heritage International, the same church building where we will conduct the Salt Covenant Conference and the dental clinic. During our meeting with Pastor Williams of Heritage International, we agreed it would be more conducive to make 7 PM to 9 PM the time of the revival services. Pastor Williams informed me that he's not charging CFA for any of the meetings; we can decide what we want to give to cover the cost Heritage will incur for hosting the meetings.
• Also, to free up some day time for our mission team from the USA, we moved the events in Buchanan to the afternoon hours: On March 20-22, Salt Covenant Conference starts around 4 PM, with the dental clinic and revival services to follow. The day times that we free up will allow us time to look into the business aspects of our mission, while in Buchanan.
• I asked the driver to take me to the campus of the Baptist Seminary. There I spoke with Rev. Toby Gbeh, husband of Ester Gbeh (Harriet's aunt), who helped deliver Daneto (our first child) in 1993 in Ghana, West Africa. With Rev. Gbeh's assistance we secured the Lecture Hall of the Baptist Seminary at no rental fee, except for money to fuel the electric generator for the Business Forum, set for 6 PM to 8 PM on Monday, March 19. Rev. Arnold Hill, President of the seminary expressed strong interest in meeting our team once they arrive; he said the seminary is seeking partners to open a clinic for the community.
• During the March 19 Business Forum, the two businessmen on our mission team (Jason Toler and Kevin Young) will connect with some of the leaders and members of the Liberian business community. We want the American and Liberian business people to explore ideas and possibilities for doing business in Liberia, as a key way to alleviate poverty, one of the goals of Mission Liberia. Rev. Gbeh connected me with D. Maxwell Kemayah, President, Liberia Business Association (LIBA). Mr. Kemayah wants to meet with me at his office on Friday, March 9; this looks like a key contact for the development aspect of Mission Liberia.

Tuesday, March 6

• With Elder Martin Curlon as driver, we (Pastor Isaac, Pastor Dean, and I) went to see the home of Mike Baba, a Special Security Service guy who is assigned to Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Mr. Baba assures me that security will be provided for our team during our stay in Liberia. Based on Mr. Baba's access to the chief executive, I have asked him about the possibility of our team meeting with the Liberian president; he indicated that is quite possible, if we have the required IDs. Mr. Baba is married to my cousin Rebecca. The Babas are offering their residence as accommodation for some of our mission team members, if we need it.
• Next, we then headed on to ELWA, the Christian radio campus, which hosts the guesthouse that we paid $500 on as advance payment. Nenneh, the lady in charge, told us that they have two rooms that can accommodate five of our people. That will leave two persons still needing a room or two, and to solve that problem we headed over to the Carver Mission campus, where Mr. Jarbah promised to check his schedule of guests and inform us later; as of this blog we have not heard from him.

Next week, my host, Rev. Luther Tarpeh, has promised to have me on his nation-wide radio show to promote the Mission Liberia events in Monrovia and Buchanan. Please pray for impact.

Also, continue to pray for the rest of the team to safely arrive on Wednesday, March 14, and for all of us to remain healthy, strong, focused and united throughout the mission here. Success on this trip will mean sowing seeds and establishing relationships that will develop and yield lasting fruit. Instead of doing things for Liberians, we prefer to collaborate with Liberians in preaching the balanced Gospel and lifting many out of poverty primarily by helping to develop resources local to Liberia. ~ End Blog 2 ~

Mission Trip 2012 Blog 1

WE are going on the international mission field. Leaving Owensboro at 1 PM, accompanied by Ray Blair (driver), his nephew Chad, and my wife, Miss Harriet, we arrived at Nashville International Airport around 3:30 PM. At the Delta Airlines desk, the representative requested my passport with visa and ticket, then weighed my two pieces of luggage, the scale showing exactly 51 pounds per bag. Harriet beamed with a big smile. We giggled and nearly leaped for joy at the precision, thanks to Harriet who put the finesse on my packing ritual. (Delta had warned me on the phone that extra luggage would cost $200 apiece! Ouch...not my money!!)

Next it was time to go through airport security, which involved taking off our shoes, belts, wallets, all pocket contents – thanks to the late Osama bin Laden! How that one terrorist totally changed travel from and to America!! I hate to admit that bin Laden succeeded to that extent.

We began boarding the plane at 4:15 PM Central Time, and the flight from Nashville started with takeoff at 4:45 PM. We arrived in Atlanta at 7:10 PM Eastern Time, about 55 minutes in the air.

Longest leg of the flight was the marathon from Atlanta to Accra, Ghana. Boarded the massive Air Bus 333, about 200 seats, at 9:10 PM Eastern, took off at 9: 45 PM, with flight time estimated to be 9 hours 55 minutes. After reading portions of When Helping Hurts, watching three movies, and eating two meals in the air, we finally came off the cloud and touched down at 12:35 PM GMT, which is the local time zone in Ghana, and in the rest of West Africa. That came to 9 hours and 45 minutes of flying.

Passengers destined for Ghana got off the plane. We who were going to Liberia remained on board. Ghanaian security personnel entered to inspect luggage, making sure that every carry-on luggage was matched with an on-board traveler. Then additional Liberia-bound passengers joined us. After the 2-hour wait in Ghana, we took off at 2:35 PM for the last leg of the trip, which lasted for 1 hour 40 minutes. We landed on Liberian soil at 4:15 PM, in Harbel, home of the Firestone Rubber Plantation. Though the airplane announcer kept calling the location of the Roberts International Airport “Monrovia”, we had to drive another 45 minutes before arriving in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia.

Good for me, my host, Pastor Luther Tarpeh, along with my boyhood friend, Robert Saydee, were on hand to receive me at the airport. Brother Isaac Dayugar, pastor of Church For All, Liberia, was also on hand with his entourage. Since 1989, this was the first time my friend and I had met on Liberian soil, so you can imagine the conversations about the savory memories of the past.

Shortly after arriving at Brother Luther's home and exchanging greetings with his wife, Christina, their three children, and other members of the household, I held a brief meeting with Brother Isaac about meeting on Monday. Before knowing it, dinner time had arrived, after which we (Saydee, Luther and I) went for a quiet time on the Atlantic Ocean beach at Kendeja, the resort built by America's multimillionaire Robert Johnson, the founder of BET (Black Entertainment Television). By the way, it was Robert Johnson who lobbied Delta Airlines to make direct flights from America to Liberia.

Believe it or not, by the time we decided it was bedtime, our watches showed it was pushing 2 AM, closing Day One of Church For All's first trip on the international mission field.

PS: I found that Liberia now uses 220 volts on things electrical, but a modern laptop needs no special adapter to step the voltage down to 110V, because such a laptop automatically adjusts the voltage to the appropriate range between 100V and 240V. ~ End of Blog 1 ~