A post from Don

YFC Liberia

Praise God the ministry of YFC Liberia is fully running again. Although the Ebola crisis stopped some of the ministries of YFC Liberia due to a ban on public gatherings, the brave staff and volunteers never stopped doing the Lord’s work. During the crisis Augustine Fredericks (the national director of YFC Liberia), and his staff of volunteers distributed relief supplies to some of the hardest hit areas of Liberia.  They also helped to find homes for children that lost their parents to Ebola. Now that the ban on public gatherings has been lifted YFC Liberia can resume its many other ministries including the Campus Change program, intended to give future leaders the skills they need to lead with Christ by their side. Other programs include Music ministry, Prison ministry, the Now Orphans program, and leadership programs for war affected youth. YFC Liberia strongly believes that if they raise a generation of Christ centred leaders the possibilities for positive change in country are endless, and this is why many of their ministries teach strong leadership skills.
Clarence Sando is a great example of the positive change that has come from YFC Liberia ministries. Clarence was captured when he was 9 years old and forced to fight in the Liberian civil war. He was forced to fight for over nine years and in this time fought for at least 4 different factions. When the war ended he had no employable skills. Through the War Affected Youth ministry, mentorship, and encouragement of Augustine Fredericks, Clarence is now a fully skilled mason. I had the pleasure of meeting and working along side of Clarence in 2013 when I served with YFC Liberia. Clarence was the head mason on the building project of the elementary school/training center for former child soldiers. I look forward to the day when I can return to Liberia and continue building on the school project and work along side Clarence, who I am honoured to call my friend.

 Don Craig YFC Quinte

Good news and Thank you's

Today marks 25 days since a confirmed Ebola case in Liberia!!  The World Health Organization will consider the outbreak over once 42 days have passed with no new cases!  There is light and the end of this dark tunnel!  This news brings a renewed sense of hope to YFC Liberia and to the team here at YFC Quinte.  Even with this news there are so many still in need.

News From Augustine (YFC Liberia)
Augustine sent me a message this week about a group of children he came across.  These children were catching grasshoppers and when Augustine stopped to ask then why, they replied "for food".  The children asked Augustine for money to by oil to cook the grasshoppers in.  This is the plight of many children in Liberia.  Please pray for the children of Liberia.

  They are so beautiful.  These are the children with their grasshoppers.

Thanks to the efforts of those that collected toonies and bought hot chocolate this past month.  We were able to send over $1000 to YFC Liberia!  This money will be used to help the child victims of Ebola!  Thank you again, and if anyone is interested in donating to Ebola relief please contact myself at 613-919-1699 or dontanialiberia@gmail.com or comment to this post.  Funds may also be dropped of the YFC Quinte.

Why Youth for Christ?

I just want to shed light on YFC and why we are involved with this organization.  

In 2008 I had just given birth to a baby boy (Kieran).  We had trouble conceiving and I had, had a miscarriage the year before.  I was feeling very blessed, I had two sons, Cameron who was 7, this beautiful baby, a wonderful husband, great job, life was good.  I was not a Christian but had grown up in the church and still believed in God and prayed.  God put a desire on my heart to help those in need.  I started looking into missions but most were advertising things like, "Come to Africa, go on Safari" and then almost as an after thought, "help orphans".  I was really turned off by this and feeling discouraged.  It was then that a family friend and pastor suggested I talk to a friend of hers that was going to Ghana, West Africa.  She made the arrangements and took me to meet Daryl and Hope Stogryn.  Daryl is the International Director of Youth For Christ.  He and his wife Hope have been taking mission teams all over the world for many years and they have a passion for Africa.  
  I met with then and did an interview it was then that they mentioned they had a large team but were lacking men.  I offered to bring my husband along.  I figured they couldn't say no to me if they needed him!  I was very excited when I left them.  I got home and told my husband that the two of us would be going to Ghana in 2009!  He was a little surprised but very excited. 
  We began meeting together as a team once a month for the 12 months leading up to our mission.  We participated in team building exercises, socialized, and started doing devotions.  It was in that time that my husband and I started attending church regularly.  We were growing in our faith.  Our missions was 5 weeks long and leaving my boys for that time was the hardest thing I've ever done even though I had a great sense of peace that they were well taken care of and that God was with them.  I still missed them terribly.  
 Ghana is a beautiful country.  The people are happy, beautiful, and friendly.  My experiences there changed me.  God used this time and many of those people to soften my heart and build my faith.  We accomplished a lot when we were there.  As a team we constructed the second floor of the YFC training center, we provided some local schools with soccer uniforms and equipment, and were able to help participate in a child vaccine and baby care session, and did a community clean up day.  We visited many churches and historical sights.  It was amazing,  We saw poverty that brought me to tears, faith that humbled me, and joy that was so beautiful.  When we left it felt like I was leaving home.  Don and I new in our hearts that we would be back.  God filled me with a love of Africa that I had never felt before and I knew I would be back, but I assumed it would be to Ghana.  Little did I know that God had other plans.
  In 2013 Don traveled to Liberia with Daryl Stogryn and a small team.  It was while he was away that God spoke to me and said Liberia is where I want you.  When Don stepped off the plan he hugged me so tight and said "Liberia is where we need to be".  I was not shocked or surprised, I just said yes.  I found out later that day that Daryl had asked Don to start taking teams to Liberia and work along side YFC Liberia on there school building project.  
  It's funny how things work together.  I love being able to see the intricacies of Gods work.  Its so humbling to see how God places people and situations in your path to help you grow and guide you to the path he wants you on.  God has taken these years since Ghana to build my faith.  I wanted to rush back to Africa as soon as possible but God new the timing and where I needed to grow first.  We were very upset when Ebola took hold of Liberia.  I just wanted to go and do what I could to help.  I need to remind myself that his timing is perfect and to keep following his direction.  What has happened in Liberia is horrible and it is hard to see God at work but he is there, he will never abandon his people.  In our humanism we think he should just swoop down and cure all, but we need to remember he has a plan.  He weeps with us.  We live in a fallen world.