Leaving Liberia, Part Five

We'll Miss You, We'll Miss You Not...

We'll Miss You

Today is Wednesday-- our last in Liberia. The goodbyes are frequent, and with a few, we are just not going there. Apparently, we will be getting an escort to the airport by many of our friends, and I'm sure that will be quite a scene. I know I'm going to lose it. Hannah and Noah too. Renita says she won't-- "she just doesn't cry at things like this." We'll see.

Leaving our people will be the hardest part of course. But there are some things-- Liberia things-- that we also will miss. And some, of course, that we won't. Let's examine a small list:

We Will Not Miss Daily Water Duty. About thirty gallons a day, pumped and lugged from next door.
"I can do it" I a professiona' mechanah!" Every guy that worked on our car was self taught, and more often than not we had to bring it back to somebody to fix what was fixed. A common practice is to remove good parts for sale, then when the bad part fails, work to fix that too, using whatever creative method could be rigged.

Jiggers. Dug out of many toes and other parts, including each of ours several times during three and a half years. Here Odelle assists Renita.


Monrovia Traffic. It is not that unusual from other African cities, but without traffic lights and so many "self taught" taxi drivers, it gets stupid. For thirty six years, I loved to drive. Now, I give the keys to Renita when I can.

The Humidity. The Sweating. This in Rivercess. Why do the other guys look so cool?

Being reminded everywhere we go that there was no "sanctuary" during the war. No place was safe. Most buildings were left in ruins. A church near Baye's Town.

Being daily reminded that those all around us, even our dearest friends, lived lives of hardship and deep poverty. Vera's home.

We Will Miss

The humidity-produced morning mists. This in Gbarnga.

Hanging out with jes' folks in the villages. Johnson Town.

"German Plums." (Small Liberian Mangoes. So good, it must be descended from the Forbidden Fruit.)

The Liberian Coast. Treacherous, non-negotiating, and inspiring.

Just hanging out in the yard in the late afternoon. This can be done anywhere, of course, but the contrast between the humidity of the day and the relative cool of the breezy late afternoon cannot be experienced in very many places.

Cooking huts. I love 'em. In every village. No two are alike, and every one is a place of communion, comfort, food and family.
"Dancin' with the ones He brung us to... "

Leaving Liberia, Part Four

When Goodbye Becomes Hello

In this, our last week in a country that defies simple characterization, we are keenly aware of every “last” thing we do, every “last” activity, and now we are saying goodbye to each day of the week. Yesterday was our last Sunday here. We said goodbye to eight churches—one was Providence Baptist Church in Monrovia, led by our friend of eleven years Pastor Sam Reeves. PBC honored Renita and thanked her for her work with LEAD. The other church goodbye was back in our own Foster Town, where seven churches and our Foster Town Association for Community Transformation(FACT) invited us to a beautiful and moving farewell ceremony. In our time here, none of us have been more stirred or impressed. For three years we’ve worked to find ways to bring neighborhood churches together with FACT. There has been progress, but working with pastors is kinda like herding cats. Yesterday on that cement dais in that reed and wood structure, there were seven pastors together with their leaders and the FACT board. Community members from seven congregations and more joined them. And while we were deeply honored and humbled that they came ostensibly to say goodbye to us, I was far more inspired by the fact that they had come together, period.

After a service that made us laugh and cry, Renita and I were asked to say a few words. After she spoke, the only thing I could think of to say was that the farewell service was not really an ending—it was a wonderful beginning. I observed that while our Liberian friends were there to thank the Reeds for “being so instrumental in transforming the community,” that this kind of gathering was the real source of future change in Foster Town. I think they saw it. After the meeting, another pastor joined them and the eight pastors connected with the FACT board to talk about how to take advantage of this non-accidental moment. They made plans.

A couple of North American Christians living in the neighborhood for three plus years, doing what they can to lend a hand is a good thing, and it may even make a small difference. But all Renita and I could do pales in comparison to what these seven congregations and FACT will do if they pull together. Yesterday, seven key community leaders—its pastors—and over a hundred other leaders and faithful church-goers got an eyeball vision of their future. Their future is them, talking and working together. Say hello!

Today, Monday, we get to say goodbye again. Already Vera is crying.

Our Sunday group of pastors and community leaders. The most encouraging moment for Foster Town in a long time. Hello to hope...

...and farwell to us. Renita, deciding which books stay and which go.

All of us, with Trokon and Eastman, working through Noah's Legos.

Farewell to my friend Sarah. She showed once a month for some rice, bulgar, and oil. I got to know her and looked forward to hearing about her life, hard as it is.

Farewell to porch time-- here with Patience, her daughter Renita and Noah-- with Max keeping watch.

Yers Trooly with Odelle's son Success, who they are now calling Bob.

Weather: Incredibly humid and hot, with dew points in the 80s and temps in the 90s. Bedroom temp at 10:00pm-- 84F. Try sleeping in that! Hazy days, with no measurable rain in a week. Light breezes that pick up around sunset, making for nice evenings for an hour or two.

Leaving Liberia: Part Three

The Kids
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Its beginning to hurt a bit. As we count down the days to our departure, we are wondering about the inevitable goodbyes just down the road. We are missing our friends already. We are missing the children most of all. There are so many kids we have laughed and argued with, sat with, conked, hugged, teased, taught and bandaged. Some saw us first as curiosities, then as potential sources of goodies, but now there is something more, something much deeper. Renita and I see a handful of them almost as if they are ours. We know several of them see us more often than either of their parents, and depend on us for guidance and a sense of stability. We did not seek these bonds intentionally, and we hope that bonding will be worth more than the pain we will all feel upon parting.

Here are just a few of them-- "The Kids in Liberia." Some are forever a part of us, some we met in passing. We have hundreds of images of Liberia's children—we could have selected many more. Look closely. Each face is a brushstroke in the Liberian Portrait. Each is different, and each reveals something of the Face of God.

The Children of Gbaye's Town...

Ambush Corner
Koon's Town
Toto Town

West Point, Monrovia

Foster Town Market

Buchanan

Congo Town

Disco Hill

St. Theresa Elementary School

Christ's Friend Children Academy

The Reed House

Some who have planted themselves in our hearts. Of course Trokon, Eastman. (With Enoch on the right.)

Apple, Cecelia...

...and Faith.

Rachel (aka Chinese Girl)

Obadiah

Enoch

Thinkers Village Beach. Taken on Morning One of our time here. Still our favorite image.

The U.S. Presidential Elections

"Congratulashu', Misteh Reese!"

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I want to take a break from my normally scheduled blog post to tell you a bit of what is happening around us this US Election day + one.

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We were among the last to know in our neighborhood. By the time we woke up at 6:00am GMT, not only had the polls closed on the US West Coast, but apparently everyone saw it coming as polls closed across the States. Many of our neigbhors stayed awake all night, clustered together in the few homes and video shops that have TV. Across Africa, and around the world, BBC reported an explosion of excitment over the election of Barack Obama.

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In Liberia, its the same, and its remarkable. When I made a visit at 9:00am to a local market and this internet cafe', I was greeted with congratulations-- thats right, congratulations-- when I got out of the car. A guy standing with his smiling buddies yelled at me from across the street, "Congratulashu, Misteh Reese!"-- and I knew instantly what he was talking about. In the internet cafe, I was greeted with the sound of Obama's victory speech the owner was replaying on UTube. A guy was walking around with a huge Obama face on his t-shirt. Another shook my hand. It seems like everyone is listening to BBC Africa, and BBC Africa is telling the story of parties and positive demonstrations in many places.

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As for me, being 5000 miles away, I was not able to particpate the way I normally do in an election season. I felt a bit left out by that. But it was tremendously moving to see the process unfold from this West African persective, and to see how much this country-- this continent--looks to the US as a source of hope. Africa and Liberia have not given up on us yet. I think that's a good thing, even though there remains a cynical side to me when it comes to trusting in nations.

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What I will most remember about today, is that although I lamented the fact that I could not participate in the American Experiment in the way I would like, my Liberian friends made me feel proud to be a US citizen. It was fun to join in as their nation celebrated our national moment.

Imagining the Possibilities

A Meeting of Co-Laborers

Our third-to-last week in Liberia was spent with Joel and Jeannie Huyser, CRWM missionaries from Nicaragua, as they joined us on the invitation of the CRWRC West Africa Ministry Team. As I mentioned last time, part of leaving Liberia for us is doing what we can to ensure that work started is supported, and that we have heard from our Liberian colleagues as we consider future work. Joel was here to listen to reps from five organizations as he outlined a model for community transformation. He spent Tuesday and Wednesday visiting these organizations, learning about their work, listening, swapping perspectives, and then on Thursday, we held the all-day workshop.

Our Liberians colleagues were generous in giving us their work day—we know very well that they have been invited to meetings like this with international organizations many times. We take their time, seek their opinion, glean from their expertise, and in doing so offer the hope of support for their heroic efforts. And they know full well that sometimes the support comes, and sometimes it doesn’t.

It’s a mixed blessing, these partnerships between relatively wealthy western NGO “haves” and relatively impoverished NGO “have nots” in developing countries. Invariably, the “haves” influence the agenda-- not always for the best-- and test the integrity of the “have nots.” Invariably, most international “haves” maintain a position of gatekeeper, while the national “have nots” submissively seek to please their supporting partners. The challenge for INGOs and national NGOs that understand the dangers of this dynamic is to consciously, intentionally work hard toward just and evenhanded relationships. Just doing peacebuilding activity with a partner is not enough. Actively co-monitoring and co-maintaining a healthy relationship is necessary for the partners. Indeed, actively co-maintaining the health of the relationship is integral to the work of peacebuilding.

So, our gracious Liberian colleagues shared their ideas and expertise, and they politely listened to us and offered feedback. In the end, they asked CRWRC/CRWM to return and work with them again. If it happens, returning will be the easy part. The real challenge will be in working as true and co-equal partners.

Our guest, Joel Huyser, meets with Ellen Williams, General Sevretary of the Christian Health Association of Liberia (CHAL). Karen Bulhuis from LEAD joins us.

Renita and LEAD National Director Allen Gweh are next on Joel's list.

The LEAD staff took Joel on a tour of several LEAD businesses.

After visiting the Association of Evangelicals inLiberia (AEL), the exec board of the Foster Town Association for Community Transformation (FACT) gives the Huysers a tour of the FACT market.

Fact Exec Board and guests. From the left, Standing: Joel Huyser, Alex Maye, Jeannie Huyser, Magdelin Brown, Rev. Odashi Shelton, Cecilia Yekeson, Solomon Monway, Yers Trooly.

Kneeling: Renita Reed, Rev. Augustine Zar, Karen Bulthuis. If you look closely, yes, that's Enoch in the tree directly above Odashi's head.

The workshop last Thurday begins. Joel Huyser facilitating and enlightening and enjoyable day.

With a very humble assist from Yers.

Joel in action-- engaging the participants.

Ellen Williams of CHAL makes a point.

Rev. Peter Kollie, Director of Advocacy and Good Government at AEL. A passionate and articulate spokesperson for genuine empowerment.

Alex O. Maye, Chairperson of FACT offers toothy insights.

Allen Gweh of LEAD making himself clear.

Coming later this week:

Leaving Liberia, Part Three: Beginning to Hurt