Monday 29 April 2013

LIBERIA:The Liberia Chronicles 2


Day 3

Today was a rest day for us. Dr. Woodroffe, still feeling the effects of traveling here soon after the grueling trip to Fiji, was able to get some much needed rest. I had been fighting off a potential relapse into the effects of a flu virus I had a few weeks ago. The extra rest allowed me to shrug that off completely. Paul went to one of our KCN churches to minister there.
At 3:30pm we were picked up from the hotel by Era. We made our way out of Monrovia to a city called Careysburg for what turned out to be a very pleasant afternoon/evening and dinner. It was on this afternoon that we came to an important conclusion - an African woman in full flight is a force of nature uncontrollable by the laws and dictates of Men.
The conversation of the evening was led largely by interesting tales given by the women present. The main topic was the many instances of social injustice, discrimination and abuse inflicted upon Liberian society by the many outsiders operating here.
The owner of the place we were at (which was called Urey’s Farm) goes by the name May (first name Hurricane if you asked me!). May recounted an incident where an American man made the mistake of disrespecting her and shouting at her the command to ‘Shut up!’ in public. This type of attitude and behaviour are typical of the white foreigners here in Liberia and Africa on the whole I suspect.
Well dark clouds started to gather, wind speed started to pick up and those who knew what was coming tried to calm May down. But May calmly informed them (much in the same way that the stillness of the trees tells of impending inclement weather) that what she was about to do will ensure that this man will think twice before he disrespects a Liberian woman ever again. The unfortunate gentleman learnt things about his mother and wife that I am sure he was not aware of. He heard words, phrases and insults used and delivered in such creative fashion that it would probably have begged literary study.
Era herself also recounted on the first day we arrived that she, that very morning, confronted a UN officer on the street. The officer was driving down the wrong side of the road with sirens blaring in order to escape the traffic on his side of the road. Era was coming up the road in her vehicle. She drove right up to his vehicle (unlike everyone else who pulled out of the way in deference) and mashed her brakes and brought her car to a halt. She stuck her head out of her window and asked the gentlemen what he was doing and instructed him to get back into his lane. When the gentlemen did not respond to her and refused to comply, she informed him that she had all day. She then turned off her ignition and reclined her car seat. The UN officer, after realizing that the only defense against a force of nature is to get out of the way, reversed his car and got back into his lane.
But as we found out, the attitudes displayed by the women in particular are largely due to the intense suffering and violation that they have gone through both as individuals and as a group. Oppression, injustice and abuse inflicted upon them did not break them but made them stronger and more determined to change things. It did not achieve the goal of weakening them but instead brought a strength that will not be restrained by any unjust imposition of another’s will. From this revelation, I thought of Africa.
Africa has been like a woman, violated and unjustly subjugated by the systems of the world. It has been made the concubine of the Western world who took pleasure in her without covenant. But instead of stamping out the flame of its spirit, what is now burning deep within the heart of Africa is a raging outcry against the oppression of an unjust system and a desire for a new destiny. All they lack are the implements with which to fight and to build.
Enter Congress WBN.

Day 4

This morning we began the seminar targeted at Senate members and other senior political leaders in the nation. We had about 20 persons present. They all held significant positions within Liberian society. To mention a few, present were the Speaker of the House Edwin M. Snowe Jr., Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor, divorced wife of deposed dictator Charles Taylor, the Supreme Court Justice from Saturday returned.
The meeting however was forced to run on LST (Liberia Standard Time). We were planning for a prompt 10:00am start as we had the meeting with the President this afternoon. However when we got there the room was empty. We did not start until 11:00am. The seminar was held at the same venue as Saturday – the Corina Hotel Conference Room in downtown Monrovia.
The structure for the day was as follows:
Opening:          10.00 am – 10.30 am
         Introduction of the Seminar
         Presentation of C-WBN
Session 1:        10.30 am – 11.30 am
         “Ethical Leadership”
Break:               11.30 am – 11.45 am
Interaction:      11.45 am – 12.15 pm
         Response; Feedback; Q & A  - Session1
Lunch:              12.15 pm – 1.15 pm
Session 2:        1.15 pm – 2.15 pm
         “Reconciliation and Nation Building
Break:               2.15 pm – 2.30 pm
Session 3:        2.30 pm – 3.30 pm
         “Political Reformation”
Interaction:      3.30 pm – 4.00 pm
         Response; Feedback; Q & A - Session 3
Close:               4.00 pm – 4.10 pm        
Dr. Woodroffe started the seminar the same way he did on Saturday. He ran the C-WBN Flash presentation and then moved right away into the first session.
The first session was entitled “The Power of Ethical Leadership”. Dr. Woodroffe continued with a very bold and clear expression of the Kingdom values that have the power to build and develop a nation. In this session, the emphasis was placed very heavily upon the personal development process in ethics and values. Once again, clear use of scriptures provided the unambiguous foundation for extracting the wisdom necessary for leadership and governance.
The late start forced us to go straight to lunch without having feedback on that specific session. But it was clear that the session had an impact as all of the participants returned after lunch for the afternoon sessions. With people holding such positions seldom ever attend anything for an entire day. This was different.
Doc’s second session was entitled “Reconciliation, Nation Building and Moving to the Future”. It was an issue that is of particular importance and relevance to a society such as Liberia’s, given that the nation is only about two years out of civil war.  There were many atrocities committed during the 16 year civil war.  Young men who were used as soldiers during that period, committed atrocities and crimes against their fellow nationals with impunity. These same young men who raped and murdered at their pleasure, are now walking the streets. One woman told us that a man who had raped her walked up to her one day and asked her for a glass of water. She was cooking at the time and had a knife in her hand and her first thought was to kill him. So impersonal was the act for him, the young man did not even recognize who the woman was. She was simply one of many faceless women indiscriminately used for his gratification. She refrained from using the knife but the sentiments of hatred and the scars of a violent history still mark Liberian society. There are strong currents of hatred and hurt flowing just beneath the surface that can erupt through any of the many persisting cracks in the foundation of the society. There must be healing.
Doc shifted a gear in this session. There was a strong prophetic flow to the session. I felt that we were speaking directly into the spirit realm over Liberia. At one point he said that he did not know who was in the room, but maybe there is a future President of Liberia sitting in the room. Something went off. I felt it. I believe there was one. Who exactly? We do not know. But whoever it is, he/she was in an environment of equipping for their future destiny. We pray that he/she recognize it.
In the face of the authority of the Word of God, there can be no argument. I now understand differently the scripture that tells us the every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord. This was not speaking merely of salvation. It was happening in downtown Monrovia among a group of leaders who was not saved neither did they know God. The presentation of wisdom from the word of God was so compelling that it subdued every dissenting opinion. To raise any dissenting position in the environment that was being created would be equivalent to standing up naked thinking you were wearing clothes. Doc’s session was a clear manifestation of how the Mountain of the Lord’s House was being established on top of the mountains. The wisdom was simply irresistible. 
By the time my session started after a short break, it was already 2:40. My session needed to conclude by 3:30 to allow for 30 minutes of feedback. We needed to leave promptly at 4 for our meeting with the President. My session was entitled “Political Reformation” and focused on the negative values and behavioural impact of the democratic political process and the need for political leaders to protect themselves by acting out of a new values and ethical base. This then becomes the basis for transforming the political system to one that is based on a different set of values. Following the previous sessions, this one continued to give Kingdom insight into the structures and forces that shape the social order and the position that leaders need to take with respect to them.
At the end of day, the feedback session gave a clear indication of the impact. The comments all centred upon the tremendous value of the perspectives and principles shared to the development process of the nation of Liberia. One of the Senators present indicated plainly the desire for greater partnership with the Congress. Of particular significance were the comments of the Speaker of the House who thanked Era for pursuing him and ensuring that he came. He also stated that he is very willing to support greater partnership with Congress in working with the government and ministries to produce new systems and structures to push Liberia forward. We are to have dinner at his house tomorrow evening. We feel that our connection with this man can turn out to be very significant.
We made several other significant contacts. They are as follows:
Name
Position
Jewel Howard-Taylor
Senator
J. Jonathan Banney
Senator
Edwin M. Snowe Jr.
Speaker of the House
Elijah Seah
Member of the House of Representatives
Jefferson Kanmoh
Member of the House of Representatives
Blamoh Nelson
Senator

Meeting with Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

We arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building at 5:15pm for our 5:30pm courtesy visit with the President. Present were Dr. Woodroffe, Paul, Era, Pastor Bryant and myself. After going through security and climbing 6 flights of stairs to the Presidential floor (the elevator was not working of course), we were ushered into a waiting room. After a few minutes, we were ushered into a boardroom to await the President.
The building is built near the Atlantic coast and from the board room we had a magnificent view of the Atlantic Ocean. I mused upon the prophetic significance of it all. Here we are sitting in a board room in West Africa, on the same coast from which Africans were taken as slaves and who formed the foundation for Caribbean civilization. Now, God was reversing the tide of human history. Now we were coming from the Caribbean to Africa to proclaim to it a new reality and a new hope. We came with a civilizing mission from a New World, a world called the Kingdom of God.
The last time we met with the President, it was under very different conditions. We were very interested in seeing how the President would respond to us. In Atlanta she was understandably very cold and detached from the interaction. Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson is 78 years old but looks more like 65. I do not know what they do here in Africa but whatever it is it works! She walked into the room in full formal wear – a beautiful green and black African gown complete with an elegant head tie and sash. 
After introductions, we sat down at the table and the interaction commenced. This was meant to be a courtesy visit to make the President aware of Congress WBN’s presence and work in Liberia. Dr. Woodroffe started by stating the context of our visit to Liberia. Ellen informed us that she had received very good reports of the meetings we had over the weekend and she thanked us for our contribution to the development of Liberia. She also indicated that she will speak with those who attended the meetings to get fuller details of the impact and value of what had been deposited. Dr. Woodroffe expressed C-WBN’s ongoing commitment to partner with the nation of Liberia for which she was very grateful.
Ellen this time around showed her human side. She stepped several times from behind the veil of officialdom to show an amiable personality. This was a completely different woman from the one we met in Atlanta. She invited us to submit specific details of what we wish to do in Liberia and promised to consider how they could be enacted on the ground. Era was identified as our point of contact on the ground in Liberia, which of course now gives her a profile that will allow her to speak to influential people on the ground.
By the end of the interaction, it was clear that the profile of Congress WBN had been significantly raised. This was achieved not only through the impact of the seminars but also through the very cordial and positive interaction we had with the President. At the end, Dr. Woodroffe asked the President for a photo and she willingly agreed. In fact after snapping a shot with the city of Liberia in the background, she then suggested that we should take one with the Atlantic to their backs. This was indeed a different woman.

Conclusion

Today the substantive part of our visit was completed and the trip was an immense success. Tonight we have dinner at Mrs. Clavenda Bright-Parker’s house. She is the personal friend of the President and who was the one who gave her the positive report of the seminars. Tomorrow we meet with the Vice President and have dinner with the Speaker of the House. Then we begin our journeys from Liberia on Wednesday morning.
God has gone before us yet again. We are indeed a privileged to serve a God like this.
Deut 4:7
7 "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?
NKJV

No comments:

Post a Comment