Yesterday and today, it was my privilege to be a guest with Pastor John Wiersma on radio KPOF's morning and afternoon drive-time shows here in Denver. (John Wiersma is pastor of the Pillar's Belleview Community Chapel here in Westminster, Colorado.) We were on the air to talk about "Building Hope in Liberia," our latest fund-raising effort for PROJECT BUCHANAN.
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John has been both a missionary in Africa and a Boston Marathon runner! Combining his interest in missions with his passion for running, he is calling on runners in Colorado (and even where you live perhaps!) to join him on October 18th for the Denver Marathon, a 42-km race in which he hopes $42,000 can be raised for PROJECT BUCHANAN in Liberia! For details see http://www.buildinghopeinliberia.com/. (By the way, this website was specially designed for this event and set up for us by Erick Bolanos, a former student and friend of mine!)
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Pillar Missions in New Jersey has already raised $41,500 towards PROJECT BUCHANAN. Now we here in Colorado are hoping to match that figure! We estimate that the total combined amount will be enough a) to cover the cost of the trip Paula and I are making to Liberia next month to set up the project and b) to fund the first sizable construction phase, which we hope will get started at the end of the year!
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John envisions 42 runners "coming on board", each one with sponsorships averaging $1000 in contributions toward PROJECT BUCHANAN. Ten runners have already signed up, and though the marathon is not until October, $5400 has already been given! In addition, another donor has promised to match, dollar for dollar, the next $10,000 that comes in!
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If you are a runner, or you know a runner who might like to participate, check out the website! There you will find a link to the Denver Marathon and information for contacting my friend John Wiersma, the "Building Hope in Liberia" coordinator, about signing up.
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If you're not a runner but would maybe like to sponsor a runner, or you know someone you think might be interested in sponsoring a runner, check out the website! There you will find information on how contributions can be made, either by check or online using PayPal. All gifts are tax-deductible and will go in their entirety to PROJECT BUCHANAN!
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If you are new to this blog, read my earlier posts to find out what PROJECT BUCHANAN is all about! I am convinced that as the country of Liberia emerges from civil war, one of its most urgent needs is for quality education. PROJECT BUCHANAN is our opportunity to develop a new Christian school campus in Buchanan, so that a good but overcrowded school, already in operation in that city, can become even better! Today we can build hope in Liberia by helping to provide the quality educational foundation that Liberia needs for a peaceful and prosperous tomorrow. Together we can do it!
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A big thanks from me to all of you for helping!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
How's That for Service!
Last Tuesday (as I reported in my last post) Paula and I sent off for the visas we would need for our upcoming trip to Liberia this summer. The website of the Liberian Consulate in New York had indicated that we should allow at least 5 working days for our visas to be processed. However, we were very pleased on Friday (just 3 days later) to receive by express return mail a package containing our returned passports with the visas stamped inside! Our thanks to the Liberian Consulate for such great service... and, of course, to the US Postal Service as well!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Visas for Liberia!
Yesterday Paula and I gathered together all the requirements for our visas -- completed application forms, valid passports, up-to-date immunization records, recent photos, and a money order for $281 -- and mailed them off to the Liberian consulate in New York. Hopefully we should have our documents back in a week or two and be ready to travel internationally, come July 7!
Monday, June 8, 2009
See? "Definite" Is not so Definite!
Already we've encountered just a little wrinkle in our travel plans! (What did I tell you?)!
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Apparently the airline we were hoping to use next month has not yet received full clearance to start its newly-scheduled service to Liberia, and therefore it has been forced to cancel its June flights on this new direct route to West Africa. Since there's a good chance this could happen again in July, our travel agent is attempting this week to arrange for an alternate carrier!
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Unfortunately this change in travel plans will necessitate our flying first to Europe and then south to Liberia -- a much longer route which we had been hoping to avoid (29 hours one way, instead of 17)! Also, our trip (going and coming) will be delayed by a day.
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Our new trip dates will probably be July 7 through August 13... unless, of course, the first carrier gets its clearance before July 6, in which case we might be back to Plan A!
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Either way Paula and I are still planning to be in Liberia for 5 full weeks this summer! I'll keep you posted!
.
Apparently the airline we were hoping to use next month has not yet received full clearance to start its newly-scheduled service to Liberia, and therefore it has been forced to cancel its June flights on this new direct route to West Africa. Since there's a good chance this could happen again in July, our travel agent is attempting this week to arrange for an alternate carrier!
.
Unfortunately this change in travel plans will necessitate our flying first to Europe and then south to Liberia -- a much longer route which we had been hoping to avoid (29 hours one way, instead of 17)! Also, our trip (going and coming) will be delayed by a day.
.
Our new trip dates will probably be July 7 through August 13... unless, of course, the first carrier gets its clearance before July 6, in which case we might be back to Plan A!
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Either way Paula and I are still planning to be in Liberia for 5 full weeks this summer! I'll keep you posted!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Dates are "Definite"! *
Yesterday we reserved tickets with our travel agent! Our travel dates are now "certain"; Paula and I expect to leave Denver for Liberia on July 6, returning 5 weeks later on August 11! But check out the footnote below...
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*.Allow me to add a footnote to the concept of "definite"...
let's just say, our plans (to go to Liberia this summer) are only as "certain" as any of us can make plans to do anything!
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I remember when I was very young in Africa, when certain older missionaries would talk about their plans (very definite plans, as far as I could tell), they would often add: "D.V." At the time I wondered: Why the "D.V."? What does that mean? Later I found out. (No, it didn't stand for "Digital Video..." before the "...Disc" was added!) "D.V." is an abbreviation for an old Latin expression, "Deo volente", which means: "God being willing". Well, that's simple enough! But then I would ask myself: Why didn't they just say it in English? Does Latin make it more "spiritual"? And why use the abbreviation? Perhaps they're not sure of the Latin pronunciation or spelling!
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But seriously, the old-timers had good reason to add the "Deo volente" condition to the plans they were making. First, they recognized that they weren't in control. Who is? More importantly, they had a few good Bible verses to back them up! Like James 4:14-15: "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow... Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" Or what about Proverbs 19:21: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
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As far as those old missionaries knew, their bold plans were also good plans and they were honestly trying to do the right thing for the kingdom of God. But just in case... just in case circumstances would later indicate that "the Lord had other plans" (another expression they would often use), meaning that they would have to modify or give up their own, they were always careful to add those two simple letters: "D.V."
.
*.Allow me to add a footnote to the concept of "definite"...
let's just say, our plans (to go to Liberia this summer) are only as "certain" as any of us can make plans to do anything!
.
I remember when I was very young in Africa, when certain older missionaries would talk about their plans (very definite plans, as far as I could tell), they would often add: "D.V." At the time I wondered: Why the "D.V."? What does that mean? Later I found out. (No, it didn't stand for "Digital Video..." before the "...Disc" was added!) "D.V." is an abbreviation for an old Latin expression, "Deo volente", which means: "God being willing". Well, that's simple enough! But then I would ask myself: Why didn't they just say it in English? Does Latin make it more "spiritual"? And why use the abbreviation? Perhaps they're not sure of the Latin pronunciation or spelling!
.
But seriously, the old-timers had good reason to add the "Deo volente" condition to the plans they were making. First, they recognized that they weren't in control. Who is? More importantly, they had a few good Bible verses to back them up! Like James 4:14-15: "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow... Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" Or what about Proverbs 19:21: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
.
As far as those old missionaries knew, their bold plans were also good plans and they were honestly trying to do the right thing for the kingdom of God. But just in case... just in case circumstances would later indicate that "the Lord had other plans" (another expression they would often use), meaning that they would have to modify or give up their own, they were always careful to add those two simple letters: "D.V."
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