Justin and Monica Tarr

I want to introduce you to two of our students at the Camphor Mission Station. Justin and Monica Tarr are brother and sister, same pa different ma. Their father's name is Rev. Joseph W. Tarr Sr. Rev. Tarrr is second in command at the St. John River District office. Monica's mom's name is Mary James and Justin's mom's name is Nyonjay. Mary is a midwife who sometimes brings goods like cola, bitterball and fufu to sell in the market. Nyonjay sells clothes in the big market in Buchanan that she brings from Monrovia. Justin was born in Buchanan at the government hospital while Monica was born in a home in Buchanan. Buchanan is the provincial capital, a large town just 15 miles from Camphor Mission Station.

Justin is the older brother, 15 years and Monica is just a year younger, 14 years old. They live in the dormitories on the mission. Justin has lived on the Camphor Mission for 6 years and Monica has lived on the mission for 3 years. Both attend school on a church scholarship. This means that they each bring 1 bag of rice, oil, and pay just $125 a year for school fees. Before living and going to school on the mission Monica and Justin lived in different homes in Buchanan but always knew one another. Justin was raised by his mom and Monica was raised by her grandma. As you watch them interact you can see a real love, respect and relationship between them. They look after one another and care about each other deeply.

Monica Marjay Tarr was born on July 1, 1998. She is in the 5th grade and wants to be a United Methodist pastor when she grows up. Meanwhile she likes to play with her friends, study, eat, dance and sing. Monica likes living on the mission better than living in Buchanan. "The teachers teach us good things," she says. Monica's favorite thing to eat is rice, palm butter with cassava leaf. Her favorite colors are pink and blue. She has her ears pierced. Her favorite television that she watches when in Monrovia is African shows and her favorite music is Me and You. Monica is looking forward to connecting with the pastor from East Ohio on the next UMVIM teams to arrive.

Justin Oliver Tarr was born on April 26, 1997. He is in the 9th grade wants to be either a journalist or a mechanical engineer. He was excited to hear that two engineers will be visiting the mission soon from the East Ohio Conference. Justin likes being at Camphor Mission where he can play with his friends. He likes soccer/football and basketball. He also likes being in Buchanan where he can walk all over (have more freedom), ride a bicycle, and watch football/soccer at the video club (a room with a generator and television to pay for viewing a live games or dvd). Justin's favorite football team is Barcelona. He even enjoys driving a motorcycle! He paid his friend to teach him to drive! Justin's favorite food is dumboy with palm butter. (Dumboy is cassava, a root vegetable, boiled and pounded and served as a staple food in Liberia.) Justin's favorite music is BayJay. Justin will graduate from the 9th grade this year and will attend school in Buchanan at another UMC school, Brumskin.

Monica and Justin want you to know that they their father has 8 children. The oldest brother Joseph is in the Armed Forces of Liberia. The oldest daughter Vicki finished high school and the next 2 older sisters are raising children. Monica has 2 younger sisters by the same ma same pa, Comfort and Patience. Justin and Monica are both sad about their relationship with their step mom, the woman their father is married to now. They say, "She hates us.. We love her and want her to be our mom but we are not allowed in their house," says Justin. Monica reinforces his words with "She does not want any part of us." They are still able to see their father when he comes to the mission to visit and when they are in Buchanan they go to his office.

All of the schools are coming to a close of the first semester. This week has been exam week for the school. They will have one week of classes then a two week break. Justin will go home to Buchanan with his mom for break and Monica will be with her grandma in Buchanan. Pray for Monica and Justin that they do well on their school exams, that they have an opportunity to visit with their father and relationship with their step mom, and that they are safe and healthy.

UMVIM TEAM 1

Everyone is busy.
Building the guesthouse.
Digging wells.
Math teacher training.
Map mural painting.
Tutoring students.
Substitute teaching.
Devotions with girls dorm.
Visiting villages.
Building relationships.
Eating great food.
Working in the agriculture field.
Participating in traditional birth attendant training.
And . . .
Site seeing in Buchanan.
Traveling by canoe to Edina.
Shopping in Buchanan.
Visiting Peace Corp Volunteers.

Being blessed by time spent stretching us outside of our comfort zone and being a blessing to others.
God is using the gifts God blessed us with for God's glory and kingdom building!
God is good all of the time. . .
All of the time God is good. . .

Peace from
Kathy Danny Ginny Ted Jack Janet and Lindsey

Things we see and don’t see at Camphor Mission . . .

We don’t see trash.
We don’t see long grass or overgrown palm trees.
We don’t see Tommy Paye, may he rest in peace.
We don’t see mosquito nets in the dorm.

We do see kids coming to school with backpacks and new uniforms.
We see pineapples in the pineapple grove.
We see brick making already in progress.
We see people digging a new boy’s dorm well.
We see healthy babies getting vaccinated at the clinic.
We see all the things we left behind.
We see water draining down our shower and the soffet job keeping bats our of our rafters.

It is a blessing to be at Camphor Mission and not be in crisis mode. Life is good.

Happy New Year Thoughts from a past volunteer

As 2012 begins, Kathy and Danny are back at Camphor, getting ready to receive visitors. In the weeks prior to their departure on December 31st, I thought a lot about them going without us, and I was sad. I even cried. There is no way I could be going, but Camphor is part of my life now. I wonder how things and people are at Camphor. I think of Tommy Pay, and I cry for the loss of him, but I smile knowing I will see him again in Heaven. I wondered who was going to meet Kathy and Danny at the airport; if everything was still going to be where it was left. I wonder how Irene is, or Bishop or Rev. Kulah or Success or Alvin Joe. I wonder how Esther and Annie are doing in school. Is Seite still at school? How are the students doing in school? Has the road been fixed or going to get fixed, and how is the house progressing? Were there any rats and spiders? How did the Mission celebrate Christmas?

Having been to Camphor, now the Mission and the people are part of my life. I am so blessed to have been able to go to Camphor. God is so good. Even though I had told God I would never go to Africa, I met Kathy and heard the Camphor Mission story, and the Holy Spirit told me it was time to go even though I was over 60 years of age. God has such an adventure planned for each of us if we just let him have control of our life. I will wait for each of Kathy’s posts to the blog and pray for the safety of her and Danny. I will always wonder about the people there and look forward to seeing them in Heaven when we all get there. Visitors are going this year that I don’t know, but I am sure they will come home with feelings similar to mine. This is God’s world.

So enjoy 2012, and may each of you be blessed with health and happiness. And may God bless Camphor Mission Station and the work that is and has been done there.

Blessings,
Jane Sterken

Solar Suitcase

Our bags are packed . . .
We are ready to go . . .

Thanks to some people at the Hope Ridge UMC, their work with the Advent Conspiracy, and Diane Sawyer's "Person of the Week" segment, we will be taking to the Camphor Mission Clinic a Solar Suitcase to bring light to the night time deliveries. See more about what a Solar Suitcase on their website www.wecaresolar.org

Thanks Rev. Beth and Rev. Jon Wilterdink for your leadership and vision at Hope Ridge UMC!

Camphor Christmas Greeting

From the Missionary Partners Kathy and Danny Dickriede

Thank you for your prayers in 2011! We journeyed to Camphor Mission Station in Liberia in January to mid March and again the end of June to mid August. God accomplished much in Kingdom building through you, the partnering church and United Methodist volunteers.
Relationships were formed.
Guesthouses were built and slept in.
Maternal Health Wards built, painted, and tiled.
Water wells dug.
UMVIM teams hosted.
Libraries organized and teacher’s taught to use books.
Vacation Bible School held.
Container packed, delivered and backpacks, soccer balls, church pews, bicycles, medical supplies, school supplies, tables, chairs, and more distributed.
Agriculture fields tilled.
Salaries paid.
Traditional Birth Attendants trained.
Garfield UMC (East Ohio) retiled and ceiling refurbished at Garfield UMC on the mission.
Vaccines administered and patients saved and so much more.

Danny and Kathy will be traveling back to Camphor Mission on December 31, 2011. They will be taking 3 UMVIM teams of 24 volunteers, from 15 different churches, and 4 different UMC conferences represented! Passion and energy for the Camphor Mission Station is sure to spread to all of these partner ministry areas!
Please be praying for the things we hope to accomplish.
Nine clean water wells dug.
Preaching and worshiping in local UMC congregations.
Developing relationships.
Completing the 3rd unit of the Judy Olin Guesthouse.
Continue library training.
Gaining knowledge on agriculture needs.
Painting a mural of the world on the school wall.
Tutoring students.
Continue training Traditional Birth Attendant.
Building of a generator house and submersible pump for guesthouse and dining hall.
Preparing for East Ohio Pedaling Parsons in 2013.

Rev. Kathy Dickriede will be back in the states in April 2012 and will be eager to share the story of the 3Cs Mission of the East Ohio Conference. Get her on your church’s worship or meeting schedule now by contacting kathyd@camphormission.org Follow the missionary partners on the 3Cs website, www.eocumc.com/3Cs and click on Liberia. While on this website learn more about the way the East Ohio Conference is at work in Sierra Leone, Russia, and Zimbabwe.

Camphor Updates

We just received great updates from Obediah at Camphor Mission

Kathy!

We have been having a nice time since you left especially with the opening of school, the distribution of the back packs that were supervise by Rev. Kulah, Cecelia's general clean up campaign with the student and all of the mission staff involvement and many other new developments around campus.

AGRICULTURE
The clearing of the palm farm to give camphor a face lift for visitor has just begun.Since you left us salary has been current with only December to contend with.While it is true that the feeding of the student is our priority we are still concern with salary payment.

SCHOOL
The present enrollment at the school is 306 out of this number there are 53 boardings students which includes 11 church scholarship students, 5 missionary sponsorship students, 2 students sponsored by Terry from Norway and the rest are regular boarding students. the balance of the students are villager or day students. Due to the election period in our country, parents were a bit not responding to tuition payment but promise to do payment after the christmas break. Extend our sincere greetings to all of our friends at Mentor, Garfield and the entire East Ohio Conference on behalf of the kids at camphor.
pls say hi to Danny and the rest of the friends of camphor in East Ohio

VEHICLES
just forgot to inform you yesterday, with the funds left and that of what was received, we were able to repair the vehicle UMC-26 and is now in good running condition. A new Nissan Pathfinder engine (used engine) was bought along with a double water tank,battery and the repair of the under career as well as tires were all bought and the vehicle is now serving the clinic as well as the mission station. The cooling system is now under repair so please consider this in your search for a vehicle during your arrival with visitors in January. We spent almost four thousand dollars to do all of these. there was no way to trade the ambulance as it is still packing at the same place. The African car is also not been sold.

WATER WELLS
These are the villages that have been selected for the 2012 water well projec comes January. The villages are: Doubai Town, Fineboy Town, Banwon Town, Whenzon, Oldlady Market, Lee Town, James Zayway Town, Goah Town, Joe Johnny Town, Giahdyu Town. Joshua is already inform about these villages and will soon be called upon to start the site selection along with the Elders.

May God bless you.
Obadiah