3.10.07

Saturday 3/10
(midnight)

Today was a wonderful day, but exhausting. The morning went smoothly – Kowah and his wife, Venus, joined us for breakfast after they successfully found a pair of jeans and a shirt for Dr. Allison (both were way too big, but that’s better than too small). Dr. Allison managed to get them on and keep them on, and we headed out around 9:15am.

We dropped George off at the bookstore where lots of progress has been made. The rest of us then drove back to the main junction where we followed a packed van of baptismal candidates and church folks to Elwa Beach. This beach is definitely the prettiest place I’ve seen in Liberia so far. In tropical beach fashion, it has palm trees, silky white sand, beautiful black-rock outcroppings, and massive breakers. If it weren’t Liberia, I’m sure it would be a popular vacation spot.

We got out (the church people had been singing the whole way) and sang a song while some of the men went to examine the small lagoon/tidal pool. Much to Dr. Allison’s relief, it was too shallow, so Dr. Allison decided we’d have to brave the ocean surf. He chose a spot a little ways down from four boys who were enjoying a skinny-dip and went out to test the depth and undertow while we lined up the baptismal candidates at the water’s edge. Dr. Allison slogged back out, read Scripture, gave a brief message, and then has us sing “Are You Washed in the Blood?”

With Paulcy and me documenting it all on camera, Dr. Allison and Moses waded out to stomach-level water. Forkpa was the first of fourteen to be baptized. One by one they walked out with the help of Moses. Dr. Allison then yelled the baptismal confession over the roaring surf and had them affirm it. He, with Moses’ assistance, then baptized the candidates. Most of these people have not only never been in the ocean, they are deathly afraid of it, so it was quite a statement of faith and commitment to Christ for them to even go out. Not even taking the natural grandeur of the setting into account, it was a truly beautiful and moving service.

We had to drop some folks off at the church when we left, so we also stopped at the bookstore. There we found George, working shirtless like the African men – couldn’t blame him in the blazing midday sun. We were concerned for his health in that heat, but he insisted that he keep working, so we headed back to the EGH for lunch.
Lunch didn’t arrive until 1:30pm, but spicy BBQ chicken, roasted potatoes, and delicious homemade pastries were worth the wait. We had to get back to the church for a business meeting and we picked George up on the way – the shelves are built, the walls painted, the porch wall laid, and awning posts set in place – it looks really good!

At the church, all the visiting ministers had gathered with the FPMC for our business meeting. Dr. Allison moderated and I volunteered to be clerk – my hand still hurts. It was a lively meeting at times and revealed many new items for prayer and consideration. We heard reports from our mission church and several other interested ministries and when it was all said and done 3 ½ hours later, I had taken nine pages of furiously scribbled notes!

Afterwards, we had a few of the men join us for dinner (a pretty decent effort at classic mac and cheese). When they left, I finished inscribing baptismal certificates with names and dates, and we talked church business until almost 11:30pm when we all agreed we were too tired to be functional.

Back in my room I tried to shower before Linds’ promised call, but the water is shut off. Oh well, I got to talk to Linds and Asher and all are doing well – I want to see them badly and my note from them today, complete with finger-painting, almost drew tears. Well it’s late and I am teaching Sunday School tomorrow – good night.