My husband and I had the precious opportunity to travel to Liberia this past summer, a country that sits on the northern coast of West Africa. This little nation has faced mass destruction from two major civil wars that together spanned a period of twelve long years. The memories from civil wars are still very vivid in the minds of so many Liberians because the second civil war ended just 13 years ago, in 2003. During our stay, we learned that schools had been closed down for fourteen years. Leaving an entire generation of Liberians unable to read or write. This makes it very difficult for their society to make advancements. In 2015, the United Nations named Liberia's capital city of Monrovia, the poorest capital city in the world. To this day the entire nation continues to live with no infrastructure for sewer, running water, or electric power. They have slowly been trying to rebuild roads in the main cities, but to get anywhere in the interior is about impossible during the rainy season even if you happen to be one of the lucky ones to owns a four wheeled drive vehicle. Many of the roads, especially in the interior, are dirt roads and as rainy season progresses, the roads become less and less usable. In fact, so much that by the middle of the rainy season there are many places in Liberia that are completely cut off from anyone being able to come or go.
The history of this little nation runs quite deep in our family. My husband's grandparents were missionaries there for 27 years until the church was nationalized. Soon after the work had been nationalized, civil war broke out across the country. I wanted to spend some time sharing with you the deep family heritage that I have been so richly blessed with. I thank God for the opportunity to be part of such a rich heritage.
When Grandma and Grandpa first went into the mission field they were fresh out of Bible college with a heart for ministry. So when Liberia became available they did not hesitate to pack their bags and make the long journey by ship. Grandma and Grandpa both had a heart that beat loudly for the people of Liberia. There is no greater way to win a soul to the Lord than through agape love. Grandma and Grandpa understood what agape love looked like, sounded like and felt like.
They figured that the only way they were going to make an impact in the hearts and lives of these people is to accept them for who they are and love the “hell” out of them in the process. They based their lives around the scripture says, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." (John 13:35) Grandma and Grandma loved these people so much! It was that love that was able to lead many lives to the foot of the cross and to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They knew that if they would just shower the people of Liberia with agape love that God would take care of the rest.
Grandma and Grandpa were no ordinary missionaries. Sometimes missionaries go and build for themselves a comfortable house. Yes, while that house may not be equivalent to our American standards, they usually end up living like kings as compared to those around them in their third world environment. However, Grandma and Grandpa did not do this. They built themselves a thatch hut. Yes, you read correctly! They lived in a hut with dirt floors, cooked over a fire, ate the types of food the natives were eating and basically became like one of them. Paul says, "I become all things to all men that I might win some." (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) Well, Grandma and Grandpa took this portion of scripture literally. They became Librarian in order to win some Liberians. They did not try to make Americans out of them. They made themselves Liberians to make disciples out of them. What a different mindset. If we want to win souls, which by the way is what we are called to do, then we must be willing to make some adjustments in how we approach the sinner. We are not called to change them. We are called to show them the agape love of Christ so that Christ can change them. This is how true disciples are made. I have said it before and I will say it again. We do not have the ability to change the human heart. The only one who can do that is God Himself. If we go into ministry like a bull in a china cabinet, then all we will reap is broken people. But if we go into ministry with the agape love of Christ, then we will reap a harvest because the Lord will do the work.
As their ministry continued in Liberia they, along with a team of missionaries began to build a mission community, complete with a church, a school, a clinic, a boys and girls dormitory and houses for the various missionaries and leaders. They taught the Liberians trades so they could earn a living. They taught carpentry, mechanics, electrical, plumbing, farming and so much more. So their days of living in a thatched house eventually did end, but it didn't just end for them, it ended for many of the Liberians whom came under the wing of the school and developed the skills to build their own houses. We had the opportunity to stay on the mission grounds that was once the home of these sacrificing missionaries of years past. But instead of the beautiful facilities that were still standing when the missionaries left, it has encountered much destruction from the wars. The people do not have the funds to even begin to think about rebuilding. They truly are just trying to survive each day. The school, church, and clinic are still functioning, but it is nowhere close to thriving or even remotely close to the degree that it once did. The mission pretty much relies on money from nonprofits and outside organizations to keep things running. Without outside help, it would be non-existent. This was so heartbreaking for us to go and see the devastation that civil war can bring to a nation and the impact it can leave behind for years after its end.
I had always heard the heart for Liberia through the stories told by my husband's grandparents, his aunts and his father who had spent their childhood years living with these beautiful people, but to be honest, I never really truly understood their passion. But having been there, meeting the people whose lives were forever touched by the hand of Christ because of the sacrifices that were made by the missionaries that gave up their American comforts to live among these people, I get it now! I totally and completely understand why their hearts were so enamored by these people. My heart has been forever changed by the things my eyes have seen and the things my ears have heard. The hearts of the Liberians are just so sweet. I only wish I had spent more time at the feet of my husband's grandparents gleaning every piece of wisdom from their 27 years of first-hand experience as missionaries. This now is no longer possible since both of these precious saints have gone home to be with our Heavenly Father. We are now praying for wisdom that the Lord will open up our eyes and ears to the things he wants us to do with and for the people in Liberia. I pray that many hearts will be forever changed for the glory of God!
We were flabbergasted by the number of people who came up to us with tears, weeping, whaling, and even screaming with excitement because they were not forgotten by the missionaries. It did not seem to matter where we were either. We had people approach us in the middle of the bush, and in the cities, out in the middle of nowhere and in little villages. They seemed to appear out of the woodwork when they heard we were the grandchildren “Ma and Pa” as the Liberians called them. The precious stories that these people shared with us of the sacrifices that Grandma and Grandpa made impacted their lives so deeply. Their lives were never the same, and neither will ours. Our hearts were so deeply touched by the sacrificial love that was shown these precious people. It was such a challenge to my spirit. It got me thinking about my impact in the kingdom. What am I doing to impact others for eternity? What it all boils down to is this...what is done for the kingdom will last, everything else will have no impact on eternity and truly means nothing. It truly opened up my eyes in a greater measure to the urgency that has been placed before us to impact others for eternity.
For more about Liberia read Liberia Trip Part 1 and Liberia Trip Part 2.
For more about Liberia read Liberia Trip Part 1 and Liberia Trip Part 2.
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