Recent Photos from Liberia

 Photos of Jessie

Jessie sleeps in her box and loves to cuddle with her teddy bear. 

Today was Grace and Jessie's turn to do dishes.  Jessie loves to help.

Aloysious will be house sitting our house and watching Jessie for us when we visit the States in May.

Eating Bug-A-Ball

Once a year a bug called "Bug-A-Ball" migrates to Liberia.  It comes early in the morning and looses its wings.  Liberian children hunt these bugs like we hunt Easter eggs and then eat them.  This is a tub full of today's catch.

Our children woke early in the morning and enjoyed the fun of hunting bugs.

At first, we had a hard time eating them.

Now we eat them by the handful.  They are salty and taste great!

The Bible Institute

We are in the middle of teaching an English speaking Level 1 class at the Bible Institute.  Here are our cooks.

Bible Institute Class

Field Leaders being trained

Our new home in Gbarnga, Bong County

Here is the inside of our house / church planting hub.  This is the living room.  We are excited for this room to fill with new friends in Bong County.  Our house is a new house.  It's construction will be completed by the time we move there in August.  We were looking for a house with a large living room so we could host house church during rainy season.

Here is the view standing in our house and looking out the backdoor. 

 Pure Life Soap

The soap business is doing better than we had anticipated.  We can produce up to 900 bars of soap each day.  We were hopeful that our soap makers would make $5 USD each day they worked.  They are making $10 USD.  We praise God for the success.  In this photo Lasanna and Badio are molding the soap.

Mercy is stamping the soap

Here are two photos of soap drying after a day of soap production

This soap is ready to sell.

Our Night Sky

Have you ever seen a ring around the moon?  This photo does not do justice to it's beauty.  The ring around the moon filled our night sky.  I stood in awe looking at it.  I had never seen anything like it.

 Snake

Last week, Melanie ran out of our outhouse and yelled, "SNAKE."  She told everyone that there was a green snake in the bathroom.  Everyone laughed at her and told her it was a lizard.  This week, we killed this snake by the bathroom.

What kind of snake is it?  Our internet is not fast enough for me to do research.  Is it poisonous?  Each time I see a snake I send photos home so I can learn which snakes are poisonous.  

 Chronic Rashes

Our family has been suffering from chronic rashes.  We have not found the cause.  They come and go but come more often than they go.  They itch and cover our bodies.  This is a rash Tommy has now.  Please give us suggestions on how to get rid of the rashes.  We have tried everything we know to do.  Each rash takes a couple months to go away and then it comes back.

We are moving to Gbarnga, Liberia

Our prayer is that there would be a healthy church in every town and village of Liberia within our lifetime.  Most of the towns and villages do not have churches in them.  Our strategy is to start 5 church planting hubs throughout Liberia.  Each hub will oversee disciple making and church planting in 3 counties.  Currently, the Maryland hub oversees ministry in Maryland, Grand Kru, and River Gee Counties while the Grand Gedeh hub oversees ministry in Grand Gedeh, Sino, and Nimba Counties (Look at the map).  This August, our family along with 2 other Liberian families will move to Bong County and start a new church planting hub in Gbarnga, Bong County.  This new hub will oversee disciple making and church planting in Bong, Lofa, and Margigi Counties.  

We praise God for all He is doing in Liberia.  To understand our ministry better, look at the map above.  Notice that several counties have numbers in them.  These numbers represent the number of towns and villages we work in in each county.  The stars represent church planting hubs.  The red and green counties are counties that are being served by our hubs.  The yellow counties are locations of future ministry.  The doted lines represent the roads that go through Liberia.  As you can see, Gbarnga is a strategic location for getting the Gospel into Bong, Lofa, Grand Bassa, Margigi, and Montsenado Counties.  

Last month I went on a mission trip to Gbarnga to seek the Lord's direction and to look for a house for our family to rent.  While there, the Lord confirmed His calling to Bong County.  Last weekend, the Board of Wordsower approved this new work.  

Here is a house that we are looking at renting.  It is located on the top of a large hill that overlooks Gbarnga.  We believe the house would work well for our family and for the mission.  We are in the process of negotiating with the home owner.

Here is a photo of Gbarnga.  Gbarnga is the capital city of Bong county.  It's population is around 20,000 people.  Soon, I will return to Gbarnga to make preparations for our future ministry.  

Many of you have been following Baby Emanuel's story.  Baby Emanuel has greatly impacted our lives.  It is hard for us to understand why special needs children are demonized in Liberia.  Our hearts break.  Recently, Emanuel moved to a different home because the house he was living in was no longer safe for him.  In addition to starting the church planting hub in Bong County, we will assist a friend of ours in starting a ministry to rescue other children like Baby Emanuel.  We pray that many special needs orphaned children can be saved and loved on through this ministry.

Last year, I dedicated much of my time to teaching at the Bible Institute, writing curriculum, and church planting on Sino Road.  Leaders have been trained to take over the ministries I oversaw last year.

Life with a Chimpanzee

Dear All of My Dear Friends and Family,

Out of demand, I will be telling you all about how Jesse, our pet chimpanzee, is doing.  But, first I must inform you of some very sad news.  Our dog, Hopety-Hope, died earlier this week.  He got hit straight on by a fast moving motor-cycle.  Unfortunately, Don and I were right there when it happened.  It is really sad and we really miss him.  We are doing okay.  (Hope was the only dog my husband says that he has really loved but all of us really loved him.)  He was really a good guard dog and his main goal in life was to protect us, I think. 
On a different note,  Jesse  is so funny.  If you were with us, you would find yourselves laughing all the time.  Everything that she does is funny.  She is like a yo-yo.  She might like you one second and the next second, she doesn't want to have anything to do with you.  You know this because one second, you are holding her and you try to put her down and she will NOT let go.  She holds onto your shirt with her 2 hands, so you use all your strength to remove her hands from your shirt just to realize that she also is holding onto your pants with her "hand-like" feet, while yelling as if you are really hurting her.  Then you conclude, that getting her off of you is one impossible task.  (Which is why you may see pictures of her hanging onto our backs, our heads, etc.  Because, we know, that it is sometimes just easier to let her stay where ever she has planted herself.)  :)  Let's say that you get her off, then a little while later, you try to pick her up, many times, she will do her best to keep you from picking her up while yelling like you are hurting her; because she doesn't want you to hold her this time.  :) 

Jessie having fun in her tree

Jessie eating bush kola in her tree

We have a tree right outside our house.  It is not an extrmemely large tree, but it has a lot of branches.  Really, it is perfect for a monkey because it is right there.  She loves to go up there and just sit and relax in her "bed".  She has bent down branches into a little pile in different sections high in the tree.  So, it is common to find her chilling on her bed.  She doesn't really hang and play in the tree like you would think of a monkey, but she likes to swing from branch to branch while she is trying to get from point A to point B.  It is amazing, how far out on a branch she will travel.  I would be afraid to sit on the edge of the branch for fear that it would crack and I would fall.  Not Jesse.  She climbs right out on the edge and stays on there fine.  It is also fun to put her paw-paw, an African fruit, on the branches and she will run up there and make the monkey loud  OO OO OO OO OO OO and sometimes she says, Brk brk brk  brk brk brk." And sometimes she says it  REALLY REALLY  LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Grace put in the sound effects.  I think she did a good job with them.)  :)  

Jessie likes to help with dishes and laundry

Every morning during the week, we walk down the street to get bean sandwiches for breakfast.  (We have learned that these bean sandwiches help to keep weight on the kids so the little extra cost is really worth it.)  Anyways, Jesse LOVES to go!  She will start OO OO OOing, and then will start barking, and then she gets so excited that she pats her hand against Don as he is carrying her in ryhthm while she is yelling, "Brk! Brk!"  It is so funny.
When we go into town, Jesse will usually stay with Kim; but sometimes he is not available to watch her, so one day, we decided to lock her on our front porch.  (It is screened in.)  The first time we put her in there, she somehow undid the door and came in the house and ate all of our money.  (Oh yeah, she loves to eat money.)  So the next time, we made sure to lock the door well and then put her in there.  Well, the way that our front porch works is that there are 2 rooms adjoining in our screened in front porch.  Well, she managed to open that door, walk in, climb up the wall and out through the roof.  She met us on the other side of the house.  She managed her escape within seconds.  So, now we have to make sure both doors are locked.  However, she really hates going in there all by herself.  She is really a people monkey.  So all the people on the property knows when she gets put in our front porch, for she makes the winest, loud high-pitched sound that you can possibly imagine.  And she climbs all around in that porch hoping to find another way to escape.  

Jessie loves to be held.  Imagine teaching school with a monkey around your neck.

When she is inside or we are holding her, she wears an African diaper.  By the way, just for your information, she does not have a tail.  We are trying to potty train her.  Is it working?  That would depend upon who you ask.  Don says, "Definitely."  I would say, "Definitely not."  :)  She either sleeps with the kid's or she sleeps in her bed.  Her bed is a rectangle shaped Chrysler box which had arrived shortly before we got her with stuff from the USA with a "hard" African pillow inside.  (Thanks Dad for the box.  It is very useful.)  :)  However, she is growing so I don't know how much longer that her little body will be fitting into it.  Meanwhile when we put her in there, she will usually make happy "OO OO OO sounds." :)

Jessie getting her teeth brushed after her bath.

Every couple of days, Don will give her a bath.  She hates cold water and lets the world know it, but puts up with it when we have warm water.  Though, she LOVES the towel.  The second the towel comes out and she gets wrapped up in it, she again makes her happy sounds.  To be cuddled up in that nice warm towel...she thinks that is pretty good.  Which reminds me, I must tell you about this as well.  She enjoys going to the shower with us.  She will sit on the shower wall and eat leaves while we are taking our open air bucket bath.  After we are finished, we grab our towel and then Jesse begins to make her happy "OO OO OO" sounds.  She really gets excited!  (We think that SHE thinks that WE really like our towel, too.)  LOL!  :)

Last but not least, I must tell you that Don and the kid's have her language down.  Yes, Don - my husband - speaks chimpanzee.  When Jesse and Don begin talking, it is so funny.  They really get into it.  So, what I want to see is that if we find ourselves at a zoo this summer, I want  to know if Don will be able to get the chimpanzees talking.  Wouldn't THAT be fun?!!!  Also, I want to see what other people think of Don's talking chimpanzee.....LOL!!!!!  Wouldn't we all love to be around to see that??!!!!!  LOL!  :)
Well, we love you all!  So excited to see you all!!
Love, Mel 

Jessie in her bathrobe

PS.  If any of you have any questions about our dear Jesse, please feel free to ask.  We will respond honestly.  Oh, I must tell you that one of her most loved past-time's is to stick her finger in her diaper and then her finger goes straight up into her mouth.  LOL!  Yep, she is definitely an animal.  :)

PPS.  You know the saying, "There's a monkey on my back?"  Yes, we all understand what that saying means now...... :)

Jessie loves our other pets.  She has a favorite kitten that she likes to hold and play with.

MELANIE: EDEN SALVE

Dear All of My Dear Friends and Family,

How are you all doing?  We are doing well, but have been rather busy lately.  Unfortunately, our little generator has hit the dust so we have gone without electricity for several days.  We now need to take all our needed electronics to the printing shop when we want the convenience of electricity.   Nice, huh?  But at the same time, very thankful for it.  I can't even begin to imagine what we would do if we didn't have that option.

I have had this in my heart to do and today must be the day.  I am compelled to do a little advertising.  I know.  I am sure that you are all groaning about now, as you get hit with advertisements all day long.  I am sure that you are thinking to yourself, "Do I really want to read this advertisement...even though, it is from Africa?".  Well, just hold on.  Maybe you will find it to be a useful advertisement.  It all occurred when our dear friends Lee and Sandi  came to visit us around Christmas.  She had asked me if I had any specefic things that I wanted her to bring.  Something very high on my list was that I wanted her to bring something for rashes.  Though, she did bring stuff, something for rashes is still very high on my list.  I still need to find something that will work.  So, if any of you have any ideas, let me know.  Otherwise, my poor husband and kids....   

Well, my sweet husband would say that I just went on a rabbit trail.  Well, I guess that I did.  Anyways, back to my advertisement.  Lee and Sandi did bring something that I will never do without again for as long as I live - at least here in Africa.  :)  I tell you the truth.  I have never seen anything like this stuff before and already have requested another container, which I will be picking up in a few months from my dear friends. :) It is called Eden Salve, "Nature's Healing Touch."  I tell you the truth.  That is exactly what I would call it, other than I would probably say, "God's Healing Touch."  One day last week, I was starting a fire on my very handy-dandy coal pot.  I had had a fire earlier and didn't want to waste another match, so I was trying to fan my old flame.  It is not hard to do, all I needed to do was to scoot my heated coals together into a lump, then use my Liberian made plastic bowl to fan my coals and wa-la!  New fire.  Well I failed to use my smart brain and decided to use my fingers to put the heated coals into the lump rather than using the bowl to scoot them together.  Well, naturally, you know what is coming.  Yes, I accidentally picked up the coal on the hot side.  Oh.  Let me tell you, it was not nice.  I don't think that I have ever had pain like this in my finger before.  Don't get me wrong.  I have been through this before so you would think I can learn my lesson; but anyways, all the times before, I have not been burnt like this time.  My finger was really swollen and kind of had pink and white and red blotches all over the entire tip area.  Yeah, it hurt.  Yeah, I really had to control myself from crying like a child.  I was hurting.  My husband and family felt very bad for me, I could tell.  Fortunately, I remembered this cream.    It says that it is effective for:  cuts, BURNS, rashes, insect bites, boils, and chapped, cracked, or dry skin.  Salve is an:  astringent, anti-flamitory, antibacterial, and anti-fungal.  Quickly, I grabbed the green salve and rubbed it onto my finger.  Oh, I thought I was dieing then.  Oh, the pain was bad.  So, I ran outside and began to waste our laundry water by filling a cup with water and putting my finger into the water.  When the water got too hot, I dumped the water and grabbed new.  Well, my friend who was doing our laundry for me was not impressed with my resolve, so I decided to go back to the salve.  Lucky for me, I chose this option.  I tell you the truth, I put plenty on my finger a countless number of times.  Each time, it began to dry up, I put more on because the pain became too much when that happened.  I tell you the truth, within 2 hours, all I had left was a small white dot on my finger.  The rest was healed.  My finger didn't hurt anymore.  When my family looked at it, they no longer felt sorry for me.  All of them were amazed.  Don said, "It was either the salve or God."  I would like to say that it was both.  God used the salve to help heal my finger.  Also, Don mentioned that he had never seen anything like that before.

Now, think with me.  Let's say, you go to the lake and you think to yourself,  "Oh.  I left my sunscreen in the car.  Oh well.  I will be fine."  BUT, when you get home, you realize that you were NOT fine. :):)  For days and days, you suffer and you are seriously not doing well.  (Trust me, I have suffered like this before, many times.  One of those, I think back to the cruise with my family.  My sister and I "suffered" in our cabin while the rest of the family enjoyed "the boat.")  But, I think to myself.  If we would have had this salve, I think it might have been all over within the first hour of our suffering, the night before, and then we could have been out enjoying "the boat" with the rest of the family.  I just really wonder.  Because my finger was seriously burnt and it was all over within 2 hours, I just can't help but think what it would do with a sunburn.....  Things that make you go "Hmmm...."  

LOL!  So, what is happening with you?  I would love to know if you get a few minutes.  I heard that a warm front went through Ohio last week.  It was in the 20's but then later it was suppose to get into the 40's.  Sounds nice.  NOT!  :)  LOL!  I think we have been chilling around 100 degrees lately. :):)

Love you all and miss you deeply and at the same time, completely, excited to see you!

Love, Mel :)  

PS.  The Enden Salve also says "Bulk Herb Store" on it so I am assuming that is where you can buy it.  Whether it is on line or a true store, I have no idea.  Just thought that if my advertisement worked, that you may be wanting that information.  :):):):)

PPS.  Christian says that it also helps with monkey bites.  So.... if you ever encounter a monkey bite, please, remember to put this salve on it and all will be well.  :):)

Voted #1 Most corrupt nation in the world

Liberia was voted #1:  

That’s right Liberia made #1, tied with Mongolia, as the most corrupt nation of the world!  An example of the effects of corruption:  All across Liberia the hospitals closed again because no one was paid for 4-5 months.  Typically when this happens the government will give a month or two back pay and promise to pay regular.  They will go back to work.  No more pay will come and they will strike again.  It is an ever repeating cycle. (Report came from USA Today and Transparency International)

Liberia on the top of another list:  

Listed as the second most miserable country from the Misery Index of nations.  What does that look like for an individual?  I dread even writing this story.  There are things we just prefer not to know or here.  But, I feel my silence would be wrong:  Onika attends one of our discipleship groups.  She has a beautiful smile and a very small premature baby that is always sick and on the edge of death.  Two weeks ago she became homeless.  Last week a friend of hers, Cynthia, came to her from the jungle sick and was welcomed into the home of another in our discipleship group.  She was having trouble breathing.  The next morning she was found dead.  Hospital closed.  Preventable.  A day later I heard Onika’s baby died.  She came to me sobbing.  It was not her sickly premature baby, as I expected, but her 3 year old that was staying with her mother in Monrovia.  The child had swollen tonsils.  Often the treatment here is that someone will stick a finger down their throat to bust the tonsil.  They did.  The child died.  Hospital closed.  Preventable.  Today, I took Onika and the baby to a medicine shop.  The baby is sick again with fever.  Illness not known, a guess as to treatment.  Medicine bottle was dirty.  Later today, we bury Cynthia.  Tomorrow, I put Onika on car to go to Monrovia to bury her baby.  All preventable.  This all just happened and is but one of the many stories of the misery of individuals in Liberia that are within that Misery Index. (Google “Misery Index Liberia”).

Ojuku’s Confession and Salvation:  

Ojuku came to me puking out one of the most evil confessions I have ever heard.  I will share just one of the less vile stories: In Monrovia, during the war, there was a church where 2,000 innocent people gathered inside for refuge and safety.  They were mostly women, children and the elderly, unarmed and harmless.  The church was surrounded and ignited.  If any tried to escape the flames they were shot.  All were massacred.  He was one of the leaders in the massacre. The one to ignite the church and was one of them who did the shooting.

He said that his other soldier friends have come here to Wordsower Liberia to find forgiveness and escape from the dark world.  He said he wanted that and wanted to be right with God.  We prayed.  Today he is a common sight around here.  He smiles plenty, is free, and is testifying to his fellow former soldiers.  As we disciple him he is now beginning to disciple others.  He has completed his marking lessons plans on attending our school in a couple weeks.

Christine Medan:  

She worked with us for 2 years.  Our Lord transferred her to Afghanistan.  She came for a two weeks visit. She is much loved here. Many throughout Liberia celebrated her return.  Here is one testimony from her visit: In Monrovia years ago she met a Muslim from Guinea with a swollen infected foot and unable to walk.  She shared Christ with him and prayed for his healing and left.  Moments later he ran to her to thank her for his healing.  They talked, prayed and he accepted Christ.  She united him with a local church for discipleship.  They parted ways: she went to Afghanistan and he back to Guinea. The boy had a dream that they would meet once again.  The boy returned to Liberia for a visit and soon after she walked around a corner and there he was.  They were surprised, hugged, laughed and prayed… well I guess she was the only one surprised, for him it was anticipation.  He has matured into a committed Christian. Our Lord loves reunions and surprises. Rejoice, Heaven will be full of them!   

100,000 Pages:  

This month with our new print shop we printed over 100,000 pages of Bible training material.  I am reminded of a quote from the book Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan: “Just before China was taken over by the communists, a communist officer made a revealing statement to a missionary, John Meadows: ‘You missionaries have been in China for over a hundred years, but you have not won China to your cause… but we communists have been in China less than 10 years, and there is not a Chinese who does not know… has not heard the name Stalin… or something of communism… We have filled China with our doctrine.  Now let me tell you why you have failed and we have succeeded.  You have tried to win the attention of the masses by building churches, missions, hospitals, and schools.  But we communists have printed our message and spread our literature all over China.  Someday we will drive you missionaries out of our country and we will do it by the means of the printed page’… The communists were true to their word.  They won China and drove out the missionaries.  Indeed, what the missionaries failed to do in 100 years the communists did in 10.”  So, we print.  It is a powerful tool for spreading the name of Christ throughout Liberia.

This post was written by my partner: Kim Smith

Bad Drinking Water

Our ministry and a ministry called "The Last Well" are looking for ways we can work together to bring the Gospel and clean drinking water to every Liberian.

These photos are taken from towns and villages on Sino Road.  Last year, we focused a lot of energy on making disciples and starting churches in the 22 towns and villages on Sino Road.  Soon, the Last Well will begin drilling wells in these locations.  Praise God!  

Many towns and villages get their drinking water from water holes or polluted rivers.    

Women and children are often the ones who are carry water for their families.

Many towns have to walk long distances to get their water.

Last week, a film crew from the United States came to film a documentary on our efforts to bring the Gospel to all Liberia and the Last Well's efforts to bring clean drinking water to every Liberian.

They spent two days filming.

When the documentary is finished, they are hopeful that it will be shown on the Discovery Channel.  Fun!

Please remember to pray for Liberia.  Please pray that we would see a healthy church in every town and village within our lifetime.  Please pray for an end to their suffering.