Docked in Liberia
3-3-07
Dear Friends and Family,
So much has happened in the past month! I apologize for the delay in sending this update. I hope you will read to the end – I have so many things to tell you!
Satellite/Internet
Aboard the Anastasis, our internet and telephones are controlled by a satellite. In late January, just as I was thinking of sending you another update, the satellite broke. Not only did this mean we could not use the internet, but it also meant we could not telephone our families outside of Ghana. It’s not uncommon for the satellite to break, but usually it can be repaired within a couple of hours. This time, though, the problem was very serious and took about two weeks to repair! A satellite technician had to fly in from the U.S., and his arrival was complicated by visa problems that left him stranded in Europe. When the satellite was repaired, there was much rejoicing as nearly every crew member phoned home!
Cape Coast – The Canopy Walk
In early February, while the satellite was down, I traveled to Cape Coast, a small resort town in Ghana. In Cape Coast, I had the opportunity to walk across the “Canopy Walk”, a suspended walkway in a rainforest. It is suspended approximately 40 meters, or 125 feet, off the ground. In the rainforest, though, there are different “layers” of plant growth. There are basically two layers – the canopy layer, which consists of tall, tall trees (up to 60 or 70 meters), and the shrub layer, which consists of shrubs averaging ten feet in height. (This is a very unscientific description!) The Canopy Walk is suspended between these two layers. Due to the nature of the rainforest, you cannot see the ground from the Canopy Walkway. The shrub layer is so thick that all you can see is plants below you and trees above you. Even though we were only 40 meters above the ground, we could have been 4,000 meters high! Above us, trees towered higher than any trees I have ever seen before in my life. It felt a bit like being suspended in the middle of it all – with plants below, trees above, and many birds singing. It was really incredible. There are just no words for it! The view of God’s creation was just breathtaking.
Cape Coast – The Elmina Castle
In Cape Coast, we also went to the Elmina Castle. This was a much more sobering visit. The Elmina Castle is a former slave castle. This particular castle was owned by the Portuguese, and later, the Dutch. There really are no words for this. Slaves were not treated like humans. They weren’t even treated as well as our pet dogs. The sorrow of this was just overwhelming. Hundreds of slaves would be crowded into a dungeon the size of my cabin. The floors were never cleaned, and of course they were not provided with facilities, so the floors would be covered with vomit, urine, feces, and (in the women’s dungeons) menstrual blood. This is a shameful chapter of history. May we never repeat the mistakes of our ancestors.
TroTro
I’ve ridden the trotro several times since I got to Africa. Comfort is definitely not important to these people! A trotro is a 15 passenger van, with the seats removed and converted so that it will hold 30 to 45 people. It’s crowded and definitely not comfortable – especially after four or five hours! However, it doesn’t cost much, and it will get you where you want to go.
Burkina-Faso
I was given the opportunity to take a short holiday to Burkina-Faso, which was definitely worthwhile and enjoyable. For those of you who didn’t study geography (or don’t have maps nearby), Burkina-Faso is the country to the north of Ghana. I could fill a book with all the stories from this journey. Traveling within Africa is nothing like traveling anywhere else in the world!
Burkina-Faso – Buses
We rode buses from Accra to Burkina-Faso. This is the only place I have ever been where I can truly describe a drive as an “eight to ninety-six hour journey”. It all depends on the traffic, how many times you break down, how many goats and cows are crossing the road, and the quality (or lack of quality) of the roads. We traveled roughly 475 miles – it took us three days to get there and two days to get home.
Burkina-Faso – Bathrooms
If I’ve learned anything from this trip, it has to be that a sign that says “Restrooms” does not necessarily imply a toilet. I had the opportunity to squat in many places where cleanliness was clearly not a priority.
Burkina-Faso – Ouagadougou
In Burkina-Faso, we stayed in Ouagadougou (pronounced oh-wa-ga-doo-goo), the capital city. It is also on the edge of the Sahara desert. The entire country of Burkina-Faso is predominantly Muslim. It is hard to find Jesus there. I could see the effect of this in their morals. I don’t think we met a single person in Ouagadougou who didn’t smoke cigarettes. Alcohol is so readily available that it is challenging to find non-alcoholic juices and sodas. On more than one occasion, I smelled smoke drifting out of an alley or another dark corner that had the distinctly sweet smell of marijuana.
Sailing, Sailing, over the ocean blue…
Last Sunday, we departed Ghana to sail to Liberia. It was a smooth sail and a fantastic adventure. For part of the sail, our ship was followed by a small pod of dolphins. The ocean surrounded us and stretched to the horizon. The depth of blue in the ocean was a depth that no artist could ever recreate. The ship’s pitch and roll (that is, rocking back and forth) rocked us to sleep each night. The Anastasis is an older ship (it was built in 1953 as the cruise ship Victoria and later renamed Anastasis), and because of this, it travels at a relatively slow pace. Our maximum speed is only 12 knots, or approximately 10-12 miles per hour. (Modern ships of this size would be built with a maximum speed of 60 or 70 knots.) The slow pace was relaxing and gave us lots of time to pray and to consider the divine majesty that surrounded us.
Monrovia, Liberia
Liberia is a pretty sobering country in itself. The devastation and desperation here is dire. Mercy Ships is badly needed here – so badly, in fact, that the government in Liberia has given us a berth in the port. Given – not just rented, but given, as in, “Anytime you’re in the neighborhood and want to drop by, we have a place for you”.
To give you a little historical background on Liberia –
The republic of Liberia first began in the 1840s, when the United States resettled many freed blacks and descendants of slaves in Africa. They declared independence and created a republican government with the support of the United States government. Fast-forward over a hundred years… In 1980, a successful military coup d’etat was led by Samuel Doe. In power, Doe favored authoritarian policies, banning free press and outlawing opposition parties. Unfortunately, Doe’s support of the United States led to the United States support of him. This was during the Cold War, and Doe allowed the U.S. to establish a large military base in Liberia, used as a relay station in Russian reconnaissance. Therefore, Reagan and the U.S. government turned a blind eye to Doe’s cruel actions.
A civil war began in 1989 and was soon followed by Samuel Doe’s forced resignation and eventual murder. Charles G. Taylor seized power in 1997, which was followed by a short period of semi-peace. (I say semi-peace because it was not safe or peaceful, but it was safer and more peaceful than before.) A new rebellion began in 1999, demanding the resignation of Charles Taylor. By 2003, the conflict moved into the heart of Monrovia, the capital city. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed.
Children were forced to join the military. Men and women became soldiers. Young boys, and some young girls, became child soldiers. Most girls became sex slaves. Disabled people were considered useless leeches on society and would therefore be killed instantly. Babies, also, were sometimes killed instantly. Mortar shells and stray bullets killed innocent men, women, and children at random.
Charles Taylor was charged by a special international tribunal in Sierra Leone for crimes committed against humanity during his term in office. Chaos reigned in Liberia, as the UN, U.S., and all other countries withdrew. Finally, in 2005, the largest UN peacekeeping force ever commissioned, consisting of 15,000 international troops, descended on Liberia. Soon after, Charles Taylor resigned and fled to exile in Nigeria.
In 2005, Madame Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected to the presidency in a peaceful election. Madame Sirleaf is a good president, but the government here is struggling. During the 14-year civil war, the economy was devastated. There is no electricity and no running water. Homes were destroyed. Now, virtually the entire country is living in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps, or outside of the country in refugee camps. There is over 85% unemployment.
There really aren’t words to describe the devastation here in Liberia – and the shock, that in the western world we ignored them. Just from our dock in the port, I can see at least three sunken ships – ships that no longer float due to damage from the war, and ships that no one has the money to remove. There are reportedly another 18 sunken ships nearby. Inside Monrovia, the situation is at least as bad. Crime is much worse here than in Ghana. The people have nothing – no money and no possessions. People will attempt to swim through the port with a 5- or 10-gallon drum of fuel, stolen from a ship or from the port’s fuel supply, because they have nothing to lose. Sometimes they drown, and sometimes they make it – but either way they figure that they are better off.
I’m glad we are here. We can do so much to help this nation – and it still wouldn’t be enough. Keep Liberia in your prayers. These people are so desperate.
Dear Friends and Family,
So much has happened in the past month! I apologize for the delay in sending this update. I hope you will read to the end – I have so many things to tell you!
Satellite/Internet
Aboard the Anastasis, our internet and telephones are controlled by a satellite. In late January, just as I was thinking of sending you another update, the satellite broke. Not only did this mean we could not use the internet, but it also meant we could not telephone our families outside of Ghana. It’s not uncommon for the satellite to break, but usually it can be repaired within a couple of hours. This time, though, the problem was very serious and took about two weeks to repair! A satellite technician had to fly in from the U.S., and his arrival was complicated by visa problems that left him stranded in Europe. When the satellite was repaired, there was much rejoicing as nearly every crew member phoned home!
Cape Coast – The Canopy Walk
In early February, while the satellite was down, I traveled to Cape Coast, a small resort town in Ghana. In Cape Coast, I had the opportunity to walk across the “Canopy Walk”, a suspended walkway in a rainforest. It is suspended approximately 40 meters, or 125 feet, off the ground. In the rainforest, though, there are different “layers” of plant growth. There are basically two layers – the canopy layer, which consists of tall, tall trees (up to 60 or 70 meters), and the shrub layer, which consists of shrubs averaging ten feet in height. (This is a very unscientific description!) The Canopy Walk is suspended between these two layers. Due to the nature of the rainforest, you cannot see the ground from the Canopy Walkway. The shrub layer is so thick that all you can see is plants below you and trees above you. Even though we were only 40 meters above the ground, we could have been 4,000 meters high! Above us, trees towered higher than any trees I have ever seen before in my life. It felt a bit like being suspended in the middle of it all – with plants below, trees above, and many birds singing. It was really incredible. There are just no words for it! The view of God’s creation was just breathtaking.
Cape Coast – The Elmina Castle
In Cape Coast, we also went to the Elmina Castle. This was a much more sobering visit. The Elmina Castle is a former slave castle. This particular castle was owned by the Portuguese, and later, the Dutch. There really are no words for this. Slaves were not treated like humans. They weren’t even treated as well as our pet dogs. The sorrow of this was just overwhelming. Hundreds of slaves would be crowded into a dungeon the size of my cabin. The floors were never cleaned, and of course they were not provided with facilities, so the floors would be covered with vomit, urine, feces, and (in the women’s dungeons) menstrual blood. This is a shameful chapter of history. May we never repeat the mistakes of our ancestors.
TroTro
I’ve ridden the trotro several times since I got to Africa. Comfort is definitely not important to these people! A trotro is a 15 passenger van, with the seats removed and converted so that it will hold 30 to 45 people. It’s crowded and definitely not comfortable – especially after four or five hours! However, it doesn’t cost much, and it will get you where you want to go.
Burkina-Faso
I was given the opportunity to take a short holiday to Burkina-Faso, which was definitely worthwhile and enjoyable. For those of you who didn’t study geography (or don’t have maps nearby), Burkina-Faso is the country to the north of Ghana. I could fill a book with all the stories from this journey. Traveling within Africa is nothing like traveling anywhere else in the world!
Burkina-Faso – Buses
We rode buses from Accra to Burkina-Faso. This is the only place I have ever been where I can truly describe a drive as an “eight to ninety-six hour journey”. It all depends on the traffic, how many times you break down, how many goats and cows are crossing the road, and the quality (or lack of quality) of the roads. We traveled roughly 475 miles – it took us three days to get there and two days to get home.
Burkina-Faso – Bathrooms
If I’ve learned anything from this trip, it has to be that a sign that says “Restrooms” does not necessarily imply a toilet. I had the opportunity to squat in many places where cleanliness was clearly not a priority.
Burkina-Faso – Ouagadougou
In Burkina-Faso, we stayed in Ouagadougou (pronounced oh-wa-ga-doo-goo), the capital city. It is also on the edge of the Sahara desert. The entire country of Burkina-Faso is predominantly Muslim. It is hard to find Jesus there. I could see the effect of this in their morals. I don’t think we met a single person in Ouagadougou who didn’t smoke cigarettes. Alcohol is so readily available that it is challenging to find non-alcoholic juices and sodas. On more than one occasion, I smelled smoke drifting out of an alley or another dark corner that had the distinctly sweet smell of marijuana.
Sailing, Sailing, over the ocean blue…
Last Sunday, we departed Ghana to sail to Liberia. It was a smooth sail and a fantastic adventure. For part of the sail, our ship was followed by a small pod of dolphins. The ocean surrounded us and stretched to the horizon. The depth of blue in the ocean was a depth that no artist could ever recreate. The ship’s pitch and roll (that is, rocking back and forth) rocked us to sleep each night. The Anastasis is an older ship (it was built in 1953 as the cruise ship Victoria and later renamed Anastasis), and because of this, it travels at a relatively slow pace. Our maximum speed is only 12 knots, or approximately 10-12 miles per hour. (Modern ships of this size would be built with a maximum speed of 60 or 70 knots.) The slow pace was relaxing and gave us lots of time to pray and to consider the divine majesty that surrounded us.
Monrovia, Liberia
Liberia is a pretty sobering country in itself. The devastation and desperation here is dire. Mercy Ships is badly needed here – so badly, in fact, that the government in Liberia has given us a berth in the port. Given – not just rented, but given, as in, “Anytime you’re in the neighborhood and want to drop by, we have a place for you”.
To give you a little historical background on Liberia –
The republic of Liberia first began in the 1840s, when the United States resettled many freed blacks and descendants of slaves in Africa. They declared independence and created a republican government with the support of the United States government. Fast-forward over a hundred years… In 1980, a successful military coup d’etat was led by Samuel Doe. In power, Doe favored authoritarian policies, banning free press and outlawing opposition parties. Unfortunately, Doe’s support of the United States led to the United States support of him. This was during the Cold War, and Doe allowed the U.S. to establish a large military base in Liberia, used as a relay station in Russian reconnaissance. Therefore, Reagan and the U.S. government turned a blind eye to Doe’s cruel actions.
A civil war began in 1989 and was soon followed by Samuel Doe’s forced resignation and eventual murder. Charles G. Taylor seized power in 1997, which was followed by a short period of semi-peace. (I say semi-peace because it was not safe or peaceful, but it was safer and more peaceful than before.) A new rebellion began in 1999, demanding the resignation of Charles Taylor. By 2003, the conflict moved into the heart of Monrovia, the capital city. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed.
Children were forced to join the military. Men and women became soldiers. Young boys, and some young girls, became child soldiers. Most girls became sex slaves. Disabled people were considered useless leeches on society and would therefore be killed instantly. Babies, also, were sometimes killed instantly. Mortar shells and stray bullets killed innocent men, women, and children at random.
Charles Taylor was charged by a special international tribunal in Sierra Leone for crimes committed against humanity during his term in office. Chaos reigned in Liberia, as the UN, U.S., and all other countries withdrew. Finally, in 2005, the largest UN peacekeeping force ever commissioned, consisting of 15,000 international troops, descended on Liberia. Soon after, Charles Taylor resigned and fled to exile in Nigeria.
In 2005, Madame Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected to the presidency in a peaceful election. Madame Sirleaf is a good president, but the government here is struggling. During the 14-year civil war, the economy was devastated. There is no electricity and no running water. Homes were destroyed. Now, virtually the entire country is living in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps, or outside of the country in refugee camps. There is over 85% unemployment.
There really aren’t words to describe the devastation here in Liberia – and the shock, that in the western world we ignored them. Just from our dock in the port, I can see at least three sunken ships – ships that no longer float due to damage from the war, and ships that no one has the money to remove. There are reportedly another 18 sunken ships nearby. Inside Monrovia, the situation is at least as bad. Crime is much worse here than in Ghana. The people have nothing – no money and no possessions. People will attempt to swim through the port with a 5- or 10-gallon drum of fuel, stolen from a ship or from the port’s fuel supply, because they have nothing to lose. Sometimes they drown, and sometimes they make it – but either way they figure that they are better off.
I’m glad we are here. We can do so much to help this nation – and it still wouldn’t be enough. Keep Liberia in your prayers. These people are so desperate.
posted by Tidy Bowl at
12:56 PM
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