February 22nd

Last full day.

Today I felt the reality of the end of my trip. It seemed like all my discussions ended up going to ‘What time do you leave, Dad Robin?’. As much as people told me they will miss me I feel it will be me missing them. After all, they only have me to miss and I have so many more of them to miss.

Emmanuel and Wintee left to see some people and run some errands. I was left at their home alone, well not alone. People were coming and going all day greeting me and even coming to help in small ways that mean a lot to me. Elizabeth and Korto did my laundry, the old fashioned way on a wash board and wringing them out by hand and then hanging to dry. That is the type of service all of the people have given me.

When I first arrived I offered Emmanuel some money to help with food and he responded with ‘you took care of me on my visit, let us take care of you on your visit’. For those that have been here, you know what that means. For those that haven’t been here, consider a teacher’s pay for example being $100.00…..a month, and the people of Liberia want to bless me. I say this to not make much of Emmanuel’s declining money for my food, but to say as a result I’ve been able to bless so many more of the people connected to LCMI ministries through gifts to other Pastors and various needs that came up during my stay.

I hope that can put into perspective how appreciative the Liberian people are of our prayers and support and how much the support practically means to the ministry of the Gospel. As Pastor Titus told me, ‘It’s difficult to think beyond the day when your stomach is empty’. That is what the ministry here faces in many ways. Poverty is the norm and trying to share the Gospel seems humanly impossible under these conditions, but God continues to use many churches here in ways we as Americans would be surprised. People love the Lord, praise the Lord and live for the Lord. In many ways I’ve been convicted of my dependence on my job, my finances or my savings when God can take these away at any time. If that were to happen, would my faith be as strong as what I observe over here in the churches? I ask myself that and I can honestly say that it would be a struggle to ‘Trust God, Even When Life Hurts’, (the book I shared with the leadership here). I pray I would, but not having to face it I especially pray for the faith to trust like that.

As I continued to greet people on and off throughout the day I was fed a good meal of GB by Princess for lunch. After lunch I decided to take a walk around the community. I walked quite a ways through some new areas with calls of ‘white man’ and the wave that followed. I even got scolded by an older lady (probably younger than me, but older in wisdom than me) saying ‘you need to cover your head in the sun’. I promised her I was heading home to stay in the shade. I did come back to Emmanuel’s and sat in the shade.

The afternoon wore on and I awaited the older kids to get home.

I forgot to mention that in the morning there was one more episode with the goat. The kids had taken the goat out of the building and tied it outside by the kitchen. This goat had proven it’s desire to avoid the inevitable and it once again acted on this desire. Emmanuel walked over by the kitchen (their kitchens are primarily an outside porch since they cook with charcoal or wood) and when he got to where the goat was tied I could hear in his voice that something was wrong. He started calling some of the kids not in school to come over because the goat had again escaped. Emmanuel told me this had happened one other time and they never found the goat. Luckily this time, even though he escaped, he stopped in the lush grass and other food behind the house not too far away. Clarence caught him and this time he spent his remaining hours in the building.

Well, the kids came home from school and they all knew their jobs so the boys set out to do theirs. Blessing, Emmanuel’s daughter, came running up to me and said ‘Dad Robin, come on and take pictures of the goat’. I wasn’t sure I wanted to, but I went to the back of the home and let’s just say the normalcy of the scene to them was quite interesting. It made me think of how my parents may have been used to living while they were young and that using your livestock as your food and taking care of things yourself were just part of it. I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say we did indeed have some fresh goat later on.

Before we had our supper we had many LCMI members stopping by and I soon found out they were coming to wish me a send off with gifts for me and Jenny and some from Women of Purpose for Jenny, Bobbi and Renee. The thoughtfulness and prayers they offered were another way they cared for me. They had some popcorn and a drink for all. That would have been the night, but with Emmanuel you can never know what other plans he may have. Immediately following the members thanking and praying for me Emmanuel informed me we were going to a revival service. This was just before 8:00 p.m. I was in my shorts, but I was wearing the new shirt they had given me so Emmanuel said to just put on some slacks and let’s go. I changed and we headed out. We arrived to a typical Liberian church with music coming through the doors and dancing as we walked in. They seated us towards the front and I soon found out Emmanuel was the guest speaker and they were continuing the singing until he arrived. They introduced him then and he gave a great message on the great commission from Matthew 28.

Of course he had to have me come up after he finished so I could share a few words. For any of you who ever thought of coming to Liberia, don’t let that worry you. It took me coming 4 times for Emmanuel to feel comfortable with putting me on the spot. He won’t do that to you if you want to come. I promise!

Afterwards we greeted many people with one member of that church saying ‘If that man can travel from the states to Liberia to share the Gospel I want to be willing to go where God can use me’. He is interested in doing a church plant near the Guinea border up in a village near Yekepa. Emmanuel shared about the church in New Yekepa so he wants more info to follow up on as he and his wife are willing to go.

We are now about to go to bed. This will be my last night in Liberia. I leave tomorrow evening at 9:30 p.m. which is 3:30 back home.

I don’t have the day off tomorrow though, I am a stand in speaker at Cyrus’s (Emmanuel’s son) school for their inauguration of officers. Cyrus is the new secretary so this is my last time to publicly share the Gospel in Liberia (this time). There have been so many more opportunities than I could ever plan.

I will let you all know how things went tomorrow night when I wait to board the plane.