Then on January 21st David, my son, Albert Lloyd and I set out on a 13 day journey to Liberia. This was the first time for David and I to be back to Liberia since we left in June, 1989. Needless to say we were excited to be returning but were prepared for the worst after the many years of civil war there. We arrived in the evening and got settled into a house that was to be our home for the next week. The first thing we noticed upon arriving at the airport in Liberia was the huge presence of the United Nation Forces. They are helping to stabilize things as the President works on getting an effective government in place.
SIM only has two couples and two single ladies in Liberia at the present. A campus that used to have a hundred or more living on it, seemed really different being occupied by other expats and Liberians. Most of the houses on the campus were still there but some are occupied by swatters who don't belong there and they are not maintaining the houses. The house on the left is one we lived in on the ELWA Campus when we first went to Liberia in 1982. The one in the center is the first one we stayed in in Monrovia. The thing we noticed in Monrovia was how almost all the homes now had high walls around them with razor wire on the top of them. Before hardly any place had a high wall, much less razor wire, as the house on the right shows.
Many people from the interior are in Monrovia because life is easier there than in the rural areas. Travel to the interior is more difficult due to the bad conditions of the roads. A company is now working on the roads in Monrovia and else where. Most people manage in the city by having a generator for lights. The government is working on getting electricity supplied to the city but progress is slow. People talked about the traffic being bad in Monrovia but compared to Nigeria it was much less and cars were moving a little slower and not as much in a rush as here.
On the right is the remains of the Old ELWA Radio Studio. Below you see the new Studio. They are broadcasting but with very limited power. The ELWA compound is blessed with good generators that supplies the compound with electricity from 5:30am to midnight each day. That makes life bearerable for the residents there. Along with ELWA Radio, ELWA Academy and ELWA Hospital are functioning. ELWA Academy use to be mostly missionary children, now is completely Liberian children and ran by Liberians. They are making good use of the facility. 
The first conference was in Monrovia. We had around thirty pastors and leaders from churches in the city. It was held at a Methodist Church on the main street going into Monrovia. The other conference was in Buchanan a city about 3 hours East of Monrovia, also on the coast. We had about 45 pastors and church leaders attending. Albert helped me teach at both conferences while David helped us with material distribution and he took many pictures. 
Probably one of the most mixed emotional times I had was when I saw this building in ruins. This was the One Way House, (pictured here) This is where the Monrovia Evangelical Church was meeting. I worked with this church most of the time I was in Liberia. I had many good memories of the ministry there but was saddened to see it destoyed from the war. The trip was full of unexpected blessings and memories for which we are thankful.
Probably one of the most mixed emotional times I had was when I saw this building in ruins. This was the One Way House, (pictured here) This is where the Monrovia Evangelical Church was meeting. I worked with this church most of the time I was in Liberia. I had many good memories of the ministry there but was saddened to see it destoyed from the war. The trip was full of unexpected blessings and memories for which we are thankful.
Besides the blessings of being used to help pastors and church leaders grow in their vision for the world, David and I had many wonderful memories of our seven years in Liberia. As we departed a part of us was wanting to stay there.
After the two conferences and visiting with friends the two weeks were over and we came back to Nigeria February 1st. It was a very fruitful trip in many ways. Albert Lloyd is a Liberian who is finishing a master's program at Jos Evangelical Theological Seminary by May. He is planning to go back to Liberia after his wedding in May to a Nigerian lady. I have been training him and he will be going back to take Equipping The Saints and establish Liberia as another contact for the discipleship ministry. Please pray for him. We are trusting the Lord to provide him with the needed funds to get established in Liberian upon his return, probably in June of this year. It will be a step of faith for him and he will need your prayers.
