Last Sunday, the Ricks Choir sang this song:

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in His justice,
Which is more than liberty.

There is welcome for the sinner,
And more graces for the good;
There is mercy with the Savior;
There is healing in His blood.

There is a great need for his mercy and healing here in Liberia. We had read about the poverty and the war, and here we see the reality on our friends’ faces. Please pray for those who lost loved ones and property. Pray also for the loss of things like publishing, post offices, public records, electricity and years of training of teachers and tradesmen, things that take generations to replace. Several friends have been in the clinic lately with bad belly, malaria, typhoid or yellow fever. When you ask a Liberian who has been sick how he is doing, the reply is, “Trying,” as if to say, I’m trying my best to get over this thing. Please pray for our friends now who are trying.

If our love were but more simple,

We could take Him at His word;

And our lives would be more loving

In the likeness of our Lord.

Please pray that we are Christ’s ambassadors of simple love, and that we become more and more like our Lord. Larry and I want to simply love Jesus and our neighbors and complete the tasks he has set before us. Larry continues to try to make improvements to the school facilities and grounds, and he has started a morning devotion time with the maintenance staff. Please pray for these fifteen men and their families. In spite of the difficult work, Larry is fond of saying he’s having more fun than one guy should have! My fun meter has also been spinning: I have started assessing the language arts curriculum from kindergarten to twelfth grade, meeting with the teachers and administrators. I have enjoyed spending hours soaking in the Liberian National Curriculum, researching elementary strategies and high school African literature. The needs at the school are distressing and threaten to overwhelm us at times, but we know our Father knows exactly what to do. Please pray the Spirit illumines our ideas and blesses our work.

In two weeks, Ruthie graduates from kindergarten (a very big deal here!) and we leave to spend July in the States. We will attend the World Mission Conference and recharge our batteries by seeing our family and friends face-to-face. Please cover us in prayer as we complete this school year’s tasks, then pack and prepare for travel. Thank you again for your support and love. 

Reply to this journal at Stanton@internationalministries.org.