Saturday, 3/20 Bomi is the Bomb
We did get a taxi to carry us to the meeting 2 hours away. Tony, our new friend agreed to take us for $5 per hour and he would buy the gas so we flew to the meeting arriving about 10:30. Everyone was waiting but had no idea what they were about to hear. Almost everyone here is extremely attentive to protocol. Every letter we have written has been so complimentary ie, “Dear Honorable Minister, It is a privilege to present our compliments to you…” Each speaker at the many occasions we have attended, starts at the top of the guest list and addresses each person on the platform with almost monotonous formalism. The chiefs were no different. So we have tried to follow suit though it is strange to us. When we presented Tree of Life Liberia and the 4 plans, they were more excited than any group we have seen. I can see how God is going to use this. There were Muslim chiefs in attendance and they are inviting us into every corner of their chiefdom. This is going to happen all over West Africa. A mission model for the 21st century could emerge from this. After our presentation, the chiefs exited the building asking us to remain inside so that they could have a private meeting to discuss property. After a few minutes they returned with a plate of cola nuts, an African ceremony of total acceptance and mutuality. In a formal display of covenant we all took a cola nut and bit a chunk to chew (chewing vigorously on very bitter Cola nuts) they promised 100 acres for the work of Tree of Life, and. Isela and I obediently crunched the bitter nut trying our best not to cough it up. That would have been a bad sign so we just grinned at each other, laughing silently at how bad they tasted but inwardly rejoicing that God was moving the hearts of over 40 chiefs to do his will. It was an unforgettable moment of joy. The chiefs appointed Chief Billy Gray as the point man to handle the transaction. There are 4 districts in Bomi and they had wanted to split up the 100plus acres into 25 acre sections in each district (they were fighting over us) and each Paramount chief wanted us in his district but they finally decided to put it all together in Klay district (the main one and the closest to Monrovia). So now we have 100 plus acres in Bomi County, Klay District, just west of Tubmanburg up Coleman Hill. Senator Devine and his brother, Bosten, the ACFI Pastor of Coleman Hill Community Church were very instrumental in this process and both are to be credited for their sacrifice and support. I gave Bosten 25 Moringa seeds to plant for us.
When we left for the meeting earlier in the day, we rode passed a man who had been murdered the night before and he was lying in the weeds just off the road. A single policeman had arrived with a crowd of onlookers. Later, when we returned home, he was still there with the same policeman and a larger crowd, Thankfully, he had been covered by plastic. Tony, our driver, told us that the police will leave the victim at the scene until identified by relatives or up to 3 days. This turned out to be a ritual killing by a band of rebel thugs who practice devil worship. The details are even more sickening than you can imagine with the brutal chopping of toes and other parts, draining of blood for sacrificial offerings. His wife had heard that there was a dead body and happened upon the scene only to make the gruesome identification with no preparation. Understandably, she collapsed with all the pressure. We are told these murders increase as the election season approaches as the rebel underground factions commit these crimes to conjure spells for their candidate or against their opponents.
While we were driving back from Bomi earlier, there were several checkpoints stopping our car and the guard would come and look into the back seat seeking “small small”, which always means he wants a bribe. Fortunately, we escaped the necessity to bribe any of them because we were on official business in the county of Senator Devine and that usually convinced the crooked guard that his scheme would be uncovered and he would let us pass. Apparently, this is normal procedure all across Africa and is now being tried in Liberia. Many simply pay the extortion like I did at the airport. What a shame.
Once back at the house Isela gave me a haircut as many kids watched and laughed. Shortly, two Liberian men walked by from behind the house and began urinating in the open. Isela shouted at them to stop because there were children around and it is totally inappropriate to expose children to this regardless of how common or widespread it is. One man mocked her but the other apologized and came up to us asking forgiveness and making promises. His name was Emmanuel and he reeked of alcohol. As we talked, he confessed Christianity and even pulled out a Bible from his pocket. From the hardness of his hands I could tell he was a hard worker and he said he was working for the Chinese on a building project making $10 per day, which is good pay for a Liberian worker these days. Even so I asked him how he could possibly afford to drink on that salary and still take care of his family. He admitted that his wife had left him with his 3 children because of his drinking. He even told us his brother had refused to help him as long as he was in this bondage. Isela also warned him of the emptiness of his ways. I felt real compassion for him and preached a little to see if his ears were open to it. We had prayer together and he committed his life to Christ, promising no more drinking and that he would go to church the next day and go forward in the service and tell the pastor and the church of his decision. He lives nearby and we visited his home to meet mom and family. We all joined hands and prayed for his new decision. The Honorable Blamoh has a construction company and could use a good worker, and Emmanuel needs a good pastor to keep him on track. We have turned him over to Rev. Blamoh after we leave. Pray for Emmanuel and his family.
After a busy, fruitful day we sat down with the Honorable to teach him PowerPoint and how to use it to preach and make presentations. He was delighted and wanted to learn as much as possible. Now he wants our projector so that he can use it all the time. Since he has a laptop, he could have a regular youth movie night and reach more young people than he could fit in the church. We showed The Lion King and everyone on the neighborhood wanted to come so we ended up showing it three times just to accommodate them. They were so childlike in their awe of the big picture on the wall. This one thing could win more souls than anything else we did. When we return we want to have a crusade with gospel movies all around Monrovia. Thousands will come and many will be saved.
What a day,
Fred and Isela