Bill Slater continues his report of their month-long visit to ELWA and Ganta.
ELWA Security:
We were rogued (robbed) as we walked down the road past the Studio one evening, (lost our cell phone, but no personal injury) which taught us a few lessons. We felt it was a good thing because it brought about changed behavior regarding our walking in dark places and notifying security of our adventures. ELWA Security has done a fantastic job in taking care of us and is trying very hard to keep residents safe as well as help the community as a whole. They have an attitude of caring which is refreshing. Of course, we are partial to John Vokpo ("LJ") whom we have known since he was a young boy playing with our sons. He takes his position very seriously and we are proud of him.
ELWA Services:
Judy was able to do a few things that hopefully will help ELWA/SIM. She had two screen doors built and installed in our temporary residence, G9. She also bought material and had curtains made, in addition to picking up a few rugs, bed linens, hangers and cloths. Judy hired two young men to cut grass, bushes and rake the yard. She also bought a shovel, a rake and two grass whips. During our stay the sink backed up and the kitchen septic tank had to be dug up, the roof leaks in two places and the kitchen faucet deteriorated and had to be replaced. The refrigerator finally stopped working after several attempts at repair. We were reminded of what it is possible to get along without.
Some of these are normal challenges of maintaining property in a tropical climate.
However, it is obvious that ELWA/SIM needs both financial and personnel help with the property. Many roofs need to be replaced including the one where we stayed. Judy interviewed Rusty Laird (SIM Acting Services Director) who expressed his thankfulness for EMA's help and mentioned other needs such as the roofs. Rusty and his family leave in a week. We pray Alan Shea and other replacements will be able to come and help in this area soon.
ELWA property looks much better than in 2004 with the paved roads and the houses along the beach road well kept. We saw ELWA men working hard cutting the tall grass in the field by the Hospital. The property near SIM headquarters and the Studio could use some work such a removal of palm trees and rubbish on the ground. There are many rubbish piles here and there. We think ELWA needs a tractor that will dig deep holes for garbage and that there be a central garbage dump. A tractor is also needed to keep the high grass mowed.
It is good to see people moving about freely. There seems to be a national movement to clean up and many Monrovia streets are cleaner than we have ever seen them. Abandoned junk cars (known in the past as the "national flower") have virtually all been removed. The traffic is heavy at times but it is not as reckless as we remember it. There are many motorbikes now, ridden by young men carrying one or more passengers weaving in and out of traffic.
Ganta, Nimba County:
We were especially blessed to see so many old friends who survived the war and are back home everywhere we went. The reunions were just wonderful. We took a trip to Ganta, Nimba County, where we stayed with Joseph and Elizabeth Kilikpo (Bill's first hire at the ELWA Hospital Pharmacy) and Bill taught the Young Adults Sunday School and preached at the United Liberian Inland Church (ULIC) Sunday a.m. service. We had wanted to visit this church since we sent them hymnals a few years ago and they invited us to come whenever we could get back to Liberia. The church was packed and the congregation is building a beautiful new church that will be finished soon. It was good to travel up-country again. It took us a little over 5 hours to get to Ganta in the rain and 4 to drive home in sunny weather. Many mentioned the bad roads but we found the roads much better than we have ever seen them. All of the bridges are in good shape with no navigating two logs across a creek or river as we did in the 70's. There were sizable potholes in some places but that is to be expected during rainy season and there was construction going on to minimize these. We visited the new ULIC Bible College in Ganta and the EQUIP Ministry Headquarters as well as the Catholic Leprosy Rehabilitation center. We saw first hand the shop our friends are building to sell merchandise to help in sending their children to school. We saw a lot of innovative projects both in Ganta and the ELWA area, with people rebuilding their homes and doing business to provide for themselves.
Churches & Youth for Christ (YFC):
Bill also spoke at the Sunday services of the (ULIC) ELWA church (this church was a Bible study in John Geain's home when we visited in 2004 and is now in a building bulging at the seams), and the Christian Faith Center (CFC) on Bushrod Island. Additionally, Bill taught the book of Romans over a four night YFC-sponsored rally at CFC and led two seminars at a Saturday afternoon leadership training conference for YFC in Logantown. Bill also led the Hospital chapel service one morning. We attended the ICM church the second Sunday and Bethel Church the fifth Sunday. We heard excellent sermons and music.
We have been especially blessed and taught by Liberian Christians. The church is growing and alive. Many people appear to have a vibrant faith. The enthusiasm and passion in all of the services moved us to want to "lighten up" in our worship of the Lord.
General Comments:
We will carry home and profit by the example of Liberian believers especially Kedrick White, James Kesselly, Joe and Nene Wankollie and the ELWA Department Heads. Their patience, kindness, and leadership are surely the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We are thankful too for Ben Colby (pictured with his family) and Rusty Laird who run here and there keeping things in working order and meeting ELWA's functional needs.
One other strong impression was the willingness of Liberian Christian families to extend themselves to help others. Every home we visited has taken in additional people at great expense to themselves.
Many things happened on our last few days in Liberia. We went out to eat at P.A.'s Ribhouse with Kedrick and Florence White. The food was very good. If anyone reading this comes to Liberia, they should look for this restaurant! We had periods of great meals and then periods of peanut butter, popcorn and plantain chips supplemented with Coca-Cola and the bread Esther brought by. We walked a lot and Judy was sure she would lose weight but she doesn't think it happened. The periods of great meals slowed down that process. The people in Liberia seem to be eating a lot more fish and we really enjoyed that.
We connected with Clavenda Bright Parker (Pharmacist colleague from the past), and Dr. Walter Gwenigale the former Phebe Hospital Medical Director (now the Minister of Health) and we talked by phone to Mrs. Payne (Director of Nurses when we lived at ELWA). We didn't know Mrs. Payne was in the country or we would have gone to visit her orphanage.
Many people came to tell us good-bye. We are thankful to God for the opportunity to return to Liberia.
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