What A Day!

Today, May 24, has been a day to MARK as special, a day that will go down as significant.  "Why?" you might ask.

Well, in 1996 Barry and I met Japhet Mchakulu, a young man who had just graduated from ABC in Malawi.  When we knew him then he was managing the radio station on campus.  That tells you a little about how ABC leadership on campus felt about him.  We shared their admiration, but as we got to know him, well,  he became "my African son".  In 1998 he came to Mississippi College and in 2000 he graduated with a master's in Communication.  That in a nutshell is how EAFC came into being.

TODAY,  EAFC embraced its future.  Today,  I got to announce at the Liberian recap meeting that Sarah Sullivan is the new Executive Director of EAFC.

I've known Sarah for three years now.  I'm always honored when the very young want to take walks with me, to meet me for a cup of coffee etc.  For 3 years, Sarah and I have gotten better and better acquainted.  Neither of us every envisioned what has transpired in the past few weeks.  For as Sarah wrestled between February and May over determining God's next step in her life,  I kept  listening and empathizing with her. BUT WHILE I WAS IN LIBERIA,  I couldn't get her off my mind.  I knew she fit SOMEHOW in what was happening with me, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out how.  About 3 weeks ago, as we had coffee together and she shared what her next step was, it kind of CLICKED with me.  "What about EAFC?" I asked.  As you can imagine, her first reaction was "NO WAY".

I've learned!  Don't push it!  If God is in this, it WILL happen.  I won't go into the details.  I'll just say that Sarah's saying YES and my being able to tell the group that gathered today that EAFC has an executive director from the NEXT GENERATION absolutely overwhelms me with GRATITUDE.

God WANTS this ministry to continue! What a comforting thought for one who has struggled since 1997 wondering what God had in mind when He began EAFC.

  Liberia and Rwanda are the focus for 2011.  In 2012, we'll see what God says through Sarah's leadership as to how it is to develop, but I am confident that it'll be good.

In October, 2011,  I get to introduce my friend to my friends in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.  Oh,  I have LOTS of other friends in Africa who Sarah will probably have to meet on her own, but it is my privilege THIS YEAR to facilitate the transition from one generation to another.

Will you pray?

Oh, and by the way,  I LOVED being able today to share with those who came stories that didn't make the blog.  For those of you who would have liked to have been there,  I would still be willing to share stories at your churches or Sunday School classes, or with some of your friends.  Can you tell my passion hasn't died down?  In fact even now, Sarah and I have been invited to a round table women's group August 26.  I'm hoping that the WOMEN OF PURPOSE chapter that is being formed right now in Ganta Liberia will have a report that we can share.


Will you pray?   Will you write me back?

You are very important to me!  Many of you kept me going during those seven weeks that at the time seemed long and often hard.  Today, as I predicted, those weeks are a vapor that I hope has significantly changed me and maybe you too.  Let me know.

Your itenerate missionary,
Val

Notice of What Happens in Less Than One Week

Can you believe that it's been more than a month since I "re-entered" America after 7 weeks in Liberia.? Why do weeks seem to FLY here more than when I was there?  We'll discuss this question and MANY more if you will join me at
11:30 A.M.  on Tuesday, May 24
First Presbyterian Church, Patterson Hall, on the Belhaven Str side of the church

It's a brown bag lunch.  We'll have slides and a come and go informal time to share.
You are FREE to invite /and/or bring friends with you.

If this is out of the question for you for various reasons AND you'd still like to hear about how I grew through Africa, will you call or email me and invite me to a church event at YOUR church?

I do hope to hear from you.  My email is vvickery@gmail.com

If you can come and will let me know, the church will prepare the room for us.

Feedback

Today I road bikes with a family friend who's moved back into the neighborhood.  You'd think that the hills around Yekepa would have prepared me, but alas, I discovered that I'm in bad shape.  Not only that, but with so many options of what to eat whenever the urge comes upon me, the "skinny me" is quickly changing!  See,  I'm still growing through Africa. ha!

As my friend and I rode bikes around the neighborhood, he gave me feedback on my Sunday School report last Sunday.  He said,  "You know, you were in negotiation, don't you?"  Well,  I guess I was.  He also told me that people are interested in MY story, not necessarily the stories of people they've never met.  So,  I guess if my story links with THEIR story, "I kill two birds with one stone." as they say.

I really do care that THEIR story resonates with my friends.  I really, really LIKE my new friends.  I am inspired by them.  I think they have a story worth knowing.  I think that they can make a difference in their world.  I think that they need my friends HERE to catch the vision.  BECAUSE together we can reach the world with the GOOD NEWS.

Just think, if EAFC has reached 600 people (conservative numbers) in 12 years with funds for leadership training, and these 600 touch 100 other people, look what an impact one "small" ministry can make.

TODAY I got a NOTE accompanying a check that came to the EAFC post office box.  This young friend was thanking us for our commitment to Africa.  He said that his family was going to that night read the stories that we'd mailed out this week.  Is my excitement coming through?

We try and try and try.  Some ideas we've tried over the years have proven to be effective in communicating our message.  Others have been tools for our learning.  We don't do those things any more, but we try to learn from the experience.  What I'm asking you is that I get feedback from you,  friends like you who are reading this.  I want to be an effective communicator.  I want to do a better job!

This week I decided that a store I'd gone to, I'll never go back to again.  The owners of the store don't know of my decision.  It may or may not matter to them why I made such a decision.  BUT WITH YOU, I DO care.

Will you give me feedback?

Can I Make Them REAL?

Jamaima, Rosylene, Julia, and Edith, "Women of Purpose"

Oh how I want to make my new friends REAL to my old friends here.  I write this post as "A Woman of Purpose".  The day I left Yekepa (right before the helicopter ride) I met with four of my friends.  Some of these ladies I had previously discussed changing Passionate Women Chapters of EAFC to something else.  Barry had been musing with me that he thought the word "passionate" might have connotations that in some circles could miscommunicate what we meant .  When we looked up the word, the dictionary seemed to concur with Barry's impressions.



There's ALBERT LLOYD.  He's a leader in the denomination, Evangelical Church Union of Liberia. (ECUL)  The REST of the leaders of ECUL chose Albert to pursue a master's degree at Daystar University in Kenya in communication, so he could replace teachers like me!.

Albert and Priscilla Lloyd at the University of Liberia the day they toured me around Monrovia.  Albert checked to see if he could get a masters degree in communication from the University, but it's not available.  The educational system in Liberia needs so much help.  That's why his church leaders chose a Christian university in Kenya for his continued education.

 EAFC wants to help the church, but we can't unless there are others HERE who are touched by his story.  If you will email me at vvickery@gmail.com, I'll attach a copy of Albert's story for your consideration.

THEN there's Ruth Paye's story.  She's helping women in the city of Ganta HEAL from all the indignities they were subjected to during the 14 year war in Liberia.  I'd love to share HER story and her project proposal too. You'd be amazed by how little she asks for the 20 women with whom she works.

Would you ask me to send you her story?  Ah, that'd be a gift to both me and to those we want so to help.

Stay tuned.  There's other stories I think you might want to read.

I'm amazed that I THOUGHT I could be finished with this blog.

It's MAY now.  On May 24 I hope to see some of you at First Presbyterian Church, Patterson Hall at 11:30 A.M. for a time of reunion and sharing.

1 Corinthians 2:10 in The Message gives us a Scriptural mandate for what we are talking about.

Your fellow missionary,
Val