Elijah

Our Liberia office has a name for every vehicle we have... so for example, the first two land cruisers we ever had are named Adam and Eve. We have Ruth, Boaz, Ezra, Nehemiah, Naomi, Jesse, Abraham, Caleb, and so on and so forth. Last year we received news that we were getting a new vehicle... a helicopter! Pilot Dan and his family arrived in Liberia early February, and soon after we were putting him to work. It was only fitting for us to name the chopper "Elijah." (and if you don't know why... look it up!)

Taya, our Water and Sanitation program manager is implementing a well project deep into a forest in Liberia, where no other organization is working. From one of our sub-offices (3 hours from Monrovia), it takes 11 hours to walk to the farthest community that we are working in. So with thousands of pounds of supplies needing to go to villages with no roads, Elijah was the perfect candidate.

Everyone giving an effort, pushing Elijah to an area where we could take off.

Being the photographer has its perks, since I am generally allowed to be the "co-pilot" in order to get the shots. What a view!

We landed in Bopolu, which is where our sub-office is located, where the WATSAN team was ready with all the supplies that needed to be dropped. There was a team on the ground getting each load stacked properlly for Elijah to lift in a sling, and a team on the ground in the villages ready to unload.

Dropping the load... very gently...

Most times Elijah would not even touch ground on the drop off, and would head back for another load.

Here some of our staff are carrying a generator that was just dropped in.

February 17th, the day we arrived in Mourakole, a beaming man greeted us when we arrived. His wife had just given birth to twins! How surprised he was that not only was he a new father, but a father of twins! It made me think about how the women in rural areas never have the opportunity to see an ultrasound picture, or even know that they are carrying more than one baby!

The father brought Bev and I to see the babies, and allowed us to name them. Bev named the little girl Taya, after our WATSAN Program Manager, and her work there in the village (pictured above). Since it was my dad's birthday that day, I was able to name the boy. Since Sylvan was a bit hard for them to say, I went with his middle name- Dean.

Little Dean

Africans are OBSESSED with President Obama. You can't get much more rural than where we were, yet this is what I found while walking through the village!

A view from above as I flew out.

Buzz was on the ground in Bopolu helping set up the loads, and communicating via FM radio with Dan for fuel needs, etc.

The beautiful people of Liberia.

People and Places

Emmanuel Flomo is the Samaritan's Purse driver who was assigned to the ABC project last year, so I worked side by side with him for 6 months, driving up and down from Monrovia to Yekepa many times. He is by far my favorite driver at SP, and love spending time with him and his family. He wrote me an email while I was home for Christmas, telling me that he and his wife had their 5th child, a little girl named Faith. Last week we had to make a quick trip to Yekepa, so we were able to stop at Emmanuel's house and meet his new daughter. Isn't she cute??

Emmanuel, Rebecca and Baby Faith (3 months)

Our staffhouse in Monrovia is the only house on campus with a barbed wire fence around it, which has not looked the prettiest, but has been very safe for all of us. The problem comes when you are right on the beach, and the salt air eats away at the metal so badly. It got to a point where the barbed wire crumbled in your hand, and one finger could break the poles of the fence. So it did not surprise us when one morning we awoke to our fence down on the ground.

The guys are busy reconstructing a new security fence now, with the new guidelines that ELWA has put in place. Many changes continue to be made here on campus!

A couple weekends ago, I went with a few staff members to one of our favorite get aways... about 2 hours from Monrovia. This sign hangs in their restaurant, but we think it should hang on our ELWA beach instead!

The small catch the fisherman pulled in at Robertsport.

One night I was heading to my room to go to bed. My door is a bit warped, so it doesn't close easily. As I leaned my body against the door to close it, something very large moved on the door, not too far away from my face. It was this lovely critter you see above! I know deep down that these wall spiders are harmless, BUT THEY FREAK ME OUT! This particular one was bigger than my palm! And they move incredibly fast.

So, there I stood, frozen.... everyone else in my house was in bed and sleeping... and I was frozen in my room with this massive spider. I debated about getting the guard from outside to come in and kill it for me, but didn't want to look weak... so I went to find the insect spray.

After pretty much spraying the whole can in the direction of the fast moving spider, he ran under my light fixture, which is above my bed. I turned my head for one second to check something, and when I looked back, he was gone! Now I was really frozen.... was he in my bed? behind my bed? in my shoes? under the light? Then I saw him... on my sandals beside my bed, curling up b/c the spray finally got to him. I can just imagine the show I was giving for anyone who could see me through my window!

The next morning I told the guard about it and he just laughed and said "next time I will come to your rescue madam!" I will remember that!

Back up to Malawo!

A few of us headed back up to Malawo last week, to check on how projects are moving along, and to gather a few photos of the roofing project.



These two kids were running around all day with the footie pajamas... they were cracking me up!


I think this may be my new favorite picture I have taken.

A family sits in front of their newly zinced roof.

The younger class in the Malawo school, approximately 40 kids.

Breakfast time! Rice, beans and chicken.. the best I have ever had!

While we were enjoying our rice and bean breakfast, this man was roasting his bush rats he had caught... when I was asking him how they tasted, he said they were "sweet meat! Don't you eat these in the States????" I just smiled and said no. He asked if I wanted to try some, but I told him next time I come... so I better be ready!

Jusu, SP Ministry Staff, also works on zincing all the roofs in Malawo. Great guy!

And after the rats were roasted, the very same family was cooking up this pot of grasshoppers in palm oil! No joke... I've seen them fried before, but never boiled. Yummy?!

Sweet Reunions, Sad Goodbyes

This past Monday I was able to travel back up to ABC in Yekepa, to not only reunite with many of my friends, but also to attend the farewell program for Dave and Trudy Petersen. Dave has been the project manager and contractor for our reconstruction project at ABC, and has been an absolute joy to work with. His wife Trudy as done an amazing job in the local schools and orphanage, and also taught the English course at the University this semester.

It was so fun to see friends in Yekepa, to spend time catching up on how each other's families are, and to congratulate them on all the progress they have made on the campus. I had a few people say "Oh Joni, you are looking FAT!" which is a huge compliment to a Liberian... If I would say that to a fellow American, I don't think I would have a very good response! But I have learned to just smile and say "oh thank you!" :)

The farewell program for Dave and Trudy was absolutely perfect. Representatives from the students, staff, construction workers and Samaritan's Purse took time to honor this incredible couple, and shared how they have impacted their lives this past year. One faculty member stated that there was only one word that described Dave and Trudy best... and that is "LOVE". The majority of the times that I have heard 1 Corinthians 13 read, it has been used to describe love a married couple has for each other. In this case, the characteristics of love fit Dave and Trudy's love for EVERYONE they worked and came in contact with. They are a true example of being Christ in this world.

I believe that there are some people in this world that no matter how long or little time you spend with them, you cannot walk away without being impacted by them in some way. Dave and Trudy are these type of people. I have never met more of a compassionate, patient, gentle, caring and loving man than Dave Petersen. He took the construction job at ABC and made it into so much more, sharing Christ every day through devotions and every day life to all he came in contact with. This man probably handed out more than 300 Bibles in this past year alone!

So, as you can imagine, this was a very hard goodbye for me this week. Working with Dave was a joy and he became a dear friend of mine. ABC will not be the same without him.

We returned with Dave and Trudy to Monrovia on Tuesday, and I brought them to the airport Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday morning I had the opportunity to share with our 50+ staff members in Monrovia about Dave and Trudy, and what they have meant to me. I tell you... I had a hard time making it through. But if anyone asks them what comes next, their only reply was, "We are going home to hug our kids and grandkids! After that we have no idea!" So even though it was hard to let them leave, I know that they miss their family dearly.

Thanks Dave and Trudy for all of your work, friendship and love this past year! We miss you!

Dave modeling one of his gowns he was gifted with from the ABC workers.

Del and Becky Chinchen, President of ABC University, and Dean of Admissions.

Trudy and one of the ABC students after the program was completed.

Morning devotions with the construction crew is the regular routine for Dave. On his last morning in Yekepa, his replacement, James Hooper led the group. James was on the very first ABC construction team that had come out to Yekepa last April. We welcome James to the SP Family!

Please pray for the Petersens as they transition to life back in the States, and as they look to where God may lead them in the future.

Same language... different ears

The other day, I was having a conversation with one of our house cleaners.  Our country director and his family were returning from their home leave, and we were making sure that everything was ready in their house.  This is how the conversation went:

Joni:  "Helena,  could you turn on the Air Conditioning today and leave it on for bossman?"

Helena:  "what?"

Joni:  "Turn on the Air Conditioning today at the house"

Helena: "what?"

Joni:  " the Air Cooler- turn it on today"

Helena: "You want me to turn the water on in the kitchen?"

So even though we are speaking the same english language, sometimes we aren't! :)

Challenges and Changes

After a frustrating start, and a few challenges along the way, I arrived safely back in Liberia on Wednesday, January 7, just one day later than planned.  The very short version, is that I missed my connecting flight in Lagos, Nigeria, and was stranded at the airport until I was able to get on another flight early Wednesday morning.  Getting stranded in Lagos was a "nice" welcome back to West Africa, and all of the challenges there are in traveling this area of the world.  But it is nice to be back.

Driving from the airport and into Monrovia, I was once again "welcomed" by the Pakistani UN Battalion and their tanks. There were about ten of them heading towards the city.  A fast reminder that I am not in Iowa anymore!

 

A big change in our house, is this little guy... Mr. Bandito.  I'm not a huge fan of cats, and I think this kitten knew that, because I seem to be the one he comes to cuddle with!  Unfortunately we had a small accident with Mr. Bandito and our vehicle the day after this picture... he is alive, but suffering from a badly broken leg. :(  So we are doing our best to nurse him back to health!
One thing that has not changed is the cockroaches. I do believe they are the most disgusting creature of all God's creation.  They range in sizes, but our house mostly has the large ones!  I had someone spray our house this week to get rid of them, and it seems to have brought them out of the woodwork!  This morning I woke up to one crawling on my neck!!! Needless to say I didn't sleep much after that...

Yesterday, Buzz and I needed to make an airport pick up, and decided to go a couple hours early to play a round of golf at the Firestone Rubber plantation.  The course isn't too bad.. a bit rough, and as you can see the "greens' are sand mixed with oil... making it black... but the Liberians call them "browns."

One thing that did not change was the high prices... here is an example to all of you nut lovers out there... a can of almonds for $19! ouch!

I took the time yesterday to relax on our front porch... here is our view:

A HUGE change here is our power situation!  ELWA, the campus we live on, has gotten a new manager recently, and many changes have been made. The biggest one for us, is that we now have power 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!  WHAT A DIFFERENCE!  I feel as if life is "normal" when we have power consistently, so it was a big blessing to come back to. They have also returned to ELWA being a "private beach" on the weekends.. so instead of large UN trucks blocking our ocean view, along with hundreds of speedos, well the speedos are still there but the trucks have to be parked at the gate coming onto campus.   So weekends are quieter and not filled with so much traffic.

It has been fun to see everyone I work with at the office again, catching up about the last couple months.  I look forward to what God is going to do with the SP staff this coming year, and excited for the opportunity to document it!