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.

Discouragement and God's Plan

Hey all, we made it home!  Transit was rough, we had one flight delayed, because of that delay we missed a connecting flight. We did finally make it.

Leaving Liberia is always bitter sweat.  By the two week mark I miss my kids terribly.  I also miss hot showers and my own bed.  Then when I get home I miss my Liberian friends, the hot weather, the God based culture, and the sounds of the city.

This trip was especially difficult for myself and Don.  I had to keep reminding myself that this is God's work and through him all things are possible.  Some times God calls to do things that are really hard to do.  I am tired, I have been fundraising for Liberia for four years now.  I think about this project almost daily.  I have had many moments where I want to give up.  It is hard not feeling supported by the people you think would be most supportive.  It is hard having people telling you that your not equipped to do this.  It is hard having people question what your doing and why your doing it.  What is NOT hard is being in Liberia.  What is NOT hard is being among-st the people you love and in the country God has put on your heart.  We are so supported by our friends at YFC.  Don and I are so blessed to be involved with an organization that believes in people.  God reveals himself to us all the time when we are in Liberia.  This time was no exception.  We were able to accomplish more on the school then we thought possible.  We hired over a dozen Liberians and made some great connections with other missionaries from North America.  We also were able to provide Joshua's organization with a skill that will help fund the work he is doing and have formed a great partnership and friendship.

The goal of the project is to finish the school build, build a caretaker home, and a guesthouse, and to leave Liberia YFC and the school self sufficient.  I feel like we now have a solid plan for all those things to happen and have laid the ground work for success.  I am so encouraged to keep going!  So here's to another year of fundraising and speaking to as many people as possible about my second home, Liberia!  

 - Tania

Sights from Liberia

Finding vines to use as rope for carrying wood bundles.  These boys are local to our school project.  One of the four attends school.  They were collecting wood using machetes.  They will burn the wood to make charcoal.  Charcoal sells for $350 Liberian dollars ($3US) for a large bag.  The average wage is $2 / day US.

Kieran and Don riding down Brewerville Back Bush rd.  The road our project is on.  I did it once and my thighs are still burning from the experience lol

Local roads are not well maintained and are very damaged during the rainy season.  Main paved roads are better but still eroding and badly damaged. 

Kay Kay (covered motorcycles) They are all over Monrovia.  Passengers pack in 4 in the back.

  

These boys were in ELWA (where we are staying) selling bags.  The littlest one's name is Ellis,  He is working hard at 13 yrs old.  They were very excited to get their picture taken

This is a family home that is marked to be demolished by the Ministry of Public works. We have seen this often in Liberia. There is a law here that if the house is built too close to the road or if the government needs the land for a right of way they will demolish part or all of the house. If the case is that the government needs the land they will give the family a little money for relocation. If the house is built to close to the road then it is demolished with no compensation.