A Word from Liberia

Messages from Matt McClung regarding the Liberian mission team

Monday, 02.01.2010

Dear families of missioners and friends... I write to you once again from Gbarnga, Liberia.  I just arrived here a few minutes ago after being with another one of our groups futher north in Ganta, Liberia.  I arrived there on Saturday afternoon to find the team doing well.  The Liberia Conference UMW were having their annual gathering in Ganta and Saturday evening we got to experience their national election of officers.  What an experiene that was!  Sunday morning we divided up into groups to go to worship. 

Michael Simmons, who is traveling with me capturing the trip on film, and I were invited up into the country of Guinea.  Guinea is currently a "missionary district" of the Gompa District of the Liberia Conference.  Guinea currently has 30 UMC's...none of which have a church building.  We traveled about an hour into Guinea and I preached at a UMC meeting in a warehouse.  We then visited the First UMC of Dieke which has begun construction, but is currently at a hault awaiting assistance from groups.  The DS then showed me a UMC Clinic being constructed through UMCOR funds and should be finished in about 6 months.  I was presented a gift at that location to give to Rev. Clint Rabb's wife.  Clint had visited that site in October 2009 and they were joining all of us following Clint's death as a result of injuries sustained in the Haiti Earthquake.  (Clint was head of Mission Volunteers at the GBGM in New York City).  Tom Joyce, Dan Bryant, and Ashley Barker all had the opportunity of preaching at UMC's in the Nimba District.  We came back together Sunday afternoon to share our stories and experiences...all were different...but all were the same love of fellow United Methodists.

I was able to tour the Ganta UMC Hospital and the Winifred J. Hartley School of Nursing at the Ganta UMC Hospital.  Before departing for Gbarnga this morning, Michael and I joined the Ganta group to tour the Leprocy and TB Colony which is part of the Ganta Mission.  The Ganta Mission is an amazing place and a perfect place for group's to visit and be in ministry for short or long periods of time.

Our Gbarnga group is currently conducting their HIV/AIDS prevention workshop for the second time.  Last week was with community people.  Today is with high school students here at the W.V.S.T. Tubman-Gray High School a the Gbarnga Mission.  On Wednesday, the Ganta group will travel back to Gbarnga for a sharing time together.  The Ganta group will then conduct their workshop here in Gbarnga while the Gbarnga group prepares to conduct their HIV/AIDS prevention workshop in Ganta.  This was a change in plans because of the great need and response we have received from the workshops.  The Ganta UMC Hospital is expecting about 100 people to turn out for this added workshop.  Praise God!

The Camphor group still continues to do well with their construction project as they build the Judy Olin Guest House and Missionary Housing.  After a stop off tonight half way...Michael and I will continue on to join the Camphor group tomorrow afternoon and will remain with them until all groups join up again on Friday evening back in Monrovia. 

Thank you for your continued prayers for our entire team of 26 people.  We will have MANY stories to share and a message from the people of Liberia.  God bless each of you!

Peace,
Matt

Friday, 01.29.2010

• Hello again family and friends of our East Ohio UMVIM Team to Liberia. I am writing you from the Gbarnga Mission Station in central Liberia.  The Gbarnga Mission Station is a school for about 1400 students and there is also the Gbarnga School of Theology here to train UMC Pastors.  The group here at Gbarnga is putting on an HIV/AIDS prevention workshop in cooperation with a Victoria, a nurse here in Liberia.  In addition to HIV/AIDS, the group is also teaching about clean drinking water, oral health, malaria prevention, and other disease prevention topics.  Expecting about 20 participants for the workshop, there are 45 participants for the 5-day workshop.  HIV/AIDS is a REAL problem throughout Africa and is one here in Liberia that the discussion and openness of the disease has just begun.  Partnering with the Liberians themselves and having direct interaction with the workshop participants is forging relationships for the future with East Ohio and Liberia!

Tomorrow morning I will move on to the northcentral part of Liberia to Ganta where there is a wonderful hospital and nursing school operated by The United Methodist Church.  Our group of 6 people at Ganta were touring the hospital and clinic facilities this morning and this afternoon will begin their infectious disease control workshop partnering with those at the Ganta Hospital.  I will spend two nights there with the group before coming back here to Gbarnga for the night enroute to join the group down south in Buchannan at the Camphor Mission Station.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.  I will continue to keep you all updated with periodic emails and news from Liberia!

Thursday, 01.28.2010

• Greetings from HOT Liberia, Africa.  Our team of 26 arrived from East Ohio yesterday safe and sound...everyone is doing very well.  We have split up into our three groups and everyone is enroute for their destinations at Camphor, Gbarnga, and Ganta.  One church in East Ohio, that I know of, is meeting every day that we are gone at 6:00pm for a short time of prayer for our team.  I would encourage you, wherever you are....if your with family, friends, or your church....to join in that concert of prayer at 6:00pm.  Please pray that we all stay healthy.  Please pray that we are able to impact lives here and that their lives can have a dramatic impact on our lives and, in turn, the lives we touch when we return.  The people of Liberia are a wonderful, loving people.  With an unemployment rate of 80% and still picking up the pieces from their civil war, Liberia has a long way to go.  But as we join together as brothers and sisters in The United Methodist Church from across the globe, we will impact lives and be an agent for change.  Thank you for your prayers and support while we are on this mission!

Peace,
Matt