Watching the world go by...

Friday could not arrive fast enough, I was ready to be on my way home.  I woke early to try and finish packing and prepare myself for the grueling journey back to Monrovia.  The plan was to leave at 10am.

After chapel I had some time to spend with my sophomore students.  Graciously they gave me a red Liberian shirt.  I know they had struggled to find the money to get me the gift and it made t that much more special that they had done it.  They told me the shirt was red because I had said it was my favorite color.  I am glad they were listening in class!

Emmanuel Jonah was at my door around 9:30 ready to load my bags in the truck.  He had spent the entire day previous ensuring we were starting with “ok” tires and a spare.  The original plan was that we would use the Land-cruiser, but when Amos left earlier in the week, he decided to take it, instead of the truck (the presidents vehicle).  When Amos warned me about the vehicle switch earlier in the week, he said you will be taking the truck, there is no spare and the tires are not good....good luck.

After a few delays loading, picking up one passenger from the hospital, and a few arguments......NINE of us were on our way to Monrovia in the truck.  There were six in the cab and three in the bed....something about third world kept popping in my head.

We made it about an hour down the road and had the first flat, left rear.  I was not surprised as this tire was low before we left and I had put air in it hoping for the best.  Thankfully we had the tools to change the tire and were back on the road again in relatively short time.

The second tire, left front, went out about 30 minutes down the road, and of course prior to any point that we could have the first flat repaired.  Fortunately, we stopped right in the middle of a small village.  A few discussions later a man shoed up with a small bicycle pump.  We tried to air the tired, but could hear it leaking out as fast as we were putting it in.  Ultimately, we removed the tire and it along with the initial flat were strapped onto the back of a motorcycle and send 15 k ahead to Ghanta for repair.  

Meanwhile, we sat on a bench in the shade in the middle of this small village and watched the third world go by....or it may have been watching where the world went by.  I vowed to myself that next time I have to wait 30 minutes for AAA I would not complain

As we were sitting there a young girl kept brining bowls of oranges, ready to sell.  Only a few at a time.  It was not long before they were being purchased by our group, and every so often she would bring more.  Each time, the price increasing just a bit :)

A few hours later we were on our way again, it was late in the afternoon and we were only a third of the way to Monrovia...it was going to be a long night.  Every so often we would stop briefly to drop something to someone or Emmanuel would honk and waive saying it was a relative.  Interesting how so much distance traveled, yet there would be familiar faces to those with us.

It was not long before it was dark...very dark..as usual along the road.  I thanked God that most of the cars we encountered actually had some lights as that has not been the case in the past.  As each mile went by I wondered where we were, I could not recognize much in the dark even though I had been on this road many times.  As we entered the outskirts of Monrovia, I was starting to se some familiar signs and knew we were almost there.  Finally we pulled into the ABCU guest house around 10:30 am.  A deep sign of relief and the peace knowing the road was behind us.

It's Quiet...

Thursday morning when I awoke, everything was very quiet.  As I lay there in bed I was trying to decipher if I was dreaming or awake.  Rationalizing the events of the past two weeks an wondering if it had occurred or been a dream. So real in my mind, but so different than my previous experiences....in so many way I wanted to be dreaming, but I came to my senses knowing it has been real.

Thursday was a holiday in celebration of Tubman ( a past president of Liberia).  Like holidays all over the world, Liberia was to enjoy a day of rest from normal activities of school and work.  This led to less traffic and noise and the quiet I was enjoying so early in the morning.

I went on to hold two class session with my students.  They all showed up and were committed to learning the skills being presented.  I was impressed by their tennacity and desire to learn.  I am constantly impressed by those I interact with here and it is their desire for knowledge that is the magnetism to draw me back.  It is the common bond among those I serve with here and regardless of the situation around us.....it is what pulls each of us back.

Last week Dr. Miamen started one of his reprimand addresses to the students and faculty letting them know that Liberia is a 3rd world country and we should understand this and set our expectations appropriately.  In all of the time that I have been here, I have not looked at the operations of ABCU as 3rd world.  Conversely, I have always admired the faculty and staff because they would not look at ABCU as being 3rd world, they would look beyond and strive to do more than this.

My experiences this trip have been 3rd world and noticeable above any other trip.  Was it being in a 3rd world country, the events that have taken place, or just the influence of the attitude coming from its leadership....more thought would be needed but I can't escape the wish....that I was dreaming.

Face to Face

I woke up Sunday ready to go for a long walk. My alarm went off at 6am as planned. It was raining hard and the water off the metal roof was loud, as if I was inside a steel drum. I decided to stay in bed and rest.

I attended Bethel Church for services. A number of the students attend here and it was good to see some familiar faces. As I sat in the pew waiting for others to arrive, a Liberian woman came and sat next to me. It was young Peter Saye's mother. I had seen her earlier in the week and when she saw me she ran up and gave me a big hug, at that time it had taken me a bit to realize who she was, but now I knew. I was happy to see her there. When the time came to read scripture, I turned to the chapter and verse and scooted close to her so she could share my bible with me. I think she appreciated it.

Peter was sitting a row in front, and I could see that he brought the bible with him that I had given him. Their family now has a bible to share and I was happy about that. Earlier in the week, I had presented it to Peter. The bible I brought for him was one that I had as a child. Maritta wrote a nice note in the front from our family so he can remember where it came from.

After Church I relaxed for bit then decided to head over the work on the internet. It has been very troublesome in both speed and reliability. I had brought a filter with me to help with some of the traffic and needed to finish setting it up. As I headed over to house 1 where the connection comes in I called Maritta to chat with her a bit. As I arrived, I set my things down near the path to the porch and was still talking on the phone.

As I stood there, looking down at the ground about two feet from my foot was an odd looking blade of grass....odd looking until it flicked it tongue at me! I was face to face with a snake. I took a deep breath and slowly backed away......it was a green mamba one of the most venomous snakes in the world. My heart was racing, I waited a few seconds to tell Maritta on the other end of the phone....I knew she would freak and I did not want her to scare the snake!
I stood back about 10 feet frozen not really knowing what to do and looking for someone to tell. The snake took a short look at my things sitting there on the ground and then decided to go away into the grass. I went and got security to kill it but they could not find it. The security guard proceeded to show me how to kill it if I saw it again....I told him I did not want to know, that was his job!

One week to go here and I am anxious to be home. I miss Maritta and the kids and look forward to seeing them.

Like no other...

Saturday morning was really quiet around Yekepa……..even the traffic was quiet. There was an early morning rain storm that has maybe kept people inside longer than normal.

I enjoyed the opportunity to speak in Chapel on Thursday and Friday and have received a number of compliments on the messages I delivered. Thursday I shared what I have been doing over the past six months since I have been here and about Thanksgiving in the US. It was brief...to brief I guess......and I laughed to myself as I watched Nathan and Amos scramble to figure out how to fill the last 10 minutes...Nathan said a long prayer to fill the gap.

In Friday's Chapel I shared 12 biblical principles for guidance in business. It was a hit! Many of the students and faculty have asked for copies of the points I used. I have also been amazed at how many times I have heard the points in discussions. This was the message that was needed for many here as I have been hearing more and more of the significant transition issues here with the new leadership.

This trip is like no other for me. There is a broken spirit looming and I strive every day to find the source. Is it a lack of healing from the scandal that unfolded last semester? Is it the way leadership has been transitioned? Are there other organizational and cultural forces at play?

As I talk with many of the faculty and students I try to decipher between the comments of change and comments of vision. Change is hard for most, and given new leadership it is understandable that change will sometimes be difficult to understand and manage. When I put aside the change, I struggle to see the vision and this troubles me greatly. I had the opportunity to share this concern with Dr. Miamen (ABCU President) directly and he has asked for guidance and counsel. Unfortunately, I only have a week remaining here and I am not certain what I can accomplish in that time.

Overall the situation here is like no other I have been involved in and I pray for God's wisdom and guidance during my time here.

Networking

I spent most of the day working on the ABC network.  Lightning strikes and limited technical resources have left it in a bit of dis-array.  I do what I can when I am here, but I am limited in what I know and provide band-aids more than healing.  Consequently, it has been a bit difficult to post any blogs.  Will try and get some pictures included here once I decent speed to upload them.

I was over at Julia Mulbah’s to pick up the key to work on the internet router in house 1.  When I walked up to her porch she was there talking with some ladies and children were playing.  All of a sudden on of the ladies jumps up and runs over to give me a hug.  Threw me off for a minute, but then I realized it was young Peter Saye’s mother.  I had only met her once before, but she obviously remembered who I was.
Later I asked Julia if she came around much, she said no, only when she was desperately in need of something to eat.  Julia does so much for this campus and community.  Nathan, her husband has resigned, and they will be moving to Monrovia in January.  Such a loss for ABCU.

Things are strangely different here this trip.  I anticipated some of it as there has been so much change with new leadership and philosophies.  I was not prepared for the operational gap that I am experiencing operationally.  Things seem to be struggling on the basics.  There is a tremendous effort involved in keeping this campus running day to day.  Generator fuel, propane for cooking, vehicles, piggery, gardens, etc.  So much seems to be in disarray and headed in the wrong direction.  Do not get me wrong, everything is still way above average for the community.   However, close attention needs to be paid to keep up on the basics or the cost to catch up might outrun the available resources to do so.  I pray some changes are made here to keep ABCU at its high standards.

Tomorrow and Friday I am speaking in chapel, its getting late and I still need to figure out what to say.  Never thought I would be preaching on Thanksgiving!  

The Ride..

I was sitting at the ABC guest house waiting on my ride to Yekepa feeling refreshed and ready to go.  I knew the drive would be long and I just wanting to be there and have it behind me.  Yaelu, the driver, had said the roads are in better condition than the past few months.  “Better” is a relative term for this drive.  Yaelu had spent the morning getting the brakes fixed in the truck and it was now approaching noon.  Obviously, I was pleased he was fixing the brakes, but I also knew the probability of leaving at that time would have us driving in the dark.

The roads were not the worst they have been, but the worst I had experienced.  In spots there was mud piled along side the road in the same manner you would see snow higher than the windows of the car after a snowstorm.  Potholes that could swallow cars.  I literally saw a full fuel tanker get swallowed by a pothole bounce into the air with light between rear tires and ground (reminded it was FULL) and proceed to have the rear end ripped out (at this point I was very happy we had new brakes).  

Ten and a half hours later, 2 flat tires and 4 hours driving in pitch black night, we arrived safely at ABCU!  Pulling into Yekepa, I could not see anything past the headlights of the truck, but I felt like I was arriving at my second home.  Even though I could not see through the darkness my surroundings felt familiar, and I was at peace knowing we had arrived safely.  Thank you God.

I went to chapel this morning and was greeted by many of the students and faculty.  Its always fun to return after being away and catch up with all those here.  Fortunately I was able to meet with my entrepreneurial students in person for class.  A welcome session after so many online interactions this semester.

Power and Internet are the big issues plaguing the campus.  Fortunately I brought some tools to help improve the internet quality.  The power I can’t do much about.  We are limited to about 12 hours per day of power and it really limits what can be done in an electronic world.  Praying there are options in the near future to get off the generators and onto the grid the mining company is building for the community.

As I write this I am sitting in the living room of the house where I am staying.  I have the lights out to try and reduce the number of bugs.  Up on the ceiling are fire flys and if I imagine its almost as if the stars are twinkling in the sky.  My kids would love it.

Already missing my family.  The girls had a gymkhana Sunday, Peyton took 4th and Reese took 1st.  They both amaze me and I love watching them ride and their passion for horses. 

Heading Back......

Leaving tomorrow for Yekepa and ABC University.  Looking forward to seeing the students and staff. We are off and running with our second class in the entrepreneurial studies program.

Praying for a safe trip and productive visit!!

New Day

Saturday I awoke early to the sound of my alarm. I was very tired as I only think I slept a couple of hours. I had to get up, I promised Tompeamie that I was going walking and he was welcome to join me. As I walked to meet him Vicki came from her house and joined us on the walk. The sun was starting to brighten the sky and it was one of the brightest and clearest days I had ever experienced in Yekepa. It was like a clear Arizona day with not even a hint of a cloud in the sky. The light was shining through the darkness of the prior day and this would be a great day for our graduates. They deserved a great day.  The path they had traveled to graduate in Liberia was a long one, met with many obstacles. They had done it and it would be their day.

As I headed up to the gym there was a stream of people, cars, motorbikes and even a helicopter landing. As the faculty and graduates met to put on our regalia there were ear to ear smiles. We all went outside to get a photo of the faculty, students, and dignitaries. The Minister of Education was there and she was moving through the crowd happy to meet all those she met. The Commissioner For Higher Education was also there I walked up to him and introduced myself.  When I said my name he had a puzzled look on his face, I reminded him he knew my name through the proposal he had received on the Entrepreneurial Studies program.

As we entered the gym for the processional the place was packed. We were graduating 20 students and the estimate on attendance was about 1000 people were there in support. I had one of the best seats in the house as I was up on stage with the faculty looking toward the graduates and the crowd.  I kept scanning the crowd for Peter. I had asked him to be my guest but let him know he would need to find his own seat. He had told me he had no clothes to wear, so the day before I had given him $15 usd to buy some clothes. He has told me he picked out 3 shirts and 3 trousers so I gave him the money to buy them, but it was a lot to a boy who has nothing.
 
The graduation went off without any issues. In his remarks the commissioner would comment on his commitment to ensure the entrepreneurial studies program at ABCU and later I would talk to him directly about the next steps in being approved to move forward. We have an appointment to get it done.
 
The minister of education shared her thoughts on the I,portage of rebuilding education in Liberia and commented on her support of ABCU, it programs and students. At the end of her remarks, she said she planned to take every graduating students name and she would personally ensure they have teaching jobs in Liberia.  What an honor to these students and to the university in the programs it has put together.

Peter came and found me after the graduation.  He had on the clothes he has bought with a hat and some sunglasses.  He thought he looked cool, I could tell he was happy he had some clothes to wear.  He followed me to my house and I gave him a bag of rice and some flour for his mother.  I know he was sad to see me go, but I will be back to spend more time with him and pray he keeps getting good grades and stays off the streets.  It will be a hard thing to do coming from where he does.

It will not be easy from here. Del and Becky added a lot of value in what they brought to the university. As I had a few minutes with del prior to my leaving, he expressed remorse for the huge mistakes he had made. I believe with the help of God this university will continue on to greatness and be a role model for education in Liberia.

Please pray along with me as I know the next weeks and months will be very challenging for the faculty, staff, and students as new leadership is transitioned and the university continues to grow.

Expect the Unexpected

Sitting on the flight from Monrovia to Atlanta. Very much in comfort as I received a very unexpected upgrade to business class. Maybe it was God knowing how much I needed a break after the roller coaster of the last few days. I had not slept much up to now, but have spent the last number of hours sleeping well.
 

I was trying to think back to Thursday before this roller coaster began and cannot even begin to think what happened that day. The four college deans and Del met to talk about next steps for the programs and it was nice to be talking as the team that will plan and develop the curriculum that will build upon the foundation.

Thursday evening I had my class over for dinner and to chat a but about the semester and how we can continue to build upon the program.  We had a great discussion and I introduced them to pasta with some meat sauce over curly noodles. I. Found it interesting that most of the, had never tried such a thing, for them it was unexpected that there was much more than "something over rice". Peter was over as well and he helped me serve the students,  I think it was fun for him to be a part of it. He fell asleep at the kitchen table and I had a couple of the students take him home.

 

Friday started out early with a 6:30 am walk and then returned to move houses as the Minister of Education was arriving and would use the duplex I was staying in.  This is when the unexpected happened.....

I was walking out of the duplex to throw some fruit out and Vicki called my name From across the way.  I could hear a sense of urgency in her voice as she approached. There had been an emergency faculty meeting meeting that I was not aware of and had missed. The words coming from her mouth were surreal and hard for me to grasp.

 

Del had just resigned as president of ABC University and admitted guilt to two inappropriate relationships with female students.  I was in shock and trying to process what I had just heard. The tub of fruit dropped from my hands and my eyes filed up with tears. This was a friend, mentor, community leader and one of the most faithful servants I had ever looked up to.

Friday became a whirlwind. We called an emergency meeting with the students. As all entered the chapel there were no chairs so everyone took a seat on the floor around the room. It was Friday, finals were over and everyone was in a good mood for graduation. I took a seat up front with the rest of the faculty sitting there in shock of what the students were about to hear. It was hard to sit there with a calm face and we all struggled to keep composure when the students who knew nothing were laughing and joking around.

Del and Becky walked in.  Becky looked about as I would imagine, crushed, eyes red and tearing.  Nathan open the discussion with a few scripture verses and the asked Del to address the crowd.  As he spoke there were tears from the students and validation from those that had heard the rumors.  The message was short and direct and after they left the room. It was the last I saw Becky while I was there.

 After the faculty met for a few hours to triage the next few days of activities. It would be important to not let the news affect the achievements from those graduating and there was much work to complete to prepare.

The afternoon was met with a tremendous storm. I was out for a short walk to gather some thoughts before heading to the graduation rehearsal. I ducked under the entry to the chapel to escape a downpour and was met there shortly by Emmanuel Jonah doing the same thing. He and I sat and talked for some time about the news of the day. Neither of us had any good answers but it was nice to talk with him as he provided some good counsel I so desperately needed.

It was a dark day in Yekepa at ABCU and as I lay there in bed that night I was haunted by all the what ifs, how comes, and why's that are part of any tragedy.

Think Back

When I think back about taking finals in school I never remember it as a big deal, I am sure there were hours of preparation and studying I have just blocked from my memory.  In my role as a professor here at ABCU, every time I give a final, I think I am as nervous as my students about it.  Is it because I am new at this and unsure of myself?  Just like anything, I suppose we learn from our history and become that much more comfortable with our future and the anxiety ultimately fades.  I have realized this trip that I am not alone in the questions I have of starting this new program. 


As I continue to talk to faculty and staff here, I am realizing that they are just a few steps ahead with some of the other programs and through discussion and sharing we are moving all of the programs forward.  I am comforted to know that there is still tweeking to do and not everything is as rock solid as I had thought.  Maritta tells me I need to just ask more questions about things, like usual she is right.

Yesterday morning after chapel I walked up the road to watch Bill refine some palm nuts into oil.  The nuts had already been “cracked” which is the process of removing the outer skin/shell from the nut and what was left were the raw beans.  In some ways the beans looked like roasted coffee beans but 5x larger.  They were dark and a bit oily with a unique smell and he had a large pile laying out in the sun to dry.  The machine was located in a small room of a mud block hut with a tin roof and low ceiling just off the piggery.  After Bill finished a few repairs, he turned on the fuel supply (i.e. put a hose in a small bucket hanging from the ceiling and started a siphon).  A number of turns with a hand crank and the small diesel engine roared to life.  The noise in the small room was deafening, fortunately the exhaust was pointed outside the building.  

Bill began slowly feeding beans into the press to get it primed and after about 10 minutes he was able to fill the hopper and let the beans process.  Oil began running down the chute into a barrel and the “cake” or processed beans came out dry, warm and in powdered form at its appropriate exit.  Around the room were three large (55gal) barrels of oil and one barrel of “cake” from the prior day.  Each barrel is worth $250 of which 75% is profit and he can process 2-3 barrels per day.  Not a bad days wage in many countries and especially here in Liberia where the average daily wage is about $5.

You may wonder why I am so fascinated by watching this and Bills other activities?  Sound like a story out of the early 1900’s?  Bill represents what I am trying to build into these students and he represents the distance needed to go for much of Liberia.  His equipment, processes, method of collecting goods, labor and selling are no different that many of those used by farmers and industrialist in the US in the early 1900’s.  Many of the innovations and learning from that time in US history can be used here successfully, Today!  We can use our history and success to teach the core principles of business in farming and industry to help feed children, comfort widows, and educate communities.  Education and innovation are sustainable lifetime gifts each of us can share freely with those in need.

 

Great Days

 I had an amazing Sunday!  I think it started well because I slept well the night before and did not worry about waking when the power came on at 5:30.  Since every window in the house is open, it was nice to wake to the sounds of birds and children paying in the distance.  It was about 7 am and I was laying there half awake trying to muster the energy to get up, then I remembered it was not children I heard but rather the soccer game that happens every Sunday morning.  I decided to go for a walk, check out the game and start the day with some much needed exercise.  As I walked down the road toward the field I was amazed to see how aggressive the teams were playing, especially considering there was very little grass and mostly dirt on the field.  I sat and watched for a bit, took some short video and headed on my way.  I was on my usual walking path that circles the campus in about a 3.5 mile loop.  I was some good time to reflect on the past week and really ask God what He has in store for me with this program.

As I was walking down the road I was coming upon a group of men sitting alongside the road.   The road I was on sits outside the campus and community and is a common road for getting to Guinea only a couple miles away.  I could see the men from afar but could not make out who they were.  I asked God to please keep me safe as it was strange they would be there since there is generally no one working on Sunday and they appeared to have been working.  As I came upon them and greeted them I realized….they were ABCU students and 2 of the 5 were my students.  I also found out they were debating about who was this guy walking toward them.  Funny I was worried about them and they were worried about me….so often we forget how things look to other and only concentrate on how they appear to us.  As I walked away I realized, God has it all in control, He knows and He will guide I just need to keep trusting and taking steps in faith.

I promised young Pete Saye that I would attend church with him.  He attends Bethel church in the community and it is led by one of the ABCU professors.  The church is in a run down building that many I know would probably be afraid to enter, no less worship there.  I showed up and sat in the pew leaving room for Peter who I had not seen yet.  I was a bit early and people were still coming in but there was some singing and praying going on.  Suddenly to might right, in the aisle stood Peter with a big smile on his face, I could tell he was happy I had come.  He scooted in and sat next to me, as we were reading the bible, I shared with him.  Later he told me he did not own a bible and I promised I would bring him one on my next visit.  I struggle with how to handle Peter, I am constantly troubled by the sheer poverty this child lives in yet I do not want to spoil him or have him create a dependency that cannot be sustained.  I hope the skills we are teaching at ABCU will help children like Peter.

The afternoon brought the bachelorette service for the graduating students.  Such an amazing day and the opportunity to see the excitement on these students faces as they are reaching the end of one chapter and starting the next.  They were the pioneers who took the leap of faith as the first class as the University restarted.  I was amazed to think that in just 2 years, I will have students standing up there, graduating from the program God has empowered me to lead. There is a lot to do and learn between now and then and I am confident we will promote students with the skills and the ethics to build foundation business in Liberia.  People and friends attended the service from all over the community and a special choir from the Inland Church in Karnplay (about 3 hours away) came and sang some traditional music in Gio a native tongue.  It was awesome to see them sing and their cloths were a brilliant yellow.  One thing about Liberian women is they know how to dress well and some of the traditional outfits are very brightly colored.

Truly a spectacular day and I can hardly wait to see the actual graduation event as I am sure it will be like no other I have seen.

Step by Step

The duplex on the left is where I am staying

Prof Kloosterhouse sent me an interesting report on Liberia this evening published by an organization called Country Watch.  I have not read through all 268 pages yet, but I did note some interesting facts.  The one that stood out was the political stability index.  If you rate the high being a 9 in the US and the low being a 1 in N. Korea, Liberia is a 5.  Not bad considering its neighbors are lower (I guess its also not really a good thing that the 3 neighbors are all lower).  The good news is GDP is growing at 2x the rate of the US and for the first time in the last 5 years there is a projected government surplus.  These are all signs that things are moving in the right direction here, step by step.

I think I am a bit stir crazy today, the duplex I am staying in is very nice, bigger than the first apartment that Maritta and I had but I am alone and missing Maritta and the kids.  I sit here and think about how much the stark white walls would drive Maritta crazy.  Maybe she needs to come in the fall and help decorate these places a bit J.

I started today with 3+ mile walk to Guinea border and back.  It was a refreshing way to start the day.  The morning was nice and cool and offered some reprieve from the last few days of heat.  When I returned, Emmanuel Jonah and I had planned a trip to the orphanage.  If you have read any of my blogs, you know that going there is a highlight for me on each trip.  Being Saturday, it was time for chores and everyone pitched in from the youngest to the oldest (yes Pastor Jonah was even ironing clothes).

Emmanuel gave me the latest tour of the place, we looked at where some roofing had blown off in a storm, the latest additions to the clinic, the generator house they built and the repairs need on the piggery (my nephew Bret really needs to come along sometime and lend a hand with a few of these piggerys).  One of the services the clinic provides is midwifery.  Take a look at the delivery bed, a bit different that what most have probably seen.  Always amazing to see how little is really needed when you do not have anything.  I read in the report mentioned earlier that 143/1000 children die at birth and life expectancy is a mere 41 years.  As we walked around the orphanage and school, Emmanuel told me one of their teachers had died within the last month from typhoid and she was only 29 years old.  Later as we walked around the camp 4 community, Emmanuel waiver to someone and walked over to their house, he introduced me the gentleman and we talked for a minute.  As we walked away, he told me it was the father of the girl who had died.

Each time I am here I venture out more and more.  I enjoy talking to the people and getting to know their community.  This afternoon I was frustrated with my students after our special study class was cut short because they were all concerned about a final they had this evening.  I came back to the duplex and changed in to walking clothes and decided to go for another walk.  This time I walked into the community of Yekepa.  I had driven the roads I walked many time, but it is amazing how much more you see walking.  People were working around their homes, doing laundry and cooking, children were playing soccer and music was coming from every church as choirs were getting ready for Sunday worship.  It was around 4pm and most people having worked a 6 day week were starting to unwind a prepare for a day of rest.  I was in awe as I walked to see how much everyone was making out of nothing, to hear the laughter in the air, and the hope that things will continue to improve.

Shortly after I reached home, Peter showed up with a couple of pineapples for me.  I had given him 50 LD yesterday (about 80 cents), and I was amazed when he brought me 20 LD change.  I gave him the 20 LD and told him it was his tip for getting me the pineapple.  He hung out for a while, did not say much but just drew pictures on a tablet of paper I let him use.  I figure he just needs the man time as he has no father.  He has been here almost every night.  Last night I fed him spaghetti, I am not sure what he really thought about it, but I gave him a container of leftovers to take home to his family.  I am sure it was better than most of what they had and he was glad to get to share with his family.  He is a smart kid and step by step he will make his way and succeed.

Tomorrow is another day.

On the road again

I went for a walk this afternoon, needed to get out a bit after being inside most of the day working on the ABCU network and my American Express work that I continue to keep up while I am here.  I decided to walk up the road about a mile to a security checkpoint and then past toward the Guinea border.  On the way I would also pass by my friend Bill's farm.  As I was nearing the farm, a lady walked across the road about 20 yards in front of me carrying about a 4 foot square panel on her head.  What was odd is she walked from my right to left, on the right was an embankment that leads to the river and on the right is jungle, as I passed by where she had walked, she had vanished.  I am still unsure if I really saw her or if I imagined it. 

As I walked on, I came upon Bills farm.  Amazing to see what he has done since I visited him last year.  He has cleared a tremendous amount more of his land and planted 5-6 acres of corn.  He was not there, but I talked to one of his worked and he showed me how he has measured out every plant to ensure they were spaced evenly as they planted by hand.  He told me they had to put special chemical on the seeds to ensure the bug-a-bugs did not get them.  The picture of the dog in the field fascinated me as I thought it could have really been taken anywhere in the world.  The fascinated ended when the dog started to come after me.  I was a bit concerned about getting bitten as I am fairly certain there is no rabies shots for the dog or me!

Along my path I came upon two men, Victor and Sema, working in the share of the nursery they had constructed.  Victor was potting small saplings while Sema was cutting bamboo to continue building the structure.  I stopped and talked to them for a while.  Victor explained that they were raising the plants for the mine to replace the vegetation destroyed by the mining.  I thought it was admirable to see the effort to rebuild the forest, especially having seen the wasteland of the prior mine that was destroyed in the war.

Things were pretty desolate around the Guinea border.  If it were not for the line of rocks crossing the road, it would be hard to tell where one country ended and another began.  Two security guard were watching over the immigration building that had been erected some time ago.  The men told me they expected this crossing to be operational by the end of the year.  Things do not move to fast in Liberia, but they are moving.  Such the contrast to the fast paced lives we live and very sobering to think how much we are missing as we rush through life.

On the walk back I was thinking about the stories that must exist in the bushes here.  Often when I am out walking, I hear people talking, but cannot see where they are.  The brush is so thick, that it is hard to see farther than a few feet into the dense growth.  As I continued to walk I hear lots of voices and activity but I could not figure out what was going on.  As I came up to the paved road, I saw dozens of sheep and their shepherds tending them.  One of the shephers told me they had come from Guinea and they were headed to Monrovia to sell the sheep at market.  In Guinea they have business figured out, I pray with the education we are providing, we will root Liberians with the principles need to build strong businesses as well.

I'm Back!

It is great to be back in Liberia spending time with the faculty and students of ABC University.  I departed Phoenix the morning of April 19th, arrived in Monrovia the afternoon of the 20th and made the trek to Yekepa on Saturday 21st.  I flew my normal Delta route through Accra, Ghana and once again the plane had issues there.  Must be something about that airport, this time a blown tire and fallen ceiling panels inside the airplane from a rough landing....yes it was about the roughest I have experienced.

I met up with Vicki Kloosterhouse in Atlanta, Vicki is a professor and the Dean of the Education program at ABCU.  Sounds like we will have all of the "Deans" in town for the big event (Chuck - Biblical Studies and Nancy - Communications are on their way as well) and the four of us should all be together by next weekend in preparation for the monumental graduation on May5th.

The drive to Yekepa was interesting as ever, there is lumber and construction materials being sold on every corner, logging trucks running up and down the road, ore cars coming down the tracks from the mine, bridges being build and miles of light poles in preparation for a new road.  So encouraging to see the communities around here begining to proper.  It convinces me that the time is perfect for our Entrepreneurial program at ABCU, we have the perfect opportunity to teach sound business and business principles in the midst of this developing society. 

I saw first hand the corruption this trip, and am now convinced in the truth of many stories I have been told.  On the road from Monrovia to Yekepa there are numerous check points, verifying everything from driver credentials to vehicle safety.  I am not sure I have ever had to stop at one of these points and because we are in ABCU vehicles we are generally waived through.  Not such the case at one of our last check points, they decided to give Emmanuel a hard time.  Now when Liberian argue there are a lot of loud voices, waiving hands and no one listening.  Imagine this going on in front of you with a unformed policeman...needless to say I was a bit nervous.  Turns out, he would make his infraction go away with a cash payment of $10 usd.  Emmanuel, being a man of God and extremely ethical would not pay the bribe, so in return they gave him a $40 usd fine and took his license from him until he paid the fine.  While we were waiting for them to issue Emmanuel his ticket, about 5 more vehicle were stopped and I saw cash exchanged on every one, although the amounts were lower because there were no foreigners in the car.  For the next hour, we ran around this small city of Sanequille looking for the revenue officer to pay the fine and release his license.  I suppose the good news is since there is no concept of insurance, there are no points to go against him, but on the other side there is no insurance!

It has been Africa hot here (appropriate I guess).  Temps in the 80/90 with about the same humidity, and not much repreive at night.  Last night I woke sometime in the middle of the night and it was pitch black and dead silent, as I lay there thinking I realized how much noise and light we deal with at night.

I woke early this morning and went for a long walk around the outer perimeter of the campus.  I noticed in some of the surrounding perimeter, houses buried in the bush that I had not noticed before, there are others that were once buried and now occupied with restored roofs and doors.  Progress is even making its way to Yekepa.  God willing, the community will continue to rebuild.
More to come....