Shop for a Cause, Train for a Future, Watch Four Great Films

As part of our guiding principles, we advocate for great causes and engage our diverse audience of shining stars. I want to bring your attention to three exciting events that are coming up in the next few weeks. These include an opportunity to shop for unique items, start a small business, and watch award-winning films about inspirational African women leaders.

Shopping for a Cause: Partners for Women's Equality (PWE) is holding an benefit event at Ten Thousand Villages in St. Paul on Wednesday, September 26 from 5PM to 8PM. This is a great place to shop for Fair Trade items create artisans in 130 countries. Ten Thousand Villages will donate 20% of the proceeds during this three-hour event to PWE.

I have served on the board of PWE for over two years. This organization provides leadership development and organizational support to empower marginalized women and girls around the world. So, while you are shopping please stop by our table--I will be there--and learn more about our Kenya Girls for Change Scholarship Program and Bridge to Change Leadership Training Course.

Training for a Future: African Career, Education, and Resource Inc. is offering a 12-week Microentrepreneur Development Training and Support Program at the North Hennepin Community College starting October 18 through February 7. The tuition is $99 and scholarships offer $50 are available upon request. This program provides technical assistance and other helpful information to equip new microentrepreneurs to start and operate their businesses. Participants will have a chance to apply for small business loans from $500 to $10,000. Applications for this program are due September 28. Contact Denise Butler at DBulter@acerinc.org or 763-493-8106 to apply or more information.

This program is provided by ACER in partnership with Neighborhood Development Center (NDC), North Hennepin Community College, Hennepin County Housing, Community Works and Transit / Public Works, and the City of Brooklyn Park.

I have volunteered with ACER for events twice this year--Job Fair in April and Walk, Run and Bike in September. This organization offers valuable programs to people of African descent and other underrepresented communities of color that are focused on Education, Health and Wellness, Community Economic Development, and Advocacy.

Watching Four Great Films: The African Women's Development Fund USA (AWDF)-Minnesota Network is hosting their Pan-African Women's Film Forum at St. Catherine University in St. Paul on October 20 from 1PM to 8PM. This is part of AWDF's Celebrate Mother Africa campaign. They are featuring the following Four Award-Winning Independent Films:

"Daisy Bates: First Lady of Arkansas"

  

"Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai"

"Chisholm '72: Unbought and Unbossed"

"Iron Ladies of Liberia"

I hope that you can find time to check out these wonderful events and inform others who might be interested. These are great organizations doing their part in making this a better world.

Patience Test

It is 11:30PM (CST) as I write this post, because I am too excited to sleep. For nearly a week, I have undergone a major test in patience. On September 12, I redirected this blog to my new domain. However, something went awry with this process and my domain appeared as a 404 error...meaning that the URL was not available for unknown reasons.

Being the tech geek that I am, I went into the settings to revert my blog back to the original domain. Regrettably, I discovered that this option was not even available in the publishing settings as I read this message..."maintenance in progress...domain switching disabled."

Still having hope that a plausible solution was out there, I then posted on the Blogger product forum regarding this issue. I soon discovered that countless others were experiencing the same thing that appeared to start on September 9.

What seemed to be the most disconcerting issue for all of us, is how Blogger did not shine with their customer service. They failed to keep us posted to what caused the problem or how long it would take to fix it. This left all of us in the dark contemplating what to do next.

The forum appeared to be the only source of information. After following it for nearly a week, I can say tensions were high with some bloggers while others were trying to maintain some decorum with the group. Then there were those who shared about switching their blogs to another service and others who had temporarily exported their blog to another blogspot. These options piqued my interest and I was strongly considering them. Yet I had to be realistic, because I just didn't have the time or energy to make this possible due to a nearing project deadline.

So, I decided to continue reach out to other social media outlets such as Twitter to get some sort of update or information to why this occurred. From the responses I received. the results were still more of the same... "maintenance in progress...domain switching disabled."

Tonight around 11PM, I received an email from the forum and some people blogs were back. So, I checked my blog immediately and the same 404 error came up; however, this time the domain switching was enabled. So, for now my blog will stay with the same old domain until I have confidence that this issue does not occur again when I switch to my new one.
 
I am grateful that I back online and that I stayed even keeled during this challenging time. This test was a great reminder that we are not always in control and all we need is a little patience (lyrics from the Guns N' Roses song Patience) to get through it.

 

Uniting Distant Stars Has Gone Supernova

Fueled by passion and energy, United Distant Stars is charting a new course across the galaxy.  Its mission is to engage young Liberians--"rising stars"--in receiving education for jobs or careers.  We see that as their first step into the great unknown--fulfilling their dreams of a meaningful and satisfying future!

This surge of inspired energy came after I gave a presentation on women's leadership to the 2012 Miss Liberia Minnesota contestants on June 26, sponsored by the Liberian Youth Network (LYN). Decontee "Dee" Sawyer, LYN's Executive Director (and also 2006 Miss Liberia/Minnesota), had heard about my presentation to the Ebenezer Community Church (ECC) Youth Group and asked if I would be interested in talking with her contestants. 

I was excited to have this opportunity to talk with these beautiful young women, and just three days away from the pageant. I knew that I had to deliver a talk that would pique their interest and stimulate involvement because they were focused on their final preparations for the contest. They each had their sight on the crown and title for 2012.

I wanted to convey three primary principles to these emerging leaders:

• Be informed...knowledge is power,
• Be inspired...cultivate your passion, and then
• Ignite an eternal flame...put your passion into action

As I had with the Ebenezer Youth Group, I began by quizzing them on their knowledge of Liberian history.  Next I sketched out brief profiles of eight women currently recognized as powerful and inspirational leaders in their nations, despite very dangerous circumstances, as in the case of Liberia's Leymah Gbowee and Agnes Fallah Kamara-Umunna. There is more to be said about these women, so I will be dedicating an upcoming blog post about their incredible stories of leading in complex situations.

Finally, we closed the presentation on how they can put their passion into action. It seems that the hardest thing to do is taking those first steps. Too often we feel that we need to go BIG to make an impact and then we end up doing nothing. So, we talked about sharing their ideas with others, being an advocate for someone or something or starting a pilot project. This message was good reminder for all of us that when we take those first "small steps" we are on way to making our dreams a reality.

Left to right Jessica Chea (contestant), Catherine Carr (2012 Miss Liberia-Minnesota), Decontee Sawyer (LYN Executive Director), me, Satta Kendor (contestant), Decontee Yarpah (contestant)

After I left that night, I had no idea how my presentation went because I'm usually in a "zone" where I'm unable to gauge my audience's response.  The following day I received a call from Dee thanking me for a great presentation, explaining that afterward each of the contestants revised their "platforms" (action plans to be carried out after the pageant--whether or not they receive the crown).

This feedback inspired me to put my passion into action!  United Distant Stars has launched two small projects focusing on educating young people in Liberia. One project has provided scholarships to five primary and secondary school students, and supplemental financial aid to eight students in three to six-month vocational programs. The second project involves adopting a small primary school in the Monrovia area.

United Distant Stars will be slowly rolling out our vision and plans as we move forward. We have added an "About" tab so you can learn more about us.

I close this post with a insightful quote from Michelango that encourages us to reach for the stars...

The greater danger for most of you lies not in setting your aim too high and falling short; but in setting your aim too low, and achieving your mark.

Our Invisible Society

One of the most amazing and unnerving observations I have made on my commutes to work in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, is how two societies converge with very little interaction. While one segment of society is heading to work, another is moving from their sleeping place to their next daily "hangout." If you don't pay close attention, you might not notice the difference between them, because they are both carrying backpacks or pulling small suitcases. However, once you take a closer look you will notice how one group is carrying or pulling their whole life with them.

I have worked in the downtown St. Paul area for nearly two years and have been learning about this often overlooked part of our society as I drive through town to and from work or take my lunch-time walk. During this two-year period, I have witnessed a growing homeless population and wonder how these people manage when so many programs are being cut.

I don't know if I would have paid attention to this "invisible" society if I had not experienced nearly 800 days in Liberia, West Africa. It was quite clear from my first visit in 1998 that I could not avoid the extreme poverty in this nation devastated by nearly 15 years of war. This experience made me realize how easy it is for us to bypass and even ignore our impoverished areas in the U.S. After living in Liberia for two separate years from 2007 to 2010, I gained an appreciation for these people who are very much part of the greater society.

One of the greatest lessons I learned from people living in poverty is... "those who have the least have the most to give." For example, I have observed more than one Liberian give their last "dollar" to someone they felt was more in need. Another example, was a medically trained Liberian who provided free malaria treatments for up to four people in his tiny one-room living space that he shared with his wife and daughter. Even I was recipient of this unexpected generosity when I was down on my luck during my second year of residency. I can attest that such an experience humbles you and makes you appreciate the wonderful gift of humanity regardless of their "perceived" value.

The harsh reality for many people living in poverty or homeless is that they are often ignored or degraded by those who are more fortunate. I will never forget when a Liberian in 2008 explained that "the poor take care of the poor." This statement is even true with the homeless people in St. Paul, because I have seen younger people help an older person across the street or another carry their load. It is obvious that this community stays close together and take care of each other.

While homeless and poverty may seem like the norm for the 80% or more Liberian people classified in this condition, they cannot fathom that such a thing exists in the U.S. In fact, anytime that I have mentioned that the U.S. has homelessness and poverty, they look at me suspiciously and believe I am lying. These are people that look upon the U.S. as the land of prosperity and good fortune based on what they have heard from others or seen in pictures or movies.

Sometimes it hard to discern the differences between developed and developing nations when it comes to how they treat their "outcasts" in society. When looking at the homeless faces in the U.S. and Liberia, there is little to no difference. They are the products of war--U.S. Veterans and Liberian ex-child soldiers. They are the usual marginalized groups--women, children, disabled, elderly and ethnic minorities. They are people who are battling addictions or dealing with mental illnesses most likely from some traumatic event.

It is so easy for human beings to compartmentalize groups of people into boxes of "isms" without realizing it. I am just as guilty of this as anyone else. However, we do have the capacity to open these boxes (and our hearts) and discover that it is not fair to stereotype people based on societal assumptions. The reality is, we have not walked in their shoes or can even relate to their circumstances. Yet, if we take moment and imagine ourselves in their situation, would we not want to be visible?

Taking Time to Reflect

It is hard to believe that we are near the halfway mark for 2012. The last three months have been so busy I haven't taken time to breathe and reflect on the many activities that I am involved with.  As a practitioner of mindfulness, I have learned that life should not be dictated by a clock or calendar. Instead it should be marked by the moments that shape our global outlook and promote our personal growth as we strive to make our contribution to this world.

During the last three months, I have been engaged in many activities that included taking a course on humanitarianism, volunteering with new organizations, and networking with many interesting and inspiring people.

Introduction to Humanitarian Assistance

The American Refugee Committee (ARC) offered a nine-week course about the many facets of humanitarian work in emergency situations. As a volunteer with this organization, I was interested in learning more about their work and reflect on how my experience in Liberia might apply to my aspirations in the international arena. This course gave a thorough overview of the challenges and opportunities working with displaced people in some of the toughest regions in the world.

Each session was taught by one of ARC's executives; however, the information they shared applied to international relief work on a broader scale. We were given a glimpse of the different theories of humanitarianism, what it takes to coordinate a relief effort with multiple agencies, navigating the differences between various cultures, how to ensure staff care (mind, body, spirit) and protect them in hostile environments, and so much more.

This course opened our eyes to many things that are not necessarily covered in the media when a natural disaster hits or war breaks out. For example, one of the important aspects of helping people who are displaced is getting different perspectives from the those affected by the situation to better address everyone's needs. This process includes getting the perspectives of children, because their vantage point (i.e. vertically challenged) and knowledge of the area is not the same as young and older adults.

I highly recommend this course to anyone who is seeking a career change in international work, wanting to be more involved on a global level, or learning more about humanitarian assistance.

Volunteering to Empower Others

This year, I started volunteering with WomenVenture, in hopes of facilitating a class. I have been in their career transition networking group since 2010 when I was unemployed and taken a few of their core classes such as Social Media. Also, I have been engaged in supporting others in their transitional period by providing resources or just simply listening to their stories.

In February, I had the opportunity to assist with a class called "Build a Business Website". This three-week course was being redeveloped, because it was not achieving the goal that each participant would publish a website by the end of the course. The course facilitator of this course found an easier inexpensive site-builder that would allow the class participants to develop, publish and maintain their website.

Though this course had a few hiccups introducing the new site builder and curriculum, five of the six participants were published by the final class and the sixth was just about ready. My assistance to the success of this class was awarded with the opportunity to write a part of the curriculum and co-facilitate the next the class in May, which was cancelled due to low enrollment. The next one is scheduled in September and I am looking forward to helping the next group of participants launch their business websites.

I had another great volunteering experience with ACER (African Career, Education, and Resource Inc.) on April 28. They were hosting their third annual job fair at the Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park. I had become aware of ACER through some postings on Facebook by Wynfred Russell, Executive Director. When I saw the event announcement for the job fair, I asked if they needed any volunteers.

ACER job fair was unique, because it provided a more holistic approach. This was event for the whole family and went beyond just career development. Besides having representatives from companies and post-secondary educational institutions, it also offered free health screenings, activities for kids, teenage talent shows, information about Bottineau Transitway Project and much more.

I applaud ACER's effort in recognizing job loss or job transition is a family affair. I was able to witness this first-hand as I worked at the registration table. Throughout the day I saw families of all generations and different cultures taking part in the various offerings. This event provided something for everyone. This was quite evident when a woman returned to the registration table and said "This was the best event ever, because all my needs were met." She shared how she got information for furthering her education, her healthcare needs and job prospects. Her beaming smile and energizing enthusiasm was a clear indicator that this job fair was successful.


Networking With More Distant Stars

Uniting Distant Stars is a blog that was created to further my interest in appreciating and understanding other cultures through active dialogs with people in discovering that we are all "stars" and there is much more that unites us than divides us.

In the last three months, I have been able to meet and chat with interesting and inspiring people who are from or worked in different parts of the world. With each discussion, I have learned so much more about how this interconnected world is evolving and how we each have a part in making it better place.

Engaging and Educating the ECC Youth Group

Life is at its best, when you can do something that you love! Well, this was made possible by my dear friend Elijah Wreh, who had invited me to be the guest speaker for the Ebenezer Community Church (ECC) Youth Group today (February 26, 2012). Back in January, Elijah texted me that he was recently appointed as the new Youth Director and stated that he would be seeking my help. I was eager to learn more about what he needed, because it is my passion to work with youth development.

Before I go into some of the highlights of today's presentation, I want to share more about the leadership of this group. I can say without hesitation that the young people in this group are very fortunate to have not only Elijah as a leader, but also his wife Gradieh. I have known this vibrant couple for about two years. They are both  intelligent, hardworking and constantly seeking ways to make this a better world. These two inspire me greatly that I do what I can to support them. For nearly two years, Elijah and I have been working periodically on a project that he is developing that would help support the educational efforts of young people in Liberia. Gradieh is a co-owner of Hairitage Creations Beauty Salon in Brooklyn Park and I have been a her client for 18 months. 

Now to the highlights! It was an honor to present to some very smart and spirited Liberian youth from ages 13 to 25 about my experience and research of their home nation. Everyone of them was eager to "test their knowledge" on Liberia's geography and history at the start of the presentation as a way to 'break the ice'. While they were quick to answer most questions, they did have two challenging ones.

The first one was "How was Liberia created?" and it did stump the group as they made several attempts to answer it. Their answers were more about who founded Liberia and not the one act that made it possible. So, I finally gave them the answer and explained that Liberia was created when U.S. Congress passed the Anti-Slave Trade Act in 1819 that gave the American Colonization Society (ACS) the money--$100,000--to establish a colony in West Africa. Prior to the passing of this act, ACS was unable to raise the money needed for their purpose.

The other question was "Why did Liberia declare Independence?" which this was implying to an economic reason. After receiving some good efforts from other participants, this one was answered correctly by one of the young men. He mentioned how Liberia had trade relationships with other nations and they would not pay customs for the goods they were trading as long as it was not a sovereign nation. Until their independence in 1847, Liberia was under the auspice rule of the ACS and the trading nations did not consider this organization as a nation. Plus at this time, the ACS was extremely broke and were ready to pass on the responsibility of governance to this fledgling new nation.

The rest of the presentation focused on the present situations such as limited electricity, no running water, high unemployment and poverty rates, and other factors that still challenge this war-torn nation's recovery efforts. Then we discussed the future opportunities such as mobile technology, alternative energy sources, agriculture (i.e. supporting local farmers) and human resources development.

I wanted to engage these young participates on what are some of the possibilities of making a difference back home. Though many were born in Liberia, some had moved away when they were younger and were now accustomed to U.S. living. It appeared that most really hadn't thought about returning to Liberia or how they could be a catalyst for change.

We ended the presentation with an energized question and answer session. One of the young men was eager to know what programs were available to volunteer with that were helping Liberia. This was a great question and I shared with him that there were several organizations in the Twin Cities focused on projects in Liberia. They were hungry to know more and yet our time was running short. We closed with Elijah saying a final prayer and everyone gave me a resounding thank you!

Later in the day, Gradieh called me and provided some great feedback about today's interactions. The young people were still talking about my presentation after I was gone and how much they learned surprisingly from a "white women." She also shared that they will be looking for organizations that their groups members can sign-up to be volunteers. This put a smile on my face, because now these young people felt empowered to do something good!

This post will end with the following pictures of my great day with some amazing young people:

Elijah Wreh, Ebenezer Community Church Youth Director

This is my audience of about 25 to 30 young people.

Close up of some of young people sitting at the back.

All eyes are turned at the young lady in the second row as she answers one of the geography questions.

Many hands were raised as the history questions were being asked.

This group was quite eager to answers questions and share their knowledge.

Giving some hints about the first challenge question "How was Liberia created?"

That smile I am wearing indicates that this group was great to work with!

The young man in the middle is answering one of the questions.

The young lady in the second row wearing the white dress with the black jacket, demonstrated her knowledge by naming all the Liberian Presidents.

One of three group pictures at the end of the presentation. Gradieh Wreh is in the black jacket and red skirt.

Group photo number two.

Group photo three with some position changes!

My Recent Trip to Liberia - Part 3

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope that 2012 brings about great adventures, new possibilities and fulfilled dreams! Though we live in a rapidly advancing and changing world, we need to take some moments to breathe and appreciate the many splendors of life...otherwise another year will slip by before we know it. So, as this new year moves forward, I wish you all the best as you start each day with a blank canvass to create a life that that each one of you deserves.

Since my last post, I was able to share my experience with some of my supporters on December 15. It was an attentive crowd of retired women, who many have been active throughout their lives in community outreach and most of them continue to find ways to serve as volunteers or activists. I gave them an overview of my PowerPoint that I had presented in Liberia and then followed with pictures and video clips of my trip.

We enjoyed a thoughtful Q and A session afterwards discussing the challenges and opportunities for Liberia. Based on their interest from my presentation, they decided to follow it by watching the documentary "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" that they will view this week. This is a powerful film that shows the sacrifice and courage of Liberian women--both Muslim and Christian--who demonstrated for peace and ushered in the end of a long and devastating civil war.

Now I will return to finishing this three-part post by sharing my second and final week in Liberia.

Before leaving Kakata on Sunday, November 7, many of the pastors were invited to various churches to give the sermon. Most of the pastors committed to preaching at two churches so they could reach out to more people. I was asked to join one of the pastors at the two churches he had committed to. I was invited to give a brief statement, which I thanked them for their hospitality and shared what had been accomplished during our week in Kakata.

Afterwards, we returned to the guest house to gather and pack our luggage before stopping at Kakata's City Hall to say our final good-byes at their closing program. Since we did not have to much time to visit, one pastor went in on our behalf  to express our gratitude and farewell. The rest of us remained outside saying goodbye to people that we had made connections during the week.

Pastor Destaye, Hawa and Naomi standing by our team's luggage before departing the
Booker Washington Institute guest house (courtesy of Pastor Crawford's camera).

As we were heading out of town, we made one vital stop at the police station to secure our luggage that was stacked in the back of the pickup. Our favorite police chief came to our rescue and borrowed us some tarpaulin and rope, which some of her officers helped tie down our luggage. As we waited, I treated everyone to an ice cold glass-bottled soft drink before we departing for Monrovia.

Kakata's Police Chief Goldoe overseeing the securing of our luggage
outside the police station (courtesy of Pastor Crawford's camera).

Enjoying a cold drink while taking this group shot
(photo taken from Pastor Crawford's camera)

Pastor Destaye and I cheering a successful week!
 (photo taken by Pastor Crawford's camera)

We arrived in Monrovia before dusk and joined our team to have dinner before settling into our respective accommodations. The men resided at the home of a Liberian man, whose family still lives in Minnesota, and is close friends with some of the pastors. He provided free lodging for the men and also free nightly meals for the entire team. The women also had free lodging at the newly built home of one of our teammates, Gladys. Our two locations were within 10 minutes of each other in the Dwazon area.

Our location did provide one challenge, because we were on the eastern outskirts of the metropolitan area and our travel time could be anywhere from one hour to four hours (going one-way) factoring the time of day and traffic congestion.

On a side note, let me briefly illustrate where we stayed using this Map of Liberia (click here). Monrovia is located in Montserrado County (third one from the left along the Atlantic in yellow). I was staying along the coastal highway in the eastern part of Montserrado, bordering Margibi County. The international airport is on the same highway heading east to the border of Grand Bassa County, which is indicated by an airplane icon near the place marker for Robertsfield. Furthermore, Kakata is due north from the airport (not quite one inch distance) in the center of Margibi County. I hope this illustration gives you a better idea of where I was moving around during my two weeks in Liberia.

Now getting back on topic. The following day (Monday) was scheduled a free day, so I setup two meetings.
The first one was with THINK (Touching Humanity In Need of Kindness) Liberia, which was located about 15 minutes from where I was staying. Since our group had limited transportation, THINK was most generous in transporting me to and from my location. THINK is an organization that I had been following on Facebook for awhile, because I was interested in their work in helping former child (girl) soldiers with education and basic life skills training. So, I was eager to learn more about their program.

I was able to visit both their office and the site of their training program (see the pictures below). They have converted a single family house into a training center and dormitory for about 20 girls in their program. About half of the girls have babies or toddlers, which they are welcomed and nurtured by everyone. THINK's program offers academics, life and job skills training to the girls who have suffered one or more of the GIANT problems caused by the civil war that Rosana Schaak, THINK's Executive Director defined as violence, separation, prostitution, illiteracy, addiction, slavery, and HIV/AIDs.

THINK's Office

THINK's training and dormitory facility

Main classroom for academics and life skills training

Sewing classroom

Outdoor kitchen - they use a 'coal pot' for their cooking, which is the apparatus with smoke rising  up

They used bunk beds so that they could comfortable house all the girls.

My second appointment was with the American Refugee Committee (ARC) Country Director-Abraham Leno. I have been volunteering at ARC headquarters in Minneapolis for one year. I was aware of ARC's work in Liberia from my previous trips, so I was looking forward to this meeting. We had planned to meet around lunch time after our team checked out the site of the next conference on Bushrod Island (just north of downtown Monrovia) at The Bethel Bushrod Island Missions Church (see picture below).

 The Bethel Bushrod Island Missions Church (photo taken by Pastor Crawford)

This only took about an hour, so I arranged for Abraham to pick me up at a Money Gram near Liberia's Free Port. Well, our plans were quickly derailed when a riot broke out not far from the ARC headquarters in Congo Town (suburb east of downtown Monrovia) as Abraham was on his way to pick me up. One of the political parties whose headquartered in Congo Town organized this demonstration to oppose the October 11 election results for the president and their participation in the runoff election the following day. Sadly, two or three individuals were killed as the situation became tense between the demonstrators and the police. Gratefully, Abraham and his driver were able to find safety, and we were also able to reschedule and meet on Friday.

Strangely, after I called one of the pastors that was in the area to come get me at Money Gram the phone service went dead. Our team was using the same telecommunications company, which also happened to be located in Congo Town across from the riot area. So somehow during the chaos their service was comprised for a few hours.

The communication may have been down, but it did not stop us from making our dinner appointment at the Bethel Pastor's house in Brewerville (small town north of Monrovia's metropolitan area) where we enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal. It was now time to make our journey home and rest after a long, exhausting day. However, we soon discovered that the riots diverted the traffic from downtown Monrovia to Somalia drive causing a major traffic jam. This two-lane road turned into six lanes as everyone was heading the same direction going nowhere fast.

This was not a strange occurrence to me, since I had lived along this stretch during my second year in Liberia. So as we crept along, I kept telling my fellow passengers that eventually we will meet up with the oncoming traffic. And sure enough, we did at the New Georgia Estate junction (where I lived). It was here that we were now reduced to one lane by the new traffic controllers (i.e. former combatants). Normally, the police are in control since there is no traffic lights; however, when situations like this happen they give up and head home for the evening.

Well, it took us about four hours to get back home. My fellow teammates were overwhelmed by what they experienced, so we decided that everyone must be prepared to bring along what they need for the day, because we would not return until the revival meetings ended at night.

The next day (Tuesday) was the runoff election for the Presidential candidates. We started off the morning in prayer asking for peace as the Liberian people headed to the polls. Also, there was much reflection on reconciliation and forgiveness for the Liberian people. Many of my Liberian teammates had experienced the war before finding refuge in the U.S. and had lost many loved ones. They too were still haunted by the realities of the brutal civil war and knew it was time to forgive those who harmed them and families. It seemed that there was a great weight lifted in the room from this prayer vigil, and I hope that they were all able to move on to the next phase of healing.

This session ended about lunch time, so the rest of the day was considered free time. Some of the pastors headed back to Kakata to finalize some plans for the land of the future library. The rest of us stayed back and took sometime to relax. I joined some of the group by walking down to the beach. Then I went to my room and took a much needed nap since I was working on an average of four hours of sleep a night.

Liberia's Atlantic Shoreline

As the day ended everyone in Liberia could breathe again, because peace was maintained at each polling station. Regrettably, some Liberians opt out of voting due to fears from rumors that more riots were planned. Regardless of the results of the election, I believe that most Liberians were happy that they were able to maintain a peaceful election (minus the one incident) and this is another positive sign that this nation is looking towards a better future.

For the next two days, we held our conferences and revival meetings at Bethel Bushrod Island Missions Church. The crowds were much smaller than in Kakata, because Monrovia is the economic center for Liberia. Most people are either at their jobs, market tables or hustling for work so they can provide for their families. Also, the city is grossly over populated, so finding a taxi or bus is quite difficult.

Here  I am presenting to a group at Bethel Bushrod Island Mission Church.

On Thursday, I was asked by Hawa (our dental assistant) to help her as she would clean teeth for the conference participants. Well, I soon found out that there would be no cleanings since everyone she saw needed teeth removed...usually a minimum of two. My job was to hold the heads of the patient as Hawa worked to extract the infected tooth. As I held the person's head I could feel the pressure as the tooth resisted being removed. Please don't be alarmed here, each person received Novocain to numb the pain and then given pain medicine and antibiotics for aftercare.

Here is Hawa extracting a tooth as another woman hold the head of the patient.

Hawa explaining to the patient about what she should expect in the next few days about pain and discomfort.

We concluded our conferences and revival meetings at Providence Baptist Church located downtown Monrovia. Originally we had planned to have our morning/afternoon conferences on Friday and Saturday, but we cancelled the second day to attend the funeral for the mother of one of the pastors of our group. This was his first time home in about 15 years and two weeks before he arrived his mother passed away. So, his return to Liberia was bittersweet.

Providence Baptist Church in the background, which is the oldest church in Liberia. From left to right Rev. Goba, Gladys, Hawa, Rev. Kaffey, Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves, Jr. (Providence's senior pastor), Rev. Dr. Tabla, Pastor Crawford, me, Rev. Dr. Howard, and Rev. Collins.

So, Friday was our last day of conferences and it was decided that I would present to the combined group since mine was focused more on healing and reconciliation--the theme of our conference. This was my third time presenting during these two weeks and I enjoyed getting the feedback from the participants. Again, as I stated in my last post I will share my presentation in an upcoming post.

Giving an opening prayer before giving my final presentation.

Saturday was the final day of our mission and we ended it strong. The revival meeting that night focused on reconciliation by having representatives of all 16 ethnic groups come up to the front. I believe that all groups were represented as they joined hands and formed a circle. This was a powerful moment for everyone there that night and hopefully this will continue.

Prayer vigil for healing and reconciliation among Liberia's ethnic groups.

The circle of unity and hope for Liberia's future

Wow! Just like that the two weeks were over and I would be making the long journey home. So, on my final day in Liberia I was invited to attend the services at World Harvest Church in New Georgia Estate. This is a family-run church (Pastors Stephen and Annette Tour) that has seen tremendous growth since I left in January 2010. I was asked to make a brief presentation, which I shared with the congregation the highlights of our team's mission and how each and everyone of them can be an instrument of peace and reconciliation for Liberia.

World Harvest Church in New Georgia Estate. This was taken shortly after I presented Pastor Tour with a new world map, which they were in need of one.

After the service, I was invited to lunch at the Tour's house and got to visit with their family for awhile. Before I knew it was time to change into comfortable clothes and head for the airport, which I was escorted by Pastor Stephen and my Liberian family. I was able to say my final goodbyes and proceed into the terminal for what seemed to be an extra long check in process. While I was riding the bus to my flight, I saw the most beautiful sight of two international airliners on the tarmac, which has not occurred since before the war. To me this was another sign that things are progressing positively for Liberia.

As I conclude this post, I want to Thank all my supporters again for making this trip possible. It was great to be back in my second home and being able to see some positive signs that gives me hope that things are changing for the better. It is my wish that I can return soon to work in the capacity of empowering and equipping disadvantaged young Liberian adults to become contributing members of society. Blessings to all!