The Nairobi Attack, and The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

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It was raining quite heavily on Saturday morning here in Monrovia, so instead of being outside enjoying the weekend, I was inside, catching up on facebook, twitter and the world news.  It was then that the breaking news came up about the attack at the Westgate mall in Nairobi.  Shocked at what I was reading, my heart instantly broke for those involved- for those Christian brothers and sisters just innocently enjoying their Saturday morning, which quickly turned into an incredibly terrifying situation. 

Checking for updates every few hours, I just couldn’t get my mind off of the cruel, cowardly attack that was happening.  It wasn’t even the fact that I have been to that mall, or could picture the layout clearly in my mind.  It angers me knowing it was an attack from a religion that states they are not about violence.  My heart breaks for the families affected- for those that lost their lives so innocently.  With the rain continuing to fall, my mind continued to wander…. “What if?  What if I was in that mall? What if something similar happened here in Liberia? How would I react?”

One of the most popular questions I get asked when I am at home speaking to people is, “Aren’t you afraid? Don’t you fear for your life when you are over there?”  To which my answer, with bewilderment in my eyes is, “No- not at all.”  It has never really crossed my mind- until now. Yes I have had some crazy experiences- experiences where God has shown up, been with me, brought unlikely persons to help me, has protected me…Until a location I am familiar with (albeit is an 8 hour plane ride away) is attacked and it becomes more personal than just a headline on the news. 

Growing up, my parents loved and supported me in where God was leading me- even if it meant moving 7000 miles away from them.  They have never, ever said “Joni, maybe you should just stay here- I mean there are people who need Jesus in Iowa too,” or “Joni we don’t want you to go, we are afraid of what might happen…”   I am sure these thoughts have crossed their minds at some point in time, but they have never voiced them to me.  I was taught at a very early age about the sovereignty of God- that He is in control of everything- and even when things do not make sense around you, if you are attentive to his call and his voice, and are obedient, you are in the safest place you could be.

A friend of mine was having a conversation with my mom one day, when someone asked her how she could let her daughter live so far away in AFRICA of all places.  Her response was, “God has called her to work there- and God has called me to let her go.”   Knowing my parents and family are a part of this calling makes all the difference to me.  There isn’t a fear of living somewhere strange, somewhere so drastically different from where I grew up.  I know God has called me here, and as long as I am sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s direction, and obedient to it, I am not afraid. I miss my parents and my family terribly- and there are days where I just wish there was a way I could transport myself into their living room for a day or two over the weekend, and then come back to work in Liberia… (I mean how awesome would that be?!)

Saturday night, as the rain continued to pour onto our tin roof, my roommates and I settled in for a movie.  The Inn of the Sixth Happiness was the movie of choice, and I was incredibly intrigued by the title alone.  It is an older movie- probably from the 50’s-60’s about a missionary woman to China.  In the movie, China was being invaded by Japan- and the missionary had about 100 children with her, needing to travel a very long distance on foot to get to safety.  Her athiest friend turns to her and says, “Can’t you ask your God for protection? Isn’t that what your religion is for?”  Her response stopped my ever-growing fearful mind in my tracks-  “My God guarantees the protection of my soul, not of my body.”

God reminded me so very clearly through this movie that I do not need to be afraid, no matter how crazy thing are around me. For what can man do to me?  They may hurt, or even kill my body. But my God, my God protects my soul. 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10

The fun had just begun...

The next few days following the marathon were focused primarily on exploring England together.  I have to say it was a blast to be on vacation with my co-workers, housemates and more than that—friends.  We have often said we wish we could experience a place outside of Liberia together, and we were able to do just that.

My co-worker/housemate/friend’s family is English, and has a house on the English Channel.  Her family was incredibly kind and generous to allow the six of us to invade and call it our home for the next few days. What a blessing! 

But we first had to get there.

We took a train out of London to bring us to the Southampton Airport, where we were going to rent a car for the next few days.  Danielle, Bev and myself all had large pieces of luggage with us on the train.  I knew our stop was not going to be a long one, so I had to be on the ball so that we could all make it off the train.

As we were pulling up, I stood up, moved my suitcase and waited for the door to open.

I was greeted by a man who appeared shocked to see a woman with a large suitcase wanting to get off the train.  In my head I’m thinking, “you better watch out—there are five more behind me!”

I quickly got off and moved my suitcase out of the way and turned to check on the other girls.  By this time (all but 20 seconds), the passengers had boarded but all five girls were still on the train with the door shut! I could see Danielle frantically trying to hit the button to open the door but it wouldn’t open.  I quickly walked over to hit the outside “open door” button but as I touched it, the train started to move… with everyone in my party still inside!   There we stood- me looking at them like “Hmmmm… this isn’t good.”  And they were looking at me with the same look!

I had to laugh to myself because it was also raining outside. So there I stood in the rain, watching all of my friends slide farther and farther away.  I made my way to the lobby to stay dry and keep an eye out for the girls, assuming they would just turn around at the next stop.  About 45 minutes later I spotted them… wet and cold, but big white smiles appeared as soon as we saw each other. 

Now that we figured out the trains and planes… it was time to drive to the house.

After I figured out how to put the car in reverse, that is.

We had decided that it was more cost efficient with the six of us to rent a car for our time in Sand Banks.  Alisa and myself were the designated drivers of the rental car.  Now if any of you know me, you know I love to drive.  But I had never attempted driving anywhere where you drove on the left side of the road.  We arrived at the rental office and received our brand spanking new Ford minivan.  We stuffed all of us and our luggage inside and off we went!  Well, ok we went about 40 feet…

I missed the exit for the parking ramp and wanted to reverse… but could NOT get that car to shift into reverse!  I was already nervous about driving- everything is opposite- the fast lane is the slow lane, the driver sits on the opposite side of the car, you shift with your left hand instead of your right, right hand turns are wide and left hand turns are sharp.

I was a bit worried that if I couldn’t figure out how to get the car into reverse, the rest of my passengers would lose faith in me and freak out.  So I’m trying to keep calm… putting the shifter in “reverse” only to have the car continually creep forward.  I was so close to going back into the office with my tail between my legs to ask, “um excuse me… you know that brand new car you rented to me?  How do you put in in reverse?” 

I’m sure that would have instilled so much confidence in them.

Finally, we (yes, it was a collective effort) figured out that you have to lift up the silver ring below the shifter as you shift into reverse in order for it to work. 

I pulled out on the road, constantly telling myself to stay in the left lane, and try not to get honked at.  Instantly I had to pull into a busy roundabout where a van came speeding in to my right and honked like crazy- causing me to enter the wrong exit.  Once I got us on the right road, I noticed how silent the rest of the car was.  Of course I’m thinking, “Is everyone freaking out about my driving? Afraid for their lives?”  I glanced in the rear view mirror to see Alisa, Danielle and Elizabeth completely passed out in the middle seat, and Taya smiling at me from the pile of luggage in the back.  Phew.  I could finally relax knowing they weren’t worried!

We finally made it safely to the house (thanks to GPS!) and settled right in.

It was amazing.

We thoroughly enjoyed spreading out throughout the house, sitting in front of the fireplace and enjoying a meal overlooking the narrows.

The next morning we ventured across the water to a place called Old Harry Rocks where we did some hiking and picture taking.   The view was breathtaking- but maybe part of that was my fear of heights!  There was one section where the path leading out was only 18-24 inches wide with a hundred foot drop on either side.  I stayed away from that section-- -the thought alone of me getting blown over on a windy day was enough for me to stay in a safer area!

It surprised us that they didn’t have any fences at all to keep people back, but, we also decided that if you fell off, well, it was probably your own fault.

As we were getting ready to move to the next cliff, Bev set her camera on a knoll for a self-timed picture of the group.  As she pushed the shutter and came quickly towards us, the five of us were going “OH NO!”  Bev, thinking we were concerned about her coming too quickly on the narrow path replied, “You guys—I’m ok!”

It wasn’t until she reached us and turned around to smile for the camera that she saw her camera was not there.  “Old Blue” had slid down the knoll and into the crashing waves below.

Although sad, the story could have ended up much worse—I can guarantee that if Bev would have seen the camera start to fall she would have gone after it- and this blog post wouldn’t be so funny after all!

So we moved to the next section, which was probably 6 feet wide, when Danielle gets the brilliant idea to build a human pyramid on this 6-foot wide section of cliff.  No thank you.  She thought it was the best idea ever… thankfully she wasn’t the only brain in the bunch!  We talked her into coming away from the cliff and imminent death before we attempted the human pyramid!

Enjoying lunch at the local pub.

 

After enjoying the views and thanking God I didn’t fall off the cliff we headed off to Corffe Castle.

We entered the castle for our tour and noticed a white tent to our left full of costumes.  Oh yes.  We dove into those costumes faster than I prepare my mashed potatoes.  The lady at the gate kindly volunteered to take our photo as we set up some scenes.

We. Laughed. So. hard.  One of those deep laughs that just makes everything right in the world, you know?

I think the lady thought we were a bit crazy, but she also said she was having fun too. Out of all the visitors that afternoon, we were the only ones who took advantage of the costumes.  I’m not sure why… :)

And of course, you can’t be in England without having tea.

The perfect afternoon tea!

Over all, it was a gorgeous day filled with great views, tons of laughter, and amazing friends.

I am blessed.

London Marathon 2012

Yes, I know.  I have done a horrible job at updating this blog since the elections last October!  My apologies for those who check this page regularly and have seen no change at all.  There is so much to update you on!  This month I made a quick trip home to witness my older brothers wedding to my new sister-in-law Tricia.  While I was in the airport waiting to board the plane in Monrovia, a woman approached me and asked, "Are you Joni?  I read your blog!"  We sat and had a nice conversation about what brought us both to Liberia, and she made a good point about blogging.  Sometimes you may wonder why you do it, but you don't know who you are helping or encouraging through it.  So, with that said, I am really going to try and update more... if anything for my own sanity most days-- and if it helps and encourages someone along the way, great!

Now, for a brief catch-up.

-  We continue to thank God for no post-election violence!  Thank you to those of you who prayed.
-  I went home over Christmas for my annual home leave- and enjoyed one of the warmest winters in history!
-  I returned to Liberia with a new position- one of which I am continually learning and growing through!
- April 1st, I flew back home for my brother and sister-in-laws wedding, which has topped my list of favorite family memories!  I had an absolute blast throughout the weekend witnessing Kyle and Tricia reciting their vows surrounded by family and friends. I am excited for my new sister and getting to know her better!

Five days after returning to Liberia from the wedding, I left again for London for nine days to cheer on and photograph my friend Bev, running the London marathon.  I was able to go last year, but this year, there were five of us besides Bev, that decided to make the trip and cheer her on!

The London Marathon is considered the biggest fund-raising event in the world.  With 36,000 runners (yes, you read that right!) that is a lot of causes to run for!  Bev was running this year for our Church Mobilization Program, which leads pastors and church leaders through an envisioning curriculum on the ministry of Jesus.  As a result, these churches begin to respond to the needs of their community, using their own resources- being the church that Christ calls us to be.

CLICK HERE for a 2 minute video to see why Bev runs.

I'm telling you--- you can take the girls out of the bush, but you can't take the bush out of the girls!  London had no idea what was coming...

Danielle, Bev and myself were the first to arrive to England.  We made a presentation of our Liberia projects at our Samaritan's Purse UK office, and then it was off to the marathon expo!

Bev, myself and Danielle waiting for our train to the expo.
 It was quite a bit cooler than what we are used to in Liberia!

Along with hundreds of booths and shops, the had a photo booth.  After taking your picture, you could add it to the thousands of others who were running, with a personal message.  Danielle and I made a sign that said "you make Liberia proud!" and Bev is holding her number.

Our photo among a few of the others.

Sunday morning was race day, and after hearing nothing but rain and wind in the forecast, we woke up to clear, blue, sunny skies.  The perfect weather for this marathon.  

While Bev and the other SP runners headed for the start line, we split up into groups and left to get some good spots at various points along the race.  Taya and myself headed to mile 5, where one of our SP co-workers has an apartment with a nice balcony to overlook the race.

First, the elite women come through.  This is actually the second group of elite women (I took video of the first group FLYING by)

Followed by the wheelchair participants, and the elite men.

Soon the masses start to pour in.  Where Bev is at the start, there are so many people that it takes a full 15 minutes to even reach the "start" line!  We were able to anticipate when Bev would come by us by going off of her estimated finish time- but it is a lot of people to scan in the meantime!

One thing unique to the London Marathon, is that elite runners run, but it is also considered a "fun run" also, which also means participants really get into it and wear all sorts of different costumes.  Not only is the atmosphere throughout the city fantastic for the marathon, but it is quite entertaining to spot crazy costumes as you watch 36,000 run by!

This guy was dressed as a cockroach, but running for a cure for Alzheimer's... not sure of the connection there!

This woman's balloon, which was attached to her arm, says "In memory of my mum."

I'm not sure how this guy finished, because he was struggling at mile 5 with this entire fireman's outfit on!

This guy hit a field hockey ball the entire time!

Every year there is about 5-6 rhinos... I can't imagine running 26.2 miles in this!

And then, as we scanned the crowd again, we saw Bev and Andy!

Last year, I was at four different spots around the course and never saw Bev once.  I had a great experience and enjoyed the marathon, but was just really bummed that I never once saw her run by.  BUT, it was very different this year, and we were all excited when we spotted each other throughout the race!

Taya and I were holding a very large Liberian flag to help her find us a little easier.

I can't believe that Ray would be all that comfortable for 26.2 miles either...

26.2 miles on stilts? why not?

My equipment caddy Taya.

Even the tin man and lion ran!

After mile five, we moved to mile 14-15, where we spotted Alison, another SP runner looking strong!

We tied the Liberian flag to my monopod and held it in the air so it would be easier for Bev to spot through all the people.

And there she sees it!  Looking great at mile 15!

Andy stopped over to give his wife and kids a kiss.

And off they went again!

It was a lot of people to maneuver through, so we were looking for anything we could to stand on.  From here, we knew we needed to start to make it to the finish line since the trains were going to be packed!  And they were- we finally got to the station that was closest to the finish and we ran our own race to make it in time to see Bev cross!  

Last year I spent so long at the finish scanning and scanning thousands of people, hoping to see her cross the finish line, but it just wasn't meant to be.  This year, we sprinted to make it there, and ten minutes later she came through looking like she was on mile 8 or 9!

So proud of you, Bev.  Not only for running another marathon, but for why you are running. Congratulations on your new personal best!

Yep, it's real!

The Liberia crew- Danielle, Taya, Bev, Elizabeth, Alisa and myself!

CLICK HERE to watch Bev cross the finish line! (I apologize for the shaky camera work- I was letting the camera run while I was searching for Bev for fear that I would miss her like last year!)

The marathon was only the beginning of our adventure... stay tuned for more!