Last week in Liberia

Liberty Elementary School

Liberty Elementary School:

Thank you for changing the lives of many children in Liberia.  To date, we have been able to award nearly 100 scholarships to students.  These students are enrolled in our new elementary school.  To qualify for scholarships, students must maintain an 80% or above grade average.  Liberty Elementary School was built by you and is 100% funded through your sacrifice.  Thank you!

High quality Christian education is desperately needed in Liberia.  Liberia's school system is broken.  Many children do not have access to schools.  Those who are fortunate enough to attend are often taught by corrupt teachers in overcrowded classrooms.  Imagine a school where bribes and sex are given in exchange for good grades.  Sadly, this is reality for many Liberian schools.  

Our prayer is for our school will be a beacon of light.  Our classroom size is limited to 25 students.  Every class will have a licensed teacher and a helper.  Teachers are required to participate in ongoing training and will be held accountable for their classroom performance.  Students will be tested and pass or fail based upon their own academic acheivments.  We pray Liberty Elementary School will graduate students who love Jesus and are equipped to become Liberia's future leaders.  

This is a picture of my gate last Tuesday.  Sadly, I was not able to help most of these children.

Liberia's Hunger Months are coming to an end:

While my heart rejoices for the students who received our scholarships, I also grieve for those I could not help.  Sadly, I had to say "no" more times than I was able to say "yes" as children litterally begged me for a chance to go to school.  I find it hard to believe that the simple word "yes" or "no" can make a lasting impact on a child's life for better or for worse.  This truth has truly disturbed me.  The end of Liberia's Hunger Months marks the end of many children's dreams of an education. 

It is not too late to help.  Will you prayerfully consider giving a child the gift of education and a brighter future?  The cost of operating our school is higher than I anticipated.  A onetime gift of $85 will pay for a child's yearly tuition, school supplies, and school uniform.  Thank you for your sacrifice!

Your gift can be sent to:

Hope for Home Ministries

P.O. Box 393

Troy, OH 45373

Please write "Liberia School Sponsorship" on the memo line

You can also donate online at liberiacalls.blogspot.com.

People you recently helped:

Thank you for helping Landa.  You paid for Landa's malaria, typhoid, and TB medicine.  Landa is slowly regaining her health.

Thank you for paying for Rebecca's malaria treatment.

Thank you for helping Ruth's daughter named Princess.  Princess was being abused by her father.  You paid to reunite Princess with her mother Ruth.  You also gave Princess a scholarship to our school.  

Thank you for helping Mary's special needs baby.  You paid for his hospital bill and treated his malaria. 

Thank you for helping Gbayah's daughter who just had a c-section.  You paid for her medicines.

Thank you for feeding this single mother and her 5 children.

Thank you for buying special shoes for baby Marie's club feet.

Prayer Requests:

1.  Please pray for Liberia's presidential elections, October 10.  Please pray for a peaceful transition of power.  

2.  Please pray for Liberty Elementary school.  Preparations are being made for the school to open after Liberia's elections.  Students will take placement tests, October 10-14.  Please pray that we have a strong start to the school year.  

3.  Please pray for our family.  Please pray for Melanie as she home schools our children.  Please pray for our family as we are still acclimating back to Liberia.

4.  Please pray for the churches on Kokoyah Road.  Please pray that we will see healthy churches started.  Please pray that God gives me wisdom as I am preparing for another year of teaching.

5.  Please praise God with me for the little girl named Landa whom we were praying for last week.  She is out of the hospital and is slowly regaining her health.  

Random pictures from last week:

Last year, our living conditions in Liberia changed drastically. My home church added solar powered to our house and built this beautiful addition.  Thank you!

Missionary wives meeting for prayer and coffee

People waiting in the rain at my gate.  They brought two special needs babies who needed help. 

Joseph came to greet me.  He is one of the men from Kokoyah Road we are discipling.  Notice he is holding his solar powered audio Bible.  Thank you for this powerful tool!

Our new puppy.  This is our Lab's daughter.  She will be weened and come home to us in 2 weeks. 

Blessing is an ebola survivor.  She lost many of her family members during the ebola crisis.  Blessing is one of our sponsored children.

You know you are in Liberia when you look up and find a goat in your house.

Parent registering his children at our school

Quinta is our seamstress.  She will be sowing all our uniforms this year.

Parents waiting to register children.

Children waiting to be registered for school

Sponsored children being carried to church.

Children's church

Worshiping Jesus at church

Interesting Bible Facts I learned last week:

1.  Add up the dates in Genesis 5.  Did you that Adam and Eve's son, Seth, was still alive during Noah's father's life?  In fact, Noah was 84 years old when Seth's son Enosh died. 

2.  Add up the dates in Genesis 5.  Did you know Noah's Grandfather, Methuselah, died the same year as the flood.  Noah's brothers and sisters and distant relatives would have died in the flood.  Sad! 

3.  Add up the dates in Genesis 11 and 12.  Did you know Noah's son, Shem, was Abraham's great, great, great, great, great, great, great Grandfather?  Did you know Shem was still alive when God called Abram to "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you..." (Genesis 12:1 ESV).  This gives a whole new perspective to Abram leaving his family and following God.

God's Word is rich!  Love it!  Read it!  Live it!