A Story You Need to Read

Read all of our posts at The Hoovers:Liberia Bound.

Again, apologies for the silence, but blogging just hasn't been at the top of my to do list since I've been home!

Quick update:

Life has been good since returning to the U.S. I've gotten into pre-natal care with some midwives in Chapel Hill. Everything looks great for baby and me! I have been able to spend quality time with family. The only downside is Kyle's absence, but that is all about to change in approximately 30 hrs.! Kyle returns home tomorrow evening! YIPPEE!

Kyle's remaining time in Liberia was fruitful and we are so thankful that he was able to return for these last 6 weeks. Kyle and I wanted to share a story from these last few weeks in Liberia. A word of caution before reading- this story is hard to fathom for our American minds but it is very real in Liberia. Satan is at work in visible ways in Liberia and we wish we could say that this woman's story is unusual, but unfortunately it is not. That is why, among other reasons, the work of the Gospel in Liberia is so important. This is a story that I think will bless you and open your eyes to the reality of life for Liberian Christians.

This story is taken from an email from Kyle to his mom a few weeks ago.

During our time here in Liberia - there have been several occasions when I've had opportunities to see a little deeper into the real lives of Liberians. One of those came a few days ago when I was sitting in the office with Joe S. - my Liberian counterpart and all around great man. He is an elder in a small church plant along the "Guinea Road" which in this literal society is THE 10 km road to the Guinea border. He is level headed and a very good elder - and as such usually finds himself in the middle of things. Sometimes he shares stories with me - and on this day he shared with me a situation going on with a young lady that had just come to his church. This young lady was running away from her grandmother who had inducted her into one of the secret witchcraft societies that underlies everything here in Liberia when she was 12 - taking her away from her parents. Witchcraft here is not the tree hugging type like it is in the USA - its very real and involves human sacrifice and cannibalism. Over eight years she gave her little brother to the leaders of her sect for sacrifice - and probably others not of her family - she was asked for her sister and she refused - she was asked for her mother and she again refused. She then had to flee at age 20 for her life - and with no family she was on the streets. She made her way to the Guinea Road church where some of her family were and she confessed her sins and became a believer. She said she wanted to have a Bible - and asked if anyone could provide her with one - so she can read it and for just a bit of comfort - Bibles are not easy to find here. I went home that afternoon and was thinking about this story and how I wished I had a Bible to give - but all I had was my own and well - I wasn't ready to give it up yet.

In the evenings I have been (trying) to clean up our house at our little place in Ganta at which point I found a Bible someone (Kyle's mom) had insisted I take "Just in case". It was that little blue NKJV Bible with the flip cover and tiny letters (and magnifying glass) you stashed in our stuff before we left. I gave it to Joe yesterday. Its now in the hands of that young woman.

Just goes to show - you never know what and how things will work out - and for us Reformed theology folks - that God's Providence works in large and small - and in over-packing luggage.

Thank you for being insistent!

Kyle is returning tomorrow with more photos and stories to share from his last few weeks in Liberia. Please be praying for us as we process this journey and turn our eyes towards what God may have in store for us for the future. We look forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks!

In Christ Alone,
Kyle and Jessica Hoover

Time Lapse

More from the Hoovers at The Hoovers:Liberia Bound.

You know those videos where they speed up time and show you a 24 hrs. of a bustling city in 30 seconds? That’s kind of what life feels like here. Last week I talked about the lessons we’ve learned in 6 months of being here. I don’t think either of us can believe that we’ve been here 6 months already. It’s a crazy feeling!

Last week was an eventful week! The largest EQUIP supported health facility, Saclepea Comprehensive Health Center, had a staff strike! The strike was against the Ministry of Health not EQUIP, but it still effected us because Saclepea is a large facility (80+ staff, in-patient and out-patient, maternity and isolation wards for TB and Lassa Fever). We had to make sure that critical patients were cared for and transferred if there was a need. At this point the strike is still going on, but is supposed to be suspended for one week while county health officials and the head of the Ministry of Health try to work out the issues.

Thanks so much to those of you who spent time in focused prayer for Ivory Coast. Last week French forces arrested Laurent Gbagbo and turned him over to the forces of the opposing side. I haven’t heard what they decided to do with him, but it didn’t seem to help the overall violence in the country. The bottom line is that this conflict is along tribal lines. That makes it a perfect storm for widespread genocide no matter who is in charge. Please continue to pray.

This week we continue to tackle the beast that is meeting the water and health needs of Nimba County. We pray that we do this with the Gospel on our lips and in our hearts. We also turn our eyes toward the death and resurrection of our Savior- He is after all the reason we are here. We pray that Easter will be alive in your home, but more so in your heart. We pray that we all would experience Easter in the dusty corners of our hearts that need cleaning out (hopefully you won’t find any hand sized spiders like I do here!).

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our hearts to be focused on the Gospel.

Pray that we would run with endurance this crazy race.

Pray that our marriage would be guarded and guided by God.

Pray for all of the little projects that we are invested in here. Pray that there would be fruit and that we would have wisdom as to how to continue.

Peace Folks,

Kyle and Jessica

Prayers for Ivory Coast

Quick Update:

Last week went as usual with the exception of Kyle’s Birthday! (just in case you hadn’t heard!) Many of you will be receiving our newsletter this week. Much of the information is pulled from our rantings on our blog, but other pieces are (including a few pics for your fridge!) straight from our heart. Those of you who get our newsletter- read it, enjoy it, and post in on your fridge and remember to pray for us!

In other news…

The refugee situation continues to change and there are differing reports coming out of the Ivory Coast. At one point there were reports of a surrender on the part of the defeated, former president. Then there were reports that Gbagbo has not surrendered and was simply using it as a ploy to re-arm his troops. Meanwhile, thousands continue to flood into the more Southern Counties of Liberia. We’ve been extremely aware of the lack of press that this is making in light of events in Japan, across the Middle-East, Libya and now Nigeria. The situation needs much prayer- the future of the country is unclear, but there is one thing that is clear- many are suffering.

So this week I thought I might call upon everyone that reads this blog to spend a few minutes praying for the situation. I know it’s really easy to read the stories on the BBC or read our blog and say to yourself, “What a sad thing that is happening in the Ivory Coast!” and then go on with the day. I’m saying that to myself just as much to anyone that reads this blog. The fact of the matter is that this is a real matter of prayer for us here. We pray that this week it might be a matter of prayer for you, your small group, your ladies Bible study, men’s prayer breakfast, etc…Lift the people of the Ivory Coast up to our Father this week.

Pray for peace. Pray for mercy. Pray that the violence would end. Pray that through this suffering many might come to know the Father.

Peace Folks,

Kyle and Jessica Hoover

Read more about the work that the Hoover's are a part of in Liberia, West Africa at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound!

Short Week

More on the journey at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound!

We had a short one last week because we stole a couple of days of rest at the beginning of the week- but somehow when you have a short week it always ends up being crazier in the end. You have to cram 5 days into 3 days! We’ve come to expect this and we are hanging on here in Liberia with each passing week and standing in awe of God’s ability to sustain through even the most unexpected of situations. It doesn’t take being a missionary in the middle of nowhere Liberia to experience God’s grace and sustaining love in our lives. I hope that you’re experiencing that right where you are.

Staff meeting, spiders, new faces, lots of laughter, even more headaches and a few bumpy car rides, Liberian English ruining our vocabulary…that just about sums up the week.

This week Kyle heads back out to New Yourpea to finish a few things on the water system that he installed a couple of weeks ago. Plus, someone (and it isn’t me!) has a Birthday this week. He doesn’t really want to talk about it, but personally I do, because he’s a great man and 30 is not something to cry over- not that he’s been crying over it just misting a little bit- and I think that 30 is going to be the best decade yet for us! I’m not going to mention that I have a couple of years left in my 20s…that makes him feel bad. phhhhttttt…Leave him some Birthday love on the blog this Wednesday and read tomorrow’s post to find out about his Birthday present.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for us as we travel this week

Pray for rest and endurance to continue this race.

Pray for our marriage as we struggle to carve out time for one another here.

Pray for those that we serve and serve with to see and hear the Gospel clearly

Peace Folks,
Kyle and Jessica Hoover

Weekend Away

Read more about the Hoover's daily journey at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound!

Over the weekend we made a break for it to Monrovia. Kyle’s eyes were beginning to look glassy and I feared I was losing him to the dark side. It was time for a little R&R. We’re feeling much better- amazing what hot water and internet that moves faster than a tree sloth can do for the soul!

Last week was an interesting week. Kyle went to the village where they are transporting refugees to the camp (they call it a way station) to oversee the installation of an emergency water system. Can anyone else put “emergency water system installation” on their resume? Didn’t think so!

I spent a couple of days in maternity ward of Saclepea Comprehensive Health Center (SCHC) and got to see a couple of births and work with some expectant moms! I have to say that I was incredibly impressed with the midwives at SCHC. They have been doing this for years and I learned a lot just watching them. Just my element! Also exciting news is that I was able to finish all requirements to submit for certification with DONA International as a birth doula! I will FINALLY be certified! Kyle is happy about this because he thinks the hoops that I have had to jump through are ABSOLUTELY ridiculous- in some ways he is right…but it’s what you do! Soon and very soon I can put CD(DONA) behind my name…Ahhhhhhh….

We’re headed back up to our Ganta home either today (Monday) or Tuesday morning. We hop right back into the thick of things. The majority of the refugee influx has moved to the south (another county is now being heavily impacted) as fighting has moved south towards the capital of Cote d’Ivoire. The situation in Ivory Coast is increasingly desperate and civil war is imminent. The international press is giving little to no attention to the situation in light of Libya, Japan and the riots in the Middle East.

It’s hard to remember in the midst of all of that is going on in the world that God is always, eternally, now and forever in control. Through our time here in Liberia we have been reminded how little control we have over this world. It’s easy to think in the perceived safety of our daily lives, routines and schedules that we exert some little tidbit of control over everything that happens. That is pride folks. Dirty, stinkin’ rotten pride and God hates it. Sorry to be so blunt- but we live with people who have been through decades of civil war. There is no pretense of control here- lots of other issues- but no pretense of control. No, God is the one that has numbered the hairs on our heads and holds everything together. Living here in Liberia we are reminded just how tenuous life is. It is a lesson that I hope Kyle and I won’t soon forget.

So in that light we move forward- trusting that God has us in the palm of His hand. Won’t you trust Him with us?

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for continued rest in the midst of busyness and craziness!

Pray for safety as we travel

Pray for wisdom as we look towards the future

Pray for a vision for ministry that reaches deep into the needs of those we encounter on a daily basis.

Pray for our marriage as we daily seek to honor God through the gift of marriage.

Peace Folks,

K&J

No Two Days are Alike but Every Day is the Same

Wanna read more? Head on over to The Hoovers: Liberia Bound for more updates on refugees, pineapples, and the work of the Gospel in northern Liberia!

Welp, another week has come and gone in northern Liberia. It’s honestly been a blur. A blur of craziness- every day is different, but full of the same problems and hurdles. Liberia is not the place to come if you value doing things in a timely fashion or expect things to go as planned. You will not survive if that is the case. If you don’t believe that ask Kyle- a guy inquired about working here via email the other day and well, Kyle shot him straight- Liberia is not for anyone that can’t go with the flow.

We did have a public holiday on Wednesday- Decoration Day! That is the day that everyone goes and puts flowers on the graves of their loved ones. I actually think that is a day that we could use in America. A day to set aside to remember the one’s we love that have died. Someone want to start a petition for that? Cuz, petitions seem to work so effectively.

Last week I spent some time doing a little field work. By field work I mean playing with kids. I’ve been getting to know the kids that I am starting a Bible Club for and so far my favorite is this little guy named Martin. I don’t have a pictures of him yet because once you break out a camera in front of Liberian kids you have to be prepared to take everyone’s picture…multiple times. But let me offer up a description in lieu of a picture. Martin lives down at Hope for the Nations (rehab for malnourished kiddos) and he has a huge head. Not just huge because of malnourishment issues, but like huge because that is the way he looks- like a funny lookin’ kid (FLK, if you will). Martin, the FLK, has a head the size of an adult, but a body the size of a 3 year old. He’s been malnourished so who knows he might be 17 there is no real way to know for sure, but nonetheless he is one FLK. He is also a funny actin’ kid, the other day when I was having some of the kids help me with a small work project (yes, I do enlist child labor on a regular basis- it’s what missionaries do) and most of the kids are more than eager to help- obnoxiously eager at times- and in walks Martin. Martin, all 3 feet of him, struts around the place (without any pants on mind you) scoping out the work and doing what only can be described as “supervising”. Not once does he make a motion to help or act eager like the other children. Nope, Martin struts around the place, checks out the lay of the land, tips his proverbial hat to me and with a spring in his step exits the building.

I’m in love.

What a man.

Speaking of amazing men, Kyle is hanging on for dear life. Somewhere in the last 4 months he became the person that everyone calls for the answers to life’s most burning questions like, “Mr. Kyle, when are you coming to the office?”, “Mr. Kyle, where is my money for unloading the truck?”, “Mr. Kyle, Mobile 3 needs new bushings…so we need some money.” “Mr. Kyle, Mr. Kyle, Mr. Kyle, MR.KYLE!!!!!” I think God’s preparing him for children…yeah, I’ll stick with that answer.

So that leads us to this week. A week where the only certain thing is that life in Liberia is full of uncertainty…and weird smells…really, there is some weird smell in our house that I can’t find and it is driving me crazy. Arggggghhhhhhh….so pray for us, mmmmkkkkk?

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray we maintain sanity.

Pray for rest.

Pray for communion for us as husband and wife and with the Lord

Pray for us as we minister to those around us who need to be touched by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pray for vision and purpose as we plan for the next 7 months and beyond.

Peace Folks,

Kyle and Jessica Hoover

Runnin' On Empty

Read more of the everyday in Liberia at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound.

In the last week we’ve felt like a pinball machine being shot all around Liberia. Ganta to Monrovia, Ganta to some of the border villages, back to Ganta from Monrovia, back from the border villages only to turn around and go back out. We’re exhausted. Kyle especially.

The situation in Ivory Coast continues to deteriorate and it doesn’t look like our work will be letting up any time soon. UNHCR is establishing a second camp and the rumor is that there could be up to 12 camps established. The total number of refugees in Nimba could be close to 200,000 by the end of the month! We’ve definitely seen the direct effects that it is having on the clinics that we support and the water points that EQUIP is responsible for. Our facilities are stressed and resources are scarce. Please pray for us as we respond to these needs.

EQUIP has been distributing jerry cans for safe water storage among the Liberian host population and the Ivorian refugee population.

Remember the bats? Yeah, this is Frankie, aka Batman. Totally non-refugee related, but still relevant to our life in Liberia- note the sport coat he is rocking on a Monday morning- our drivers are class-eeeee

On a non-refugee note, I (Jessica) had a great time last week taking two of our Liberian staff to Monrovia to do a presentation. Genni and Lawrina are our Reproductive Health Supervisors and they work with traditional midwives in the communities surrounding our 23 health centers and clinics. They are constantly working on strategies to improve the rate at which women give birth safely in the clinic. Their success has been impressive, so impressive that the big wigs with USAID wanted to hear about it! So me and our Medical Coordinator, Kristen took them down to Monrovia to present! They did an amazing job and received extremely high praise from a very tough audience! It was a really proud moment! I wish I had pictures, but in the rush to leave I left my camera here in Ganta- boo-hiss!

So that is a brief overview of the last week- minus the giant spiders and detailed accounts of bumpy car rides and sketchy nights sleeping in illegal gold operations- wait what am I talking about? I’ll safe that for another post…if you’re lucky.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our sanity- really it’s quite stressful right now!

Pray for Christ to overflow our hearts and out weigh our stress.

Pray for the current Franklin Graham Festival that Samaritan’s Purse is putting on across the country this month. Pray that it would be a fruitful work that leads to dedicated disciples of Christ.

Pray for rest and refreshment for our bodies, hearts and mind.

Peace Folks,

Kyle and Jessica Hoover

When Things Don't Go as Planned

For more on this unplanned journey visit the Hoover's regular blog: The Hoovers: Liberia Bound.

We’ve been here in Liberia four months. Four months in which nothing has gone as planned. Nope, our plans have been flipped upside down by a few thousand (try 50,000+) refugees milling around Liberia’s eastern border. This past week we began to hear about fighting on the other side. Everyone take a deep breath and be reassured that we are in no immediate danger. Kyle and I are a long way from the border, 5 hours away to be exact, and the fighting is in the Ivory Coast not here in Liberia.

The fighting has however sent a rush of refugees over the border into the areas surrounding our clinics. The last month or so felt like a stale mate as far as the refugee “crisis” was concerned. This feels as if a dam has broken that had been holding thousands of refugees back. One of our colleagues that went out to our Buutuo clinic, a hotspot for Ivorian refugees crossing over, reported thousands of refugees packed like sardines into a local school to sleep.

We’ve had such an unusual experience in the time that we have been here. Lots of curve balls have been thrown our way and it’s left us wondering what it is that God is trying to accomplish through our hands here. The needs are great. The work is plenty. Pray that the Gospel can be made known through our lives and through this situation. We are praying for peace in Ivory Coast and continued peace in Liberia.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for peace in Ivory Coast and for peace to reign in our own hearts.

Pray for rest for us.

Pray for safety wherever we may travel.

Pray for wisdom on the way forward in our ministry here.

Peace Friends,

Kyle and Jessica Hoover

February Flying By!

We've slacked on posting here on SMOi, but not on our regular blog. Check out everything else that has been going on here in Libera at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound.

Welp, here comes another week. A week in which we promise to be better at blogging. O.k., we’ll really try- I retract my promise.

I (Jessica) wrapped up the Clinical Management of Rape training on Friday and there are now 17 clinicians trained to treat victims of sexual violence in Nimba County! Kyle’s WATSAN team has been working all over Nimba repairing water points and even doing much needed repairs to the roads. Last Friday refugees began to be moved to the camp. So yeah, we’ve been busy!

This week is the monthly staff meeting. We’ll share the highlights at the end of the week!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for our family as we miss them and they miss us!

Pray for our travels all around the county and back and forth to Monrovia

Pray for our relationships with those we work with that they would be fruitful for the Gospel.

Pray for us as we endure the heat of Liberia- without A/C or a fan.

Special Reminder: It's Monday!

More info about the Hoovers and their Liberian life can be found at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound!

In case you had forgotten. Yes, that drowsy feeling and the lack of energy or desire to work signifies that it is indeed a Monday. Yes, having a “Case of the Mondays” is a worldwide epidemic.

On to other business. We are all moved out of our 1st Ganta home and into our 2nd, more spacious, less outfitted, but still livable Ganta home.

As promised here are some pictures:

Our daybed lounging area. Complete with mosquito net.

Make shift kitchen. Unfortunately this place doesn’t have a built in kitchen. We’re making do. So far we’ve had black beans (a Hoover staple), Burger night (with the last of the ground beef from Monrovia), and the infamous flat bread pizzas.

Our kitchen table/multi-purpose workspace. Note the lappa with hens and baby chicks.

Bathroom, we are proud to say that the toilet seats in this place are actually attached to the toilet. Major improvement!

We hung a little art. Our friend Jerry is running for office in his district. He’s already the unofficial mayor so I think this is a step in the right direction for him. He will be what Barack Obama never could be, except in Liberia. In case you can’t read the sign says,

“G. Jerry S. Tompoe,

The Vision for the People,

The Leader for the People’s Heart!”

We know Jerry. We are inclined to say this is true. By the way one of Jerry’s twin daughters is my name sake. Yes, he informed me of this last time I saw him.

Sorry about the lack of pictures of the bedroom. The space is great, but I couldn’t get in shots to do it justice, but believe me it is more than adequate.

What about last week? Did we do anything other than move?

Our colleagues got back which was a relief and a welcome change. Patti’s bags finally made it which meant a small package from home! Thanks Mom for sending along a card, skirts, a movie and lots uh love.

Refugees are still here. They probably aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Please continue to pray for us as we work to provide assistance to Ivorians and Liberian’s in need. I plan to do an update on the work and situation very soon, like later this week, so watch for it.

I wish I could show you how hard Kyle’s team of men are working to respond to the refugees as well as all of the normal work they would be doing. His WATSAN guys are some of the hardest workers we’ve met here in Liberia. Kyle really desires to build their knowledge and capacity to care for the needs of their own people.

We’ve also been “working” with some of the young leprosy/TB fellas. We are praying about how to provide financial planning training/discipleship/practical skills with them. It isn’t easy because there are a lot of negative cultural beliefs and practices that permeate the way these guys behave and respond to the “white man”. Pray that we would be firm and sensitive to the needs of these young men.

We have a new doctor, a Mr. Chris Carpenter, coming to work with EQUIP. He arrived in Monrovia Sunday evening. He’s making his Ganta debut sometime in the next couple of weeks! His sole role will be to address refugee health needs. WAHOO! We are so happy to have him coming. Read his blog, Backpacks and Stethoscopes, to find out more about what he will be up against in the coming weeks!

The week stretches out before us and if we’ve learned anything we have learned that Liberia is full of surprises. Almost three months in we know that for sure!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for us as we work long days and have short nights!

Pray for us as we actively try to disciple and teach God’s Word through our words and actions to those around us.

Pray for our attitudes to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Pray that our marriage would be growing and healthy despite exhaustion and little time for one another.

Pray that we would be steadfast in our personal walk with Christ.

Peace Folks,

Kyle and Jessica Hoover

How Many Ways Can You Say "Monday Update"

Read more about the Hoover's time in Liberia at The Hoovers:Liberia Bound!

Last week was the first “official” week back in the EQUIP office after the holidays. We’ve spent many “unofficial” days at the office and working all over Nimba county throughout the holidays. Needless to say last week was a busy one!

Kyle is very popular around the office. I’ll leave it at that. You can just call him “Mr. Moneybags”. We had expected our colleagues from the States to be back this week, but unfortunately a luggage problem kept them detained in Monrovia. So we’ve continued to hold down the fort here in Ganta.

The fort is hurtin’…we need them to get back!

Our friends Steve and Sandy are here from Atlanta, Georgia. They do ongoing ministry in Saclepea through their ministry, West Africa Crossroads. EQUIP runs a Health Center in Saclepea so we are familiar with the area. Please pray for them as they spend the month of January ministering and working Saclepea.

In the past week Kyle and I have started considering some new and different ministry opportunities. We’ve told you about the TB/Leprosy Rehab hospital/community that our compound is adjacent too. We have had the opportunity to get to know many of the young men that have received treatment or who have come with family members that are receiving treatment to live in the community. Many of them are struggling to pay their school fees and financially provide for their families (many of them live with parents or grandparents that are disabled). The people in the Rehab community, including these young men, have used their skills as artists and wood workers to make items to sell. Carvings, baskets, earrings, they are really talented guys. The only problem is that they would like to sell their things, but don’t have much of a market here in Ganta and let’s be honest Kyle and I can only buy so many baskets. Also, many of them have come asking us for school fees, business start-up money, etc. We don’t just want to give them a hand out. We passionately believe in breaking that cycle here in Liberia and empowering the people, particularly young men, to make wise decisions about money and plans for the future. We are prayerfully considering how to help train them to manage their finances wisely and according to God’s Word and get their products into the hands of interested buyers. We’ll definitely be writing more about this project here on the blog as God opens doors.

Here’s some of the goods that we’ve snagged from our Rehab friends:

Baskets, super practical and really well made!

Carvings- (left) a traditional Liberian guitar (right) what they call the “Hand of Authority” or a hand holding an egg. I’ll let Kyle explain that some other time.

Up close of one of the baskets.

I’ll post more pictures of their crafts along the way.

In other news…

There is no end in sight to the refugee situation. Each day new reports come out of the Ivory Coast, but none of the reports sound like they are heading towards a resolution. Continue to pray for us as we work day and night to meet the needs of those affected along Liberia’s eastern border.

We will finally make our move to the rooms next door to live. We aren’t exactly excited about this, but we are making it work! We will share pictures once we get moved.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for rest in the midst of extreme busyness!

Pray for the unfolding of ministry opportunities among the Rehab community.

Pray for us as we travel this week. We are trying improve the infrastructure of our clinics which means going 5-6 hours away from Ganta to reach them all.

Pray for our co-workers as they return from vacation. Pray that we can be salt and light as we work alongside them.

Pray for our relationship with those we live with here at the Rehab compound. If you’ve ever lived in an apartment complex you know that their can be conflict…this is kind of similar…kind of…

Pray for our friends Steve and Sandy as they minister in Saclepea for the month of January!

First Post of the Year!

2011 is here...for a whole year.

Read the blog all year long at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound.

We welcomed the New Year in by calling family and friends to taunt them about living in the past. After all there aren't that many perks when you live in Liberia. Hitting the New Year 5 hours before our friends and family qualifies as one in this perk-less place.

Kyle was pretty well worn out by New Year's Eve so we laid low (as if there was anything else to do) and have spent more time around our little house than we did in the whole previous two months combined! We learned that indeed we will have to move into the space next door in the coming weeks...bummer...but all in God's plan and good timing. It will be an adjustment as the next door space is not equipped with a real kitchen, but we will make do.

Today everyone returns to work at EQUIP Liberia. Our colleagues that went home for the holiday should be making their way back to Liberian shores and boy are we glad! There is a lot of work ahead between refugees and regular EQUIP work, but that is what we came here to do so we are happy to be back to a regular schedule.

I'm gonna leave it at that for this week...I've got the whole year to ramble on about our Liberian adventures. Next week, once my new computer is here, I think I might just catch everyone up via pictures. I'm still yet to post holiday pictures...sorry...I'm a bad person. Pray for me...

No, really pray for me/us...

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for the work ahead! Between refugees and regular work we are going to be scrambling!

Pray for peace in Ivory Coast- The situation continues to deteriorate.

Pray for our safety and protection as we travel.

Pray that our health would be protected. Liberia is not super conducive to good health.

Pray that ministry opportunities would continue to grow and be revealed to us in our daily work. Pray that we would be bold to take advantage of those opportunities.

Pray for our relationships with those we work with and live with. (we share a compound with six other people.)

Pray for us as we move into our new little "home".

The Holiday in Liberia!

Read more about the work in Liberia at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound!

Sitting here in Monrovia reading everyone's facebook posts about the snow in North Carolina makes it almost possible to imagine snow outside my own door. White Christmas...sigh...

We enjoyed talking/emailing/chatting/facebook posting with many of you over the last few days. It has made all of our friends and family seem not so far away. We celebrated the holiday with a few new friends here in Monrovia and I'd love to show you some pics. but alas my (Jessica) computer decided to die a violent death on Christmas Eve. I'll upload some pictures soon! Bear with me over the next couple of weeks while I await a new computer. I had just gotten a system of blogging/emailing worked out and it was all going so smoothly...a little too smoothly I suppose...arghhhhh...All that to say that Kyle and I are sharing a computer currently...double arghhhhh

Anyways...

Our holiday was uneventful which in Liberia is a wonderful thing! We were really hoping for some uneventfulness! We have been able to spend some time resting and relaxing before jumping back into addressing the refugee crisis and all the other work that we are responsible for.

What did Santa bring us for our Liberian Christmas?Kyle gave me a new bottle/can opener for Christmas and I gave him a set of three long stem lighters...Romantic gifts, eh?

We had to do our shopping at the grocery. Don't ask.

I hosted my first Christmas dinner...ever...How ironic is that? It was a feast by Liberian and American standards complete with roast chicken, salad (a miracle in Liberia), stuffing (a new recipe that I will definitely be keeping in the repertoire), roasted vegetables, chocolate cake, lambingtons (cake dipped in chocolate courtesy of our Australian friends!), and various other sundry items. Our new friends helped out to make this feast truly delicious and special! Thanks to Nich, Finley, Justin and Ailsa! 3 out of our 6 guests were from Australia and Great Britain and had never had the joy of watching Christmas Vacation...you know...Chevy Chase...the whole bit...a Hoover family tradition. Luckily our friend Justin had it on his iPhone and we were able to watch it on a real t.v.! So we introduced our new friends to a true American classic after dinner!

As I expressed in previous posts this year has been a year to truly reflect on the precious meaning of Christmas. I always spend time meditating on the season, but this year I experienced the season in a way that I won't soon forget. I hope that even though most of you are not far from home this season, and certainly not in Liberia, that you experienced Christmas in a new and fresh way. I ("we" rather because I know Kyle would wish you the same!) pray you have been overwhelmed by God's grace, love and provision through His Son, Jesus.

It gives us strength to go on...courage to be obedient...so on we go to the next week!

This coming week will officially mark two months in Liberia for us! Can you believe it? We will head back upcountry to Ganta on Tuesday. Kyle will be directing his WATSAN team all over Nimba county to respond to water and sanitation needs in the communities directly affected by the refugee situation. Please continue your prayers for Kyle as he has a lot on his shoulders until some of our co-workers come back from holiday to provide some relief.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray for the Ivory Coast. The situation is not improving and there will likely be more refugees in the coming weeks.

Pray for opportunity to minister the Gospel in word and deed.

Pray for the Church in Liberia to be encouraged and grow despite many tribal/cultural barriers and divisions.

Pray that we will be encouraged by other believers working in Liberia.

Pray that we would continue to develop strong relationships with the EQUIP's Liberian staff.

Monday Monrovian Update

For more Liberian craziness and stories of God's grace read our regular blog The Hoovers:Liberia Bound.

Live from Monrovia this blessed Christmas week! Yes, country has come to town! We are living it up Monrovia style in what we like to refer to as “a proper house”. We were really blessed to be offered the opportunity to stay at the head doctor for USAID’s house over the Christmas break. It is one of the nicest houses in Monrovia. What does that mean? Air conditioning and minimal bugs/snakes inside of the house. It’s awesome.

We’ve come to the conclusion that every week of this adventure is different. It defies description most of the time and leaves us reeling and in need of a good long sleep. Last week was no different. How bout’ I bullet the week for ya? Yeah, lets make this easy…Imagine Billy Joel singing that crazy part from “We Didn’t Start The Fire”

• Monday morning rooster crows
• Ride to work pothole dodging
• WATSAN has a lot to do
• Joe Suomie training still
• Olive’s malaria makes her very ill
• Kristen and Patty off to the states
• Refugees flooding through our gates
• Monrovia
• Dr. Rick’s house
• No food in our house
• Cars going everywhere
• Oil filters upside down
• Kyle’s in charge
• Justin is back
• Dave is himself
• Cheeseburger cardiac attack
• Santa is a secret Christmas parties
• Kyle’s still in charge

I could go on, but for all our sakes I won’t. Unless you beg…you are begging small…here’s a few more

• Traffic for no reason
• It’s the Christmas season
• Dogs behind a Chinese restaurant
• Kyle’s in charge of the refugees- all of them

Ok, so for those of you that didn’t get the Billy Joel reference…look it up…I think if this version had a chorus it would go like this:

“We didn’t start the crisis. There were always refugees since West Africa…started…” or something like that.

I’m losing it…Can you tell? This is what Liberia does to you…

I wish I had pictorials for each of those points. My camera died when I tried to take a picture of the pack of dogs behind the Chinese restaurant.

In other news:

We are in Monrovia for a few days. We are house sitting for a doctor and his wife over the holiday. The only downside is that we have to continue with activities in Nimba and addressing the refugee crisis which is growing in the wake of continued violence in Cote D’Ivoire’s capital Abidjan. We will be going up to Ganta and coming back again before Christmas!

We hope to talk to many of you over the holiday. We would love to try out some skyping while we are here if anyone is up for it. We just might have a strong enough signal to make it happen! Email us if you want to give it a try!

For those of that we won’t talk to over the holidays know that we love and miss you. For those of you that have never even met us but read this blog- Thanks…we’re humbled, we’re blessed, we’re blown away that you choose to spend a tiny portion of your time following this crazy journey. Read and be blessed. Ponder God’s grace through these posts. Because let’s be honest- It’s all grace. It’s exhausting- but it’s all grace.

Weekly Prayer Needs:

-Pray for rest and relaxation over the holiday in the midst of craziness.

-Pray for peace to reign in Ivory Coast

-Pray for our ministry of the Gospel to everyone we come in contact with

-Pray for Kyle and I to be drawn closer to one another and to the throne of Grace.

-Pray that we would be protected from the evil one. That peace would reign in our hearts.

In Christ Alone,

Kyle and Jessica Hoover

A Week at a Time

If you wanna read more about how we are hanging on at the ends of the earth you can visit us over at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound!

Welcome to another week in Liberia!

Last week really kept us on our toes. On Monday we went deep into the far reaches of Tappita (pronounce tap-PEE-tah, a region within our county) to a village called Gblarlay (pronounced BLAH-lay) to take a look at the situation with the refugees from the Ivory Coast. It was a daunting journey over the roughest roads imaginable, but we made it there and back in one piece but not until after we had endured 10 hours of driving (round trip that is!), a nights sleep on the floor of an EQUIP clinic and a motorbike ride to one of the small villages where the refugees are crossing the border

Somehow even though we were in one of the most remote regions in Liberia we managed to find a man wearing this t-shirt:

Some of you may not understand the significance of the shirt, but for those of you that do I’ll give you a moment to pick your jaw up off the ground. Veronica, we will send this photo in an email with the GPS coordinates attached.

The refugee situation is continuing to grow, but appears to be somewhat stabilizing. Only time will tell at this point. There has not been any type of resolution to the situation in the Ivory Coast. If you are asking yourself, “What are they talking about?” just hop on the BBCs website and cruise for stories on the the Ivory Coast. EQUIP is involved with other organizations that are engaged in meeting the needs of the communities affected by this influx of refugees. Pray for us as we continue to respond to the needs of our communities here in Nimba.

I (Jessica) have found it rather interesting during this Christmas season that we are involved with working with refugees..

I feel a blog post coming on…look for it on our personal blog later in the week.

In other non-refugee related news: Some of you have asked for an update on the child that was brought to EQUIP and abandoned. One of the Liberian staff took the boy home for a couple of weeks, but due to certain circumstances was not able to keep the child. He is now in the care of an orphanage. Continue to keep this child in your prayers. He is still in need of advanced medical care.

This week we are trying to wrap up a lot of projects before some of our ex-pat friends leave for holidays home in America and our Liberian friends take a break for the Christmas season. We have our monthly staff meeting and a Christmas Party that promises to be a good time. We will have a couple of weeks “off” after this week. Pray for us as we make decisions about what we will be doing for the holidays. Even though we have only been in Liberia for 1 1/2 months we are looking forward to a time of rest!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray that we will be diligent in building relationships with our Liberian friends and taking advantage of opportunities to share the Gospel.

Pray for us as we work to open doors for local pastors to receive training.

Pray for us as we consider how to spend our holiday. Don’t forget our family during this season that we are away.

Pray for our response to the refugee situation.

Peace Folks,

Kyle and Jessica Hoover

Grocery Stores, Refugees and December's Arrival

Last week was a blur of busyness. We made a trip to Monrovia at the beginning of the week. Grocery stores are a glorious thing. We stocked up on a few groceries. Yes, cheese was purchased- cheddar, mozzarella and havarti. The biggest Monrovia surprise was that a few minutes before departing to come back to Ganta Kyle was asked to drive an extra vehicle back here. Six hours and 1,000 potholes later the two cars in our caravan made it back to Ganta! If you are wondering why that is such a big deal feel free to read a recent NPR story about Liberian roads for a better mental image.

On Wednesday we learned of refugees that are crossing over Liberia’s eastern border into Nimba County in the aftermath of the Ivory Coast’s recent election. EQUIP sent a team to the border to assess the need of the refugees and assist the response of other NGOs working in the area. The election results have resulted in violence in the capital city (no worries, it is far away from us!) and clashes amongst the divided Muslim and Christian populations.

So all in all an eventful week. Maybe a little too eventful…

The next couple of weeks will be extremely busy as we complete a lot of tasks in preparation for a short break for Christmas and the New Year. Even though we have only been in country for a short while we are looking forward to a little break. We have hit the ground running and we would like a few days to get our wits about us before plowing forward!

On another note when did December get here? I looked at my calendar the other day and I was convinced that it was wrong…How did this happen? December, really? Already?

We’ve been in Liberia for over a month now and the Christmas season is upon us! To be quite honest it is hard for us to even imagine being cold right now and since electricity is scarce there aren’t a whole lot of Christmas lights dangling from the eaves of the Ganta neighborhood houses. What we’re praying for is a deep sense of knowing the power of our Saviors birth, life, death and glorious Resurrection in the wake of this very different Christmas season. We’re praying the same for you and your family this Christmas season

Weekly Prayer Needs:

-Pray for rest and focus as we head into each new week.

-Pray for relationships among the ex-pat staff. We truly desire to be a blessing and point towards the Gospel in all we say and do.

-Pray for opportunities to disciple and encourage Liberian believers

-Pray that we would be seeking out daily time in God’s Word.

-Pray for discernment about how to aid the Ivorian refugees through the possible fall-out from the recent election results.

Peace Folks,

Kyle and Jessica

Long Days, Short Nights

How's the Morning? Read about each morning and day at our regular blog The Hoovers: Liberia Bound.

Every morning when we get to the EQUIP Liberia office we spend time greeting the Liberian staff. We always ask one another “How’s the night?” We were asked that one morning last week Kyle’s response was “Too short!” to which one of our Liberian friends responded “Nights in Liberia are always too short.” I wish someone would have informed us of that before we came here!

We have been so busy this past week that we nearly fall into bed at night. We went deep into the bush for a visit to two of EQUIP’s 23 clinics last Tuesday. It was a bumpy ride that ended with red dirt in our ears- the red dust comes in the windows of the car and you don’t realize you’re covered until you look in the mirror! My brain was mush by the end of the trip due to the constant bashing against my skull that it took. We’re gonna have to get used to these bush adventures! They put American 4 wheelin’ to shame!

The end of the week held another first for us! The monthly staff meeting with approximately 30 Liberian staff from all over Nimba county. It lasts for a couple of days and everyone reports on what is going on in their part of the county. We were able to learn the official way that the Liberian EQUIP staff (and Liberian’s in general) clap for one another. We will have to make a video to show you. It is the best clap ever! Although I don’t think that we can exude the Liberian joy with which they do their clap. Kyle and I both agreed we would have made the journey over here just to learn the clap.

You must be thinking, “When did they have time for Thanksgiving?” Well, we squeezed in somewhere in between our trip to the bush and staff meeting. Unfortunately the first day of staff meeting was scheduled for Thursday which put a damper on our American Thanksgiving. Liberians and Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on a different day so it wasn’t a big deal to them. We managed (along with our co-workers, friends, fellow Americans -Patty, Kristen and Debbie) to throw together a nice meal on Wednesday evening. It came complete with stuffed chickens that we continuously referred to as “turkey”, mashed potatoes, pumpkin, corn, biscuits, green bean casserole, fried okra and apple spice cake.

This coming week is not going be a slow down for us! We are going to Monrovia for a much needed shopping trip and meetings. When we get back to Ganta we have a couple of meetings and more travelling to do. Pray that our Liberian nights will get longer so that we can get the sleep we need!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

-Pray for our protection and safety as we travel back and forth to Monrovia and the bush

-Pray for our relationships with those that we are working with. Pray that we would be an encouragement to them.

-Pray for us during the holidays that God would work out a way for us to have a special and relaxing holiday while we are away from friends and family.

-Pray that we would have opportunities to invest and disciple those around us.

Peace Folks,

Kyle and Jessica Hoover

Into the Bush

We’re off to the bush (let’s just call it the sticks for all our Southern peeps) this week. USAID has come to do a tour of the infrastructure at a few clinics. EQUIP Liberia runs 23 clinics/health centers in Nimba county for Liberia’s Ministry of Health (MOH). This is all part of the Rebuilding Basic Health Services (RBHS) program supported by the MOH. Some of the clinics are deep, deep into the bush. Kyle and I will be going along on these trips.

On top of Kyle’s WATSAN responsibilities he will be working with his WATSAN teams on clinic infrastructure improvements. I am working with the RBHS program on maternal and child health. These trips will allow me to see the labor and delivery rooms at some of these remote clinics!

This is our 4th full week in Liberia and we are beginning to get settled into some semblance of a routine. We are praying about ministry opportunities. There is so much need and we want to be discerning about the resources, gifts and opportunities that the Lord gives us. Kyle has a group of men that are his WATSAN team. This provides a cohesive group of men that Kyle will be able to minister too. Pray that he will take advantage of opportunities to encourage and speak into the lives of these men.

Weekly Prayer Need:

-Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us as we look for ministry opportunities.

-Pray for God’s protection as we drive into the bush. Pray that our vehicles hold up!

-Pray for our families during this week of Thanksgiving. Pray that they would know how grateful we are for their love and support and would enjoy the holiday in spite of our absence.

Peace,

Kyle and Jessica Hoover

Upcountry Living

Read more at The Hoovers: Liberia Bound

Finally "home"! We made it to Ganta on Thursday evening and were welcomed with a big dinner by our new neighbors/coworkers! Our home is part of a compound adjacent to a leprosy and TB rehab community. We refer to it simply as "rehab" and is run by Italian nuns. The sisters are just precious and we really couldn't ask for better landlords!

Friday, we unpacked our bags and headed into town to get our bearing this involved setting up a bank account and having lunch (jolla rice- basically rice, onions, beans, chicken and lots of spice!). Upon our return to rehab the sisters showed us our first snake by their front door, a dead (chopped in half by the guard) baby green mamba! Yowzers- no thank you- this is the part where Kyle and I go and stuff anything we can find underneath our doors so that we don't have an unwelcomed visitors. We can deal with the lizards on the walls- they eat bugs and won't kill us- but not green mambas on our floors!

Saturday we came to the Equip office and helped out for a few hours. Afterwards we continued into town for our introduction to the open air market. Clothes, rice, produce and the very distrubing bush meat section. Imagine charred animal (chimpanzee arms, deer legs, etc..) parts rotting in the heat. Needless to say I won't be buying a lot from that section...

Sunday we went to church in the nearby village- the leprosy and TB rehab village. Unbeknownst to us it was mission Sunday and we got to go through the village talking with folks and encouraging them to come to church the next Sunday. It was a good way to learn about the community which is right at our back door. This is our "Jerusalem" so please pray that we would be intentional with this isolated community.

We've been able to talk with our family via our cellphones and we have a surprisingly clear connection and good signal! The bonus is that it is only between 5-10 cents a minutes! So don't be surprised if you get a phone call from us one day! It is an incredible blessing to hear familar voices!
Today we start "work". Kyle has a mountain of work ahead of him. He is working on a proposal due at the end of the month for charity water that would given the Equip Liberia's WATSAN (water and sanitation) dept. $150,000 to work with! I'm going to be working on a maternal health project called "Mama Kits" that is meant to improve the rate of women giving birth in the clinics. We've got our hands full!

Weekly Prayer Needs:

Pray that we would continue to get settled in and that we would continue to improve our grasp of the culture and dialect- our Liberian friends are speaking English but it certainly doesn't sound like it sometimes.

Pray that we would be intentional in encouraging the other expats (non-Liberians) towards the Gospel.

Peace,
Kyle and Jessica Hoover

TOO PLENTY!

In case you missed Kyle's post on Monday from our regular blog here it is! Read more about God's work amidst the people of Liberia at our regular blog The Hoovers: Liberia Bound

It seems since I (Kyle) haven't had a chance to check the email in a week or so (not so bad mind you) I was given the chance to blog for Monday. For the past week I have been supervising the concrete work for a second floor roof addition for the Waines home in Monrovia. To put it gently - things are not built here like they are in the States. Concrete forms are not made out of steel and well cut wood. They are made out of wahwah and bush poles....which work well! In addition to materials - how workers "think" about their work is different as well. Its not about how well things are constructed - but how little work can I do to get paid - wait..maybe its not all that different....

I spent a better part of the week trying to "encourage" them to revisit how they mix their concrete. Little did I know that a small blip in my life when I designed/mixed/inspected concrete would be so handy! For our project we needed "rich" concrete and instructed them what we needed for the mix. When the materials exceeded the usual amounts used to make Liberian concrete out came screams of TOO PLENTY! TOO PLENTY! (translated: TOO MUCH MAN!) When I insisted on a different way to mix the concrete - out came TOO PLENTY! TOO PLENTY! When I stated how much concrete we needed to mix you guessed it TOO PLENTY! TOO PLENTY! God in His Grace allowed my pea brain to calcuate the right amounts that it wasnt too plenty - but just enough. By the end of the week - they were mixing the amounts of materials without prodding - they mixed it in the proper manner (that required more work), and they started to see that quality work is just as important as getting paid - or so I hope.

Thank you Lord for a week to work with Liberians - and may this week lead to a change in their hearts that changes their character as professing men of God, and a change in their culture, country, and this continent. May Your Grace never be TOO Plenty.