Oh, The Privilege!

Can I just be real with you for a minute?

This is something that's been burning in my heart and mind over the last week or so.

It's not the most pleasant topic. Something I hate to talk about, actually. 

I'm talking about money.

But I'm also talking about me, you, Liberia and Jesus.

Ok, here we go.

Raising money isn’t about ‘getting me to Liberia’ or ‘making this thing happen’. Raising money is about meeting needs and changing lives. It’s about offering hope, and Jesus setting captives free. It’s about love, generosity and selflessness. It’s about healing, forgiveness and restoration. It’s about obedience and having a front row seat to miracles. 

Raising money is also about the practical. It’s about a new roof that needs to be replaced within the next few months before rainy season comes. It’s about creating a home where guests can come and serve alongside. It’s about a community center opening its doors to the people around it and spreading His hope and love. It’s about creating jobs, empowering families and taking care of those who serve them.

But the honest truth is that money is needed for all of this to happen.

So today, I am inviting you to join me on the front row! I’m providing you an opportunity to take a step forward, out of obedience, to sow seeds and plough the fields as a partner in this thing we call The Great Commission. I cherish your prayers and encouragement, but something even more incredible is that God delights in your generous gifts. He delights because we are opening ourselves up to trust in the God of the impossible. He delights because we are obedient—in the big and the small. He delights because we sacrifice and think about someone besides ourselves. He delights because we use our time, gifts and talents—things that are from Him, by Him and because of Him—to invest in the Kingdom of God.

I can’t say it enough: this God-size dream isn’t about me or Red Meets Green. It’s about a beautiful picture of the Body of Christ, being stitched together, to bring His hope and healing to an obscure country on the other side of the world. It's about a group of people giving sacrificially for people they’ll never shake hands with or chat with over a cup of coffee. It’s about being a part of something bigger than ourselves—oh, the privilege! 

The question is, will you join me?

To make a donation to Red Meets Green's ministry in Liberia, visit our website and click the 'Donate Now' button.

Dreams

I'm sure we can all remember our childhood dreams. As a young child, I had dreams of becoming an Olympic gymnast. I realized that dream wouldn't come true when I quit my gymnastic career the summer after 7th grade. Then I moved on to my next dream. Being alittle more realistic this time, my new dream was to be a teacher. I found myself in the basement playing school with my sister for hours on end. Somewhere along the way, that dream morphed. I wanted to grow up, move to Nashville and work for a record label. I was on that track--majoring in marketing, working at a radio station, heavily involved with local bands--until Liberia happened. As soon as I stepped foot in my beloved red-meets-green-meets-blue country, that dream went away too. Now my dreams are bigger, better...God-given. Dreams grow and stretch us and allow us to dream the impossible. Maybe being an Olympic gymnast was impossible, but I still held onto a sliver of hope.

When I first got to Liberia, I'd ask children what their dreams were, and I would usually get a blank stare. The children didn't even know how to dream. And it broke my heart. It was so foreign to me that these children didn't even dream of being a policeman or doctor or singer. The children simply lacked the ability to dream. The great thing was that after spending quality time with them, they were beginning to dream! Kids dreamed of being the President of Liberia. George dreamed of being a pastor, while Rose dreamed of being a mother. Even my shy, quiet girl, Lucky [smiling at you at the top of this blog], dreamed of being a garbage collector. The kids were full of dreams!

One young woman who can dream with the best of them is Jogma. If you've been around here for any length of time, you know her story. In 11th grade, she found herself pregnant and kicked out of school. But Jogma dreamed of going to college. She dreamed of being a nurse so that she could help her own people. She was so bound and determined that she gave birth to her son Joshua [after 4 excruciating days of active labor] and started 12th grade a few weeks later. She was a young mother, living in an orphanage in Liberia, who gave all of herself, so that her dream could come true! Jogma also spent hours with me, asking me, "Auntie Ashley, what are your dreams?" And since that conversation, she has been helping me make my dreams come true in Liberia! Jogma will join me at the community center--she loves to teach others how to sew!

Jogma's first dream came true this past summer when she graduated from high school. Jogma took it upon herself to research her college options. In faith, she got herself to entrance exams, gathered admissions information and kept pursuing her dream. Jogma passed the entrance exam for the College of Health Sciences at Monrovia Bible College and her nursing school career will begin in February!

Jogma did all of this with the faith that God would provide the finances for her to go to college. Her first semester fees are $400. Jogma will receive $200 next week so that she can go and register for classes, and the remaining $200 will be due mid-semster.

Here is where all of you beautiful people come in! Each credit hour is $15, and each semester is 19 hours. That means each semester, her hours will cost $285. A very gracious friend has already committed to give $100 every semester until Jogma graduates! So that means we need to provide $185 each semester, plus miscellaneous fees.

I am inviting you into Jogma's story. Would you give $15, $30 or another amount to cover her credit hours? This is really about a group of people who give generously to tell a young Liberian woman that we believe in her and we want to help her make her dreams come true!

You can donate by clicking on the DONATE button the right hand side of the blog. You can also contact me if you'd like to put a check in the mail. And if you can't give now, you can be praying for Jogma as she begins this new journey!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The Green House and His Story

I'm showing you this picture tonight, because it's the next chapter of the story.

I've spent the last week playing House Hunters International (Monrovia, Liberia style), and it's been quite the educational experience. I've looked at everything from a brand-new, HUGE and beautiful 5 bedroom home to a simple two room row house. I've walked through empty spaces and envisioned and dreamed--laughter, learning, life together.

And then entered "the green house."

This house has 3 bedrooms/3 bathrooms, a living room, both an indoor and outdoor kitchen, a one car garage, a big palava hut (with bathroom), a huge and awesome yard, a generator house and a water tower (running water!!). It is right across the highway and one block back from the ORR house, so it's in the perfect location! And, compared to everything that I've looked at, the price is right! Also, Momo has known the owner since he was a little boy and vouches for the man, which speaks volumes!

Leasing in Liberia works alittle differently than in the States, so it's making things alittle complicated. You typically pay a full year's rent up front, but the owner has requested that I pay 6 months rent before I leave Liberia. This would guarantee that the place is mine. Then he wants the balance of the first year's rent in a decent amount of time after I get home. The house needs some work (and some deep cleaning!), but the rent money would go towards the repairs. With a one year lease, he will paint and clean the inside and outside, send in a gardener (it's like a out-of-control tropical garden!) and fix small things. If I sign a two year lease, he will replace the zinc roof with good quality zinc. If I sign a three year lease, he will use that money to complete the cement block fence (the back and one side are fenced, but the entire perimeter has a thick bamboo 'fence'). 

Please join me in praying about the green house being THE perfect place...God's perfect place! I have been talking alot with God, and I've asked Him to provide the finances for the half year rent before I leave Liberia. God has already surprised me--I have over 4 months of rent already spoken for! I need $750 more dollars...and nine days for God to do His thing!

Would you consider giving $5, $20, $50 or $100...or perhaps you'd like to give to cover a full month's rent?!

I'm asking Him for provision. I'm asking Him for miracles. I'm asking Him for BIG.

If you would like to make a donation, please leave a comment or email me! 

If you can't give now [don't worry, the rest of the first year's rent will be needed shortly], please just continue to pray that God's dream will become a reality here in Liberia!

[I'm trying to coordinate things so that only one money wire will be needed.]

Thank you all for being a part of THIS story! 

HIS story!