LIBERIA - - THE PEOPLE

LIBERIAN FLAG IS DESIGNED
AFTER THE UNITED STATES FLAG

Back on March 1 the Anastasis pulled into port amidst the cheers from old friends and also some former Mercy Shippers now permanently living and working in Liberia. I can’t believe it’s been 3 weeks since we pulled into town because it has been packed with so many blessings, emotions, hardwork and good times.

We were delighted to find a different Liberia than the one we left two years ago. Although the unemployment is 80% and people are still in need of so many basics like food, shelter and medical care…the atmosphere is more one of rebuilding, a new focus. When a country comes out of 14 years of horrendous civil war the aftermath will take many many years to recover from. The Liberians seem to be united behind their new President, Africa’s first woman President, Madame Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and much headway is being made toward restoring electricity, water and repairing roads. They are FAR from being fully operational but there are some lights on in the city at night and the water plant is able to provide some water to the larger companies and pumping stations. For the majority of Liberians there is still no electricity nor running water. It is good to see that humanity is returning to a place who had lost their focus on God in order to get to the place where forcing children to kill was accepted. Talking with a Liberian Pastor that was here during the entire war I was amazed to hear him attribute the war to the very thing our pastor at home talked about 4 years ago - - It was the lack of Godly people passing down their Godly heritage from one generation to the next to eventually it dies out. When they got to the generation that no longer desired to follow Christ they got involved in many different secret societies. The only way for many years to have a job or to maintain your position in government was to belong to the society (foremost society was Masons). The children were brought up seeing parents going to church and saying one thing on Sunday and then demonstrating their true faith during the week which led to a Godless society and evil was ripe to come in and separate and disunify this country.

I took some time to go out with our Mercy Ministries Coordinator to do an assessment on two orphanages. We have decided the correct term might be Children’s Homes because not all these children are true orphans. Many were abandoned or separated from their parents during the war. The unfortunate thing is that many of these children will never be reunited with parents but until parents sign a release these children are not adoptable. The first home we went to was called Victorious Faith. A 30 child home very poorly supported. Thirty boys and girls living in a 2 bedroom home. They did have mattresses lining the floor so everyone just piles in at night. One thing I’ve never seen in a home was an in-door toilet. But it is not a good idea here as the whole house smells of sewage. You’ll see why when you see the pictures I have of it. They are having a well installed which is a tremendous blessing because until it is finished their dish and hand washing method was to hang a bag of sand and throw river water in it. The sand filters the water and it drips out the bottom. The really big problem with that is the sand comes from the beach and the beach is one giant sess pool for the 1 million population of Monrovia. As we left, the children surrounded us without prompting and one young boy starting beating out a beat on a plastic jug while a little girl of about 10 led all the orphans in amazing praise and worship songs for us. The biggest blessing I have been given then happened, the boy on the drums lead the children in some of the mightiest Spiritual Warfare on OUR behalf. Now, you tell me if you could have held back the tears! You know I nor the other ladies with me could not. We were so humbled that children in this condition were not asking anything from us but GAVE US the biggest gift they had - - blessings from a God who loved them.

We traveled next to what I refer to as “My Orphanage”. It is the Aged, Orphaned and Abandoned Home that we worked in to raise a roof and provide beds for 2 years ago. It was good to get back there. Dennis and Comfort were so thrilled to see me and I them. We have kept in contact via email for all this time. They are in the midst of another building project. This time to create a dining hall/kitchen with a boys dorm on the second floor. The Liberian Dept of Health has decreed that boys will be housed under a separate roof than the girls. This makes it extremely difficult on these orphanages that barely scrape by just to feed and clothe them. They have the first floor about half completed. I don’t know yet the cost to complete the first floor or the whole project but intend to find out shortly. I know there are many of you who would want to help us get this project done so we’ll send more information at a later date.

We also have been traveling about 45 minutes out to the Christian Orphanage and Agricultural Center to check up on a home for our friends Mark and Zana Elliott. That is the orphanage they worked at last time they were here. More on that place next time or this letter could be turned into a book very quickly. Needless to say there will be some opportunities there for you to get involved and we’ll share those with you also.

The sea trials for the Africa Mercy are scheduled for March 28 and 29. It has been approved by the shipyard and certifying agency so it looks like it is happening. Those in England are working around the clock to move on some necessary pieces of equipment and set up the galley for the sail. If she passes with flying colors she will instantly move to a berth north of Newcastle for the loading process. If she does not pass she will have to return to the shipyard. Seeing as it has taken 7 years to get her out of that shipyard your prayers would be appreciated to release her.

As always, it is my privilege to share some of the 6,000 pictures I have already accumulated in our 3 years with Mercy Ships. Please click below to view:

http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=92780&cdate=20070325&cimg=10

We appreciate your traveling through this journey with us with you concern, thoughts, prayers and support. We love getting emails from you and know that we ALWAYS have time to read and respond to you, our friends.

PRAYER POINTS

* Successful sea trials of the Africa Mercy
* God’s perfect timing to deliver the new ship into Africa
* Susan’s back still causing a lot of pain
* God’s direction where for us to get involved and how we can help while here - - there are so many needs.

With Love and Appreciation,

Robert & Susan Blanchard

LAST FINAL BEFORE THE FINAL FINAL SAIL

Or as our friend Gordon says "All Sails are Final"!

What in the world does that title mean? There were “Final Sail” t-shirts made up for the trip to Ghana last June thinking that was just what that was, the final sail. But just as the name Anastasis means “Ressurection”, the grand old lady is living up to her namesake. Her service has been requested once again sailing this time back into Liberia for the third time.

On the day of departure the spirits were high, the crew wore their Ghana 50 year anniversary shirts, lining the portside promenade deck to wave at friends who could get through the port security. Drums were playing but the 4pm arrival time came and went. Then we heard a page for the machinist to report to the engine room. That’s never a good sign. Everyone disbursed waiting for Captain’s announcement we are ready to sail - - but it didn’t come. So everyone went to bed. Robert got a call at 11:30 pm to come to the engine room. Apparently, there was a floating valve in the engine that was not operating. The machinist machined a few new parts and Robert was specifically requested by the Chief Engineer to come and weld the parts together. Around 1:45am Robert comes back in the room yelling “Get Up, we’re sailing in 10 minutes”. People were slowly starting to assemble around the decks again, weary eyed but not wanting to miss the launching into the last outreach. The tug boats gave us a fond farewell with about a minute blast on their horns - - that woke up the rest of the crew anyway.

So with Ghana in the background and a very thankful crew pointing westward we started our 4 day adventure. We sailed only a few hours then bunkered with a fuel tanker to take on heavy fuel for the rest of the trip. It is cheaper when you do it at sea than at the pier. So then we were dead in the water about 8-10 hours. I was so surprised how little movement there was on our ship. However, if you looked at the tanker you would think we were in 20 foot seas. I couldn’t look too long because it would make me sick.

Robert was able to have all 4 days off - - sort of. He was “on call”. They told him not to leave the ship…..he he, very funny. No pipe blow-outs, no problems, he didn’t have to pull tunnel watch because others that didn’t know what they were getting into volunteered (ONCE). This was the first sail Robert wasn’t working every day and he really enjoyed watching out to sea. There were plenty of dolphin and whale sightings. When the Captain made the “Attention Crew, dolphins off the starboard aft”, you would hear the pitter patter of hundreds of feet heading starboard aft - - if this ship was any smaller we would have probably been leaning!

This is truly a beautiful old ship. She cut the water like nobody’s business. Steady as she went. Many times I woke up wondering if we had gone adrift because she was quite and still.

It was a good time for the crew to start switching gears in our heads from Ghana to the possibilities of Liberia. Ghana is a nation that is rated #4 among the African countries, infrastructure in place, education established, lower unemployment, etc. We are about to face a country coming out of 14 years of civil war. Unemployment is 80% - - this country cannot even be rated on the scale because there is no infrastructure, roads, power, water all destroyed in the war. Thousands of orphans or abandoned children as parents fled from the rebels. A nation that will present more of a challenge - - spiritually, physically and emotionally to all of us. God is preparing the crew. We open our hearts to all that God has for us on this last Mercy Ship visit to Liberia for awhile. Next port of call should be Sierra Leone.

For pictures of the sail please click here:

http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=92780&cdate=20070311&cimg=10

PRAYER POINTS

- For Mercy Ship Executive Department, wisdom, discernment, obedience.

- For crew to follow God’s leading in Liberia to get involved with the people and make a difference

- People of Liberia as they struggle with the high unemployment, minimal electricity, minimal water supply