To all our brothers and sistes in the Lord,
We greet each and every onen of you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
As some of you may be aware, today is commonly referred to here in Liberia as "26 Day." This is how July 26th, which is the Independence Day of our dear country is commonly referred to.
In short, today we as Liberians are celebrating our 165th Independence Anniversary, as Africa's oldest independent repuplic. As I sit composing this mail, my heart is full of joy and praise to God who is restoring our nation once more. I see from where I sit the little children in their new suits, as it is the custom here for Christmas and our Independence Day. The kids are all smiling, laughing, and walking freely; visiting relatives and friends.
Right now, I have about fifteen of these kids sitting on on the chairs and some on the the floor, in our living room and they are being led by my son Elijah, who is showing them and playing with some of them, his newly found joy, a PS 3 game (Playstation) which was sent him by one of our dear friends and brothers in the States.
Most of these kids are children who are scholarship students who have being provided the invaluable assert of education through the assistance of many of you.
Today, we as a nation we could not be celebrating without God first, and then all of you. I say this. because in one way or the other, each of you have played some role to bring us where we are, and once more put smiles on the faces of all of us Liberians, especially our children. Nearly all of you have prayed for us; some of you have come here, on mission trips; some of you have helped schools, churches, provided safe drinking water for us and our people, many of you are making eduation available for many of our kids, some of you have opened your comfortable homes to us to provide us lodging and meals that enabled in order to make our itineration to enable folks hear some of our stories to which many have responded,and many of you continue to pray for us even today. Indeed, God, through all of you, is restoring the years that the locusts had eaten
As we celebrate, we cannot do so with thanking God and also thanking each of you for standing with us in our efforts to restore our dear nation, Liberia. Therefore, we want to thank God first, and then thank each and everyone of you for helping to bring us here we
are through our wonderful partnership. We say in the typical Liberian way "Thank You Plenty."
Before I close, let me also share with you, espeically those of you who have been here, that three two days ago, the President Madam Sirleaf, switched on the first three post war "Traffic Lights" on the Bushod Island. This is somethng that all kids and even young men and young women have never seen in Liberia. She also among many other projects, dedicated a "Children Play Ground, something is almost completely absent in our society. In her dedication remarks, one thing she said that I picked up is that the dedications of the traffic lights is a signal that Liberia is now moving towards a modern state in Africa.
Many many thank to all of you for what you are doing here which is making a tremendious impact in the lives of not only United Methodists, but all Liberians.
Thanks and God bless.
Grace and peace,
Your dear brother in Christ,
Albert Barchue
