We arrived

The Pearson baggage handlers stike was a concern for us leaving Toronto. We had 6 large suitcases 3 weighing in a 49lbs and 3 weighing in at 50-52lbs. We are allowed 50lbs per bag. The problem was that we could not fit anything else in our lighter bags. Needless to say we were worried when we got to the check in desk. God tipped the scales in our favour, literally. Each bag came in at 48-49.6lbs. Everything went through fine.

Our flight to Brussels was 7hrs 10min. It was an overnight flight and Don, just Don, slept the whole way. 

We arrived in Brussels and met up with Greta, who had come from Frankfort. After a quick "shower" in the airport bathroom we were ready to...wait. Our layover way just over 5hrs. 

The flight to Liberia was 7hrs long which included a stop in Sierra Leone. Beautiful place to land, the airport in on a large island surrounded by many more islands.  

From Sierra Leone it is only 40minutes to Liberia. 

The airport was its usual crowded self. Amongst the noise confusion there is still a friendly spirit about the place. 

We got our bags after a slight delay and headed into the night to meet Theo and Augustine. 

It was another 2hour drive to the compound and then to bed. 

Our home for the next 18days is very nice. 25minutes to the job site. Clean and tidy, with 2 rooms, a queen size bed in each, one pink room, one purple. The host is friendly and accommodating. The best part is that we have air conditioning from 6pm- 6am!!  I happen to have found this place on Airbnb of all places. I quess that company is world wide!  Augustine met with the owner and checked out the place. He approved so here we are!  

We are excited to walk out this mission with God leading the way.  We are been reading and doing divotions on being Bold, asking Boldly, speaking boldly, and being strong in our faith. We hope to continue to be bold in the Lord and pray that he continues to lay out our mission path clearly for his glory. 

German Dinner

Three cultures will collide on May 26th. Join us to find out more information about Liberia and an awesome German Dinner...

Being on a Mission with YFC

Greta about her experience with YFC:

As you know, if you have read the last blog post, I’m volunteering with YFC Germany. My mission trip is not to a third world country, but nevertheless it is a mission trip. What it is like to do such a thing is what this article is about.

My preparation for my time here in Canada started with a Seminar in Germany in the summer. We are over 40 young volunteers this year who serve in different countries all over the world. The YFC staff wanted to help us as much as possible with the questions, concerns and expectations we had. We talked about the differences of the cultures and also about spiritual difficulties we might face during our time. It was also helpful to be in contact with former YFC volunteers and ask them about their experiences. One thing we had to do while we were still in Germany was to apply for a Visa. Depending on the country it cost a lot of effort to get it. For example I had to wait for 3 months, cancel my flight and have an expensive medical examination before my application was approved. That time of waiting brought my trust in God to a next level. I’m not saying it was easy, actually it was a very tough time for me, because I couldn’t control what was happening and there was nothing I could do about it. But in the end my trust was rewarded.

When I was finally sitting in the plane, I told myself to have as few expectations as possible, because expectations you don’t have, can’t be underwhelmed.

A lot of the differences of the cultures that we were told about are true. They aren’t huge, but these tiny details in the mentality of people and the way they talk can be challenging sometimes. Being away from home you don’t only learn about other cultures, but you also notice what constitutes your own.

So far my experience here is very precious and I am pretty sure that I will grow a lot during the time. That is why I can definitely recommend it to go on a Mission trip with YFC. Regardless of what service you are doing, just keep in mind that it is always helpful to be honest and talk about things that are going well and things that bother you.

Greta

Meet Greta!!

Hello there! Nope, it’s not Tania writing this time. What? Who are you then? Let me shortly introduce myself. My name is Greta Rüter and I’m a German volunteer for YFC Quinte.  Home in Germany I have three older sisters, (of course) two parents and two dogs. For the next 7 months among other things I’ll support Tania with the Project in Liberia. I graduated High School in summer 2016. I always knew that I wanted to live in a different country after school to learn more about another culture. Even more important I wanted to spend a time to only serve God. I mean we serve him every day, but I wanted to really focus on that for a time. Because I like the English language and the country had always fascinated me, Canada was my first choice. I applied for the internship at YFC Germany and here I am. 6.251,14 km away from home. I arrived at the 30th of November and so far I really enjoy the country and the people. Having tried Poutine, Tim Horton’s and having watched a Hockey game (not Ice Hockey, I learned that. I mean what other Hockey is there?) I really start feeling like a Canadian, eh. The main thing I still struggle with is your bread. How can absolutely every bread in the supermarket be fluffy? Even the dark bread is fluffy. That is weird…

Ok, back to the actual topic. In the past month I read a lot about Liberia and watched some good documentaries. The story of the country and the current situation really touched my heart. Therefore I am really grateful for the work of Don & Tania and YFC and I’m looking forward to help them in any possible way. Also I am excited for the events we have planned for the next year, so stay tuned!:)

I'm the blonde one, on the right.

2017! What, What!?!

It's here!  2017, can you believe it!  This is already shaping up to be an exciting year for Liberia!  The Presidential race is on, with election set for October!  It's Canada's 150th anniversary!  We to are celebrating the kick off a year of fun, fundraising, and awareness for Liberia!  This year is going to be our best yet!  Don and I will be offering our house for rent this summer through AIRBNB, with proceeds going to the Liberia school build and our travel costs.  We will once again be hosting a dinner event this spring!  Don't miss out on our speaking events and  I think my personal favorite this year is going to be the travelling murder mystery night!  Through out the year I will be posting more info on each event.

Our goals for this year is to:

• Raise $25,000 for our mission and ongoing YFC Liberia projects.    
• To speak to more youth about the lives and situations of people in Liberia
• Bring a mission team of 10 people to Liberia this year! Woot, Woot!

On a person note, I would like to grow in my faith and focus on putting God first and not just turning to him in the hard times but praising him as well.