Hello! I am trying to blog from Liberia basically so I don't have to when I get back ;)
Today was our first real day in Liberia. I'm in love already. We fell asleep to the rain pouring down and woke up to a rooster crowing and the missionaries we're staying with having a crazy loud and powerful prayer sesh in the next room. I feel like I'm home. One super awesome thing about this trip is that before group devotions at 9 (led by a different one of us each day) we all have to have 30 minutes of "abide time" with God. Pastor Anthony puts on worship music in the living room (which is in the middle of the house) and we all just scatter around with our notebooks, Bibles, and Jesus. It's such a refreshing/filling way to start the day. Then group devotions, family breakfast, some bug spray, and we're off. Today we went to the houses around our guest house and went through the wordless book (basically like those salvation nails with the different colors - they tell the story of the gospel) with anyone who would listen (which was everyone, they are so welcoming here.) It was a super great time! I was able to lead two beautiful ladies to Christ, hang out with a bunch of cool kids, and prophesy over a boy who will some day be an awesome pastor in Liberia. Also, a bug flew into my mouth in the middle of preaching the gospel so I just had to get it out and throw it and keep going. Ha! I also talked to a Muslim man who told me I may not pray for him and I am crazy. But it was a good experience still! After going house to house, we came back to our guest house and had a lunch of protein bars and Pringles. Then, I think I took a nap. The plan was to go to the market, but I think the man who was taking us was fixing the cable so we couldn't go. Hence all the down time. Eventually, some of our group left for the Victory Outreach youth service. The rest of us waited for our ride. We decided to venture out the gate a little because we wanted to explore and we saw some kids. They ran from their yard and waved to us and were yelling. (That's another thing I should tell you - Liberian English is basically nothing like American English. 9 times out of 10 I have absolutely no idea what they are saying, and vice versa. But with a lot of work, paying really close attention, and saying "what?" 4 or 5 times, you can eventually figure out what they are saying.... if you're lucky. But I think, after a while, we might get used to it and get better. But it's really tricky right now.) Anyways, the kids were precious. We attracted a crowd and a full blown soccer... I mean football... game broke out between our little front yard, the huge muddy river that is the road, and the yard across from us. I was of course a bystander of this game, cute as it was. A woman came out of the house across from us carrying a teeny tiny baby girl. She pointed at the baby and pointed at me. I went over and she put her right in my arms. She was the cutest!!! And if you know me, you know I have been dying to hold a baby basically since our plane took off in Pittsburgh ;) It turns out that there are baby twins there, three months old!! A boy named Misha and a girl whose name is something that starts with an R that I can't pronounce spell or say. But she was sooo sweet and it was like a little answer to prayer that reminded me that God knows and cares about the desires of our hearts. It was a special moment :) then our ride got there so we went to church. We were about an hour late but we made it in time to pray with lots of teens and young adults with great purposes in life. Also, I made a new friend named Caroline who is my same age and so sweet. That was really fun. Then, we were supposed to show the Jesus film, but something happened that we won't have the projector until tomorrow, so we went to the market aka grocery store. I got this Liberian pastry thing with apples in it and it was warm and sugary and so great! Then we had a crazy ride back to the guest house because it was so bumpy and so much fun. There was lots of screaming involved which made it even more hilarious. Pastor Sydney told us on the way here from the airport "brace for landing!" which we also think is hilarious so we like to say BRACE FOR LANDING over every bump. So now we are back at the guest house, had dinner and some great prayer time, and now we are winding down. After dinner I got to learn how to make cake African style, stirring butter and sugar in a huge bowl with a glass bottle. It was actually a lot harder than it looks/sounds! Arrow (Pastor Sydney and Musu's son) told me I was bad at it but laughed at me as I struggled. It was quite funny for everyone African who was there and a great experience for me. Eventually they told me to leave, so I guess I was really bad at it. Hahaha. Okay, goodnight! Thanks for the prayers everyone!
Today was our first real day in Liberia. I'm in love already. We fell asleep to the rain pouring down and woke up to a rooster crowing and the missionaries we're staying with having a crazy loud and powerful prayer sesh in the next room. I feel like I'm home. One super awesome thing about this trip is that before group devotions at 9 (led by a different one of us each day) we all have to have 30 minutes of "abide time" with God. Pastor Anthony puts on worship music in the living room (which is in the middle of the house) and we all just scatter around with our notebooks, Bibles, and Jesus. It's such a refreshing/filling way to start the day. Then group devotions, family breakfast, some bug spray, and we're off. Today we went to the houses around our guest house and went through the wordless book (basically like those salvation nails with the different colors - they tell the story of the gospel) with anyone who would listen (which was everyone, they are so welcoming here.) It was a super great time! I was able to lead two beautiful ladies to Christ, hang out with a bunch of cool kids, and prophesy over a boy who will some day be an awesome pastor in Liberia. Also, a bug flew into my mouth in the middle of preaching the gospel so I just had to get it out and throw it and keep going. Ha! I also talked to a Muslim man who told me I may not pray for him and I am crazy. But it was a good experience still! After going house to house, we came back to our guest house and had a lunch of protein bars and Pringles. Then, I think I took a nap. The plan was to go to the market, but I think the man who was taking us was fixing the cable so we couldn't go. Hence all the down time. Eventually, some of our group left for the Victory Outreach youth service. The rest of us waited for our ride. We decided to venture out the gate a little because we wanted to explore and we saw some kids. They ran from their yard and waved to us and were yelling. (That's another thing I should tell you - Liberian English is basically nothing like American English. 9 times out of 10 I have absolutely no idea what they are saying, and vice versa. But with a lot of work, paying really close attention, and saying "what?" 4 or 5 times, you can eventually figure out what they are saying.... if you're lucky. But I think, after a while, we might get used to it and get better. But it's really tricky right now.) Anyways, the kids were precious. We attracted a crowd and a full blown soccer... I mean football... game broke out between our little front yard, the huge muddy river that is the road, and the yard across from us. I was of course a bystander of this game, cute as it was. A woman came out of the house across from us carrying a teeny tiny baby girl. She pointed at the baby and pointed at me. I went over and she put her right in my arms. She was the cutest!!! And if you know me, you know I have been dying to hold a baby basically since our plane took off in Pittsburgh ;) It turns out that there are baby twins there, three months old!! A boy named Misha and a girl whose name is something that starts with an R that I can't pronounce spell or say. But she was sooo sweet and it was like a little answer to prayer that reminded me that God knows and cares about the desires of our hearts. It was a special moment :) then our ride got there so we went to church. We were about an hour late but we made it in time to pray with lots of teens and young adults with great purposes in life. Also, I made a new friend named Caroline who is my same age and so sweet. That was really fun. Then, we were supposed to show the Jesus film, but something happened that we won't have the projector until tomorrow, so we went to the market aka grocery store. I got this Liberian pastry thing with apples in it and it was warm and sugary and so great! Then we had a crazy ride back to the guest house because it was so bumpy and so much fun. There was lots of screaming involved which made it even more hilarious. Pastor Sydney told us on the way here from the airport "brace for landing!" which we also think is hilarious so we like to say BRACE FOR LANDING over every bump. So now we are back at the guest house, had dinner and some great prayer time, and now we are winding down. After dinner I got to learn how to make cake African style, stirring butter and sugar in a huge bowl with a glass bottle. It was actually a lot harder than it looks/sounds! Arrow (Pastor Sydney and Musu's son) told me I was bad at it but laughed at me as I struggled. It was quite funny for everyone African who was there and a great experience for me. Eventually they told me to leave, so I guess I was really bad at it. Hahaha. Okay, goodnight! Thanks for the prayers everyone!
Great stuff Gianna... thanks for taking us along! Praying! Xo Darlene
ReplyDeleteHi Gianna Great report thanks for all the info and update. We miss you and love you lots and are soooooo proud of you. You do take after Nonna's side of the family. By the way, do you know where your mother is? Last we heard, she was at the airport with you. Keep up the good work, keeping us homebodies up to date. Love you, Poppa, Nonna and baby Mia
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