New Liver.

Just a quick note to let you all know that Gifty got a new liver today! The last word I heard was that she was recovering after surgery and looking good. Please join me in praising God for this miracle girl and in lifting her and her family up in prayer as they enter this new post-liver phase of life.

As I wrote the title of this blog I was struck by the double meaning. Gifty literally received a new liver today, and because of that, she is a new liver. She has a new chance at life that she never had before. Amazing!

Random thoughts.

The other day I was walking through Red Light, one of the biggest open air markets in Monrovia, by myself. Surrounded by a sea of Liberian faces, hearing murmurs of "white woman" as I stepped around puddles of sewage, greeted by the giant smiles of small children, their eyes lighting up at the slightest attempt at eye contact. The smell of smoked fish and burning garbage assaulting my nose. Hot sun, concert of car horns, crossing the road frogger-style, and found myself wondering...when did this become normal? It seemed normal. I wasn't phased by any aspect of the chaos except the fact that sometime over the last 15 months of my life my norm shifted from Target and Starbucks to Red Light and bagged water.

December 10th last year is the day Gifty went home to America. After 2 months of fighting for her life in sub-par Liberian hospitals, wrestling with both the Liberian and American governments and wondering if she would survive it all, she went home. Over the last year she has more than doubled her weight, learned to walk and to talk and continued to steal the heart of everyone who meets her. I was celebrating all day, it was a happy day. Until I received an e-mail from Heidi telling me Gifty was in the hospital again. Respiratory infection again. Oxygen again. Wondering again- When will that liver come? When will the waiting end? Praying still...

Yesterday I found myself spending the afternoon at the hospital with another small girl. You know part of her story, she is the girl who, like me, finally learned to walk this year. But there is more- Korpu is about 4 years old and weighs 14.7 lbs. She lives in one of the worst orphanage homes I have seen. Whenever I stop by she is covered in dirt and barely clothed. She eats, but hasn't gained weight. She isn't potty trained and can't talk.

We stopped by last week and Rebecca (my ORR bosslady who was in town for a few weeks from Texas) was very concerned about Korpu. She asked me to have her evaluated by a doctor. I have to be honest here. I didn't see the big deal and felt a bit put out by the idea of wasting another day waiting for hours at the local clinic. Korpu was the same as she always had been, slow to develop, but trying. Even still, I scheduled her an appointment. As soon as we walked into the doctor's office his nurse was concerned "She is too small!" Then a lady in the waiting room chimed in, "Was she born premature?" And another man in the corner asked, "What's wrong with her?" We had some labs drawn and finally saw the doctor, an American who has been in Liberia for many years. He was also extremely concerned, and started listing off possible causes for her condition, everything from sickle cell anemia to chronic malnutrition.

As I sat there on the table holding this fragile girl, burning up with fever from the malaria she was also battling, something in me broke. Somehow I had allowed myself to settle for the unacceptable. Nothing about Korpu's situation was as it should be. Everyone else could see it. How had I allowed myself to think it was alright on any level? We often use the excuse "this is Africa," but children deteriorating on my watch is not ok. God has called me here to advocate for these children. I will not sit back and watch anymore. Lord please keep my heart soft, my Spirit sensitive and my mind wise to do what is best for the children you have placed in my life.

Michael

Many people picture orphans in Africa as small runny nosed children running around with big bellies and no shoes. Often that is the case. However, in a country like Liberia that is recovering from years of civil war, a legacy of teenagers has been left behind. Children who were orphaned or abandoned during the war are now trying to find their way as adolescents living in orphanage homes.

Michael is one such boy. He just turned 18, he is in 7th grade, he loves to play football, and he was just diagnosed with Hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis. It is likely that he contracted Hepatitis B from his mother at birth. In fact, according to Michael he has had several family members, including his mother, die of similar liver conditions. Hepatitis B is a virus that attacks the liver. It is a serious problem that can result in life long liver disease or death. Michael’s case is quite advanced- his enlarged liver makes him appear several months pregnant, his abdomen and lower extremities are swollen and his eyes are jaundiced. It is uncomfortable for him to sit which makes attending school difficult. Unfortunately, Michael has already missed several weeks of school from being so sick.

But he is a good student. I spent several hours with him at the clinic last week and he spent most of the waiting time studying notes from class, trying to catch up and prepare for testing this week. He requires a special diet which makes it hard for him to eat (on top of diet restrictions for his liver disease, he was hit by a car several weeks ago and had significant damage done to his teeth). The director at his home is under pressure to find specialized food for him and since he is 18, at any given moment she could decide she can’t afford his medical problems and put him out of the house. It appears to be a bleak outlook for Michael, but there is hope. A doctor at a nearby clinic is treating him with a newly available antiviral medication. After a few weeks of medical treatment he is already noticing some improvement. But it can take months or years for a full recovery.

Please join us in prayer for Michael. Pray for a quick recovery. Pray that he can persevere through this necessary medical treatment. Pray for continued wisdom for the doctor and orphanage director. Pray that he can continue in school. Pray that he does not become discouraged. Pray that the Orphan Relief and Rescue staff working with him will know how best to help and encourage him.

Send some JOY to Liberia this Christmas.

One of my favorite things over the last year working in Liberia has been, by far, CHRISTMAS!


It is amazing how simple it is-- a Christmas bundle filled with pencils, an orange, a toothbrush, a small toy and a few pieces of candy, flip-flops, a new set of clothes and a Christmas greeting from someone who cares. Very small by American standards, but for most of these kids it is the only gift they will receive this year and it is something of their very own. It is a day for each one to feel especially loved and unique, not just one of the crowd. Words cannot describe the look of pure joy each child has as they come up to claim their gift bundle and new clothes. I will never forget one boy last year who's entire countenance changed when he received his gifts. Bright smile from ear to ear and eyes sparkling, he looked radiant in his new yellow shirt as he clung to his new Hot Wheels car and school supplies in his bundle. And these precious children give something in return: a hug, smile, shy giggle and whispered thanks or a sweet chorus of familiar Liberian-accented Christmas carols. It is an honor to be able to serve such and amazing group of kids. I feel selfish really-- they give so much more to me than I could ever bring them.

Last Christmas Orphan Relief and Rescue brought Christmas to 135 children. Together we can increase that number this Christmas. We really need your help: $25 and a few moments to write a Christmas greeting can really bring joy to a child in Liberia this Christmas.

Go to the Christmas page at www.orphanreliefandrescue.org to see last year's joy, and help make Christmas even bigger and more special this year!

Liberian Thanksgiving

Liberian Thanksgiving is tomorrow. As you can imagine there are no Indians or pilgrims associated with Thanksgiving in Liberia. But, unlike many other Liberian holidays it does have a meaning behind it. After the war that occurred between the native people and new settlers here over one hundred years ago the people decided to set a day apart to celebrate the end of the war and be thankful for everything they still had.

Today we celebrated by having dinner with some of our Liberian staff and friends. Eleven of us (the 4 ORR team members currently in country, Ma Mary, Piko, Alvina, Momo, Moses, Alvin and Emmanuel) joined around the table to share our rice, cassava with palm butter, fried plantains and cucumbers.

After we had all finished (Momo personally checking to make sure every dish was empty) we introduced the Liberians to the American tradition of going around the table and sharing what you are thankful for. It turned out to be a very touching time. In a country where there is so little and people are struggling daily to find food and clean water and trustworthy medical care and love, we were able to take a break and thank God for all His provision this year. As we circled the table the thanks included; work, friends and family, plenty of rice, a new daughter, the first year of marriage, money for school fees, health, healing, the miracle life of a small girl we all know as Gifty and the opportunity to serve the orphans of Liberia, as well as the promises of things to come such as going to college and many more times of meeting together in this way.

Bellies full and hearts happy... we sure do have a lot to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Home and God is Awesome.

It is a cool (80 degree) Sunday evening and I am sitting alone in the dark (generator not working), listening to the dance party happening next door at Menitama. I have been back in Liberia for 2 days now and believe it or not, it is SO great to be home. Men yelling in the street, late night thunder storms, roosters crowing, ridiculous drivers, showering outside under the stars…

I believe it would be accurate to say that my Liberian journey started about 3 years ago when I was in Ghana working on the Mercy Ship. On my last night there I found myself outside on the promenade deck reflecting and wondering- what next? I remember asking God that question. Almost immediately a woman, who worked with the dental team, walked by and started talking to me about Liberia. For at least an hour she told stories of extreme poverty, people dying in the streets, suffering and war. Then she got up and went on her way. I thought to myself, “is that it God? Liberia?” A year later I met the Orphan Relief and Rescue (ORR) team at my church and 2 years after that I am starting my second stint working with ORR in Liberia.

This morning we stopped to pick up a friend on the way to church. She works at Trinity Dental Clinic and brought another visiting dental hygienist with her. As soon as the other woman got in the car I thought she looked familiar, but when she told me her name I knew... Carol is the woman from the ship! The woman that God used to spark this Liberian flame in me. Can you believe it? I told her “I think you are the reason I am in Liberia.”

What are the odds of meeting her again, 3 years later and in a totally different country? This might seem like a small thing, but for me it is not. I have told countless people about this woman and often thanked God for her passion and honest sharing. For me this is confirmation, once again, that I am where I am supposed to be. I am so grateful for a God that can bring things full circle even (especially) when we don’t know where we are going.

(And in case you were worried, the generator is working again so I am no longer sitting in the dark.)

Blessed

This afternoon I gathered with a small group of people from my church to talk about Liberia, the kiddos, my experiences there and plans for returning (this Thursday). I was telling stories and showing pictures as we went along. The last picture was of the kids at Frances Gaskins praying for me on my last day in Liberia last spring. A picture that I love because it captures one of the most precious moments of my life. Those kids knew exactly what I needed and sent me home blessed by their words of prayer for me and my family in America. When I was done sharing this afternoon my church family came around me to pray. I found myself sitting in a chair surrounded by loving friends and tender hands and looking straight at the picture of the kids from Frances Gaskins surrounding me in the same way last May. It felt like I was looking in a mirror.

How blessed am I to have such amazing people on both ends of my life?