Liberia

The end of the year is always a busy time for Orphan Relief and Rescue. We ended 2011 with lots of Christmas festivities-- over 350 Christmas bundles were ordered—and we are carrying on the celebration and delieveries into 2012. Construction is almost finished on the security fence at the Francis Gaskin orphanage; new latrines are scheduled to be going in at Rock of Divine Healing orphanage, and the kids at Danny Feeney are going strong in the Child Development Program. Overall, the kids are healthy and happy. 

Christmas bundle deliveries are in full swing in Liberia. We have already delivered 125 fun-and-love-filled bundles to children in two orphanages. Thanks to the amazing response of bundle donators we still have a long way to go—352 have been donated so far!

Christmas is only a few weeks away and preparations for Christmas bundle delivery are in full swing in Liberia. It only costs $25 to provide a special Christmas delivery for a child this season. Please donate a bundle (or two) today!

If you need help getting into the Christmas spirit, watch this video from last Christmas!

Yesterday was the presidential runoff election in Liberia, and results will follow soon. Current president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has already served for six years and has proven herself to be dedicated to ushering in peace for Liberia. She has been in the lead at the polls, and some are not happy about this. News reports say that four people were killed and many others have been wounded from this week’s riots. Please keep Liberia in your prayers in the coming weeks, as there has been grave threats to the peace of this nation these last few days.

Solomon is about five years old. I say “about” because, as with many children in Liberia, no one bothered to keep a record of the day he was born. His mother died when he was a baby, and Solomon went to live with an elderly female relative who was unable to properly care for him. The situation took a turn for the worse when his caretaker’s vision deteriorated to the point of almost blindness.

Christmas will be here in just a couple of months, and we at Orphan Relief and Rescue are already getting excited about delivering Christmas bundles to the kids in Liberia! Children living in orphanages are often viewed as a statistic or just another face in the crowd, and Christmas is the one time of year where they receive an individual gift, something they can call their very own.

Things are very tense in Liberia this week as the presidential elections are set to take place on Tuesday, October 11th. This election is crucial; peace has been maintained for eight years due to the UN intervention in 2003 and the 2005 election of current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She has ushered Liberia into healing and development and is now running against candidates who could either continue this peace process or disrupt it. The unknown is daunting to many who live and work in Liberia.

Yesterday I visited my friends at the Frances Gaskin orphanage. After I made my rounds—watching the cook serve up their daily meal, checking in with the orphanage director, changing a dressing on a girl fresh from surgery, administering some other miscellaneous first aid and giving out plenty of hugs—I sat on the porch, listening to the August rain, and had a chat with my friend Jeremiah. 

A few weeks ago, we told you about the newly finished security fence at Rock of Divine Healing Orphanage. We also mentioned two other homes that are in dire need of a security fence of their own. 

It's been a few weeks since I first told Emmie's story. Several people have sent messages asking for an update. I am happy to report that Emmie seems to be doing well.

On my last visit to the orphanage where Emmie lives, the first face that greeted me, was Emmie's-- with a huge smile! The scabs on her head, resulting from the chemical burn, are going away. Sadly, the blisters on a young heart, from abuse and neglect, do not go away as quickly as the physical healing occurs.