I will be leaving for Liberia in just a couple of days. I will be there for a couple of weeks. I will be getting things prepared at the house for when the family makes the big move, and also visiting with churches, other missionaries, and checking out Spirit Liberia projects. Please pray that this is a safe and productive trip. I plan to blog from Liberia once I get there and get settled in. You can expect a post from Greg in the meantime! Greg doesn't post usually on the blog, but he writes most of our monthly e-newsletter "Root Source". If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, just send us a blank e-mail with the subject "Root Source Subscription" and we will be happy to add you to our list.
Thank you so much for your prayers! Please also remember Greg as he is home with all of the kids. He is such a great dad! He is a pretty awesome husband too, we are very blessed :)
Blessings,
Vanessa
2.26.2009
2.22.2009
Love
I want to give a brief testimony of something the Lord has been doing in my life lately. Through this new area of ministry our family has been called to, we have been told many times what wonderful people we are to do such things. We have also been told this numerous times in regards to the fact that we have adopted these needy children from Africa. This statement almost makes us laugh as in our minds it could not be further from the truth. Through both of these areas that God has called us to minister, he has used it to richly bless us and show us new areas of needed growth and change. For me personally, an area I have always struggled with is being able to love the unlovable, untouchable people in my life and in the world in general. Scripture is clear that we are to love God, and love our neighbor. Our neighbor includes EVERYONE, not just people that we desire to be neighborly to! Look at 1 John 4: 11-21 NKJV.
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love that has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says “ I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
This passage has so many jewels! It commands us to love each other! It talks of God’s love being perfected in us. It specifically says that if we say we love God but don’t love our brother that we are liars! We must love our brother!
It is easy to love your sweet children, or beloved saints in your life. It can be easy to love the specific people God has laid on your heart in ministry. There can be many people in our lives who we find it easy to love. There are also people that are very difficult to love. This probably looks different to each one of us.The other day I was talking with one of our staff in Liberia after they had returned from ministry at one of the prisons. I was asking about some of the people that they had ministered to that day and specifically asked about the crimes some of the people had committed. One specific man that was mentioned was in prison for raping a 7 year old girl. Hearing this immediately gave me an ugly, unloving feeling in my heart. As I have been thinking over this conversation since then, I have been thoroughly convicted in this area. I have not been loving people like this. If fact, crimes of this nature are particularly disturbing and disgusting to me. So I am faced with an opportunity to ignore this conviction in my heart, or let God reveal my own ugliness to me and face up to it. It is time to let Him perfect His love in me. My first reaction to hearing about someone who has committed such a crime is to think they deserve what they get! Why should we be wasting our time and energy on someone like that. This is such a wrong attitude! In God’s eyes we are all as filthy rags, until He comes in and cleans up the mess. This last week God has not let me forget about this prisoner and He has also been revealing to me the many areas where I do not love and especially do not have unconditional love. I am praying for this man daily and praying for God’s conviction and restoration in his life. I pray for the child who was his victim that she too would find healing and eternal life through the life-saving blood of Jesus Christ. We are so honored and humbled that God is allowing us to be a part of what He is doing in Liberia. Our staff has such a strong burden and desire to minster to these prisoners. Their love has been a HUGE testimony to me in my own life. God is using this ministry that He has called us to, not just to minister to these neediest of people, but to lead us further toward being perfected in Him! It is painful and wonderful to have the Holy Spirit doing renovation in your heart.
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love that has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says “ I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
This passage has so many jewels! It commands us to love each other! It talks of God’s love being perfected in us. It specifically says that if we say we love God but don’t love our brother that we are liars! We must love our brother!
It is easy to love your sweet children, or beloved saints in your life. It can be easy to love the specific people God has laid on your heart in ministry. There can be many people in our lives who we find it easy to love. There are also people that are very difficult to love. This probably looks different to each one of us.The other day I was talking with one of our staff in Liberia after they had returned from ministry at one of the prisons. I was asking about some of the people that they had ministered to that day and specifically asked about the crimes some of the people had committed. One specific man that was mentioned was in prison for raping a 7 year old girl. Hearing this immediately gave me an ugly, unloving feeling in my heart. As I have been thinking over this conversation since then, I have been thoroughly convicted in this area. I have not been loving people like this. If fact, crimes of this nature are particularly disturbing and disgusting to me. So I am faced with an opportunity to ignore this conviction in my heart, or let God reveal my own ugliness to me and face up to it. It is time to let Him perfect His love in me. My first reaction to hearing about someone who has committed such a crime is to think they deserve what they get! Why should we be wasting our time and energy on someone like that. This is such a wrong attitude! In God’s eyes we are all as filthy rags, until He comes in and cleans up the mess. This last week God has not let me forget about this prisoner and He has also been revealing to me the many areas where I do not love and especially do not have unconditional love. I am praying for this man daily and praying for God’s conviction and restoration in his life. I pray for the child who was his victim that she too would find healing and eternal life through the life-saving blood of Jesus Christ. We are so honored and humbled that God is allowing us to be a part of what He is doing in Liberia. Our staff has such a strong burden and desire to minster to these prisoners. Their love has been a HUGE testimony to me in my own life. God is using this ministry that He has called us to, not just to minister to these neediest of people, but to lead us further toward being perfected in Him! It is painful and wonderful to have the Holy Spirit doing renovation in your heart.
~Vanessa
(the picture is from one of the prisons in Margibi county. Mark is the one in the middle with his arms around the prisoners)
2.18.2009
Patience Update
Vanessa's first meeting with Patience .
First meeting of the babies at 3 weeks old!
Baby items we have been providing.
Look at these babies now!
Pastor Richards holding Bless and Blessing! What great names!
Many of you will remember Patience. We had requested prayer for her situation a couple of months back. You can read the original information about her situation on our website under “meeting basic needs”. She is a young mom who is really struggling and has beautiful twin baby girls in addition to 5 other kids! We have been helping her out with formula for the babies since she was not producing enough milk for them and now they are doing great! I (Vanessa) will be in Liberia in the next 2 weeks and I hope to meet with her personally and work out a better long term plan. The original story we heard was that her husband died and she was alone with the kids. She was very difficult to communicate with when I last met her. We are now hearing that she did have her husband die, but that she is re-married now and this new husband is the father of the twins. They were living out in the bush and she had to bring some of the kids to the city because of sickness and they were basically starving. So they have been separated for about 4 months now. We are working on locating her husband and working out a plan to re-unite them all and help get them on their feet. Please pray for this desperate family and for wisdom for us as we strive to help.
2.12.2009
Kakata Central Prison
Female Prisoners
Male Prisoners
Recently the Spirit Liberia staff was blessed to minister at the Kakata Central Prison. They were welcomed and had a wonderful time of ministry with the inmates there. The opportunity has been brought before us to privide more outreach to the two prisons located in Margibi County. The prison overseer is a Christian and also works for the UN. He has requested that our team comes regularly to provide biblical counseling and discipleship to the inmates. He knows that the saving power of Jesus and the teaching of the Word of God will change the lives of these inmates. He expressed the chronic problem with many of them serving their time, being released and then returning to prison for the same crimes within a very short period of time. He sees a wonderful opportunity through the ministry of Spirit Liberia to help these people experience a life change that will help keep them from returning to prison and become productive members of society. Please pray with us as we seek to walk through this open door that God is providing. Added trips out to these two prisons will require more expenses to be incurred and we are not currently meeting our budget. We are so happy and excited to see how God is opening the doors in this most needy population in Liberia.
Report on recent minstry submitted by our ministries coordinator Bestman Todawiah : KAKATA CENTRAL PRISON
Kakata central prison was another opportunity to share the good news of Christ Jesus, our soon coming King. This prison is 45 miles outside of Monrovia with 6 cells and 100 inmates including 4 females. Accord to the prison chart, crimes committed by these inmates includes man slaughter, murder, rape, drugs, property thieft, sexual assult etc. One of the females inmates held for sexual assult admitted her guilt to the team and was pray for. Gospel tracts and bath soap were distributed. Regretibly, not all of the inmates recieved the bath soap because same were not enough. Nevertheless, the (UNMIL ) United Nation Military Mission in Liberia personnel, Col. Olu commended the prison ministry and appeal for spiritual counselling on a regular basis for inmates in both Kakata and Bonewen prison.
2.09.2009
An Ordination!
We want to say "Congratulations!" to Pastor Joseph Richards. He is one of our own here at Spirit Liberia. He was ordained on Sunday by his church "Christ Restoration World Outreach Ministries". He was very honored and excited by this event. Congratulations Pastor Richards! We love you!
Ordination Ceremony- Pastor Richards is on the right.
Ordination Ceremony- Pastor Richards is on the right.
Pastor Richards and his wife Musu.
Pastor Richards with wife Musu and daughter Rochelle
Ordination Ceremony
Pastor Richards with wife Musu and daughter Rochelle
Ordination Ceremony
2.01.2009
Full Gospel Apostolic Church, Ganta, Nimba County, Liberia
Here are a few more pictures from the church convention that was in January!
These are some of the church youth.
This is the Pastor's wife, Kan S. Valentine (on far left).
This woman was possessed by a demon and they prayed over her for deliverance.
Presentation to Pastor Valentine as he expresses his gratitude!
For the agricultural projects, we interview interested churches, they fill out an application and upon approval we then partner with them on their agricultural project. The tools all remain the property of Spirit Liberia, but are given on loan as needed. The Pastor signs out the tools. He agrees to maintain them properly and return them when they are no longer needed for the project. When the ground is ready we provide the requested seed and fertilizers. Spirit Liberia Field coordinators routinely inspect the fields and offer guidance and help if it is needed or requested. At harvest and sale of the produce the church then gives 10% of the proceeds from the project back to Spirit Liberia. This is then invested in further agricultural support. The remainder of the proceeds can be used at the discretion of the church on whatever their needs are. They may choose to improve their building, buy more land to farm, purchase teaching materials etc. All of the projects are doing well and we are so blessed to see the effort these wonderful brothers and sisters are putting into these projects. Spirit Liberia is only able to provide this assistance through the support of all of you! We need you to stand beside us faithfully with prayer and finances. Thank you!
These are some of the church youth.
This is the Pastor's wife, Kan S. Valentine (on far left).
This woman was possessed by a demon and they prayed over her for deliverance.
These are pictures of the presentation of additonal tools and supplies!
Their farm project was doing so well that they needed some more tools and fertilizer, so Spirit Liberia was able to come to their aid with more tools and the needed supplies!
Getting the car all packed for the 5-6 hour trip to Ganta!
Good thing we had a roof rack!
Everyone is ready to go! Left to right- Bestman, Shad, Mark, Pastor Richards
Presentation to Pastor Valentine as he expresses his gratitude!For the agricultural projects, we interview interested churches, they fill out an application and upon approval we then partner with them on their agricultural project. The tools all remain the property of Spirit Liberia, but are given on loan as needed. The Pastor signs out the tools. He agrees to maintain them properly and return them when they are no longer needed for the project. When the ground is ready we provide the requested seed and fertilizers. Spirit Liberia Field coordinators routinely inspect the fields and offer guidance and help if it is needed or requested. At harvest and sale of the produce the church then gives 10% of the proceeds from the project back to Spirit Liberia. This is then invested in further agricultural support. The remainder of the proceeds can be used at the discretion of the church on whatever their needs are. They may choose to improve their building, buy more land to farm, purchase teaching materials etc. All of the projects are doing well and we are so blessed to see the effort these wonderful brothers and sisters are putting into these projects. Spirit Liberia is only able to provide this assistance through the support of all of you! We need you to stand beside us faithfully with prayer and finances. Thank you!
Blessings-
Vanessa
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