Blog

When I came back to Liberia last Friday, I brought with me two very special alumni. Will and Brian were part of a high school team in the summer of 2007, when Orphan Relief and Rescue had only been working in Liberia for a few months. That team of students, in just a month, had a permanent effect on the children at Fatu's orphanage. (The children ask for them by name every single time I visit them!)

One of my favorite things over the last year working in Liberia has been, by far, CHRISTMAS! It is amazing how simple it is--a Christmas bundle filled with pencils, an orange, a toothbrush, a small toy and a few pieces of candy, flip-flops, a new set of clothes and a Christmas greeting from someone who cares. Very small by American standards, but for most of these kids it is the only gift they will receive this year and it is something of their very own. It is a day for each one to feel especially loved and unique, not just one of the crowd. 

Did you know that this coming Sunday, November 8th, is Orphan Sunday? For those of us on the field team that are still in the U.S., we're looking forward to a great weekend of events to raise awareness and build momentum behind the cause. And we would love to see you there!

My name is Davy. My areas of expertise include Logistics and Administration, desire to serve orphans and love of travel. I want to see God work in big ways! I am leaving for Liberia November 28th. Earthly words truly cannot express my genuine thankfulness to be a part of something this amazing. I also enjoy baking, thinking, writing, music and dreaming for Africa. I love what we do at Orphan Relief and Rescue, and hope you catch our vision as well!

Here we are! The new Orphan Relief and Rescue website is up and running, and we hope it will be a great tool to spread the word and get more and more people involved. So please, have a look around, read and watch videos, check out all the shiny new features.

Ok, so while preparing for the return of some of the field team, Mariel and I have been trying to improve things a little. So now we would like to welcome you to the new and improved Orphan Relief and Rescue field team office. We've relocated the storage room and turned it into an office, so we now have enough desk space for 5 people to work comfortably. All we need now is some of those sweet roller chairs and a coffee maker that runs on 12 volts. Our printer and file cabinet are in much more useable places too. Everything is ready except the most important part of any office -- the surfboard rack!

Hey everyone, welcome to a damp and moldy Liberia, I have never had a t shirt go from brown to green that was not one of those sweet hyper color shirts. Things have been going fairly well over here, it has been challenging trying to learn other people’s jobs but I think we are getting there. I have been an ambulance driver, chicken coup worker, teacher, Jungle Jim, washer and dryer repairman (not where we live).

We all know that September means back to school! In Liberia also, school children are sporting new uniforms, book bags, and copybooks. Although tuition for public school is free, fees, mandatory uniforms and transportation make completing an education difficult for most children in orphanages. Orphan Relief and Rescue has been working hard to ensure that every child in our partner homes is enrolled in school. In some cases this means helping with school supplies, in others, helping with uniforms or shoes.

Parachute games seem to be the pastime of choice lately for the younger kids in the Child Development Program. The kids think that they’re just plain fun, but Auntie Mariel is sneaking in some lessons. We’re learning about what it means to work as a team. It’s easy to see that when we work well together we can accomplish goals. But, when even just one person doesn’t follow the rules, it can spoil the fun for everyone!

And, well, they are just plain fun!

Over the past few years, we’ve seen drastic changes in the healthcare needs of the children that we work with. Where once we were constantly attending to sick children, we now have the opportunity to promote wellness. It’s been several months since we last distributed toothbrushes, so once again it’s tooth time! (And, once again, the biggest challenge is getting the children to not eat the toothpaste!) But we’re learning, and hoping that the next time we see Dr. Keith everyone will get a great report!