Peace on Earth

Encouragement and Inspiration

The 2011 LOEP Training Team will land in Liberia in less than four weeks.  Amidst the Christmas preparation, we are also getting ready for the trip and there is much to pack!  So many caring people have come forward throughout the year with thoughtful ways to help orphans in Liberia experience compassion and love.

Last Spring LOEP contacted Jade Sims of Craft Hope.  Jade's online group of crafters responded with enthusiasm to our call for instructional bean bags for Liberian classrooms.  Children and adults from more than seven nations joined Craft Hope's crafting effort! By mid-May LOEP had received hundreds of sets of bean bags from four continents for Liberian teachers to use in their classrooms.  Check out the website for pictures of crafters and their wonderful hand-crafted contributions to LOEP   http://crafthope.com/category/project-7/  It was a wonderful experience for LOEP to connect with so many around the world and raise awareness of needs of Liberia's children.

As we recovered from Bean Bag Spring, a new friend introduced herself.  Christine Dallimore of Sending Smiles got in touch with us in Summer about teacher training and, specifically, LOEP efforts to assist Hope School for the Deaf in Liberia. Christine is a blogger whose army of compassionate Moms reach out in a neighborly way to help children and families.  These moms consider the whole world their "neighborhood" and anyone in need their "neighbors". Liberian kids are well within their range so they got to work!  Drawing from considerable collective experience, they sent instructional aids for teachers at Hope School including books on sign language and lots of sets of fantastic sign language flash cards!  Supplies and hand crafted tote bags for teacher training kits were also in the Sending Smiles packages that got to LOEP just in time for the October shipment.  Those great training aids will be in Liberia for us to use with the teachers when we get there next month!  Check out Christine's website for some compassion in action inspiration.
http://smilesbymail.blogspot.com/

By early Fall we had sorted and packed boxes of teacher training materials and school supplies for the October shipment to Liberia.  Then we heard from Leah Lunsford in Missouri.  Leah (also a crafter) shares a particular interest in Liberia with her close friend.  The two also share close September Birth dates and had decided to have a joint party that would feature a project to assist LOEP!  Of course, we jumped on that great idea and gratefully accepted their offer of hand crafted pillow case dresses.  The adorable little dresses are packed in our personal luggage to hand-deliver in January.  We hope to have a fashion show with pictures on the LOEP blog!  Leah continues hosting parties to craft items and raise awareness of need in West Africa, specifically Liberia, where life for orphans is so difficult.  Party Crafting for Liberia - could be a new trend.  Thanks to Leah and her crafty partying ladies!

Of course, none of these wonderful items would ever get to Liberia without LOEP donors.  Depsite economic hard times, individual LOEP donors remain steadfast with their financial contributions to put teaching supplies directly into the hands of teachers.  Teaching is a challenging profession in the best of circumstances.  In Liberia where pay checks are sporadic, classrooms are bare and books are hard to come by, teaching challenges become obstacles.  LOEP contributors help teachers overcome those obstacles by putting instructional materials and books right into Liberian classrooms.  LOEP shipments of instructional support encourage teachers and they are inspired by gifts that show confidence in them and their work. 

Spirit of Giving - Jack and Emily

There is no Christmas tree here but this party really exemplifies the Spirit of the season. Even though this event took place last month, the story is a wonderful example of the Spirit of Giving and the wonder of childhood we all feel this time of year. 

Seven-year-old Emily (pictured above), and her twin brother Jack (pictured below) celebrated their birthdays last month each with their own party.   Jack and Emily know about LOEP and they have expressed some particular interest in the "orphan" aspect of LOEP work with questions about the orphans, their school, where they live, etc.  Their interest turned to concern when they learned of children who may not know their parents or their own birth date, and who have so little that the gift of a box of crayons or a new pencil is a memorable childhood event.

The twins decided their Birthday was the perfect opportunity to act on their concerns and make a difference in the lives of others.  Jack and Emily asked each of the birthday guests not to bring Birthday gifts for them but to instead bring school supplies to send to children in Liberia.  The six year old Birthday kids made this unselfish and thoughtful decision themselves because they decided they had "enough stuff already and did not need more"!  From all reports Jack and Emily had a great time planning their birthday parties and at one point Jack was asked if he was excited about the coming event. He replied, "yes, but I am really excited to see what everybody brings for the orphans!"
 
The Birthday parties were a great success and both Jack and Emily were excited about the gift "haul" of school supplies. LOEP was excited too and the supplies are packed in our luggage for the January training trip.  Along with the crayons and pencils we will give special greetings from Jack and Emily to their new friends in Liberia. 
 
Thank you, Jack and Emily for your great Birthday Idea! 

Another great report by Brenda

LOEP Board member, Brenda Bush, has filed another excellent report on CNN. This time she highlights the plight of children who cannot go to school because they have to work and one of the solutions to the problem posed by President Johnson-Sirleaf.

To see her report click the title of this post or:

http://newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/20/liberian-president-seeking-sponsors-for-school-kids/?iref=allsearch

Challenges

As the LOEP Training Team shifts into high gear here in the U.S., our friends and colleagues in Liberia are putting some new techniques into practice and preparing for new challenges, according to Rev. Sam-Peal.

Just this week we received a call from Rev. Sam-Peal. He wanted to tell us that the Pre-Kindergarten teacher is looking forward to receiving the bean bags and to receivng more training to work with children with special needs. He told me there is an Albino child who has enrolled in the Pre-K class this year and he has vision problems and some other issues related to learning. Rev. Sam-Peal said, "we are committed to being an 'inclusive' school and for children like him the bean bags will be a good learning and teaching tool. Because of his vision problems he needs more kinesthetic and auditory instruction. We will really be able to use them! We also want to be sure Karen is coming with the team to help us work with some special students".

This seemingly simple conversation is amazing on so many levels:

1. "inclusive" school is a new concept in Africa and, until the past year or two, it was virtually unheard of in Liberia. LOEP training introduced the concept of inclusiveness and 'learning differently" to the teachers at Lott Carey and last year the team introduced the idea of teaching children with special needs. Lott Carey Teachers have obviously not only grasped the concept but fully embraced it!

2. People with any kind of disability have a very difficult life in Africa. Because of ancient superstitions, Albinos suffer even more than others with intense discrimination against them and are even at risk for their lives in many cases. It is truly amazing to know that teachers and students at Lott Carey are not only committed to being an "inclusive" school but they are challenging ancient beliefs and overcoming their own deep-seated prejudices to be "committed" in finding ways to work with children who have special needs.

This is really a breakthrough and an incredible step for the teachers and students at Lott Carey. We are hoping that they will continue to experience God's love in a way that helps them shed the old ways that discriminate against the weakest and most vulnerable of His children. It is a privilege to walk into the light of compassion and kindness with them and see them remain committed to educating all children to be responsible citizens of a peaceful Liberia.

Liberia in the News

LOEP Board member, Brenda Bush works for CNN as a reporter and writer.  She was one of the lucky few on board the Delta Inaugural Flight direct from Atlanta to Monrovia.  President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and other Liberian dignitaries came from Liberia just to fly back on that special US-to-Liberia flight that took place two weeks ago.  It was especially significant for Brenda who is Liberian and has lived here in the U.S. most of her adult life, working hard and raising her family (she has five children), all the while keeping closely connected to her Liberian roots.

*Update:  Brenda sent a message to correct this post:  The Liberian dignitaries did not fly to the US to take the Inaugural flight back to Monrovia.  Madame President and the others were in Liberia to greet the Inaugural Delta flight and did so in fine fashion according to reports! 
Click on the link to see one of several special reports Brenda filed for CNN!

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2010/09/22/pkg.bob.johnson.liberia.cnn.html

First Day of School in Liberia

This e-mail was just received from Rev. Sam-Peal in response to the previous blog entry - Emmalee's reflection on the First Day of School. Rev. Sam-Peal is the head of Lott Carey Mission School where LOEP conducts teacher training workshops.

Dear Emma,

Greetings to you and hope all is well.
I just read your blog about first day of school. Monday 8/30/10 was the first day of school here at Lott Carey, and the kids were excited, anxious, scared, (the nursery was a noisy place with much crying and tears from first-timers who cried when their parents dropped them off and left), and wet. Yes wet, the rains are heavy and on the first day it really POURED all day. The rain did not deter these excited and determined students, though some came to school drenched because they had no rain gear. Some came without school supplies, some showed up for school even though they had not paid a cent towards registration or tuition, they came in faith hoping that they will be allowed in class and that someway, somehow their fees will be paid for them to stay in school this year. Some had on new shoes, some had on old shoes, some were uniformed and others were not, very few had lunchboxes, yet, very eager and excited to learn. So our first week of school is off to a great start, teachers are excited, classrooms are freshly painted, decorated (Ms. Harvey had balloons to welcome her students), students are excited.

Just thought to share this with you when I read your blog about First Day of school.

Love and blessings,

Emile