Refining Fire

By this time, most of us have heard about the ELWA Radio Studio fire that started Tuesday night at about 9:00 pm Liberian Time. In the light of day, as we look at the images of destruction, the equipment lost, donations of programming and CD's burned, there is excitement stirring. We served an incredible, wise and all powerful God! He could have stopped the fire. He was gracious enough to allow no one to be hurt, and even for about 2/3 of the CD's and a mixer saved. He will be glorified even in this. So those of us who love and trust Him, are sitting with Him and thoughts of His ultimate purposes.

Annette de la Hay Cooper, oldest daughter of former Station Manager Ray de la Haye shares some of her thoughts.

Dear family,

I have spent a lot of time weeping and praying for our dear Liberia and our wonderful people. As the day has gone by, I have been checking news from Liberia and some of your Facebook comments and pictures. When I saw the picture of the studio in flames, my heart was stirred with excitement and anticipation of what God is going to do in our homeland and with all of us.

I have written some thoughts down, and want to develop them more, but I want to encourage you in the Lord. Please don't be downcast or live in fear! That is where the devil wants to take us. Stand tall and look right into the eyes of our Saviour who gave Himself for all of us. I have want to share some of my 'rough' thoughts with you. Let's encourage each other and hold each other up. Many will rebuild these walls. Don't be afraid of the foxes my friends. Here are some of my thoughts today as I have spent it with Jesus, and my comforter, the Holy Spirit. This is a bad thing that happened, but God will use if for GOOD! I have lived long enough to know that is a fact. Here are some of my thoughts:

Oh my people! May God raise up greater wonders in our day! My heart is broken, my face is a river of tears. I grew up here, my parents were Ray and Sophie de la Haye who came to Liberia in 1954. This is my homeland and my people.

Jesus is bringing us to a greater understanding of what prayer and trust really are. It is for the GLORY of the FATHER. Things may not seem right in our world, but God Himself trusts us with SILENCE right now, so we can KNOW HIM and know HIS INTIMATE PRESENCE, even though we may not understand the reason why ELWA studio burnt down. Can we stay in this silent place with HIM and each other?

"Which of you intending to build, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it ..." Luke 14:28 Jesus counted the cost with HIS LIFE for Liberia and the world. All that we build in this world, will be inspected and found out by the REFINING FIRE of our God. So those who are living at or near ELWA, may you gather to stand before those studio ashes as a visual aid of our need as a people of God to let God do HIS REFINING work in our lives, in the unseen places of our hearts. God seriously wants to rebuild ELWA and my people and my country of Liberia in a new way. May this studio site be HOLY GROUND, where we like Moses take off our shoes of pride, arrogance, self made strategies, unforgiveness, lust, theft, jealousy, hatred, competition, 'better than you' attitude, fear, worry, or whatever - to become pure as gold! Let us rejoice in what our LOVING Heavenly Father will do because of this fire. I am excited to see how He corrects and refines me through this event. GLORY BE TO GOD ON HIGH AND PEACE ON EARTH GOOD WILL TOWARD ALL MEN! This is the message of the angels at Christ's birth. Let this be a season of celebration as we kneel in the ashes of the ELWA studio building. God is good and I am really getting excited to see how God will change Liberia for HIS GLORY and name sake! Are you getting a little excited? Tell me about it!

If you can't see the pictures of the studio burning and today the day after, go to my face book. I have put them up there. (ed. note: Even if you are not on Facebook, this link will take you to the photo essay about ELWA Radio Studio through the years.)

Lovingly,

Sista' Annette

This is the verse that I am claiming for Liberia and my people!

"Lord, I have heard the news about You, I am amazed at what You have done. Lord, do great things once again in our time; make those things happen again in our own days." Habakkuk 3:2

I too have been pondering fire. It can bring people together to warm them, it can provide light, it provided direction for the Children of Israel, and yes, it is a REFINING FIRE. In Isaiah 6, it cleanses unclean, sinful lips. Liberians tell wonderful stories to get across a point. I was reminded of the following story.

THE SILVERSMITH

Some time ago, a few ladies met to study the scriptures. While reading the third chapter of Malachi, they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse:

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness... Malachi 3:3

One lady decided to visit a silversmith, and report to the others on what he said about the subject.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot and then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." "Is it true that you have to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver is being refined", she asked. "Yes, not only do I sit there holding the silver I keep my eyes on it as long as it is on the furnace", answered the silversmith. He gave further explanation, "If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed".

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

Dear ones, will you allow the Refiner's painful work in YOUR life? Can people see the reflection of God our Refiner in us yet? God's eye is continually on us, and the work at ELWA, and he will not allow us to be consumed. Praise his holy name!

From Dave Schult, Database Administrator, SIM USA Treasury comes word that "Joshua Bogunjoko told us this morning that Project 95107 is being updated to include the cost of the new studio building. He indicated that the cost would be something like $400,000.

Photos from the Liberian Observer and Samaritan's Purse's Joni Byker.