Kind of like thinking you have fallen in love with your spouse, and then really getting to know them, and deciding to love them... after seeing both the good and the bad. It's in the deciding that God's kind of love happens. You commit to sticking with someone, even when you don't always agree or see eye to eye. Even when you are stressed out and tired. Even when they're dirty and sweaty and the body odor is almost stifling at times. Even when it's hard. Why? Because what you see in them, and what they see in you, is so much more important. Their hearts, their joys, their stories, their needs, their hopes, their well-being. They are precious to you, and for some reason, you're precious to them too. That's the cool thing about God (one of many!). He can make unlovable people, like me, for instance, be loved by others... he can give His people HIS love for others, and that trumps the hard stuff, and makes it possible to stick by each other.
Now, I'm sure that sounds all nice and tidy, as if I have it all together. So, allow me to make sure you know that I can struggle with this SO much. There are just a small number of people in my life that I find difficult to love well. It's work. It's hard. I have to pray about it. I need God's help.
It was the same in Liberia. Most people are easy to love. But then there are the few kids who literally hang off of your arms... so that you almost lose your balance and bring down the entire entourage of other children who are holding onto you. You keep telling them that they cannot HANG... they need to walk with you. They still hang. There are those children who pout when they don't get their way. There are those kids who lie to you or skip school and hide behind the dorms. There are some whose noses are running profusely, who want to snuggle up to your face (and I don't know about you, but it's one thing when it's your own child, but it's entirely different when that substance is not "in the family."). There are just those children... the ones that are little harder to feel genuine love for. That's when love was a choice for me. When it takes a little sacrifice to get past the things in your way. Sometimes, I chose well. Sometimes, I took the easy way out and thought of a somewhere else I needed to be just then. Not proud of that... just being honest. But the majority of the kids we spent time with were just amazing. Busy& loud... but amazing. :) We are so grateful to know them.
Here are just a fraction of the people that God gave us a deep love for: (I'm not posting names with kids' pictures for privacy reasons... but we certainly know their names and cherish each one.)
The girls - This young woman helped us around our house each morning. What a beautiful heart she has... I can't wait to see what God does with her life.
Brenda with us the day after we arrived.
Pastor Harrington... he is the director of the Deaf Mission; a father-figure to them all, and a pastor of his own church, not to mention an amazing singer.
Uncle Jimmy and Asher playing Liberian checkers. Uncle Jimmy was our sweet driver... he was so fun to get into conversations with!
Ma Kema, the Dorm 2 matron. She was such a wonderful woman. She loved to explain what the songs meant that the girls always sang to us. She gave Anika a dress from the market before we left... a very kind and generous thing to do. She and Ma Emma would playfully argue about whose "daughter" Anika was; both claimed her as their own.
Ma Marie - she's got nerves of steel. I know, because she a boys' matron. Thus, nerves of steel are a requirement. Actually, they're required for the girls' dorm matrons too, now that I think about it. :)
The twins. Good friends to Asher, the only way you can tell them apart most of the time is by one of them having a chipped front tooth. Don't ask me which one, I always get it confused. :) They are great soccer players (as are most of the boys) and tremendous martial artists. Don't know where they learned, but they do multiple flips, gymnastic type moves,and even some break dancing. (Try that on dirt or rocks.)
Thanks to my friend, Kristi, the kids were given colorful beads. They love them! This boy is very new to the Deaf Home. He doesn't know sign yet, so he communicates very, very little. He is also quite thin, which I'm sure will improve once he's been there longer, and is cared for. He looks sad here, but he almost always had a serene glowing smile on his face. He'd just look in your eyes, and you'd want to melt.
This young woman was amazing at hand clapping games... you know, the kind we all did in grade school. We learned many of those from the children, and it was fun to do them with her b/c it broke the barriers between hearing and deaf... you don't need more than a smile and a pair of hands to have a load of fun together!
Our friend- isn't he just so cute?? He's a student at the Deaf Mission as well, and such a helpful and kind kid. You should see him in church keeping the kids in line! :)
Sweet girl...her smile lights up Dixville. She wanted to sing me some songs on the day we left. It was her gift to me. So, as a ton of noisy children milled around the church/school building, getting settled into their seats for our good-bye program, she laid her head on my shoulder and sang into my ear. During the second song, she broke down and sobbed. I just held her. We sat like that for a long time, until the tears stopped... then she began singing again.
This is a terrible picture, it doesn't really capture him in all his joy, just with his mouth full! ... but I had to include him on this list of people. He was a newer student at the Deaf Mission, and an EXCELLENT teacher to us all. He'd draw pictures in the dirt, and then show us the sign for that word... he was so patient! You could tell he LOVED helping us to learn! So did many others... so we usually had about 8 little teachers at one time wanting our undivided attention... but we did our best!
Asher with one of our sweet little friends... she's got the CUTEST giggle you've ever heard, and she uses it often! :)
The girl in the center lives at the Deaf Mission. She's actually the much younger sister of Pastor Harrington's wife. They have raised her like a daughter since she lost her parents. Until halfway through this visit, I assumed she was deaf. She never had spoken to me... and she'd even given me her beaded bracelet last June... without any words, so I thanked in sign language. At some point during this trip, Anika said, "Mom, I just heard her speak... I don't think she's deaf." What?? But sure enough, it was true. I told her that I was shocked... why hadn't she spoken to me before?
She just smiled.
Then she sang a song. Funny.
Ma Emma - oh, we miss Ma Emma and her morning hugs. She always playfully scolded Anika, "I didn't see you clean your dorm room this morning... no food for you today,"... because she told Anika that she was her dorm daughter, and dorm 3 was her home. :) I always picture her sitting outside of Dorm 3... stirring her huge pot of fufu, or cutting potato greens into the most microscopic pieces you've ever seen. She had two deaths in her family in the short time we were there. We had great conversations together, and one of my ultimate favorite memories of our entire trip is her booming voice belting out her favorite song... "Tank you Je-sus... tank you Yahweh..."
My sentiments exactly.
Jason with Theo (pronounced "Tee-oh" in Liberia). He is the father to several kids at the mission, and rides his bike for about 2 hours to get there to help out with maintenance at DHCV. He's a hard worker, and we owe the times that our toilet wasn't backed up to him. Jason hung out with Theo often as they'd work together to fix things.
Our sweet friend. Love her. Love her. Love her. We all love her.
Me with my Hawa-girl. :) Obviously... LOVE her.
Kelvin and his cousin (who he calls "brother"). He will be the new child we're sponsoring at DHCV since Rebeccah is back home with family now. It's a great way to support the needs of the children, plus it's a way to stay involved in the lives of Kelvin's family members. (We were SO sad not to be able to spend more time with her!!! But, we're happy she's with her family.)
Jason wasn't seen all that much without this little friend. They just clicked.
Jason with Elijah. He the guy who can preach!! He truly has a spiritual gifting of evangelism and teaching. It's amazing to witness. He's 25 and finishing 11th grade, after traveling and preaching for a number of years.
Tommy and Meggan ~ an amazing couple that we've been privileged to get to know over the last few years. Tommy came to Liberia with us last June, and we met Meggan for the first time (though I felt I already knew her from phone conversations and through Tommy), as they traveled to Liberia during the last week of our time there. We very much enjoyed their fellowship, encouragement, and friendship. We've been through some wild stuff together. W.I.L.D.
This lovely little lady was our "house helper" along with Sue. She was always ready with a smile and a hug. She really loved us all, but I think she especially loved her "sister" Anika!
This is our sponosred child at the Deaf Mission, so it was just delightful to get to visit her again! It was fun to see that she'd learned a lot of sign language skills since last June when she was new to the Mission. She obviously knew her way around now! It's always hard to leave her though... she was extremely sad to see us go. She, and many other children, asked if we would "carry them to America" (take them) and be their Mom and Dad. Kinda kills you to have to explain that you can't.
Our boy... :)
I LOVE this shot of him!! He just really enjoyed the ocean. He was worried about dying for a while (as they are often told that the sea will carry them away), but he warmed up very quickly to it as long as he had a firm grip on our hands! He hated the taste of the salty water though!
Brenda with Hawa, when she was still feeling sick with malaria. I cannot imagine a more perfect person to be with our family for the first week we were there. She was steady and calm, so helpful, not sqeamish or high-maintenance, and just ready and open for whatever came. I'm so thankful for the new friendship we have with her. The only bummer about all these great friendships we've made, with Liberian ties, is that NO ONE lives near us!
Opelo~ He lives and works at the guest house. We sat with Brenda and listened one night as he told us all about his life during the many years of war. It is truly incredible to know what some of our Liberian friends have endured through.
Jason took this picture of one of his favorite little buddies. Isn't she just beautiful??
Our Georgia~ How do you explain someone like Georgia?? She's spunky and stands up for justice in a place that desperately lacks it. She is confident and bold when she has the need to be, and often gets her way. She loves so many children, and fights ferociously for their well-being. She's funny and has a great sense of style. It was so fun really getting to know her.
Jason with Theo (pronounced "Tee-oh" in Liberia). He is the father to several kids at the mission, and rides his bike for about 2 hours to get there to help out with maintenance at DHCV. He's a hard worker, and we owe the times that our toilet wasn't backed up to him. Jason hung out with Theo often as they'd work together to fix things.
Our sweet friend. Love her. Love her. Love her. We all love her.
Me with my Hawa-girl. :) Obviously... LOVE her.
Kelvin and his cousin (who he calls "brother"). He will be the new child we're sponsoring at DHCV since Rebeccah is back home with family now. It's a great way to support the needs of the children, plus it's a way to stay involved in the lives of Kelvin's family members. (We were SO sad not to be able to spend more time with her!!! But, we're happy she's with her family.)
Jason wasn't seen all that much without this little friend. They just clicked.
Jason with Elijah. He the guy who can preach!! He truly has a spiritual gifting of evangelism and teaching. It's amazing to witness. He's 25 and finishing 11th grade, after traveling and preaching for a number of years.
Tommy and Meggan ~ an amazing couple that we've been privileged to get to know over the last few years. Tommy came to Liberia with us last June, and we met Meggan for the first time (though I felt I already knew her from phone conversations and through Tommy), as they traveled to Liberia during the last week of our time there. We very much enjoyed their fellowship, encouragement, and friendship. We've been through some wild stuff together. W.I.L.D.
This lovely little lady was our "house helper" along with Sue. She was always ready with a smile and a hug. She really loved us all, but I think she especially loved her "sister" Anika! 
This is our sponosred child at the Deaf Mission, so it was just delightful to get to visit her again! It was fun to see that she'd learned a lot of sign language skills since last June when she was new to the Mission. She obviously knew her way around now! It's always hard to leave her though... she was extremely sad to see us go. She, and many other children, asked if we would "carry them to America" (take them) and be their Mom and Dad. Kinda kills you to have to explain that you can't.
Our boy... :)
I LOVE this shot of him!! He just really enjoyed the ocean. He was worried about dying for a while (as they are often told that the sea will carry them away), but he warmed up very quickly to it as long as he had a firm grip on our hands! He hated the taste of the salty water though!
Brenda with Hawa, when she was still feeling sick with malaria. I cannot imagine a more perfect person to be with our family for the first week we were there. She was steady and calm, so helpful, not sqeamish or high-maintenance, and just ready and open for whatever came. I'm so thankful for the new friendship we have with her. The only bummer about all these great friendships we've made, with Liberian ties, is that NO ONE lives near us!
Opelo~ He lives and works at the guest house. We sat with Brenda and listened one night as he told us all about his life during the many years of war. It is truly incredible to know what some of our Liberian friends have endured through.
Jason took this picture of one of his favorite little buddies. Isn't she just beautiful??
Our Georgia~ How do you explain someone like Georgia?? She's spunky and stands up for justice in a place that desperately lacks it. She is confident and bold when she has the need to be, and often gets her way. She loves so many children, and fights ferociously for their well-being. She's funny and has a great sense of style. It was so fun really getting to know her.
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