Liberia VBS 2014 - United Evangelical Church

LESSON THREELIBERIAWelcome back to Vacation Bible School. What country we are learning about in our Missions Lessons thisweek? That’s right – Liberia (Show Visual 5: map of Liberia) Can someone raise their hand, and tell mewhat the offering monies that we are collecting are going for? That’s right – to buy supplies for the ECYouth Camping Programs in LiberiaRight now, you are at Bible School in an Evangelical Congregational Church, or “EC Church.” Did you knowthat there are over 400 “EC” Churches around the world? The EC Church in Liberia was started by the effortsof a native African woman named, Clara Letitia Blaine-Wilson, known as “Aunt Clara” in the year 1966.(Show Visual 11: Aunt Clara) Aunt Clara was a Christian woman who told Bible stories and other storiesusing nature, to help the Liberian children learn about God. ‘Aunt Clara’ even had a radio program to broadcasther Bible Messages to the children of Liberia. There are now 32 EC Churches, and over 60 EC church plantsmeeting in villages around Liberia. The groups of people who meet for ‘church’ might have a building ormaybe just gather under a shelter without walls, or a tree. (Show Visual 12: Churches) There are over 9000Liberians that are part of the EC Church.Rev. Matthew Gueh (pronounced “gooey”) is the man in charge of the EC Churches of Liberia. (Show Visual13: Rev. Gueh) Rev. Gueh is married to Esther. Even though many of the Liberians say that they areChristian, the church of Liberia has not always done a good job of helping the people learn to be strong in theirfaith. Rev. Gueh believes that the people need to be taught how to trust in God for their basic needs, how tobelieve God’s Word is true, and how to find their hope in Jesus. This type of ministry is called discipleship. Itmeans helping Christians learn to grow in Christ. These are not easy things for the people to truly believe sincetheir land, churches, homes and families have been hurt from so many years of war. Rev. Gueh is working withministers and church leaders around Liberia to go into remote areas and begin to rebuild Christian Churches.Though these people greatly need to grow in their Christian faith, they also need the basic necessities of life.Rev. Gueh is working with local church leaders to provide a way to get clean water, bathroom facilities, food,clothing and health care to the poorest ones in his country. Another way that Rev. Gueh and the church leadersare helping to rebuild Liberia is by offering camping programs to the youth. They are also helping to re-train theLiberians to do skilled work. Although the last war has been over for several years, there is still much rebuilding to do.When we pray for Liberia, and the work that Rev. Gueh and other church leaders are doing, we are participatingin the ministry and mission of this very poor country. By giving our offering, we are asking God to use our giftin a way that will help others come to love and trust Him. Even though not all of us can travel to Liberia to domission work among the people, by praying and giving our offering we ARE being missionaries to them. Godcan use all of us to accomplish His work in Liberia.Please remember to bring your offering to help buy supplies for the youth camping programs in LiberiaClose in prayer for Rev. Gueh and the churches and people of Liberia.

Figure 11 Aunt Clara Radio Program

Figure 12 Four EC Churches

Figure 13 Rev. Matthew and Esther Gueh

LESSON FOURLIBERIAWelcome to day four of Vacation Bible School. Do you remember that we have been talking about a countryon the western coast of Africa ? (Show Visual 5: map of Liberia) Our offering is beginning to grow. Do youremember what the monies that we are collecting are going for? (supplies for The Youth Camping Programin Liberia)Today we are going to talk about the children and youth of Liberia. (Show Visuals 14 & 15: Children) Whilesome of these children may look just like us or friends that we know, most of them have experienced things thatyou never have. Most of them live with much less than we have. Many of them don’t have a mom or dad, orenough food to eat or clean water to drink. Some don’t even have a safe place to call home. Can you imaginewhat it would be like to live like that? Maybe you would get to eat one meal a day (probably rice and soup).Since you are a kid, it would be your job to go get the drinking water. You would have to walk to a well andthen carry water back to your family or wherever you are living. Perhaps you would try to find food, or a jobso that you could buy a little food or some clothing (Show Visual 16 and 17: Children selling dried fish anda girl washing clothing). Sometime in the evening you would get to eat your meal for the day, then you wouldgo to sleep when the sun goes down. You might not even have a bed to sleep on, or a real house over you. Itsure would be different to live like that, wouldn’t it?Just having those hardships would be tough enough, but the youth of Liberia are also suffering from anothertype of hardship. These children have lived through many years of war. Many of them were forced to fight orbecame soldiers in the war. They saw and experienced terrible things in their life, and those things have madethem feel scared, sad, un-loved and forgotten. They have learned to mistrust and even hate the same people thatthey live around. Many don’t believe that God loves them and cares about them. They haven’t learned to trustthe words of the Bible. They need instruction to teach them that God is ALWAYS with them in everycircumstance. (show Visual of Bible Verse) Do you remember the Bible Verse from Psalm 56:3 ? When I amafraid, I will trust in you.The money that we are collecting for offering this week, is going to help these very children. Yesterday welearned about the EC Church in Liberia, and about the many pastors and church leaders that are reaching out tothe hurting people of Liberia. The Youth Camping Programs are a place where hurting young people can feelsafe and loved. They get to have fun and they study the Bible. The camps use many different methods to teach,like video shows, quizzing, games, and computers. Most importantly they provide a Bible to each child. Notonly do the children learn what the Bible says, they learn how to study it on their own, and also how to tell theirfriends about the Lord. While they are at camp, the children get to eat regular meals and sleep on a realmattress. As you can see, our gifts this week will be a real help to the children in Liberia.Remember that tomorrow is the last day of VBS. Don’t forget to bring your offering, so that we can send themuch needed supplies to the Youth Camping ministry in Liberia.Pray for the young people in Liberia, that God would heal their hurts, and that they would learn to trustGod’s Word.

Figure 14 Children PlayingFigure 15 Children’s job to get water

Figure 16 Children selling dried fishFigure 17 Young girl washing clothes

LESSON FIVELIBERIAWelcome to our last day of Vacation Bible School. As you know we have been studying about Liberia. Raiseyour hand, if you know what continent Liberia is located on. (AFRICA) Raise your hand if you know thecolors of the Liberian Flag. (Red, White and Blue) Raise your hand if you know what the word Liberia means.(Land of the Free) Can someone tell me what the official language of Liberia is? (English) Can a few peopleraise their hands and tell me ONE item that might be purchased with our offering for the Youth CampingMinistry in Liberia ? (Computers, Video Equipment, Electrical Generators, Bed, Mattresses, Food, Bibles)WOW ! Boys and Girls, we have learned a lot about the people and the EC Church in Liberia !Today we are going to talk about the foods of Liberia. We have learned that people are very poor and don’thave much to eat, but there are quite a few foods that grow well in the soil of Liberia. We have already seen apicture of a rice field and farmers planting the rice. There are also fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes,bananas, okra, cassava, plantains, peppers, coconuts and many citrus fruits that grow in this area. (You maychoose to have a few of these items available for the children to see or taste.) Since Liberia is on theAtlantic coast of Africa, fish is also very plentiful. One of the favorite foods eaten at nearly every meal is fufu.This is made by pounding and mashing a very starchy food (like Plantains, potatoes or cassava) and adding justa little water, until the food becomes a sticky dough. Each family member will pull off a piece of the fufu anddip it in a stew or soup before eating. (Show Visual 18: Fufu and Peanut Soup)We saw a picture of farmers working in their rice fields. Cassava and Rice is another food that many Liberianseat, with everyone eating together out of the same large bowl. (Show Visual 19: Cassava Leaf and Rice Stew)Since cooking is done over an open wood fire, food is most often prepared outside, with many family membershelping with the work of gathering the food, and preparing and cooking the meal. (Show visuals 20 and 21:Cooking in a typical outdoor Kitchen) One rather interesting fact about Liberian people is that they enjoysweet, baked foods (like our desserts). This is different than almost any other area in Africa. This taste forthings like gingerbread and spice cake comes from the freed African slaves that spent time in American homesand working in American kitchens in the 1800’s.Our American bellies are filled with many different kinds of food. It is hard for us to imagine having to eat justone meal a day, with food that is so different than what we eat here in America. We cannot imagine what it islike to be hungry and not have enough food available to fill us. I hope you will remember the faces of theLiberian people, and some of the information you have learned about this small country on the western coast ofAfrica. I hope that you will remember to pray for the adults and young people that live in such poverty in a landtorn apart by many years of war. Remember to pray for Rev. Gueh and the church leaders that are reaching outto help these hurting people. I am thankful that you have given so generously to help buy supplies for the YouthCamping Ministry! Your gifts and prayers will continue to help the mission work throughout the villages andcities of Liberia!

Figure 18 Fufu and Peanut SoupFigure 19 Cassava Leaf and Rice

Figure 20 A typical outdoor kitchenFigure 21 Family members cook together

2014 Mission Minded Kids VBS Lessons LIBERIA Objectives for Liberia VBS Lessons: 1. Briefly review 2013 Japan VBS Project 2. To learn basic facts about the country of Liberia 3. To recognize the flag of Liberia 4. To be introduced to Rev. Matthew and Esther Gueh, Fi