We're Still Here

Written by Jamie:

It’s been a pretty long time since we updated our blog. For two people who don’t generally have a ton to say anyway, it’s hard to think up something to write. I think mostly though we just go about our lives and it is “normal” for us, so we forget that it isn’t for our family and friends back home. Just maybe you want to hear about our daily lives?

Since our return to Liberia in June we have mostly jumped right back in where we left off. Only this time we are two boys short. That has been very hard for me, as I’ve discovered how much of my social life revolved around them! It was wonderful to be able to bring them here for Christmas!! The other big changes are that Blessing is going to the classroom for school every day and I too have started taking some college courses online.  Colton continues to do high school on line through North-Star Academy and the twins just keep getting bigger and busier!!   Rusty of course is back to work on the ELWA hospital construction.  Things are moving along and the hope is that it will be complete this summer.

We have been talking a lot the last month or so about our future. What will we do when the hospital is complete this year? Are we going “home” to the USA or will we look for another opportunity overseas? While I think it is human nature to want to have a plan because it makes us feel more stable, today I was reminded that only God knows what our future holds.

We spent the morning as we do about every other Saturday, grocery shopping! Not the most fun and I have to admit I was feeling pretty callous. We have had so many requests for money the last month, school fees were due, Doreen needed help because Emmanuel had pneumonia, one guy needs $400 loan for rent so he doesn’t have to move his family, another wants $300 to start constructing a house… We have a hard time saying no to people and I’ve really just been thinking it’s time to move on from Liberia because we just can’t afford to live here much longer.

Then when we arrived home with our load of groceries, someone was waiting to speak to Rusty. His name is George and he needed a small loan so he could buy some food for his five children.  You see, his wife died unexpectedly a few months ago and to cover the burial costs he had to take a loan from the bank. Although yesterday was pay day, he had to give every bit of it to the bank to pay on that loan. To make matters more complicated he already has debt because his wife was going to college. She was just two months away from graduating. They had a plan; she was 12 years younger than him so they decided she should get a degree, that way when he died (before her) she would have a means to support herself and the family. As often happens in this life things didn’t go as planned and she died first.

“We saved the little bit of money I make so she could go to college so if I died she could support the children.  It was supposed to go that way…I don’t know why it didn’t go that way.  I go home and sleep in the bed she slept in with me, use the dishes she ate off with me, take a bath with the bucket we took baths with…I don’t know how I am supposed to forget her.”

After we helped him with some money he was extremely grateful and commented how he could send for his youngest son to come home Monday.  He sent him away for the weekend to his brother’s house because he didn’t want to have him spend the weekend at home with no food in the house.

God pierced my heart today. He peeled away some of that callous I’ve allowed to build up and well it stings a bit. While life isn’t always easy, I can say that God has never failed me. My children do not go hungry or get put out of school, we have money to see the doctor if need be. He always provides a way for us. So I want say to each of you, THANK YOU! Thank you for helping us to be His hands and feet here. Thank you for donating to all these causes we put before you. Thank you for praying for us. I am so blessed to get to live this life, thank you for being a part of it.