Time to Go Back...

Happy New Year!

It's been a crazy week and it's not going to slow down for me. I just wanted to get in a quick note before leaving on Thursday for Liberia. Yes, Liberia! It's time to go back...

Dave, my daughter Katherine and I are going on Thursday with a team from International Aid back to Liberia. If you remember, I went for my first time last April with my three youngest children and some of their friends. That was primarily to minister in the churches, but this time is in the relief capacity. We will be taking six fifty pound bags of vitamins with us and visiting schools and clinics to see what kind of aid programs can be started over there. We will have with us a few International Aid employes as well as suppliers who will help us assess the need and what we are able to do to help.

It will be an interesting trip, to say the least. Whenever Dave goes, the local newspaper sends out a reporter to find out why he is there, and their main question is, "What can you do to help us?" This particular trip has the potential to open some avenues of relief that will be of great help to this community, and partnered with the churches, will allow the spiritual needs to be addressed through physical provisions.

We also will be handing out rice one day - I've packed hundreds and hundreds of quart ziplock baggies to put the rice in. The baggies are as desirable as the rice in some cases!

We will be in Paynesville (near Monrovia) and then back out to Buchanan, like last trip. Buchanan is a bit rougher and life is harder there. Then from there we will drive until we can't drive anymore, park and walk a few hours to get to Dorzan (not sure that's spelled right). Dorzan is pretty remote - we didn't go there last time, but Dave thinks this is an important place for the members of our trip to see. We will be able to encourage the believers in this village while we are there, as well.

Dave will be preaching, too - he never knows how many times, so he brings several messages with him, just in case!

All in all, it is a quick trip (one week) with a lot to do. If you think of it, please pray for our team - for safety, that we would be a blessing to those we come in contact with, and that the Lord would open doors for relief to be supplied through International Aid.

Have a great week and you'll hear from me in a few weeks!

Kristen