Saturday, March 13 arriving home

I left by taxi at 5:45 am for the under 2 hour flight to Monrovia. As the pilot said "welcome to Monrovia, Liberia, it is 94 degrees", my heart pounded out of my chest. I wanted to say, would you kindly repeat that! I felt like a child waiting for Christmas morning. I looked forward to discovering the gifts of God's love, mercy and grace in the lives of the people I would meet for the first time and those I would reunite with, after so many years.

Christine Tolbert Norman of Restoration of Educational Advancement Programs (REAP), met me with open arms. She and her staff have made all the arrangements for our three week stay. They have been working for months. We so appreciate their efficient work. On our way to her home, we stopped by ELWA. Things have really changed, BUT as the sea claps with praise to our creator God, and the sand and broad African horizon remains the same, it is only a reminder of God's faithfulness to all of us. He never changes!

I stepped up to the front door of our home which is now the guest house, facing the beach. I called out "buck buck" which is the Liberian way of saying "knock knock". I was warmly greeted by a Liberian sister who led me through our home.

Memories flooded my mind as I looked over the living room, down the hall to Joy and my bedrooms. Then to the back of the house that has been changed into many more guest rooms. This is the place where most of the learning about who Jesus is in my life - took place. I just paused and took it all in. The home extends past "Shore Haven" which was a little guest house attached to our home. Dad and Mom's bedroom and Mom's secret garden are now made into other guest rooms.





So many homes have been damaged from the civil war, many beyond repair. Even though man destroys, God still graces windowsills and doors with elegant Coralitta, a delicate pink flower that grew in Mom's secret garden. Many homes are being repaired.






As I drove by where the main study building used to be from the 1950s, my heart wept as I saw the pile of rubble behind the flag pole.

But then seeing the start of something new just down the road, brought peace to my heart.

Kedrick White is in the studio with the music library behind him. I brought more CD's of music to be added to ELWA Library as well as Mrs G's Bible stories for children, that started on April 3rd. Her programs used to be played in the 70s, but were destroyed in the war. Seeing new development at the school with 500 students and the hospital was amazing.

We had a wonderful Liberian meal of cassava and palm butter fish pepper sauce at the Norman's. I stayed the first week in Liberia at their guest house.