Team Liberia 2010

The Wedding

2011-06-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my oldest daughter got married to Cody Mylander. Thanks to all who came, supported, partners in the ministry, friends and family. Thanks to all our internet friends, family, twtter friends, and facebook friends. To God be the glory. CPI

Election 2011-Liberia

2011-03-07T09:24:00.000-08:00

"The Most Promising Method of Securing a Virtuous and Morally Stable People is to Elect Virtuous Leaders. But Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happeness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore, is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man," (Samuel Adams, in Miracle that change the world). The Liberian Team.

What am I reading? March 2011

2011-03-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

Books of the Month

1. The Mystery of Captalism: Why Capitalism Trumphs in the West and Fails Every Else, by Hernando De Soto
2. The Closing of the American Mind, by Allan Bloom
3. Dead Aid, by Dambisa Moyo
4. The African Renaissance: History, Signicance and Strategy, by Washington A.J. Okumu

We want to take this time to thanks the John MacArthur Ministries (Grace To You) for donating all the books John MacArthur have author through years to the library in Liberia. Special thanks to the Sociology class of Professor Z for donating books, and computers to the library in Liberia. Thanks for having me in your class and for your great questions, I truly enjoyed every minute of it. I hope someday will visit Monrovia to see the educational Center of CenterPoint. Our vision is to give every person a place to grow by meeting their

1. Spiritual needs
2. Health
3. Education
4. Ethics
5. Poverty

2011-01-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

Sharing CPI vision with leaders in Bomi Hills, Liberia

2011-01-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Trust me, Liberia will rise again. Out of the ashes we will find hope again

2011-01-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Pastor Jeff, of Grace Bible Church of Colorado, listening to Liberian Pastors, Dec. 2010

2011-01-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to fly to Zwedru, with Pastor Thomas Shelwah-my first helicopter flight. Thanks to the leadership of Samaria Purse Liberia for the flight.

2011-01-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

Who said whiteman can dance? Pastor Jeff trying his skills. "Right foot first Pastor."

2011-01-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

Sharing the vision with leaders of Liberia

2011-01-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

Working late at the library

2011-01-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

More pictures from the conference in Bomi Hills

2011-01-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

With 1200 Pastors in Bomi Hills, Liberia, December 2010

2010-11-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

WOW! more books!

2010-11-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

More boxes of books at the library. Need help with cataloging the books.

2010-11-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

The kids' library. We need help with an IT person for our computers. Contact us at centerpointinternational.tw@gmail.com

2010-11-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

More books arrived at the library in Monrovia-thanks for your partnership and contribution.

2010-11-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

Joe with boxes of books at CPI library in Monrovia

2010-09-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

Shelving Books at CPI library in Monrovia

2010-08-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

Abby, Leechelle, Annette, and TJ hanging out with the kids at ABC's orphanage in Monrovia. Helping to create a reading culture after 15 years of war.

2010-08-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

The Gabriel Tucker Bridge connecting the city to the FreePort. The bridge also over the historical Providence Island where the Freed slaves first landed when they arrived in Monrovia from America.

2010-08-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

Pretty view of the library

2010-08-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Alfred cataloging the books

2010-08-02T17:49:00.001-07:00

The computers are in!

2010-08-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

Entrance to the library

2010-08-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

putting up the computers at the library

2010-08-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

One of the first students at CPI library; researching managment

2010-07-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Wow! a library? Sharon with the kids at CPI library on Camp Johnson Road, Monrovia

2010-07-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

Viewing West Point from the top of the Ducor Hotel in Monrovia. What is the population of West Point?

2010-07-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

The Center, the healing place for forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration.....Simply-Giving people a place to grow.

2010-07-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

(William B. Yeast, 1865-1939)

The 2nd Coming

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The Blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.

2010-07-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Finding Peace and Calm in the Market place of ideas.

2010-07-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

We saw hope and a future in their faces! Help us make it a reality

2010-07-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

View from the Ducor Hotel

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries :: Just Thinking Radio Program

2010-07-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries :: Just Thinking Radio Program

2010-07-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Beth and Abby marking the chairs in the library

2010-07-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

After we put the chairs in the library--another look!

2010-07-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Kids' library

2010-07-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Those who made it possible. Thank you and God bless you all.

2010-07-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

The Wankollie's girls at their sister's graduation

2010-07-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

The Weedor family at CPI's library

2010-07-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Biblical Truth-transcultural as it is has an indispensable message for ethics, modern politico-economic concerns, and all the idolatries of our polytheistic society. "it proclaims the gospel to a generation that is intellectually uncapped, morally unzippered, and volitionally uncurbed." Carl Henry.

The Lord has sent us to minister among a wounded and bleeding cultures of Liberia. Only Biblical ethics boldly confronts and clearly addresses the abyss of immorality engulfing post war Liberia; it speaks to the greed of men and women for money, to lust, sex slaves, FGM, crimes, murder, injustice, tribalism, to the myth of blessed me theology, and witchcraft. We hope this library will be a center that will lovely engaged all of modern life in Liberia and its perverted sense of what "good," is. I hope and pray that our evangelistic courage in God dare not be broken by the weight of these problems or the betrayal by so call friends (Phil 1:12-18)

My brothers and Sisters, let us fight the good fight of faith in God and of sharing the kerygma or apostolic core message gives us, no less than the early Christians, the best perspective for sharing God's word on the edges of eternity. And that message is: Christ's incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, personal return to this earth (yes Christ is coming again), in judgment of humanity and to establish his glorious kingdom. (2 Tim 3:1-17)

Ref:

1. Selling Jesus, by Doug Webster

2. The God Who is There, by Schaeffer

3. The Christian Mindset in a Secular Society, by Carl Henry

4. No Place for Truth or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? by David Wells

2010-07-18T19:17:00.001-07:00

2010-07-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

Eddie quizzing the ABC's kids about their future.

2010-07-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

Together at last, Maggie W. and Eddie Tokpah; it is a long story:-)

2010-07-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

Eddie Tokpah, one of the leaders of CPI, celebrating with his samkpah drum. Eddie was on the team with me to Liberia. He was born and raised in Liberia. Ran from the war like every Liberian; went to Ghana, Kenya, back to Liberia, and then Kenya where he married his beautiful wife Lisa. They moved back to Liberia where Eddie and Lisa worked for Samaritan Purse before moving to Colorado. Yes, he's my right hand man! They are both on the leadership of CPI. Eddie is has a passion for the people of Liberia. Pray for him and his wife.

2010-07-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

Beth and Maggie B, shelving books at CPI library on Camp Johnson Road.

2010-07-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

We can only "Imagine."

2010-07-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, the Library is taking shape in Monrovia! Thanks for your prayer support and giving

2010-07-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

Singing with the kids at ABC Academy

2010-07-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

Beth with Pastor and Mrs Jallah at the future of the Bomi Evangelical church in Bomi Hills

2010-07-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

Lorraine, left, Sharon in sunglasses, and Pam. Lorraine was the cheif Librarian on the team, yet we made her ride trunk of the car; or she was humble enough to take the back seat.

2010-07-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

Pam reading a Story to Muslim girls from the near by school.

2010-07-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

books books and more books Eccl 12:11-13

2010-07-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

The children's library

2010-07-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

Lorraine, getting started at the Guesthouse- cataloging the books into the computer.

2010-07-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Pam, a 1st grade teacher in Colorado helping to shelf the kids' books.

2010-07-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Preparing the Kids' section of the library!

2010-07-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

Lorraine (l) Sharon (sunglasses) and Pam. Lorraine was the Chief Librarian on the team. She was training Alfred, Eddie, and Tony. She did all the heavey lefting, yet we put her in the car trunk, or she was humble enough to take the back seat of comfort:-)

2010-04-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

CPI-Giving them a Place to grow! In Zwedru, Liberia, About 300 miles from Monrovia.

Christ Plays in 10.000 Places

2010-04-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

A Propaedeutic for faith-learning integration suggests that there is a sense by which all of life is a sacrament, providing a variety of contexts for expressing an inner reality that God is to be glorified in all things. Eugene Peterson provides a useful metaphor for working out all the details of what is involved in Christian living. Stated simply, Christ plays in 10.000 places. Peterson's metaphor is taken from a sonnet by the Christian poet and priest, Gerard Hopkins.

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;

As tumbled over rim in roundy wells

Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's

Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;

Each mortal things does one thing and the same;

Deals out that being indoors each one dwells,

Crying what I do is me: for that I came

I say more: the just man justices;

Keeps grace: the keeps all his goings graces;

Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is-

Christ. For Christ plays in ten thousand places.

Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his

To the Father through the features of men's faces.

Peterson explains that the conviction expressed in this sonnet is that Christ is behind and in all of life. He writes:

The message is that all this life, this kingfisher-drangonfly-aflame life, this trumbled stone and harp string and bell-sounding life, gets played out in us, in our limbs and eyes, in our feet and speech, in the faces of the men and women we see all day long, everyday, in the mirror and on the sidewalk, in classroom and kitchen, in workplaces and on playgrounds, in sanctuaries and commitees. . . . Which is to say that all life is, or can be worhip. Peterson is advocating a life of congruence. The Christian life is the lifelong practice of attending to the details of congruence-congruence between ends and means congruence between what we do and the way we do it. The Christian life lived, lived with this sense of congruence between who Christ is and who I am; lived at this busy, heavily trafficked North America intersection with the kingdom of God; Christ playing in my limbs and eyes.

Please try reading Peterson's book on the topic "Christ Plays in Thousand Places."

2010-04-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

Letting the women know that they are part of God's plan of salvation and the vision of CPI. We were discussing the role of women in the church and post war Liberia. Phil 3:7-16

The Affirmation concerning our Faith-Schaeffer

1. Do you believe that God exists and that he is a personal God, and that Jesus Christ is God-remembering that we are not talking of the Word or Idea of god, but of the infinite personal God who is There?

2. Do you aknowledge that you are guilty/shame-in the presence of this God-remembering that we are not talking about guilt feeling/saving face, but true moral erosion and depravity of the human heart?

3. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died in space, and time, in history, on the cross, and that when he died his substitutional work of bearing God's punishment against sin was fully accomplished and complete?

4. On the basis of God's promises in his written communication to us, the Bible, do you (or haveyou) cast yourself on this Christ as your personal Savior not trusting in anything you yourself ever done or ever will do?

After accepting Christ there are four things we must do as new believers:

1. A regular study of the Bible, which is God's communication to us.

2. Regular prayer. Now that our guilt has been removed, there is no barrier between us and God and we are able to talk freely with him. There are two kinds of praying we shall need to practice: special times of prayer, and the the constant looking to the Lord as we go about our daily tasks.

3. Regular attendence at a local church where the Bible is believed. This does not mean every church, but one that is true to the content of the Bible, and one which does not just recite the right words, but where there is a living of the truth in community and compassion to those in the church and to those outside of it. (for an excellent read, please see Francis Schaeffer's book "The God Who is There.)"

2010-04-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

These are the men who made it possible for a modern library in the capital city of Monrovia. We're grateful to them, their wives, and kids for letting them be part of this vision of rebuilding the lives of the people of Liberia through:

1. Spiritual Awaking

2. Health

3. Ethics

4. Education

5. Poverty.

We will be leaving for Liberia again in June through July to shelf the books and make the library usabale for the people of Liberia. Thanks for praying and giving financially. Tony for CPIF.

2010-03-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

Praying for the church in Zwedru, Liberia; with the leadership of the church.

2010-03-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our vision is to reach these children with the love of God in a society that is hurting. Pray as we plan another trip to Liberia to shelf the library with books. Pray for our team of 12 hard working young people who will be doing the heavy lefting for four weeks. Need funds for air tickets, food, transportation, and hotel bills. We covet your prayers and your giving.

Send funds to-Bear Valley Church

1001 W Jewell Ave.

Lakewood, CO. 80232

Please write in the Memo-Team-Liberia

Truth as an Absolute in Post War Liberia!

2010-02-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

We're back from Liberia, and everyone is home with their family. I am deeply grateful to the men, their wives and kids for allowing their husbands to braved the west African heat, culture and people in order to give them a place to grow spiritually and physically.

Since my arrival I've been going over the writings of Francis Schaeffer, especially his book, "The God who is There," to glean some of the cultural issues he faced in Europe after the war. In the God Who is There Schaeffer tackled how to communicate the gospel to a culture/people who no longer believe in the concept of Truth as an absolute or what Schaeffer called, "as an antithesis, "they took it for granted that if anything was true, the opposite was false." In morality, if one thing was right, its opposite was wrong. This little formula, "A is A" and if you have A, it is not non-A," is the first move in classical logic. If you understand the extent to which this no longer holds sway, you will understand our present situation. Absolutes imply antithesis; Schaeffer.

As a people and culture, that CenterPoint has disappeared from our concsciences, and we now live in a culture without a reference point. We can walk in the market place of ideas and purchase our truth as we know or express it (Isa. 59:14-15).

The idea/vision of CenterPoint is to anchor the church in the Word of God and its truth, thereby practicing the ministry of the presence among believers in Post War Liberia. "If the church is a communion of saints, that communion can exist nowhere else but in the congregation of sinners who experience God's graciousness in word, sacrament, and the special gift of being enableed to live for each other. God becomes more tangible because Christ exists in this community in word, in truth, in love, in forgiveness, in reconciliation, and in mutual love of all the members. The Christian community in turn, becomes real, when the human, graced by God, is enhanced in promise, demand love, and service (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in A Testament of Freedom).

That love was expressed when brothers and sisters from the west gave us funds, to travelled to Liberia in order to make CenterPoint in reality in the lives and culture of the People. These men were not just driving nails in woods, but were also confronting the Liberians with their faith and truth of the gospel of Christ daily as we learned with them.

Truth has become a moving target in this bleeding culture after 15 plus years of war and carnage. Hearts, and minds are difficult to penetrate with the truth of the gospels, where people don't trust one another or outsiders. The shift has been tremendous for post war Liberia as young men and women have been forced by circumstance to grow up faster than the natural process demands. They've seen more evil, carnage, brutality, sexual violence againstt them, than any generation before them. We have to speak the truth to them, in love.

It is my generation of Christians more than any other who need to heed these words of Martin Luther, the Reformer:

"If I confess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the Truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point."

Tony

Ref:

Truth and Love, the Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer

A Testament to Freedom, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The God Who is There, Francis Schaeffer

Modern Art and the Death of a Culture, H. R. Rookaamer

West African Christianty: The Religious Impact, Lamin Sanneh

The Cost of Discipleship, dietrich Bonhoeffer,

Fresh Paint!

2010-01-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

Tony sent the photos of fresh paint in the library. It is so cool to witness the transformation. He added this note:

"I am in tears this morning as I watched the center takes shape right before our own eyes. Thanks for praying and giving-thanks for allowing your husband to come to Liberia..."

Please keep Cal and Tony in your prayers as they enter their final week in Liberia.

Random Pics and Stuff

2010-01-23T21:56:00.000-08:00

Introducing....... The Vice President of Liberia!

Remember Luke's "scratch"? Well, truth be told, that scratch required 39 stitches.

A mangrove swamp behind our guest house. Cool roots

Seriously, the traffic was running about 55 mph. I would've waited for the next taxi.

This is how they brace multi-story buildings prior to pouring concrete for the next level.

Chillin' on the porch. I'm not sure how Loren was feeling in this pic, but during part of our trip he was suffering with an STD (Sour Tummy Disorder).

Just sweet.

Time from the plant to our stomachs = < 10 minutes. Pineapple is proof of God's love for us.

Cal's future African wife (I'll let him explain).

And last, but not least... A chimp on a motorcycle!

Not All Fun and Games...

2010-01-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

WARNING! THIS BLOG POST MAY SIGNIFICANTLY HINDER THE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS OF FUTURE TEAMS. REGARDLESS, IN THE INTEREST OF FULL DISCLOSURE AND COMPELLING CONSCIENCE, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION MUST BE MADE PUBLIC.

The images speak for themselves...

(Note the guilt and remorse on their faces.)

Shot from the front porch of our guest house.

Panorama ala Beach from Eric Buller on Vimeo.

Day 8 - Our Final Day

2010-01-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, we visited a church in Bensonville. It is located a few miles down the road from the church in Guinness Town that we visited the previous week. This particular church building is fairly new and was completed in partnership with Samaritan's Purse.

It was again so cool to worship with our Liberian brothers and sisters in Christ. The prayer time was moving. Following the pastor's call to prayer, everyone in the church simultaneously lifted their personal praises and petitions to our God. To human ears, it was a garble of voices, but to God, it was the individual and valuable expressions of his children. The prayer was sorrowful, joyful, pleading and expectant, all at the same time.

The praise was as God intended; from the heart and within the worshiper's cultural context. It was moving, to say the least.

Church in Bensonville from Eric Buller on Vimeo.

Following the service, we presented some gifts for the community to the church leadership.

Four of us in our Liberian garb.

As we prepared to leave, Kolegar stopped by to wish us safe travels and Evan dropped off a few final carvings. We loaded all of our crates and luggage on top of the Land Cruiser and amazingly, everything was still there when we arrived at the airport.

Day 7 - Part Deux

2010-01-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

On Saturday afternoon, we spent some time in a market near downtown Monrovia. For those who had never experienced the sights, smells and sounds of a third-world market, it was an exercise in multi-sensory over-stimulation. In the end, we came away from the experience with some great memories, refined negotiation skills and cool gifts for our loved-ones.

On Saturday evening, we returned to the ABC Children's Aid Orphanage. This is a pretty incredible place. The orphanage features a nearly-complete medical center that will serve the children as well as the surrounding community. Matthew and his team are also completing phase-one of the school, boys and girls dorms and a cafeteria. Though currently only one level, the buildings are designed to be expanded to three floors. Once complete, the facility will be able to house and educate up to 2,000 orphans.

Matthew and his staff provided supper on the roof of the unfinished dormitory. As the sun set, we had a panoramic view of the Liberian landscape as well as the beautiful children as they prepared for a short presentation.

As the kids assembled, we could feel the excitement in the air. The team was presenting gifts that we brought from the U.S. and the kids were planning a performance of their own. There were lots of smiles and inquisitive eyes.

Orphan Song from Eric Buller on Vimeo.

One of the gifts was a soccer ball. We presented it with one condition; if the kids can beat the Americans in a short game of soccer, then they could keep the ball. On the way to the dirt field, there was and abundance of good-natured trash talk (kids- "We're gonna' beat you 8 to 0... No.... 100 to 0!!!"). Unfortunately, because it was 90% dark when the game began, none of the pictures turned out. In the end, in spite of a valiant effort by the skilled yet aging Americans, the score was Liberia - 3... beat and bloody USA - 0. The kids were very pumped!

A few of the spectators:

When we returned to the guest house, Evan was there waiting on us. He is a friend of Kolegar and a very skilled wood carver. This man needs our prayers though. In his neck, he has what is most-likely a benign tumor that is sizable and growing. As it continues to expand, the tumor will gradually affect his ability to speak, eat and breathe. His hope is that when Mercy Ships returns to Monrovia, he will be able to get it surgically removed.

Day 7 - Part One

2010-01-19T20:43:00.000-08:00

Saturday, we took some time in the morning to visit our dear friend (and Tony's brother-in-law) Kolegar at his home. He was a great help throughout our trip and most of the team had not met his kids. As it turned out, Tony's mother-in-law was also at Kolegar's home. Whether you know Kolegar's situation or not, this is a family who needs our prayers.

After leaving Kolegar's home, we met up with Judge Nuta and headed out to see the land where CenterPoint will have a permanent location in the future. The Judge was nice enough to bring along some coconuts for a refreshing drink and small "bush snack".

Even though we were in Liberia during the dry season, we still managed to find some water to drive through.

Factoid: Monrovia has the most annual rainfall of any world capital.

The beauty of the Liberian bush.

This is Loren with our driver, Morris. He is a Muslim man who did a great job for us. He had an easy-going personality and great sense of humor. Throughout the trip, we treated him as a brother and teammate, showing him Christ's love and respect. We pray that our example will have a lasting impact on him and that God's Holy Spirit will draw him to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

The photo below depicts one of the hard truths about surviving in Liberia. Every day, many families make a small wage by breaking boulders into rocks and rocks into stones and stones into gravel, one hammer swing at a time.

Church

2010-01-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

During our first Sunday in Liberia, we were able to attend church in Guinness Town, where Tony, Beth and Abby spent several months during the war as they attempted to flee Liberia. To give everyone a taste of what the village church's worship sounded and looked like, I recorded this video. It is unfortunate that digital cameras have poor sound quality because the worship literally filled the church with indigenous praise! Enjoy.

Guinness Town Church from Eric Buller on Vimeo.

Day 6 (Friday) - Wrapping Things Up

2010-01-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

The last few days in Liberia were busy, so we didn't have much time to update the Blog. Here is our first catch-up post.

At the back of the library was a rough opening to what will be the library office. After a couple days of hard work and some frustration, here is the nearly finished doorway. We cut the door in half and installed a shelf for writing. The rough concrete around the door frame will be filled in and later painted.

Here is the laptop workstation. From beginning to end, this took about four hours to design, construct and install. At 12 ft long, it provides enough space and outlets to support 6-7 people. James is completing the finish sanding and was a great help all week. We had several local guys help us during the week.

Considering the materials that we had to work with, the tables and shelving units turned out great! They kinda' have a "rustic Colorado cabin" feel to them and are strong enough to last the next 200 years. As with everything else in the library, the new furniture will be sanded and painted over the next two weeks. It is amazing all that was accomplished in just a few days!

We continued to have neighborhood kids stop by on Friday. Most of these attend a nearby Muslim school. Apparently, on Friday after Mosque, the kids have no additional school.

The kids were great to have around and even helped out with some sanding. It kinda' reminds me of Tom Sawyer and the fence that needed to be whitewashed. They had a blast!

Some of the team in front of the CenterPoint Library and Gathering Place. Tony has a local artist working on a sign based on the CenterPoint logo.

Friday night, we ate supper with Tony's sister Vicki and several of their family members. Standing beside Vicki is her son Francis. While we were there, we celebrated Vicki's graduation from the University of Liberia. According to Tony, she is the first female in his family to graduate from college.

luggage praise

2010-01-18T12:49:00.000-08:00

"All of our bags made it too! Bonus!" - from Eric (meaning he, Luke and Mark)

The CO team flew straight from Frankfurt to Denver so the team split at Brussels (sorry I didn't realize sooner). Hopefully we'll have word soon that the CO team is safely home.

Chicago

2010-01-18T11:25:00.001-08:00

They've landed in Chicago! :) (insert a house full of kids screaming here as they get closer!)

Travel Update

2010-01-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

Just as I drifted off into a deep sleep I had an email from Eric saying they were eating Belgium waffles around 1:30 am. It made me quite envious. Those waffles just melt in your mouth.

And while I went back to sleep dreaming of waffles Eric emailed again in Frankfort. They had been up about 24 hours already. They arrived safely in Frankfort but had to wait in a long line at the gate. He emailed a few times asking me to pray specifically that they'd get through security in time to make the flight.

Isn't it cool how God wakes us up just in time to pray? I waited this time to fall back asleep. I didn't want to dream about long lines in Germany.

Just before 4 am I received one last email saying they were on the plane waiting to take off for Chicago. Luke and Eric were bumped up to business class for this looooooong flight so I am hoping that means lots of rest. Once on the ground in KC they are not allowed to sleep or have jet lag until they've told me every detail of their trip and shown me all their pictures. ;) (I'm sort of kidding)

They should arrive in Chicagoland around 1 pm ish. KC around 5:30 ish. (sorry for the CO crew! I don't have their itinerary but I think they are all booked on the same flights until Chicago)

- Eric's wife

In Flight

2010-01-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

Eric emailed at 3:03 pm and said they were on the plane in Liberia waiting to take off to Brussels. They didn't have Luke and Eric ticketed past Brussels so they had to get that worked out so please pray their luggage follows them! Tony and (I think) one other team member stayed behind in Liberia to finish up some work and research a few more opportunities. The rest of the team should land on American soil tomorrow sometime after 1 pm. They will hopefully all be home for a late supper.

Thanks to everyone for praying them home!

Saturday

2010-01-16T03:43:00.000-08:00

We got in too late last night to post and just got connected today and were informed that we need to leave!
So..very quickly; yesterday went very well we were able to finish up all of the projects that were started at the library. Today we will stop by to get our tools and take a few pics of the completed project.
We went to Tony's sister, Vicki's home last night for dinner and to congratulate her on graduating from college.
This morning we stopped by Kolegars home and we will got to the Centerpoint land next, then downtown to the library and then out to Matthew's orphanage for dinner tonight.
Sorry for the shortness, but we have to go.
We will try to post pictures this evening.

Thursday:

2010-01-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

We got off to a good start this morning.
Rob, Caleb and Luke were able to get the remaining lights hung in the front room and after a few bugs were worked out we were in probably one of the most well lit rooms in Liberia! Later in the day they also got up most of the lights in the back room and all the outlets worked as well. We gave the 110 generator a good work out today. Luke cut his leg today on a screw sticking out of a piece of wood but is fine.
Loren and Mark were able to get a door hung and cut in half so Tony can sit in the back room with the half door closed and still keep an eye on the shop, being the "Boss Man" that he is!
Eric and Kolegar worked on shoring up the last of the book shelves on the wall, while Noah and his helpers got 3 of the 6 center bookshelves complete.
We had a group of kids stop in today on their way home from school and Loren was nearly overtaken as he handed out colored pipe cleaners to them all. We have also made friends with a handful of neighborhood boys, who have been hanging out each day amazed at these strange white guys actually working.
We got a good American lunch in today with cheeseburgers with fries and personal pizzas being the favorites; and no they were not Pizza Hut, they were much better!
Please keep praying that we can wrap up each of the projects by tomorrow night.
Also keep in mind that Tony still has a long way to go to seeing his vision of Centerpoint reached, this library is just the beginning; take a look at the web site to get further information.
www.centerpointinternational.org (or click the logo in the sidebar)

Kids

2010-01-14T13:27:00.000-08:00

Today, we had a variety of local kids visit the job site. The kids below were heading home for a neighborhood Muslim school. They went ga-ga for the pipe cleaners. It was pure pandemonium!

These two brother spent several hours this afternoon. The little guy in front (Christiana) is an uninhibited and inquisitive "Energizer Bunny". They live in an apartment across the street and have a Liberian mother and Lebanese father (the Lebanese are the largest minority in Liberia).

Luke and this boy were hangin' out and the next thing you know, the little guy was konked out for an afternoon nap. We were running circular saws and banging hammers a few feet away, but he didn't even twitch.

Photos from Day 5 - Serious Progress

2010-01-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

Today, we made some serious progress and everything is really coming together. The door below tested Loren's patience, but perseverance and a couple of the guys pulling together really payed off. It looked so good that Tony decided to have us cut it in half. When it is complete tomorrow, this door to the office will be split with a shelf mounted on the lower half.

Noah, James and Mark kicked tail on building bookshelves. Similar to the tables, these double-sided bookcases are stout and will have no trouble supporting all of the books. When done, we will have three double-sided bookcases and 3-4 tables.

And Rob said "LET THERE BE LIGHT!" Rob, Cal and Luke did a great job on the electrical and lighting. In spite of being challenged with defective and incorrect components, the library is now the best lit building in all of downtown Monrovia.

Photos from Day 4 - Reconstruction Started

2010-01-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Noah spent much of the day building tables with James. As you can see from the photos, these tables will be able to withstand a hurricane. We are getting to know some of the guys who are working with us, which is great.

Mark, Loren and Eric focused on modifying and reinstalling two big shelves, which was easier said than done. They are up and solidly secured thanks to some imaginative thinking from Mark. The others made great progress on the lighting, but are dealing with some incorrect ballasts in the fixtures and the Lebanese-run "lumber yard" come up short on keeping their delivery promises.

A new functional toilet (if the user supplies the water). 'Nuff said!

Even Tony got into the action with some heavy lifting.

We received a surprise visit from Judge Nuta! For those of us who know him, it was a nice reunion.

We had these two neighborhood guys visit us during the afternoon. They were a blast. We played Frisbee with them and Cal taught them how to be spun in the air by their feet and not puke (though it may have been luck).

2010-01-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

Wednesday:
Today we were up early, we had a lot of work to do and we knew with the books gone that we had free range to really get rolling. First things were first when we arrived we had to pray immediately due to the news about the earthquake in Haiti as Noah's daughter Nikki and her husband Jemps (James) live there. We saw an e-mail of the the tragedy right away this morning and were very thankful to find out latter that they both are ok. Also heavy on our mind was Luke's dad, Don, who was going into surgery this morning. Prayers went up immediately.
During the morning hours Noah and his local apprentice was able to construct two of the tables, while Cal, Eric and Rob were able to get up the majority of the rest of the light fixtures in the main front library area. Mark and Loren struggled with remounting the bookshelves on the wall due to insufficient anchors and Luke wired up the back office walls. Several locals enjoyed coming in, lending a hand, holding the ladder, wood or whatever help that they could. The biggest goal accomplished for the morning was Moses (the plumber Tony hired) completed the overhaul and reinstall of the toilet and sewer in the rear apartment area. Prayers were answered, due to the fact that none of this team wanted to tackle that challenging and filthy task.
After lunch we were able to finish mounting the rear bookshelves and some other wiring. The existing front signage was repainted and part of the office door framing was started. We worked a little later than usual today due to the lack of timely delivery of materials. Very frustrating, so, keep that in your prayers as well. Lots of work to do with only two days left...might have to burn the midnight oil once the lights get completed.
Of course, as is true every night, we have the privilege of being able to cool off by jumping into the ocean when we return to ELWA; Even Tony, made the dip with us tonight as well! We also enjoyed a dinner prepared by Kolegar's (Tony's brother in law) daughters this evening.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support.
We miss and love you all.
(Thanks to Loren for being our guest writer tonight)

Photos from Day 3 - Clearing Out

2010-01-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

This was a great sight today! Shortly after we arrived, a BIG truck showed up with a group of men to load all of the books from the closed book store. While the team was at lunch, Luke had a great cross-cultural experience. With only he and Tony left at the library, an argument broke out about how much the worker would be paid to load the books. Even though they were not working for us, they assumed that Luke was in charge and held the money. One guy came in and was demanding higher pay for the group, but Luke was able to explain to him that he was not in charge, had no money and was working for Tony. Dumbfounded that we were working for a Liberian, the man left.

As far as we know, Liberia does not have an equivalent for OSHA. Therefore, Cal improvised some shelving as scaffolding. We made some great progress and hung most of the lights. In addition, we were able to modify some existing shelving to work on some different walls.

It is hard to tell, but I think that this lumber was rejected from the saw mill. the 2X4's may vary by as much as 1 inch. Rough and ugly stuff, but it's what we have to work with. It will soon turn into several tables and freestanding bookshelves.

For those of you who requested a photo of the guest house that we call home, here it is. We have no A/C, but most of us have fans. It is "rustic" but does the job. The cold showers help wake us up in the morning and refresh us after a long hot day at the "office".

Tuesday

2010-01-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

Today we had a special treat for breakfast; chef Loren got up early and made us pancakes and they were very good!
We then loaded up and headed down to the library.
Our prayers are definitely being heard and answered; as it wasn't long after we got there that a big truck showed up and they began to load up all the remaining books - Amen. Thank you for praying.
We were able to get almost half of the lights hung today and got a good start on the wiring.
We also received our first load of wood from the hardware/lumber store. We will begin constructing bookshelves and tables tomorrow.
Having the books cleaned out was a very good feeling and really gave us a good sense of what the finished project will look like.
Also tomorrow the plumber will be there to renovate the latrine, a much more suited job for a local plumber than for us as we didn't even know where to start!
It was cooler this morning and didn't rain today but did get warm this afternoon, so we were all drenched with sweat getting back to the house. With this being the case most of us decided to cool off in the Atlantic ocean; which is one of the more difficult aspects of our stay to deal with!!

We do not have all of the stuff with us at the office to post pics, so we will catch up on that tomorrow.

Photos from Monday - The Day of Destruction

2010-01-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

This is a shot of the library before the work began. As you can see, the previous renter had not vacated the building as promised. Since our time here is limited and the wall across the back of the room had to come out today, we decided to perform some community service help get the books out of the building.

There were books stacked 6-10 feet high in four separate rooms.

Even though it was in the mid-80's, we had some rain today. Therefore, "Sweaty B.O." was the cologne of the day. It worked out, because this is the same scent that many of the locals wear. "When in Rome..."

This is the closest thing that the team has to a "desk job". We should have lighting installed tomorrow!

Pictured here are about 2/3 of the books left in the facility. The previous renter brought one small pick-up to begin removing the books. We pray that tomorrow, he has more help and more trucks.

At the end of the day, we moved thousands of books, removed two partition walls (leaning against the concrete walls, and made several trips to pick up tools and supplies. Whew!

Photos! (From Sunday)

2010-01-11T13:37:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, "Pastor Luke" had the opportunity to share his testimony during church in the village. Pastor Dixon and his wife "Ma" Misu are seated in the background. During the war, as Tony and his family were fleeing Liberia, they spent several months receiving refuge in this village and became good friends with the Dixons.

Team and much of the congregation pictured in front of the church. Nearly all of the men were visiting a neighboring village because a man there died falling from a palm tree. The space also doubles as a school as there are no other education opportunities in the village. They have been slowly building a new church since 2003, but with little income, the progress is slow.

Loren and the rest of the team know that the way to a child's heart is photos on a digital camera

Tony speaking to the children at the orphanage. Even though the complex is unfinished, there are already 112 orphans living there. As the team members were introduced one by one to the assembled children, each one of us received a courteous applause. When Cal, who is also here to scout out possible water projects in this type of setting was introduced, the response was deafening. The children erupted in cheers and applause. They know, every hour of every day, the importance of water.

Monday

2010-01-11T12:17:00.000-08:00

Praise God; the tools made it, thanks for your prayers. Noah even got his cloths!
We had a very productive day; we took down walls, cleaned up, made several trips to the local hardware store and came up with an overall plan for the week. It was nice earlier in the day as it was cloudy, then it rained and got very humid, but that was close to quiting time so ok!
Not to say that we didnt get sweaty but overall it was a very good start to our week.
We would ask for prayers that the remaining books that were supposed to be removed from the previous owner of a book store are in fact removed tomorrow. That was the only hang up today as there were very, very many books to move around to be able to work.
We had a lot of curious people stop by asking what we were doing; most were excited to hear about a library.
Tomorrow we should hit the ground running and are very optimistic about getting things wrapped up this week.

Sunday

2010-01-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Sunday:
We got a vehicle this morning that has worked out very well; we all fit and it is in good working condition. It was perfect for taking us to Mr. Dickson's village for church.
We had an unbelievable experience with the people of this small village that was a sanctuary for several months for Tony and Beth during the war.
After church we stopped back at the house for a quick lunch and were off to visit Tony's good friend Matthew (who picked us up from the airport).
He has incredible vision to help orphaned children as well as provide a medical facility for his area. We saw a small portion of his 80+ acre facility that included a nearly complete clinic, dorms for boys and girls, a cafeteria, and a school. We were warmly (and politely) greeted by the 112 orphaned children who he and his team has already taken in, even though the facility is not yet complete. When completed we were told that they would have capacity for nearly 2000 children. His vision also includes providing continued education for the children past high school.
We then were off to downtown Monrovia to visit the library site. Our prayer is that our remaining tools show up tomorrow morning and we can get right to work. Please pray with us!
We will upload pictures next.

In Liberia

2010-01-09T05:43:00.000-08:00

We made it, even Tony!
All but 7 pieces of luggage made it; mostly tools but Noah is without clothes for now.
Please pray that everything makes it here Sunday night from Brussels.
Today we are resting and getting settled, tomorrow we go to church and visit the library location.

Travel update

2010-01-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Beth, the team was safely picked up from the airport and taken to the compound where they are staying.

Eric texted and said all the luggage except 1 bag and a couple of tool crates made it.

Beth said Tony arrives tomorrow morning at 10 am (4 am our time).

They are staying in a house we visited on the ELWA compound the last time we were in Liberia!

Answer to Prayer!

2010-01-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

Beth, Tony's wife, made calls to Monrovia this morning and made sure the team got through security and has a ride to the compound. They are safely on the ground waiting for their luggage! She will speak to them as soon as they arrive at the compound. She said supper was waiting for them and her brother-in-law will be visiting them tonight and another brother tomorrow.

No one here has heard from Tony in Frankfurt so please keep praying for his safety.

Thank you!

(this is Eric's wife)

2010-01-08T02:45:00.001-08:00

Pray

2010-01-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

Please pray for Tony. The team flying through Frankfurt had only 50 minutes between flights and Tony was delayed due to his Liberian passport. Therefore, he missed the flight to Brussels. We are now boarding the flight to Monrovia and it doesn't appear that he was able to catch a plane and get here on time. If that is the case, the next flight to Monrovia is on Sunday.

Everyone else arrived in Brussels as planned and the Kansas folks are getting to know the rest of the team. We have the phone number for our driver in Monrovia. Please pray that our phones will work as promised. If not, we will hoof the 10-15 miles to the ELWA compound with 150 lbs (each) of luggage in tow (just kidding).

We serve a God of provision, so we will be fine.

For the team,

Eric

In the Air

2010-01-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

Last report we heard was that the CO and IA crew were in the air on their way to Frankfort to connect to Brussels and Eric and Luke were ready for take off out of Chicago heading for Brussels.

Arrival time for Eric and Luke in Brussels is approximately 1 am (but may be 45 minutes late because their text out of Chicago was 45 min after they were supposed to have taken off). Eric said they should arrive 2 hours before the rest of the team. If we don't hear from them in Brussels they should arrive in Monrovia just before noon tomorrow (6 pm there). I hope I have that all correct (and I hope they start posting soon!).

Thanks for praying!

update from KCI

2010-01-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

Eric and Luke were able to get on a different flight from KC to Chicago (leaving just before 2 pm) and will skip the Frankfort leg, taking a different flight that goes straight from Chicago to Brussels. They will meet up with the team in Brussels instead of Chicago and will arrive 2 hours before they were originally scheduled (Eric says "good buffer").

Please pray for:

luggage to follow them
Chicago flight to stay on target

Thanking God they were able to figure out a new route!

And thank you for praying!

KC update

2010-01-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

Please pray for the team! Eric just texted and said the Chicago flight was cancelled because of weather. Eric and Luke made it to KCI safely but are now in line to rebook. The KC boys are hoping to find a flight through DC today.

Ready... Set... Pray!

2010-01-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

OK prayer warriors, in a matter of hours, team members from Colorado, Kansas, and Iowa will be converging on Chicago, where some of us will meet for the first time. From there, we will fly to Frankfurt, Brussels, and then onto Monrovia. Including flight time and layovers, total travel time will be approximately 25 hours.

Praise:

We have a diverse and talented group of men going
The team has a dedicated group of prayer warriors supporting us.
The financial generosity of so many people.

Prayer Points:

We are traveling through Chicago, Frankfurt, and Brussels, flying three different airlines. Please pray for all the connections to be smooth, weather to be cooperative and for all of our luggage to arrive when we do.
Pray that the team personalities mesh well.
Pray for our spiritual preparations. Please pray that we will have servant’s attitudes and be focused on Christ and aware of God’s leading when it happens.
Pray for quick recovery from jet-lag
Please keep our families in your prayers as they keep the home fire burning.
Please pray that God continues to lay the groundwork for us in Liberia and is scheduling some divine appointments.

We will add more praises and prayer points as the trip proceeds. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support!

2010-01-06T17:05:00.001-08:00

I have arrived at the Buller's house. Please pray that our flights will go out on time, because it is snowing very nicely here.

-Luke

The Schmidt family

2010-01-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

The picture to the upper left is of my family still at home. From upper left, Angie, Luke, (lower) Jacob and Ben. The bottom picture is one of my granddaughter Isabel, Ben and part of Jacob. Isabel is my daughter Jacqie's little 2 year old. As you can see she melts me with her smile. As you might be able to tell, we are big Kansas State fans. My boys like all sports and keep Angie and I hopping. I have two other children not at home, Steven (Salt Lake City) and Jacqie (Hutchinson). I will try to get updated pictures of them soon.

It's January 1st, 6 more days till we leave for Liberia and It's like waiting for Christmas or a birthday (at least when I was younger). My support is in place, most of my packing is done and the clock is ticking. I'm praying daily that our Savior blesses all the team and gets us ready for the trip, please pray also.

Trusting in God.

Luke