I wish I had time to write daily or even weekly to share about our experiences in Liberia, as EVERY DAY has the unexpected…but to be candid, living “Liberia” and directing the Mission takes all we’ve got. So every month or two will have to do. With the poverty, poor education, corruption, lack of normalcy here, this country is not a place one would choose to retire or to go on vacation. Yet it is an amazing place to serve — not only to see change in others but also to be changed. We love most seeing the growth in our young missionaries over their two years here, and it is rewarding to watch the lives of people who embrace the gospel. We feel both the privilege of being here, engaged in this work, and the immense challenge of what we are doing. (You can click on the photos below for a brief caption of things we regularly see or deal with.)

This past month, we had the Africa West Area President, Elder Alfred Kyungu, and his wife, Lucie, visit for a few days, where we had two full-day conferences with half of our missionaries on each day. Elder Kyungu visited Liberia about two years ago for a stake conference and had a great influence on me (as posted in “The Three Wisemen” in 2022). Elder Kyungu is a wonderful man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and he has lived in many countries and understands people well. He is a wonderful leader and teacher.

With the Foreign Minister, Kyungus, and stake President Nyanforh

After the conference, we took the Kyungus to meet with the Liberian Foreign Minister, Her Excellency Sara Beysolow Nyanti. We discussed the needs of the country, the Liberian president’s agenda, and how the Church can assist. Knowing how the Church teaches self-reliance and has expertise in food production and agriculture, Her Excellency, asked how Liberia could gain access to some of that knowledge. She said 95% of the eggs are imported here, and they need to produce more chickens, beef, rice and other staples of food. The Church invests millions in West Africa in terms of humanitarian and missionary efforts, but the knowledge in the Church is invaluable in assisting and advising. In the end, however, it always comes down to the integrity and drive of the people for them to make real progress.

On another evening, we had the Kyungus over for dinner at the mission home, and shared details of what the Liberia Monrovia Mission is like and where we see future growth. Elder Kyungu was surprised at some of the unique challenges we have and he advised us to be careful and wise in our travels, especially since we have to drive through some remote areas of the jungle where it isn’t always safe.

As I have experienced the great needs in Liberia, I have seen people change and improve. I have become more convinced that the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ are critical for changing behavior and enabling this people to climb out of their poverty. I wish others could see what we see and experience this place —uncomfortable as it is. It has humbled me and broadened my understanding.

In my profession as an engineer, and later as an executive over some large organizations in research and development, I learned it takes tremendous energy to get something started, but once it is moving, it usually takes much less effort. Like a rocket getting off of the launch pad or a car that absorbs energy into the fly-wheel, the energy put into an organization’s culture is no different. Therefore, it is important to get the culture going in the right direction. For us to do this work, the missionaries in our mission over the last few years have built a culture based on six key behaviors or actions. I love that the missionaries came up with these — the Big 6:

  1. Let God Prevail – We are to trust the Lord and put Him first in all things. (Christ taught that that is the first great commandment — to love God with all our heart, might, mind and strength.)
  2. Be Obedient – We are not obedient because we are blind but because we can see the outcomes (blessings) that come from living correct principles. We strive to keep the commandments of God and follow the missionary standards given by the Church leaders.
  3. Possess Honesty and Integrity – At the heart of who we are, we must be completely honest and do the “right thing,” regardless of who is watching or if we get credit. We do what is right because it is right and good.
  4. Demonstrate Unity and Equality – We strive to be unified in our purpose of following Christ’s example and teachings. To have unity we must also have equality. Equality does not mean we are the same. We all have different backgrounds, experiences, attributes, and talents, but we should treat each other with equal respect and love.
  5. Forgive and Allow Change — None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes, including those in items 1 through 4. We must allow each other to grow, change and move forward. We cannot hold grudges. This includes forgiving ourselves as well as others, repenting and moving forward.
  6. Show Gratitude — Even better than feeling grateful is showing we are grateful. We can be no happier than we are grateful. Gratitude builds good relationships with others. It also helps us to have humility and recognize our dependence on others.

In following these simple six actions, we seem to resolve most all of our problems. Wouldn’t the world be better if we all applied these in our lives? I’m grateful for the missionaries building such an amazing culture in our Liberia Monrovia Mission and who they are striving to become. They carry “a light” in their countenances.

This Christmas season, we have much to celebrate. I’m grateful to you, dear friends and family. We love you and wish you a happy holiday season!

🎄🎄🎄