Tuesday, March 30th

Dan and Tom went in town.

I stayed at ELWA overlooking the beauty of God's creation and visited and prayed with friends. One lady who I met at one of the rallies came to tell me her story. During the war, a young soldier boys came to their home, changing her family forever. They shot her husband. His bowels were out on the ground. He begged her to push them back in to his body and take him for medical help. He lived. A 13 year old soldier boy came into their home and told her to take a her cloths off. He made her walk outside in front of her family and neighbors. She was terrorized and wanted to die. She told how satan played with her mind and how she hated young boys from then on. Her husband was unable to work because of his injury, and Christians asked if she would come cook at an ex-combatant home for children. She would rather die than be their cook after what they did to her and her husband, but she needed a job.

She eventually received counseling from ELWA hospital. It was like she was becoming a new creation of God's beauty, like a flower. They encouraged her to allow God to give her the courage to help these children, mostly boys. She fasted and prayed, avoiding the counselor for three days. She read I Peter 1:1-9 and decided to take the job. This is what the Lord showed her: "Praise to God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given new birth into a living hope though he resurrection of Jesus Christ. Who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth then gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious JOY for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

She met a 15 year old boy nick named Bob Blue who helped sweep and clean up. He started telling her stories of the war. He went to church with her and accepted the Lord. Her husband was upset that she was getting so personally involved in the personal life of some of the boys. But she wanted to see them come off drugs and get into school. He would talk about what he did. He got down on the ground and held her feet crying, "We killed good, good people o' ." He was very sorry. Through the story telling, she found out that he was the boy commander when the boys came and shot her husband and violated her.

It was hard for him to leave the war and the effects of what he had done. He became like a son to her. Eventually he got a job as a drive., she lost touch with him for about 6 months. He did go to school and when he graduated, he invited her to be a guest at his graduation and called her Mother. Now he is at he University of Liberia entrance level. God has taken all her shame away. She held my hands and said, "You are not alone as you dance with your scars!" We read Roman 8:28 - 38 "All things work for God's good to those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose .... if God is for us, who can be against us? .... Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword? ... in all things we are more than conquerors through HIM who loved us ... nothing will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." As we read this passage together, both our faces were streaming with tears of joy, knowing the TRUTH that sets us FREE! We held each other and prayed together through tears of joy.

I went up to he radio station to meet Moses Perry. I gave him the music and Ms. G's CDs for the radio. Mrs. G's children programs had been on during the 1070s, but due to the war, had been destroyed. Thy are going to be aired every Saturday a 9:00 AM starting April 3rd!



At 2:00 Tom and I went to Jahzjet Orphanage. (this means "Real Truth" in the Bassa language). It is also known as Susan Gunther's Orphanage. There are 3 locations with a total of 62 children in their care.

The school (seen here) is from K-9th grade. It was started in 1987, just before the war. There are a total of 370 students from the community as well. We gave a gift to help complete the roof, provide for mosquito netting for the dorms and rice.


We took clothing (some donated by Gerber), a real soccer ball and other toys and books for the children and school. Some were given by 3 year old Nathan Smyth and our grandchildren in Canada who wanted to share some of their toys with children in Africa. 2 year old Dominique will enjoy playing with the new Ark!




The water well pump is a marry-go-round! So the more the children play, the more water is pumped into the water tower!





They also have the water piped to the buildings for running water now!




The children girls against boys, played a mean game of football! The game was still on when we left, so don't know who won!





We went to Youth Rally #8 at Wonder Word Church in Redlight, Paynesville. About 150 attended with a lot of Ex-combatants. They were a very rough and sad looking group of young men. Dan and Tom went to visit them a few days earlier, inviting them to come to this rally. Dan was able to share how important it is to make right decisions. Some of the commanders that they worked under killed and destroyed. But Dan said he works under the Commander Jesus Christ. He can give life and peace! Some of these young men were under former General Butt Naked, who has been trying to encourage them to move away from drugs and war. At the invitation, 12 came forward and many were ex-combatants. REAP already has a Freedom in Christ ministry every Tuesday at 4:00 in this church, so will be following up. This was the highlight of our Rallies!