February 20, 2011

Dear Friends,
We were wrong about the temperatures yesterday, it was still in the low 30s. Today was in the high 30s with high humidity but we're slowly climatizing!

We're staying at a Bible Institute Guest House and we met someone from Chilliwack here. Can you believe it? God is amazing with His timing - He has all these God-ordained appointments and times of encouragement in total control!! The neat thing he is not even staying here - he came to meet with the guest house manager. "Where are you from? Canada. Oh, that's neat, so are we. Where in Canada? Oh, we're from Chilliwack. Oh, I grew up there. What road do you live on. Prest Road. Oh, I was on Yale Road, my dad makes pipe organs." It's Marcel. (insert note here: Jackie went to school with his sister! and we know the family quite well!) Marcel is in Ghana doing some work with rescuing children caught up in child slavery. It was one of those "Wow" moments that just makes us marvel in God!

Here is another cool story. On the plane from Vancouver to Frankfurt, this man was sitting beside us who was going to visit his family in Eritrea. I asked if it was dangerous for Christians to live there. Well, he says, there are two types of Christians. Orthodox-state church and Born Again Christians who are persecuted. He is a born again believer! We shook hands upon our arrival in Frankfurt, knowing that we will see on another again in eternity.

We went to church this morning with another Canadian who is staying at the guesthouse here as well. We were hoping for something with more African culture like they had at the camp, but instead we were at the Holiday Inn in an airconditioned room. That was too much like North America! Next week we will ask the taxi driver to go with him. Apparently Obama stayed at this new Holiday Inn two years ago when he was here. The story is that the whole area was blocked off during his stay and the airport was closed for two full days. The drivers all talk about it.

Tonight we are packing our bags for our flight to Monrovia, Liberia tomorrow. By the time you get up in the morning, hopefully we will have arrived there. Please pray for us; for safety and health. Life is much more primitive in a country that is just recovering from a 14-year civil war. We fully trust in God's sovereignty over us in every event. Please pray for direction and for our hearts and minds to be open to the Holy Spirit's leading.

We thank all those who are looking after our families while we are away. It's humbling to see everyone pulling together so we can be here to wrap things up and encourage our poverty-stricken brothers and sisters in the Lord.
We're not sure about internet access in Liberia, but we will try our best with updates.
Love in Jesus Christ our Lord,
Marsha, Jackie, and Ariel