We're on our way. This is past the city of Buchanan, about three hours (80 miles) out of Monrovia, with five hours to travel the remaining 80 miles. Note the hanging baskets in the tree. They are birds' nests.

The Land Cruiser navigates a very shaky log bridge over a washed out section of the road.

The road narrows to Cestus City, Rivercess County.

The Dreamed Guest House, my home away from my home away from home.

The workshop site, Open Bible Mission, in the midst of the Liberian rainforest.

The conflict mediation workshop. Fanantee and Aaron to the left, with James "Pappa" Doe, the director of the reconciliation and trauma program, seated near the door on the right. The white guy is me.

Participants practicing a conflict they can mediate.

A sweaty me explaining a point to a Paul, participant. He looks like he's wondering what planet I'm from. He ought to get in line.

They didn't always understand my English, but my attempts to speak Bassa cracked them up. Mouie! Eh, Mouie!

One of the particpant teams report while Pappa Doe and a moist me look on. It ain't the heat, it's the humidity.

Ah, the evening meal waiting for us at our guest house: Cassava leaf, rice and freshly killed raccoon at sunset. Does it get any better than this?

Time to head home. The road is a tad slippery from the night rains.

On the homeward journey, a cab is stuck in the mud and holds up traffic. As he prepares his rescue, the CHAL team observes from a dry distance.

A typical rainforest home on the way out.

The long and winding road that leads to her door. A tough but good week behind us, and only five more hours to home.

Run off Election: November 8, 2005

A run off election has been declared between George Weah and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. The results of this election will come in much quicker than the last election. The campaigning for these two will begin on October 26, 2005. There is much talk, speculation, and rumors going around, as the subject occupies the minds of many. As I have not yet met a supporter of Weah, my observations are clearly one-sided. But I was overcome with sadness on Saturday, while discussing our goals for LEAD, that the Board members talked about two potential paths: goals and dreams that will have a chance to take place if Ellen wins, and the fruitlessness of doing anything with LEAD and setting any goals if Weah wins. In fact, those present (and others that I have spoken to as well) are seriously considering leaving the country, should Weah win. The scene from the movie, Hotel Rwanda (If you haven't watched it, I strongly recommend it), came back to me, as I considered those with the ability to leave and the many, many for whom leaving is not an option. As I worshiped at a small, humble church in a hut on Sunday morning, with songs joyfully declaring the glory and majesty of God, I fought to keep the tears back as I considered that these are the folks that would be standing by the side of the road, watching as the buses of those of means pull out (as in a scene from the movie Hotel Rwanda).

The biggest fear that people express if Weah wins is not war, but the International Community, specifically the US, withdrawing support and connections. This election is serious business for the future of the country. It’s not like elections in the US where you might not want one person to win, but you don’t face extreme poverty, corruption, food prices tripling, feelings of abandonment, and, to a large degree, hopelessness if that person wins. Those who want to leave just don’t want to go through it again. Those who have to stay don’t have any choice.
Please join us in prayer. Please pray that God will intervene and work in the hearts of those making new decisions of where to cast their vote. Please pray for God to spare this small country and give it a leader who is Christ-like, and will love the country and its’ people more than s/he loves her/himself.

Hannah holding Maajoua, our neighbor.

The Noah '95, our homemade lawnmower (dog not included:-)

LEAD Inc.: Liberia Entrepreneurial and Asset Development, In the Name of Christ

In Bob’s absence, let me report on some of the work that I am doing with LEAD Inc., a new NGO that is in partnership with Partners Worldwide (www.partnersworldwide.org) and CRWRC (www.crwrc.org). LEAD’s goal is to work to increase employment in Liberia – currently there is approximately an 85% unemployment rate. The goal is to develop savings and loan groups, who will receive a 3:1 match on their savings in the form of a loan, to expand their business, and ultimately the employment base. Our current goal is to work with small to middle size established businesses (with several employees). This was a big week for LEAD: we incorporated officially with the Ministry of Planning, and we hired a staff person: Brother James Hillary. This Saturday, October 22, 2005, we will hold our Strategic Planning meeting for the Board. We are blessed to have visionary people on this board who have some great ideas for where LEAD can go to effect change for the people of Liberia and the Kingdom of God. They have ideas of working not only with middle size businesses in their current location, but to begin a business incubator program through the establishment of a ‘mall’, where businesses can be indoors, outside of the rain (most businesses are currently outside, along the road), with lighting so that they don’t have to close up shop by around 6:00 pm, and security. This would be a place where middle size businesses could be, as well as some new entrepreneurs, targeting ex-combatants, specifically. We are in prayer about this and trust that God will use us, as long as we keep submitting our will to His will, our agenda to His. We are also blessed to have detail oriented people on the board, who catch the minute details of what needs to be done, and are willing to do that work as well. In addition, we have a North American Affiliate group, called the Nehemiah Liberia Group, made up of business and otherwise interested folks in Grand Rapids, who will work as partners with the business owners here. As Bob has the camera with him, I will send pictures along when I can.

Homeschooling

Some of you have asked about Homeschooling. So far, it’s going fine. I’m enjoying it and Hannah spontaneously reported this morning that she likes Homeschooling better to regular school. Noah reports that while it’s true that the days are shorter than regular school days, the days feel longer because the work is harder. I like the one-on-one attention that I can give them, especially as it relates to processing material to make sure that they understand it; that is a luxury that most teachers with many students in the class cannot do. As both kids love reading, but don’t always read the quality books that I would like them to read, I am enjoying assigning those books now. [Before I would ask them to read a particular book – they would halfheartedly try and then report that they ‘really couldn’t get into it’. Now they don’t have an option – they must read it.] I’m happy to report that once they start reading it, I find them sneaking reading during their break time in school – they like it! Currently, Hannah is reading To Kill a Mockingbird; Noah is reading Lord of the Flies.