Water Tank and Generator House

Friends

I am eager to see Mary, Nancy, and JanJay, friends at Camphor Mission pictured here!

Camphor Mission on Google Earth

Camphor Update

"The Lazy Man Does Not Eat"

This was the quote of the day today.  It came from Alexander the carpenter who we were working with grouting the tile in one of the bathrooms.  He works very hard every day from morning till evening.  He received his education in Monrovia and now has a business in Buchanon City.  He told us that only 20% of Liberians are employed.  Yes, there is 80% unemployment here, but that is not because Liberians are lazy.  Education and opportunity is very limited. America is the land of opportunity.  Every Liberian man I have met here from the age fifteen years and older has my contact information and given me his because they dream of coming to America some day.

I Must Kick The "Football"

Tomorrow they are having a holiday at the school in our honor.  Classes are canceled and they are having a big event for us to watch.  It will start with jump rope, then track and field, and climax with and a big soccer game with the students against the teachers.  Coach Toe came to the guest house today and today and told me, since I am the team leader, I have to do the kickoff.  I've never played soccer.  It should be interesting.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the household of faith,Another wonderful day of service, clinic, big bellies, sick children, comforting those in need, feeding the hungry, teaching the children how to ride a bike! Ground peas, peanuts is such a small thing-peanuts-but here it is another mouthful of much needed protein. Tomorrow, Irene will cook lots of beans and rice for all the school and local community. Please pray for an open door to beans and peanuts, to send home more than just a handful of protein to each pregnant lady and nursing mother. 

Thank you! 

And a huge answer to many prayers is the water barrel, which is now filled by the generator automatically!

1 Tim.1:17 Now to the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever, Amen!

Pedaling Parsons News

Follow what is happening first hand through the eyes of Rev. Don Richards, leader of the Pedaling Parsons in East Ohio. http://northcantongrace.org/thoughts-from-the-pastor/

Pedaling Parson's Update

The Pedaling Parsons have taken all the bicycles out of the container for examination and minor repairs, air up the tires, lubricate chains, etc. They are planning a 30 mile round trip to Buchanan Beach, half the team with half of the pastors scheduled to receive the bikes on Thursday and the other half on Friday. Coach Toe is gleefully helping them to get in better condition; jogging, calisthenics, stretches, & other painful, hot and sweaty procedures! Keep them in your prayers.

More news from Deb Moore

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We all went to church in our new clothes today, feeling quite grand and warm! Wearing a "lappa" long piece of cloth, just wrapped around, makes it rather difficult to move with long strides! It was a grand day for the church, visitors in African clothing, Scott preaching, Bishop Innis also spoke about the wonderful progress for Camphor, the advantages of schooling,
the newly smoothed road, the satellite dish, all mean blessings for the people here. After church was over, there was a program at the school, for Frido's trade schooling for girls, cooking and sewing. I was a bit late, because I couldn't get the front door key out of the
lock. Because of the humidity, cars and trucks and locks rust faster than usual. It will get fixed tomorrow. 

And this evening, the 6 new visitors (Pedaling Parsons from East Ohio) came, and they're now getting settled in to the guest houses. About the time they were getting their luggage loaded at the airport, JoAnna was telling me about the local pastors' wife due soon, whose
baby is transverse. She's coming tomorrow, and we'll politely ask the baby to change position! I just went next door to guesthouse #1 and Tammy Richardson has unloaded a big box of ultrasound gel-thank you Jesus! And a soft rubber replica of a 12-wk fetus, to help the new mothers understand the importance of good nutrition! 

God is so good! It is just awesome to help spread God's wisdom and knowledge, and see
people's lives change for the better! 

Last year in the local markets, I never saw butter, or peanut butter, just in the expensive grocery stores. That is a simple sign of improving economy! Your prayers have such far reaching consequences, please keep praying for Camphor, for Liberia, for Africa.


By God's grace, 
Deb Moore from Detroit Conference, Long Term UMVIMer

News from Rev. Scott Low

Rev. Scott Low, from Solon UMC in East Ohio is posting stories from his 7 weeks of sabbatical at Camphor Mission.  Check out the stories.
https://www.facebook.com/scott.low.31

News from Deb Moore, Longterm UMVIMer

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is so good to be able to share with you the daily life at Camphor, the first week of the new semester, and the new year, is over! The students are back in the dorms, and coming from the villages, and filling up the classrooms. The clinic is busy seeing big bellies and children for vaccinations, and Bishop Innis is coming tomorrow, and will drive in on this lovely new driveway, the amazingly level, rock-free, widened and beautiful driveway! Scott Low and 2 of his children are here, and he's preaching Sun., here at Garfield. Sun. evening, the team of 6 "Pedaling Parsons" comes in and now will come directly out to Camphor, because the roads are so much better. When I was here last year, Danny was busy buying bicycles, with money raisedby the PP's, to help equip the local pastors who have to walk so far to serve their churches. So, next Fri. & Sat., a long ride is planned, from here into Buchanan, out to the beach, and back again, about 30 miles roundtrip. Each day, some of the riders will be the local pastors chosen to receive the bikes, and some of the PP's. Rev. Kulah tells me there was a time when he walked 16 hours! Mary Gargar, the clinic OIC (officer-in-charge) says she walked 8 hours! Tomorrow I will walk to Old Lady market again with Mary Davis, and buy beans and peanuts for the lady with the burns, and we'll go visit her later.  I walked around the campus this evening, while Coach Toe made the younger visitors go jogging. I stopped to sing with the jr. choir, on the front steps of the church. I looked at the painting being done on Rev. Kulah's house, and the plastering in the staff quarters, and it is wonderful to see the improvements to Camphor. Then I came past the girls dorm, and when I got back, and Wala turned on the generator, the dish was working, and we got right on the net! Praise God for all the blessings that mean better care for the students, the staff, and all those served by the clinic.Whatever you have done for the least of these my brethren, you have done for me-Jesus' instructions to us all!
Deb Moore

Bishop John G. Innis and Irene Innis coming to East Ohio!

We have an exciting opportunity in East Ohio.  We will be hosting Bishop John G. and Mother Irene Innis for a week in East Ohio.  

Save the Date Saturday, May 25, 2013

At Grace UMC in North Canton

Welcome Bishop Innis to the East Ohio 

The evening will be filled with special guests, food, African entertainment, time to celebrate relationships, and moments of storytelling.  This will be an evening that everyone will remember.  We will be celebrating the relationship between East Ohio and Harrisburg, Camphor Mission Station, and the Ganta Mission Station in Liberia.

We have hopes that guests will help to raise funds for a vehicle at Camphor Mission.  Camphor Mission is the childhood home and alma mater of Bishop Innis.  Bishop Innis has been hoping to meet this need for many years now.  The Camphor road has been improved and the time is right for us to meet this need.  The goal is to raise $10,000 that evening.  You will hear more details about this in March.

Bishop Innis and Mother Irene's schedule while they are in East Ohio.

Saturday, May 25 Welcome Celebration hosted at Grace UMC and Pedaling Parsons

Sunday, May 26 Preaching at Solon UMC hosted by Rev. Scott Low with lunch to follow with commissioning of the Youth and Young Adult UMVIM traveling to Camphor Mission in June.

Sunday, May 26 evening at Garfield UMC

Sunday, June 2 Preaching at Mt. Vernon Gay Street UMC hosted by Mary Blencowe

All other dates are available for speaking engagements, informal gatherings, etc.  Please contact Kathy Dickriede (kathyd@camphormission.org if you would like to arrange a time with the Innis'.  We are looking to fill their schedule!

News from Camphor Mission

From Rev. Roosevelt Goah, DS of the St. John River District

"Camphor Mission road is now rehabilitated. Our guests will have a smooth ride to the mission. We are grateful to our senior senator for granting our requested."
DS Goah

Because the Pedaling Parsons are traveling to Liberia this long overdue road repair has taken place on the 2 mile road from the main road to Camphor Mission Station.  This is important to the people of Liberia as it provides ACCESS to health care, safer travel, more comfort on a motorcycle after maternity labor in the clinic at Camphor when the need to travel to the government hospital in Buchanan is necessary.  Praise God for working in mysterious ways and using faithful bike riders to bring needed change and transformation.  This has the potential to save lives of mothers and babies.  

Camphor Mission and East Ohio 2013

This is going to be an exciting year for East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church and their relationship with the Camphor Mission Station in Liberia.

Rev. Scott Low is spending 7 weeks on sabbatical leave in Liberia arriving on January 6 with his daughter Lizzy who is staying for 2 weeks and son Josh who is staying for 4 months!  Scott will bring the Change the World curriculum to Liberia, bible studies, relationships, pastor training, and more.

The Pedaling Parson led by Rev. Don Richards will be with Scott on the mission beginning January 14th.  The seven person team from East Ohio will ride bikes with other Liberian pastors to Buchanan, the beach, celebrate with lunch and a ceremonial time of bike dedication and gifting 11 bikes to 11 Liberian pastors.  Rev. Roosevelt Goah the district superintendent of the St. John River District has done an amazing job of partnering with Don to make this time meaningful. The team will also work on improving staff housing on the mission.

Rev. Kathy Dickriede will travel to Camphor on February 2 with 2 teams of UMVIM folks to be on the mission until March 3.  We will join Scott in the work that he is doing as well as teacher training, mini VBS, sewing projects, decorating classrooms, relationship building, and so much more. Joining this group is laity, clergy, and our very own Bishop John Hopkins!  It will be an exciting time for ministry and leadership at Camphor Mission. Kathy and Danny will travel with  Bishop Hopkins, Rick Wolcott, Judy Wismer-Claycomb, and Steve Court to Sierra Leone to visit the Manajama Clinic and participate in the Sierra Leone Annual Conference for one week in early March before all return to East Ohio.

Josh Low will travel with a team of 4 UMVIMers led by Kevin Schaner and Linda Bloom to Ganta Mission Station in midMarch.  The team will focus on library training and medical needs at the Ganta Hospital.

In late May an UMVIM team from Garfield UMC led by Sandy VerDuin in Pepperpike will travel to Camphor Mission to continue working on church relationships and renovations on the building and parsonage.

The first 2 weeks of June Mt. Vernon Gay Street UMC will be on the Camphor Mission and a Youth and Young adult team led by Rev. Jason Hockran will be on the mission the last 2 weeks in June!

Praise God for the work of each of these groups.  Stay connected to the blog as we attempt to make regular updates!  Please keep all of these teams in your prayers.