NO MORE WAR: Rebuilding Liberia through Faith, Determination and Education

The phone rang again. I looked at the clock; it was 4:00 a.m. The timing was early for me here in America, but normal business hours in Liberia. I hesitated. Yes, I was expecting this phone call, but there already had been so many trials, so many obstacles, and so many challenges. This phone call could be the good news we hoped for, the good news we expected. Or, perhaps more realistically, it could be just another challenge that we must prayerfully overcome. I prayed briefly, and then, finally and somewhat reluctantly, I picked up the phone. It was good news. I nearly jumped with joy! We had received our credentials from the Liberian government! This was a major step - we were now an official school. With these credentials, Liberian International Christian College (LICC) would be able to open its doors. When they graduated, our students would have an approved degree. Finally, after so many years, our plans were coming to fruition. God is good! In the midst of the trouble, it does not always feel that way. But, if we have faith, if we wait on the Lord, if we keep looking for His direction, if we follow His direction as we find it, in the end His plan works out. And, so far, so it has been with us. For me, personally, the college is very close to my heart. Partly that is because I spent my life pursuing an education. And in doing so, education changed my life. Getting an education has allowed me to live a life I would never have experienced had I remained a farmer in my village or worked as a laborer at a local mine. I have had the chance to touch the lives of so many people. So, given the importance of education to me, maybe it is no surprise that I became a member of a group of Liberian refugees inspired to found a college in their homeland. We are men and women who were driven from our country by a violent and destructive civil war, struggling to earn a living in America. Some of us have worked or are working two or three jobs to make ends meet. In the midst of our own struggles, we began looking for a way to help our country. As we met and talked, the idea of a college began to form. And not just any college, but our college was to be a place where future leaders – godly leaders - would be trained. We would educate men and women who would stand among those who shaped the future of Liberia. These men and women would teach others about God. Hopefully, they would keep our country from falling into another civil war. Now, through LICC, we have the chance to help others to impact the lives of even more people. By working together, and with the help of many caring Americans, we have been able to found a school. I had long imagined what it would be like for those first students. It has been one of the things that has kept me going through all the challenges. Many will have made great sacrifices and all will have worked hard preparing for college. Most will have experienced civil war. Many will have experienced extreme poverty. But, they will have kept on working and kept on trying, hoping one day to go to college. When I think of those first students, I can’t help but think of my own early education. To attend my first school, I used to walk ten miles each way. I did so without shoes. I did not feel sorry for myself. No, not at all. None of the other students I walked with had shoes either! I faced the long walk, and many other challenges, joyfully, because I was thankful for the opportunity to get an education. I believed an education would allow me to help myself, my family, my village, and my country. But, in the end, I found that education, in and of itself, was meaningless and left me feeling empty. Ultimately, it was through a relationship with Christ that I found true fulfillment. But, this had been part of God’s plan, too. He used what I had learned and then gave me the opportunity to learn more, so that He could use me to teach others about Him. My journey has been a long one. Part of that journey is a story about the value of education. Part of that journey is a story of the people who helped me along the way. It is a story of opportunities and risks, of changes and disappointments, of surprises and joys. And, it is also the story of those who have been helped by me. All of that journey is a story of God. During my childhood as a young boy back in Riverview, Liberia, I loved to learn and I wanted an education. I did not know where such as aspiration would take me or what the future would hold. I did not know that God would one day use me to help found a college and give education to my people. Please join me as I share some of the joys and heartaches of that journey.