Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
A black spitting cobra's nest was found on campus... and out came 13 baby cobras. The following evening, another cobra was killed at the gate- five and a half feet long... that is 14 cobras in 2 days.. not a good ratio!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The long awaited "Steel Team" has arrived! They have been super busy all week working on restoring the Chapel roof. This team is seven high energy guys, but all with servant hearts. Here are a few images from this week. I am having issues getting photos up, so more to come.
THINK, Inc.
THINK, Inc. has been a project of SP's since 2004. It takes in girls who were ex-combatants and girls who are troubled, places them in a 9 month program that counsels them both spiritually and emotionally, brings them through an accelerated school program, and teaches them a skill.
Recently I visited THINK to gather some stories for our donor office.
Gladys Smith Zagaa is one of the blessed women of Liberia. One of four girls, her parents worked hard to pay for their school fees, giving Gladys an education that most Liberian girls do not receive. After studying bookkeeping, Gladys continued her education in Business Education when she reached her early twenties. It was at this time when she rededicated her life to Christ. With a heart for the hurting, social work became her new passion. It was here where she met Rosanna Shaack, and assisted her in the beginning stages of THINK, Inc. She has been hooked ever since.
Gladys counsels the girls through traumatic situations they have encountered in their young lives. When asked how she has dealt with trauma in the past, she responded, “A close relative of mine was raped during the civil crisis. While I was in my social work class, we were discussing rape, and I just broke down. I had to spend time working through the trauma with my professor. I learned then that if everyone gave in to their trauma, they wouldn’t be able to transform other lives.”
In thinking back on the last five years of THINK, Inc., she reminisced about the very first group of girls. With the society looking on them as outcasts, Gladys knew that she would be able to reach these girls. “They are human like me. I just need to identify with them.” She would visit the commanders’ homes, and request for the girl soldiers to come with her to THINK. It was her faith that kept the fear away. “God knew their situation. I knew He would keep me safe.”
“I don’t look at their behaviors. I don’t see challenges with working with combatants and street kids. My own focus is to see a change in them.”
When asked about what joys she experiences at THINK, the feeling of being a proud mother instantly came to mind. She went on to add, “I consider the girls to be my children. So when I see positive changes in their life, I look on them with pride. They call me their “Rescue Mother.” When they leave this place, that relationship does not change. I monitor and check on them, and see how well they are coping in their community.”
Gladys told of one of the ex-combatant girls who was high on drugs and lived with another rebel commander. Gladys shared about how this young girl saw the need for a change in her life. She stopped using drugs, and threatened she would leave her boyfriend if he did not do the same. He refused. She clung to her words and left to attend the training at THINK. It was during this training that she accepted Christ. After graduation she was accepted back into society, married a strong, Christian young man, and is now living in Lofa with two children and caring for her family.
“”When you educate a lady, you educate a nation. She will go back and educate her children, her community. My focus is change. Nothing else matters. God has a purpose for each child. I just help them to find it,” said Gladys.
Esther Williams was separated from her husband while she fled from Charles Taylor’s rebel forces. While displaced, there were nights where she had no shelter, and was forced to sleep under the brutal rains of Liberia. “We didn’t know what to expect from moment by moment. We went to the port so we get on a ship to Ghana, but the ship left us.” Her face dimmed as she recalled being caught in the crossfires at the port, during the final days of the civil crisis in Monrovia.
Although placed in a challenging situation, she spent her days volunteering her services to take care of children while parents searched for food. During that time, she was introduced to THINK, Inc. and soon was on staff as a counselor. “Our sole desire is to give the girls skill, good morals, but at the end, that each of the girls would come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior.” Esther and Gladys both have been with THINK since it first began operating in 2004.
“The biggest challenge is after spending time training and counseling the girls, they can go contrary to what you have been teaching them. You pour so much energy in working with them, but we don’t give up. We keep on talking with them. But to see a girl come to know Jesus, and grow in their faith, become active in their church, to use the skills that are given to them- that is my biggest joy.”
Twenty-four year old Esi left her father and mother’s home at a young age to “go her own way.” While her parents had no idea where she was, she found her own life in the bush of Liberia, living with her young boyfriend. “We traveled from place to place. We weren’t doing anything. I had gone to church before, but it wasn’t doing nothing for me.”
In August of 2001, this lost child returned home. Found by her brother, she decided it was best to return to her family. Soon Esi was recruited to attend the THINK program in Monrovia. Just last month, Esi accepted Christ. “This place has done well for me. I learned to be a seamstress, and I want to open my own business. I want to continue to go to school. Before, the church did nothing for me. But now, I choose to follow Christ.”
While attending my world history class in High School, my teacher stood in front of the class with misty eyes and a cracking voice and said, “War is Hell.” I now continue to grasp the truth in that statement as the years go by.
Nineteen-year old Hauwa has endured more in her short life than many in this world will ever know or understand. Growing up in Lofa County, the civil crisis surrounded her and her family. One day a family member came with horrifying news. Her uncle had been shot by the rebels and decapitated. With his head placed on a stick, his body was cut into pieces, and deposited into a wheelbarrow to be pushed around town and sold for meat. The appalling and sickening practices of war were too much for this family. As Hauwa told me this story, she pointed to her skin. “I resemble him more than anyone in my family. His complexion was the same as mine.”
Soon after she fled with her parents to Monrovia. With still no clear direction on where her life was leading, she found herself with the wrong crowd. “I became pregnant at the age of 18. My parents had heard of the good things that were happening here, and wanted me to go. I wanted to learn a trade. So I am learning cosmetology. I love to braid hair!”
Hauwa is still struggling through the issues of her past, and has yet to accept the Lord as her Savior. But as Esther and Gladys have stated, “We don’t give up. There is no girl left behind.”
Recently I visited THINK to gather some stories for our donor office.
THINK: No Girl Left Behind
Gladys Smith Zagaa is one of the blessed women of Liberia. One of four girls, her parents worked hard to pay for their school fees, giving Gladys an education that most Liberian girls do not receive. After studying bookkeeping, Gladys continued her education in Business Education when she reached her early twenties. It was at this time when she rededicated her life to Christ. With a heart for the hurting, social work became her new passion. It was here where she met Rosanna Shaack, and assisted her in the beginning stages of THINK, Inc. She has been hooked ever since.
Gladys counsels the girls through traumatic situations they have encountered in their young lives. When asked how she has dealt with trauma in the past, she responded, “A close relative of mine was raped during the civil crisis. While I was in my social work class, we were discussing rape, and I just broke down. I had to spend time working through the trauma with my professor. I learned then that if everyone gave in to their trauma, they wouldn’t be able to transform other lives.”
In thinking back on the last five years of THINK, Inc., she reminisced about the very first group of girls. With the society looking on them as outcasts, Gladys knew that she would be able to reach these girls. “They are human like me. I just need to identify with them.” She would visit the commanders’ homes, and request for the girl soldiers to come with her to THINK. It was her faith that kept the fear away. “God knew their situation. I knew He would keep me safe.”
“I don’t look at their behaviors. I don’t see challenges with working with combatants and street kids. My own focus is to see a change in them.”
When asked about what joys she experiences at THINK, the feeling of being a proud mother instantly came to mind. She went on to add, “I consider the girls to be my children. So when I see positive changes in their life, I look on them with pride. They call me their “Rescue Mother.” When they leave this place, that relationship does not change. I monitor and check on them, and see how well they are coping in their community.”
Gladys told of one of the ex-combatant girls who was high on drugs and lived with another rebel commander. Gladys shared about how this young girl saw the need for a change in her life. She stopped using drugs, and threatened she would leave her boyfriend if he did not do the same. He refused. She clung to her words and left to attend the training at THINK. It was during this training that she accepted Christ. After graduation she was accepted back into society, married a strong, Christian young man, and is now living in Lofa with two children and caring for her family.
“”When you educate a lady, you educate a nation. She will go back and educate her children, her community. My focus is change. Nothing else matters. God has a purpose for each child. I just help them to find it,” said Gladys.
Esther Williams was separated from her husband while she fled from Charles Taylor’s rebel forces. While displaced, there were nights where she had no shelter, and was forced to sleep under the brutal rains of Liberia. “We didn’t know what to expect from moment by moment. We went to the port so we get on a ship to Ghana, but the ship left us.” Her face dimmed as she recalled being caught in the crossfires at the port, during the final days of the civil crisis in Monrovia.
Although placed in a challenging situation, she spent her days volunteering her services to take care of children while parents searched for food. During that time, she was introduced to THINK, Inc. and soon was on staff as a counselor. “Our sole desire is to give the girls skill, good morals, but at the end, that each of the girls would come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior.” Esther and Gladys both have been with THINK since it first began operating in 2004.
“The biggest challenge is after spending time training and counseling the girls, they can go contrary to what you have been teaching them. You pour so much energy in working with them, but we don’t give up. We keep on talking with them. But to see a girl come to know Jesus, and grow in their faith, become active in their church, to use the skills that are given to them- that is my biggest joy.”
Twenty-four year old Esi left her father and mother’s home at a young age to “go her own way.” While her parents had no idea where she was, she found her own life in the bush of Liberia, living with her young boyfriend. “We traveled from place to place. We weren’t doing anything. I had gone to church before, but it wasn’t doing nothing for me.”
In August of 2001, this lost child returned home. Found by her brother, she decided it was best to return to her family. Soon Esi was recruited to attend the THINK program in Monrovia. Just last month, Esi accepted Christ. “This place has done well for me. I learned to be a seamstress, and I want to open my own business. I want to continue to go to school. Before, the church did nothing for me. But now, I choose to follow Christ.”
While attending my world history class in High School, my teacher stood in front of the class with misty eyes and a cracking voice and said, “War is Hell.” I now continue to grasp the truth in that statement as the years go by.
Nineteen-year old Hauwa has endured more in her short life than many in this world will ever know or understand. Growing up in Lofa County, the civil crisis surrounded her and her family. One day a family member came with horrifying news. Her uncle had been shot by the rebels and decapitated. With his head placed on a stick, his body was cut into pieces, and deposited into a wheelbarrow to be pushed around town and sold for meat. The appalling and sickening practices of war were too much for this family. As Hauwa told me this story, she pointed to her skin. “I resemble him more than anyone in my family. His complexion was the same as mine.”
Soon after she fled with her parents to Monrovia. With still no clear direction on where her life was leading, she found herself with the wrong crowd. “I became pregnant at the age of 18. My parents had heard of the good things that were happening here, and wanted me to go. I wanted to learn a trade. So I am learning cosmetology. I love to braid hair!”
Hauwa is still struggling through the issues of her past, and has yet to accept the Lord as her Savior. But as Esther and Gladys have stated, “We don’t give up. There is no girl left behind.”
This one, she lazy!
This blog entry is written by my friend Bev... who witnessed a pretty funny situation with me on the field...
While waiting for the chopper to bring it’s load-Joni and I were waiting near the field under the mango trees. Little did we realize the adventure that was about to unfold…this is how the dialog and events unfolded on the sunny hot day in the Belleh forest…
Joni: “Man I wish I could get higher up somewhere to take a photo of the chopper coming in ... I need to get above the blowing dust of the chopper.”
Bev: “Well there are lots of trees here why don’t we climb up one?” Bev proceeds to climb a mango tree next to the field where the chopper has been landing –with the help of a Liberian who pushes her butt up and shoots her up to the first branch…she then gets out on a limb, breaks some branches off for a clear line of site, in order for Joni to get the PERFECT photo. Side note-(Bev is not scared of heights and really has always enjoyed climbing trees-it’s like a second home up there…)
Joni: “Sure I guess we can try that”
Bev climbs down, and Joni proceeds to get ready to climb up. Our Liberian friend who helped me up begins to help Joni up…
Finally Joni gets up the tree and is straddling the smaller branch, with her camera around her neck looking very National geographic as we await for the chopper…and wait… and wait…I can tell that Joni is getting nervous (she is not a fan of heights if she is not safety harnessed in) and her feet start to go numb from straddling the limb.
She is not a happy camper-really who would be? 20 min later-we hear the chopper coming. Here, finally, is the opportunity that every photographer waits for that ‘perfect” shot in the bowels of the belleh forest jungle-a chopper carrying water and sanitation supplies for people in dire need. Now all we need is the chopper to land in the right spot…I (Bev) leave Joni in the tree to do my duty of getting the net from the chopper, undoing the net, and getting the supplies off the net so the net can be folded and taken back on the chopper. As the chopper was hovering in-I soon realized the horrifying thought “he is not landing anywhere NEAR the tree!!! Joni is not going to get ANY shot whatsoever! Oh man am I in TROUBLE!” “nevermind go get the net!” As I went to the chopper I was already dreading going back to the tree to get Joni…
Well…she got down and was not happy-after a good hard punch in the shoulder (ouch) and a few “I am so vexed with you!” To which I replied A LOT “I am sorry I didn’t know the chopper wouldn’t land in the same spot! I am sorry. ouch!”
To add insult to injury Joni had a large scrape on her arm…to make it even WORSE –as we were sitting down after the tree episode the chief came by and looked at me and stated “ you see that woman there she is strong and fit- she works hard” I replied “thank you chief” then he approached Joni…”This one here (poking and pushing in the back with his finger) she lazy…” Let’s just say that between me almost falling off my chair in laughter-I got punched again in the shoulder and Joni was NOT happy! Fun times in the jungle…I have to admit this was top five funny moments for me in the field…
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