The sawmill is up and running in Liberia!!!

Daniel, Josh and Tyler volunteered their time and resources (they covered all the costs of travel, food etc) and spent the month of March in Liberia training the  men on the Woodmizer Sawmill.  It is so encouraging to have young people give of themselves like these three did to help others.  They also lived among the people while in Liberia, without electricity, showers, running water etc, and for the first 2 1/2 weeks without their food, eating like a Liberia, including some kind of muskrat stew that one of them ended up with the skull on their plate after being served.  

The sawmill arrived in port at the end of February, and after many trials and jumping through many hoops the boys and Peter Flomo were able to get the Woodmizer sawmill, supplies, and their food out of port.  This was truly something to celebrate, after 2 1/2 weeks of being in Liberia, things were finally moving.

The boys then drove the sawmill up to Bong County where their training began.  After 2 weeks of training the Liberian people on everything from maintenance and care of the sawmill to the cutting of lumber and drying of the wood, the boys felt confident in the people who were going to be in charge of the sawmill.  Things went very smoothly and they loved their time in the Panta community.  The villagers also fell in love with the boys...in fact, they have now been dedicated as "Elders" of the Panta Communities (complete with new outfits!). 

 The potential that this sawmill holds is limitless, it is truly a gift from God, and the people there know it.  It is such an exciting time in this community. The sawmill is providing 17 people in Liberia with jobs, it is providing the wood for building projects that we are working on, plus once the wood is brought to market (once we raise funds for a truck) and sold it will also be going to help support the projects on the ground in Liberia (with the orphans, and women with the Orphan Grain Project, and other projects under Global Orphan Outreach)   We are so thankful for God allowing this sawmill to go to Liberia, for getting it out of port, and for the protection of our boys while there, and we are so thankful for everyone who has invested into this project! 

 Tyler and Daniel guiding in loading a log onto the sawmill.

 The work site.

 Josh training on maintenance of the sawmill

Training began at square 1, with teaching the men how to read a tape measure.

Update Orphan Grain Project

WOOD-MIZER:
The Wood-mizer should be landing in Liberia any day and the boys (Daniel, Josh, and Tyler) will be heading for Liberia on March 5th with a lot of work waiting to be done!  From laying cement foundation, to helping clear the fields in the village, to building outhouses for the people in the Kpeletayama Village, to training Liberians on the Wood-Mizer...these boys will have a month packed of work.  Please keep them in your prayers, for their continued health and strength while working in Liberia.  I had a hard time walking in Liberia with the heat and humidity, I am not sure about working in that same heat!

UPDATE ON ORPHAN GRAIN PROJECT:
Peter Flomo has been organizing the clearing of 80 acres outside of the Kpeletayama Village....80 acres cleared by hand without adequate tools.  I can't even imagine.   This land will be used to plant cassava which in turn will help feed the village and a large portion will be brought to market and sold...this will be a huge step towards becoming self-sufficient for the Kpeletayama Village.  Obviously there is one factor missing, and that is the truck to haul the cassava to market.  Peter and I have discussed this thoroughly and had decided to proceed with the clearing and planting of the fields, and have a "due-date" of having a truck bought and sent to Liberia by the end of July (the truck would then get there by the end of September) in order to bring the crops to market.  Lord willing this will all take place.  Investing into this truck is really investing into the future of the people of the Kpeletayama Village.  If anyone wants to be a part of helping with getting the Kpeletayama Village a truck, or if you know someone I should talk to, feel free to contact me (Kari: 651-206-7935).  So far we have $10,000+ towards the truck, and will keep working towards our goal.  The lives of so many depend on our commitment to working together with the Liberian people in creating an environment where they can be self-sustaining.

Thank-you for your help!

Kari

Hope is coming in the form of an orange sawmill to the Orphan Grain Project in Liberia

We had a huge blessing this year as the Wood-Mizer company donated a brand new portable sawmill (worth almost 21,000)  plus 6,000 dollars worth of accessories for the sawmill (maintenance pkg, saw blades etc.)  The picture above is of Tyler (my son) when he went for training on the sawmill, as the plans are for him and a couple of other guys to go to Liberia this February and stay for a month working the sawmill for building projects and training a team of Liberians who will take over the operation of the sawmill once they leave.  Please keep these boys in your prayers, they will not be staying in a hotel while in Liberia, but rather with the people themselves.  I think the hardest part for them will be no showers after working in the hot Liberian sun all day!  

 My husband getting  all the tools, etc together in barrels to be shipped with the sawmill.  This was a huge job!  Also pictured are Pastor Ben Kangar (Calvary Chapel Red Wing) and Richard Mills (who is working so hard on helping us ship this to Liberia in the most timely, cost effective manner).

 Mike and I with the Wood-mizer.  The potential this one machine holds is amazing.. from providing wood for the building of the school, clinic, homes, and providing a source of income as the extra boards can be sold.  We are so blessed that God gave us this opportunity to be involved with this project.

The sawmill will be loaded on a container this Friday (December 23rd) along with 8 barrels loaded with goods, and will take roughly 45 days to get to Liberia.  The gift of this saw reinforces the urgency and great need of a heavy duty work truck to send to Liberia, as we will be unable to haul lumber to market until we have a truck to haul it with.  Please keep that need in your prayers that a door would be open for the opportunity to get a truck to Liberia.

The youth from Calvary Chapel Red Wing who have been helping raise money for shipping the Wood-Mizer to Africa.  Total cost for shipping is 3200.00, so far these kids have raised 700.00!  We have a ways to go, but what an awesome start!  Hopefully and prayerfully we will be able to have the rest of the funds together within a couple of weeks.

Matthew 25;44.m4v

ORPHAN GRAIN PROJECT BENEFIT 2010

What a blessing this benefit was! So many people working together to help bring about change for the Liberian people. THANK YOU to all that supported this benefit, and/or contributed to the 5400 dollars that was raised towards the work truck! Our total so far for the truck is around 8000! We had an evening that left no room for boredom!

Pst. Ben Kangar, myself, George' Segbee's wife, Donna (Director of Global) and George Segbee

This was a benefit with a little bit of everything, and something for everyone to enjoy....

Explaining the need and the importance for us all to be a part of the change in a country that is desperate for change. No contribution, whether money or time, is too small or too large to make a difference. We all have the power to help create change for these people.

This is just a fraction of the beautiful things donated for this benefit; we had such a wide array of baskets, gifts, wood crafts. etc. They were all so beautiful! There were a lot of "friendly" bidding wars going on....After I announced 1/2 hour left to the auction, they auction tables became an area of danger:)

Not to mention a delicious italian meal! I know, it was a Liberian Benefit, but without Liberian food. I was just trying to show mercy and compassion on our guests:)

Beautiful music!

And stuff for the kids, like funky hair. Well, actually some of the adults caught the spirit too!

Our plan is to make this an annual benefit; as to partner with the Liberian people in bringing about change in this country we will need more then a truck:) But, a work truck is essential in facilitating that change. Next benefit will hopefully be for the supplies for building the school, but time will tell. We are tentatively planning on the same time next year for our 2011 fall benefit, if you didn't make this one I would encourage you to plan for the 2011 benefit!

Preparing the rice for market

The ladies from the Kpeletayama Village thrashing the rice separating the rice from the shaft. This is from the rice crop grown near the village, which will feed the orphans in foster care, along with the people of the village. They were also hoping to transport some of the rice to market to bring in some money, but of course we are awaiting a truck to answer this need.

The rice waiting to be bagged.
The rice that is bagged, ready for market. By the time they are finished there will be 300 to 400 bags of rice. Please do not underestimate your contribution towards the truck that will enable them to bring this rice to market. It is truly a life changing contribution, to so many lives. I would encourage you to also take part in advocating on the behalf of these people who have so little.

Harvesting of the peanuts has begun!

The harvesting of the peanuts has begun! To you and I these look like peanuts, a snack, nothing too exciting. But for the Kpeletayama village children and women (especially the pregnant women) it means they will now have a sustainable source of protein. This is so exciting, and just adding these peanuts to their diet can make the difference between babies being born with neurological defects (ex: cerebral palsy) and mothers bleeding to death after delivering a child (as proper nutrition is essential in clotting of blood), along with having a major effect on the development of the toddlers brains, especially the first couple of critical years. To all who contributed to this project, I want to say THANK YOU!! Who would have thought something so small, could mean something so big!
The women out harvesting the peanuts.

They are holding hope in their hands. Hope for better health of their children, hope for generating an income.