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~