George

Sometimes there are children who fight hard. The situations and circumstances that they come from are unimaginable. Life is extremely difficult, there are no opportunities, and there is no encouragement or motivation to change their situation--they are oppressed and left without a voice. That is why we are here in Liberia. To fight for these children.

One child who has fought hard is George. George is 10 years old, and now he has a new outlook on life. George came from an terrible and hopeless situation. He was living in an orphanage with horrible conditions, he was sick and hungry and he wasn’t in school. He spent many days wandering around the community trying to find work, and usually doing hard, manuel labor, so that he would have food for the day. It appeared that George would never have a way out of that life.

The good news is that George got out! Orphan Relief and Rescue fought hard for George so that he could attend an excellent boarding school, where he has a clean and safe place to live, and he is finally receiving an education. In the beginning, George was having a difficult time adjusting to a new life of structure and discipline, and he was frequently fighting and causing trouble. One afternoon I sat down to talk to George--to find out why he’s fighting and to encourage him and let him know that I knew the real George and that George did not fight. I went to visit George a few weeks later, and when I saw him, he was standing in the front of his classroom in his crisp uniform and big smile, leading his classmates in spelling words. George was improving.

Fast forward a few more months. George is thriving! He has been participating in our weekly CDP time and every week he eagerly raises his hand to participate. He walks with his head held high and carries that huge smile! A few weeks ago, George sat down and read an entire book to me--something he would never have been able to do before. The next week, I noticed George sitting in the corner reading another book aloud. I couldn’t help but just sit there and smile; thinking about how much George’s life has changed, and wondering what George’s future holds. George is going to do great things--for himself, for others and for the country of Liberia. This is why Orphan Relief and Rescue exists. To help children like George.

Celebrating Easter

[Massah takes communion and Georgie decorates his Easter backpack]

The past few weeks have been an exciting time for our Child Development Program (CDP). We were working our way to the Easter story, so two weeks ago the children learned about The Last Supper. To make the story come alive for the kids, we took communion--sharing bread and juice together. For most of the children, this was their first time to have communion. This past week, we read the Easter story from the Bible, and then used Resurrection Eggs and the story, “Benjamin’s Box” to make the Easter story more personal to the kids. We also had plenty of great crafts--scratch off crosses to represent our sins being washed away, and some children enjoyed decorating 'He Lives!' Easter backpacks that were donated. We reflected on Jesus’ death and sacrifice, but then it was time to celebrate! The highlight of our CDP time was celebrating the resurrection with the children through music. We danced, clapped, sang, beat drums, and made as much noise as possible. We wanted the children to know that we have reason to celebrate Easter, and everyday, because Jesus is alive!

As for me, I celebrated by Easter by enjoying a serious Sunday morning downpour. I snuggled under my blanket and enjoyed time with my Bible, journal and Easter playlist. We went to church at PCC (where a majority of our Liberian staff attends)--this was my first time to church since I've been back in Liberia. Although I enjoyed it, I was alittle disappointed that we didn't sing any "Easter songs". After church, we loaded up the truck to go and visit the newest Kollie baby. His name is Daniel Moses, he's so cute and tiny! Then we came home, packed up everything, and headed to the Chapman's for the start of our staycation! I spent most of my time in the kitchen preparing our Easter dinner. I LOVE being in a kitchen here--it makes me feel normal! Our special Easter meal was garlic chicken, scalloped potatoes, veggies, bread, fresh watermelon and papaya and an AWESOME sour cream lemon cake (that I might just share the recipe with you) for dessert. We had a great time sitting around the table sharing Easter memories and devouring the delicious food! Then we moved into the air-conditioning to watch Home Alone. And I ended my night with a hot shower (my first since February 19th), and it felt awesome! It was a really great day!

I hope that you were able to take time to reflect on Christ's death and resurrection and that you were able to truly celebrate that He is alive--He's living, moving and working all around us! I also hope that you don't only celebrate at Easter, but that you're able to reflect on His sacrifice and life every day. Happy Easter!

25 Kids in 25 Days!

Today I made a discovery. There are only 25 more children in our core orphanages that need sponsors. There are also only 25 more days until Easter. So, I had a great [crazy] idea--let's get 25 kids sponsored in 25 days.

Last week was letter-writing week here in Liberia. You would not believe how excited the kids were when they got the name of their sponsor, and realized that whatever they put on their piece of paper would make its way to Mr. & Mrs. So-And-So in just a few short weeks! However, there were 25 children who could only address their letter as "Dear Sponsor." A few kids checked the list over and over again, making sure that their friend's name really wasn't there. After seeing the disappointment on their faces, and having no way to immediately fix it, I decided that this is how I can help.

For $35 a month, you can change the life of a child here in Liberia! Your support will go directly to the needs of your sponsored child and his or her orphanage--daily food, routine healthcare, an education, after-school programs. Most importantly, that child will have the opportunity to learn about God and His life-changing love!

Please consider sponsoring a child during these next 25 days. Easter is a time to celebrate Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate than to bring His love and hope to orphans in Liberia.

Click here to choose your sponsorship preferences...and to change a life!

Yamah

This is Yamah.

Yamah is in my small group for CDP at Danny Feeney (formerly, Gold Child Orphanage). She is a smart, but shy, six year old who loves to color and make funny faces. She usually doesn't say much, but her big brown eyes and huge smile are killer!

This week in CDP, we are finishing up our lessons on The Fruits of the Spirit. Because we are finished, the kids get to keep their copy books. I thought it would be cool to write little notes to each of the kids...some surprise encouragement...in the back of their copy books. Today I passed out the copy books and told the kids that they each had a special message inside. The kids flipped though quickly, and noticed the brightly colored page towards the back. They weren't too excited because none of them can read, but they enjoyed my doodles. I started the kids on their color sheet for today and went around and asked each child if they found their special message. I read each child their note, but most of them were already distracted before I could finish.

Somehow I didn't get to Yamah...probably because she likes to sit backwards on the bench and uses the seat as her table. After 'study class' finished, I went and sat outside. Yamah came over with her copy book, and I realized I didn't read her her note. I asked Yamah if she read it, knowing that she couldn't, and then asked if I should read it to her. She nodded yes.

I cannot tell you how much fun it was to sit there, amongst the chaos of 35+ other children running around, and watch the face of precious Yamah change. She lit up! It was a special moment...like nobody else even existed. She looked down shyly, and let her beautiful smile slip. I asked her if she agreed with what I said, and she could only smile. I said, "it's true! You are special and beautiful and God loves you so much!" She let her smile slip again, and it was priceless. I knew that it had been a long time, if ever, that she had heard those words, and that she really believed them. She went in for a hug, and then just stood there for a minute holding my hand.

Moments like that, with Yamah, are what it's all about!

Happy Easter

Last week, in our Child Development Program (CDP), we were celebrating Easter. We wanted to share the story of Christ's death and resurrection with the kids in a new, real, fresh and fun way. With the help of "Benjamin's Box" by Melody Carlson and Family Life's Resurrection Eggs, the story came alive. The children were enthralled by the story of Benjamin and enjoyed opening each egg to find a surprise inside! After talking about the sacrifice that was made for us and the freedom and forgiveness that we can find in Christ, we were able to share the good news of Christ's resurrection! And, no Easter celebration would be complete with crafts, 'He's Alive' stickers and 'He Lives' bracelets! The best part is that this week, we're following up with a butterfly craft that helps us talk to the kids about new life. Thank you all for your prayers for our Easter week lesson. The week sparked questions and conversations among the children, which allowed us to share more about Christ's love!