Africa Wrap-Up

Today is exactly one month that I have been home from Africa, so I guess I better wrap up the rest of the trip. We left Buchanan on Wednesday morning and headed back to Monrovia, the capital city and our last stop. At this point in the trip, I was really missing my family and it felt good to be arriving at our last city. This was another travel day, so I spent much of my time just getting to know the Liberian students better and enjoying their company. Here's a picture of the view out the front doors of the ABC house in Monrovia. At the end of the day, Palmer and Colby gathered us all together (the band, the basketball team, the leadership team, and all the Liberians that had been traveling with us) and led us in a time of worship, prayer, and reflection. I can't really describe how good it felt to praise the Lord together and agree together in prayer with these wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ except to say that it felt like a little piece of heaven. Colby asked us all to share what surprised us and what we'll most remember. This was a critical moment in the trip for me because of what I learned next. But before I tell you what I learned, let me wrap up the rest of the trip. Thursday I helped out at the pastor's conference, and Friday, our last full day there, we found out that our last concert scheduled for that night was cancelled. The local pastor that was in charge of booking the event and promoting it, was wrapped up in caring for his wife and daughter, who had stage four malaria. So, it didn't get booked or promoted. The band was disappointed. I was extremely disappointed. I am a hard worker, a doer, a go-getter, an accomplisher, and I was frustrated that I didn't get a chance to do more. But God had other plans, and part of that plan was to teach me a big lesson. So, back to what I learned.

Although I have been on many missions trips before, I have to admit that prior to going on this trip, I was very critical of the cost of missions trips and how we could use that money to send so many more needed supplies to the people. Let me explain: the cost of this trip was $3,400 for each person that went, and my mind was thinking of how many more mosquito nets or shoes we could have sent with that money instead. But as the Liberians talked that night about what they would remember most about our trip there, they didn't focus on the supplies we had donated to their people (although they were extremely grateful), what they did talk about was how much it meant to them that we, people, came to get to know them and show them love. Our presence and hands extended in friendship did more to give them hope than anything we brought or anything we did. And that is why I went - to bring them HOPE! Shoes are good, but they wear out. Mosquito nets are good, but they don't last forever. Medicine may heal the body temporarily, but HOPE is eternal. And although neither the Liberians nor myself will ever know a life without problems or the realization of all of our earthly hopes, we both possess something that no one can take from us, something that can never be destroyed - HOPE in a God that so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. That is why I went to Africa, and that is why I want to return.

Africa: Part Three

Next stop: Buchanan! Sunday afternoon we left for Buchanan. The drive was brutal with the last few hours being painfully slow through extremely bumpy roads, darkness, and heavy rain. God must have had his hands around our vans because we arrived safely - no vehicle breakdowns which are very common, no flat tires, everyone was safe. The hotel was a huge improvement from Ganta. It was the first time we slept in air-conditioning since we arrived, and we all slept SO well there. The food was great, too. I was happy to have a roommate, too. Rosezatta, one of the students from ABC who traveled and sang with us quickly became a good friend. We have a lot in common. Obviously, the music was a great bridge between our different cultures. But we also both have three children, similar ages, wear the same size shoes (okay only the women will appreciate this one), and loved learning about each other's daily life. She owns a catering company and is working on her education degree from ABC. Here's a picture of the two of us:

Since we traveled to Buchanan a day early, we had Monday free and decided to go to the beach. It was gorgeous and reminded me of Hawaii - the views were breathtaking. It was great to enjoy the beauty of God's creation and spend time getting to know our new friends from ABC. Here are a few pictures of the beach:

On Tuesday we went over to set up for the concert and were amazed to find 260 pastors at the leadership conference. Many of them and others returned for the concert that night. It was definitely the liveliest crowd and so encouraging that they were smiling, dancing, and singing along the whole time as we played for them. We definitely gave it all we had that night, and people again responded to the invitation to commit their lives to Jesus. The most meaningful part about being in Buchanan for me was not only the new friendships that were born but also a conversation between Colby, me, and two of the ABC students, Miracle and Andronicus. They came to us after breakfast on Tuesday and talked all about their passion for music and worship. Two things grabbed my heart - 1) They don't have CD players or mp3 players so that they can listen to music. They have to resort to the radio or limited time on the internet in the library at ABC. This is definitely something that Colby and I want to change. 2) They are desperate to learn how to write music. They just came out and asked us if we could help them, not even knowing that writing music is what I do. It was a God moment! They are talented singers and very creative, but they lack the knowledge of chord theory and just don't know where to start in writing songs. So, I'm praying and asking God how I can help. I'll keep you posted on what I find out.

Africa: Part Two

I know I've been dragging my feet on sharing this Africa experience, but the time to process has really allowed me to learn more about what this trip was all about, so here's the next part. This second part of the trip was the hardest for me. We left Yekepa on Saturday morning and headed to Ganta. It was about a two hour drive. Ganta was by far the most lacking in creature comforts. The hotel where we stayed was very hot, dirty, and didn't have running water. It was also the day that the other team and ours split, so the other women who I had been rooming with were now leaving. Saying good-bye to them was the hardest part of the trip for me. I had spent a week getting to know these women and loved every smile-filled, laugh-filled, hug-filled minute. Here's a pic of Dr. Grace, Karen, and me.

I knew that the next week would be lonely, and I was scared. I was told not to go anywhere alone and felt so helpless. I don't like asking for help, and it was hard for me to ask the guys to walk me around like a little kid. But God had many things to teach me in Ganta, and so I'm grateful for the experience of having been there. I learned most of all that God is with me, not just in some mystical sort of way, but fully present. As I was worrying and complaining to myself that I had no one to walk me out to a certain area, I heard God speak to my heart that He would walk with me and at the same time an amazing comfort came over me. Through that experience and others like it on the trip, I experienced the Comforter first-hand.

The name of our band was, "In Between" coming from the idea that ancient monks used to talk about the thin places where Heaven and earth meet. Initially I thought about this idea as something like sitting on a beautiful, peaceful beach - the best parts of earth - and thinking that this must be a bit like heaven. And certainly those wonderful moments in our lives point us to God. But what I learned on this trip is that sometimes the places of hell on earth are so dark that the brightness of God with us can't help but literally shine through in the darkness around us. God has never felt more like my Father than when He walked with me through Ganta.

I also really learned how prayer changes me. I spent much of the afternoon that day in Ganta praying since I was shaken up and the women were gone. And by the time we got ready to do the concert that night, my spirit was stronger. God really taught me that if I give him everything in prayer, then I don't have to do any worrying, and how freeing is that. The concert went really well. The Ganta mass choir sung during the middle of the concert, and I was blown away by the sheer volume and intensity of it. Despite the poor conditions that they live in, they are confident that God is good and that His desire is to bless them. What a lesson for us! At the end of the concert, many people responded to the invitation to receive Christ or recommit their lives to Him.

Sunday morning we divided up into groups and went off to different local churches. I went with Pastor Palmer and his son, Spencer, as well as Kanah and Luke from the band. It was fun to experience how they do church as well as getting to lead/teach them a few songs. Palmer preached on the story of our lives. He asked the people to consider what kind of story they are writing with their lives and challenged them to choose a better story: God's story. Once again, I knew that I didn't just happen to end up at that little church, God sent me there so that I could be challenged to take a good hard look at how I'm living my life and whether I writing God's story for my life or trying to take the pen in my own hand. Still processing that one... More soon!

Back from Africa!

Although I was hoping to post updates of our trip to Liberia in a timely matter, there was no internet access available for us. But now I am back in Phoenix and nearly over the jet lag. It's hard to know where to even start to give you an idea of what we experienced, but I will try.

We started the journey with flights from Phoenix to Washington D.C. then on to London, where we had a ridiculously long layover, but it did allow us to see the sights and get in some much needed walking after sitting so much on airplanes. Here's a picture of a few of us in front of the palace.

After four long flights

and an eight hour van ride, we were thrilled to arrive at ABC University in Yekepa, Liberia. Three years earlier, my husband, Scott, had been there on a construction team that completed the first rebuilt building on the ABC campus after 15 years of civil war had left it completely destroyed. Now there are 11 buildings up and running with 80 students on campus and much more to come. It was amazing to see the transformation. Here's a picture that Scott took of the chapel three years ago when he was there(bottom), and a picture I just took (top) to show you the difference.

Thankfully, all of our equipment arrived, and we spent the first day unpacking and setting everything up. We sat through the student's chapel on the first day, and were amazed at how beautifully and loudly they sing and praise God. There were no observers, only participants. We also discovered that Americans have no rhythm. We had a hard time clapping along to their music. That night the college held a prayer meeting for our team and it was humbling to see so many turn out to support us and fervently pray for God's power and protection over us. Day two we shared some of our music with the ABC students during chapel and spent the afternoon teaching a few of our songs to the students who would be traveling and singing with us, Rosetta, Isabella, and Andronicus. The best part was getting to learn a few of their songs. Samuel, their keyboard player, taught me a bit of their style and eventually I caught on and was able to accompany their singers. It was really fun to cross over into new musical territory. Day three started with the pastor's conference. I was able to lead them in a closing hymn of "It is Well with my Soul." Again, I was overwhelmed at how loudly and wholeheartedly they worship. That night was our first concert. There is no central power in Liberia, so every building that has power has a generator. Miraculously, we were able to get everything working, despite having to convert the power from 220 to 110. The Open Door Theater is where we played and by the time we were a few songs into it, the place was packed. At the end, Palmer and Eliazar, the ABC campus pastor, gave an invitation for people to accept Christ, and many came forward. Many of our team prayed with people and collected contact info. to pass on to the local pastors. That about sums up the stay in Yekepa. It was a very encouraging start.

I will close for now by sharing some of my first impressions. I was amazed at how easy it was for me to love these people. From the time we got off the airplane, I felt God impressing on me His love for the Liberians. Things were different, but as we experienced new sights, new handshakes, and new smells, I felt God speaking to me: "Those are the hands of a people I love. That is the smell of a people I love..." It's not hard to see why God loves Liberians so much. As we got to know them, I realized that they don't just call themselves Christians. They worship wholeheartedly. They don't hesitate to say, "Praise God!" for everything. They leave their homes, friends, even families to follow God's calling on their life. They believe in the power of prayer. I was totally humbled by them. It was a far greater honor for me to spend two weeks in their presence than for them to spend two weeks with me. I have much to learn. More soon! One other picture:

At the first basketball game in Yekepa. The kids were so friendly. The two girls standing next to me, Princess and Fatia, would not leave my side. They held on to me the entire game. Precious smiling faces!