Trip Update and More Pictures...

Four of us traveled to Liberia this trip...

my pastor, his wife Stacy, (who were with us the first week, then they were with family the rest of the time), my husband Scott and myself, Christina. 

God orchestrated every step and blessed us beyond words.

The Haven Children are doing amazing!  All the foster moms and children seemed so content and had such a joy about them.  All are very happy in the new apartments, and all are staying healthier!

The Haven Children's Program is only possible through our committed sponsors.  EVERY cent we get on a monthly basis, gets sent directly to our program in Liberia.  God has been teaching us wonderful faith through this... He KNOWS the needs, and supplies in his perfect timing!  Not only are our needs met for our children monthly, but he is bringing in a lot you prayer warriors and Godly people. 

 Tanya (our Haven Children's Co-Director) and myself, feel so very blessed to be able to experience what God is doing in this little program/ministry that God has entrusted us with.  Our foster moms love and care so much about these children...it's hard work, but they know God has called them to this!

These children are precious and beautiful!  Our role is to take care of them and be an example to those lives touched by these wonderful little gifts from God!  WE are the lucky ones! 

 

Our immediate team members and foster moms with Christina.

Sooooo many smiles that week!

More pictures of the first day we saw the Haven Children in Monrovia, before we headed up to Gbarnga.

                                                           Goofy Junior...

Our first full day in Gbarnga...after a long hot day.  We were hungry:0)

Scott and Pastor, and many members of the Kollieta Wgolia Community.  His Safe Haven has 10 acres in this community.  There is one school that has over 400 students, and NO play equipment or playground.  His Safe Haven received funds from a family that donated for building a swing set!  The whole community is so very happy to have this for all the children!!  We would like to build another swing set very soon!

                                              His Safe Haven land...There were about 25 of us that spent time praying over this beautiful land God has donated.  We have met and have grown to love some very special families that will be a big part of the His Safe Haven Village building process.

       

                                The swing set dedication ceremony.  The children in the school, blessed us with some wonderful singing. 

                                            I love these people so much!  Every single one of them are such a blessing from God, and are already blessing HSH!

                              Passing out school supplies...

                
                                          Scott in his element...teaching the locals how to build a swing set...

                                         These pictures just don't do justice to the beauty of this area.  I love the people and the clean air:0)

                      
                                 In the orange hat is the town chief.  He was very entertaining...

                                          Sister Rose teaching us how to cook Liberian style

 

Stacy and I were presented with pretty African dresses.  Did I say how much I love all these people:0)

.

                                    His Safe Haven presented the new hospital with infant slumber bag warmers. Premature babies cannot regulate their temperature and stay warm, regardless of how warm you think Liberia is.  Because the hospital is lacking for supplies, we had a few ladies sew these bunting bags to act as infant warmers for premature babies.  There is a pocket in the back of the bags for a warmed bag of palm oil.  The bags stay warm for hours...and the palm oil bag stays at the correct temperature.  It's the only oil that can do this when properly heated...Well, there's plenty of crude palm oil in Liberia! 
I asked the staff if they would use these, and if so, how many more should we try to have made for the next trip.  THEY SAID AT LEAST 20!!  So if there are any sewers out there that would like to make a few of these, we have the instructions for you!!  These bags can save a life!

 

 

***His Safe Haven appreciates all your prayers so very much!  God is going to build the HSH Village...we just continue praying and having the faith that HE supply the funds and the workers.

It's a privilege and a blessing to be such a small part of this amazing program and team! 

No Words...Just Love...

Today is my last day here.  This is always such a hard time for me, leaving the Haven Children, my Liberian family, and the foster moms.  God has given me the ability to have such peace knowing my husband and children at home are being well taken care of, and yet such a burden for the children here, aching to come back soon!  The ache gets harder each time I leave.  But I rejoice knowing that EVERY ONE of our special needs child here, is loved and getting quality care.  I know that the team here is accountable to each other, and I get accurate information of things going on here.  I am leaving here with a peaceful heart.

 

 

Our team the I love sooooo much!

 

 

 

Some of our Haven Children...

 

LOOK AT THOSE CHEEKS!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every trip, somehow, parents with special needs just KNOW where to fund us, and they just start coming.  In one day, we had 3 children and the families come to us for assistance.  Even though we can't help them financially, we continue offering assistance and focus on empowering them as families on keeping their child and knowing how to care for them. 

Almost weekly, HSH gets call on a child needing our program.  Here are just a few of these children...

Please just pray for provisions for special needs children!

 

 

 

 

A Few More Pics...

Our pastors and family in Gbarnga...

                                                      The Village Chief

 

                                    The little village we have grown to love so much...

 

 

 

 

Two of our Haven Children...

Surprise and Angel...

 

A Few Pics From Liberia!

 

We are here in Liberia!  We spent the first week in Gbarnga, and now are back in Monrovia for the Haven Children's Program.

It has taken over an hour to load just a few pics with our slow internet.  I will try and keep posting a few more in the next few days. It may have to wait until we get back to the states next week.

We have done so many things so far, but here are a few highlights....

In Gbarnga we passed out school supplies, candy and cookies to the village school, close to our land.  My husband and my pastor, gathered a few strong men and built a very large swing set, with funds donated by a family, for the school.  What a blessing for the whole community!

We had a large group of us on our land, several pastors and family members, hold hands in a large circle spending time in prayer and dedication of our land.  This land God is going to use in a mighty

 way!!

We also had a dedication ceremony at the school for the swing set.  The singing from the 300 students was precious!

Here are a few pictures of our first week...

Barry and I were a bit excited to see each other:0)

 

                                      
 Sweet Sylvester and his loving foster mom...

 

Handsome Prince and his foster mom...

 

 

 

The building of the swing set!!!

 

 

The school children singing and waiting patiently...

 

Pray for Sweet Georgia...

Just try to imagine...

A mother in Liberia leaves her baby girl in an abandoned home, runs off and will not return for her little girl.  This baby girl is different.  She is at least 18 months old and is not progressing like other babies her age.  She has all over weakness, and cannot do much...she is different.  This baby girl spent all night alone in this abandoned home, I'm sure confused, crying...alone.  You see, if YOU are the one to take that little girl, YOU are responsible for her.
From what we know, the woman that did take her the next morning has been trying to care for her, says she can't feed her anymore and doesn't want her.  
God in his wonderful way, guided this woman to someone, who knew the nephew of our nurse!
The situation sounded urgent, and even though it was in a downpour, he went to assess the situation and offer assistance.
For now, baby girl is doing okay, but will be coming into the program. 

So...today I have a picture and ask for prayers for this little girl.  We will take her in, regardless of what we lack ...BECAUSE I KNOW GOD WILL PROVIDE...HE ALWAYS DOES!

*HERE IS PRECIOUS GEORGIA

 

UPDATE!

 

Birth mom has been located, and after speaking to our nurse, she will not be caring for her daughter.

Georgia is 19 months old!

She will be getting a wonderful loving foster mom who will help her reach her potential. 

The government will be officially placing her in our program.

She may have Microcephaly, along with Cerebral Palsy from this. 

Please be in prayer for Georgia, who will have been through three different moves in less than one week! 

 

 

 

The Haven Children are doing so well!!!!!

The children are happy and healthy!  We also have some small and big milestones to report...

 

BARRY IS SITTING ON HIS OWN!

 

BLESSING IS STANDING!

 

DIAMOND IS SMILING MORE! (YEP...THAT'S HIS SMILE:0)

ANGEL CONTINUES TO GAIN STRENGTH!

 

ERIC SMILES MORE TOO!!

 

*This beautiful children have been transforming before our eyes! 

Thank you to all our sponsors who are a huge part of these little lives!

Update on our Sweet Blessing...

From the very day Blessing was dropped at the doorstep of our foster homes, she has been described as "happy and content."  She is settling right in with her foster family:0) 

After a few days of our team driving to a few police stations and talking with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in the Liberian Government, we could not locate her birth mom or any family member that could help us with her history, so we followed protocol to welcome Blessing into the Haven Children's Program.  Even though God gave us this clear answer the first day we had her!

We will be scheduling her medical very soon so we can get a proper diagnosis.

This sweet little beautiful girl, Blessing, still needs a sponsor...as well as two more of our children.