Mosquito Nets & Malaria

Can you believe that over 2,000 children die everyday around the world from mosquito-borne malaria? In Liberia last year, 21,000 children under the age of five died from malaria. However, Liberians just believe that malaria is a normal part of life.

We spend alot of time talking with the directors and children about malaria. Malaria education, prevention and treatment are big focus areas at the beginning of rainy season. This rainy season, we want to make sure that there is a treated mosquito net on every bed in every home...a mosquito net can save lives!

Because of a generous donation from our friends at Universal Outreach Foundation, we were able to purchase 200 mosquito nets! Students at Carson Graham High School in North Vancouver, along with UOF volunteers, hosted a talent show with area high schools to raise money. Also, the 7th graders at Bennett's Mill Middle School in Fayetteville, Georgia held a penny drive and raised enough money to provide one orphanage with new nets! A super huge thank you to everyone who pitched in and helped! It's inspiring to see young people step up and get involved!

We have spent the past few weeks hanging up the nets and teaching the caretakers and children about the importance of using a net. Please pray for the children and the field teams--that everyone would stay healthy and malaria-free this rainy season!

Beads for Bucks Auction #1

[The following is a blog-o-sphere experiment]

I have been trying to come up with something great to auction off from my blog to raise some money for Orphan Relief and Rescue. It’s taken time, but I think you might like what I’ve come up with. We’ll see how complicated this is, and if there’s an overwhelming response, then that’s even better!

Every week for the next month, I am going to post a new Beads for Bucks auction. All of the auction pieces are handmade by Liberian women at a local shop called Amazing Grace, Inc. The women are trained for 6 months in the art of bead-making. The women turn recycled glass bottles into beautiful beads, and then create each piece of jewelry. Everything that they create is beautiful, which has made it difficult for me to pick out the pieces for the auctions. Each piece is unique and one-of-a-kind.

The best part is that 100% of the proceeds from the auctions will help fund upcoming Orphan Relief and Rescue projects. It’s a great way for YOU to make a difference in the lives of Liberia’s orphans, and you get a fabulous piece of unique Liberian jewelry!

So, I present: Beads for Bucks—Auction #1

How the auction works:
- Each auction will be posted at the beginning of the week (Monday night or Tuesday morning).
- You can bid by leaving a comment. Please leave your email address so that I can contact the highest bidder. In order to prevent spam, leave your email address in the form of: your email (at) server (dot) com.
- As we say in Liberia, “don’t be greedy”. Remember, the auction is for a GREAT cause so spread the word! 100% of the proceeds will be used to fund upcoming Orphan Relief and Rescue projects!
- This auction will close on Thursday night. (I will check the bids when I wake up on Friday morning)

- The highest bidder can pay with either PayPal or a personal check.

If you have any other questions, just post them as a comment and I will answer them.

Now, let's raise some money!!!

The starting bid is $10.

Short & Sweet

Just a quick update:
- The house is finally quiet (well, almost...Menitama's still going loud and strong). All of our guests have left, so now there are only 2 of us in the house, along with Matt & Mariel, who live in town.

- I celebrated my 26th birthday last week! Nothing big or special. The gang went to my "Liberian family's" house for dinner and my favorite Liberian dish (PUMPKIN) was on the menu! We came home and made a batch of brownies and played poker. Then on Friday night, we went to Matt & Mariel's (because they have a real oven) and hung out and made birthday cake. I had shipped over cake mixes and one tub of icing especially for my birthday (talk about planning ahead, eh?). Cake is serious business for me! It was the best tasting cake ever!

- Thank you to everyone who donated to my birthday wish on Facebook! $393 was raised for Orphan Relief and Rescue!

- And finally, it's official....two weeks from tomorrow I'm heading home!

A Peek at My Day

It was a bumpy ride and an off-roading adventure with a bunch of crazy guys, but we made it to Jaiah's in Kakata! We've been hosting a team of 4 for the past few days, and we wanted to give them the 'non-Monrovia' experience...so we headed for the busy today! We drove through Firestone plantation and then through Kakata, where you take a dusty road, forge a few very large puddles of water and after a few miles, end up at Jaiah's orphanage--where he and his wife take care of 35 children by living off of the land. It felt like Christmas when we unloaded mosquito nets, rice, flour, children's books, vitamins, clothes and some farm tools for them. It was a great day! Here are a few pictures.

My Birthday Wish

My birthday is next week, and I've got a birthday wish on Facebook. Check it out:

My Birthday Wish

Graduation

Today was a new Liberian experience for me. I was an honorable guest of the "graduation and closing exercise of the Living Faith Welfare Institute, Inc." at Frances Gaskins.

Translation: 11 kids graduated from Kindergarten!

We got a late start because the guest speaker was running late, so I think they were trying to stall for as long as possible. The order of the program included 21 items! The most impressive part of the program was the brain teaser. A student from K-1 recalled 60 spelling words, while the K-2 student recalled 110 spelling words! We were on item 7 or 8 of the program when the orphanage director asked me if I would present the graduates with their certificates. I agreed...not knowing really what that entailed, and quickly flipping over the program to make sure I would be able to pronounce all of the names correctly. Thankfully, I later found out that I only had to pass out the certificates, shake hands and say congratulations. Phew! After a 3 hour program, the "painting (pretty sure the program should have said pinning) of the graduates" began. Pinning is an experience--you buy candies, fake flowers and ribbons to pin on your loved ones. By the end, everyone looks like an pinata in reverse. Anyway, the graduation wasn't too bad of an experience and a big congrats to the kiddos for their hard work! And, here are a few pics.

[The children performing a few selections before the program began]

[Presenting certificates to the graduates...with such an important job, it's a good thing I wore my fancy skirt!]

[Andrew and I, along with Emmanuel (the orphanage director) and the FG kids who graduated. This is after the pinning]

A New Perspective: Guest Blogger

The following post was written by my mom. She has just returned home from spending 2 weeks with me here in Liberia. This was her first time to Liberia and her first time to Africa. Here are some of her inital thoughts.

I realize now that I was afraid to go to Liberia. I wanted to visit my daughter and see what her life is like, but sometimes, ignorance is bliss. It’s like the lyrics from the song Please Don’t Send Me to Africa:

Please don't send me to Africa

I don't think I've got what it takes

I'm just a man, I'm not a Tarzan

Don't like lions, gorillas or snakes

I'll serve you here in suburbia

In my comfortable middle class life

But please don't send me out into the bush

Where the natives are restless at night

I knew that I would be taken out of my comfort zone and wasn’t looking forward to it; I dreaded the heat, the absence of electricity and running water, and the 2 meals per day eating plan. But then a funny thing happened. Despite the lack of modern conveniences, I fell in love with the people of Liberia. I saw people who should have been sad, mad, depressed, or hopeless; instead, they were joyful, gracious, hospitable, and hopeful. The orphans that I met were beautiful and without the angry attitude that so many western kids have adopted.

God hasn’t called me to live in Africa, but my perspective will never be the same again. Africans are no longer an abstract thought or just pictures in a book. They’re lovely people who have years of hard work ahead of them just to get back to the standard of living they enjoyed before the war destroyed their country.

Yesterday I had breakfast with 2 ladies I met while in Liberia; we laughed together about the ridiculousness and cried together about the impact that trip has had on our lives. We’ll be forever friends because we shared an experience that no one else can relate to. If you ever get the chance to have your perspective changed, take it. It will be scary and it may not be painless, but it will be worth it. It will make you appreciate God’s blessings and forever change how you view the world.