It is Sunday night and today was an off day. I spent the day with the medical team on the campus of ABC. Tim Williams acted as our tour guide. We went to a Baptist church this morning, the church that Tim's father (Earl) started. The rest of the day was spent piddling around on 'The Virus', moving our things into our new house (House 4), and watching soccer.
Tomorrow we will be resuming shoe deliveries.
Saturday was crazy. We drove down to Ganta from Yekepa with the rest of the teams and got set up in the hotel. A few of us went with the music team and helped set up the stage. Brandon and I were then told that we were to head back up to Yekepa with the medical team.
On the van ride back to Yekepa, we stopped back at the hospital to check the lab results for little two month old Arthur, whose mom had brought to the hospital with a severe fever. The lab results confirmed that little Arthur has malaria. I'm happy to report that someone has picked up his medical bill and he will be admitted to the hospital. Without this, his mother would not be able to afford the treatment and he might not have made it.
Further along in our journey, Brandon started feeling car sick. After a while, we had to stop as he was feeling too sick to continue. Getting out did not make him feel better and he started feeling numb in his extremeties. Before I knew it, the medical staff was out of the van and we had an emergency room set up on the side of the road. Brandon was suffering from Hypokalemia (low potassium). After stabilizing him, we got him back to Yekepa. Brandon is doing better today, and will be spending the next few days helping out the medical team. These guys and gals are good!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Yekepa, Day 3
Our third day in Yekepa was the day that we were waiting for...the first delivery of shoes was to go out. The route to the villages of Lugbe and New Yekepa were set, and it was an extremely difficult ride. Let's just say that some bike accessories were lost. Our stop in New Yekepa was unbelievable...it was like we were in a movie. When we rolled into town, a couple hundred villagers surrounded us and were singing, dancing, playing the drums, giving us hugs. The song that they were singing was a traditional welcome song.
It was unbelievable. I'm pretty sure that most of the dirt bike crew were choked up on this visit. I have a ton of video so you can experience a bit of it for yourself.
We sat in a circle in the middle of the village with the pastor, the chief, and the elders. We presented them with the box of shoes (all of this for a box of shoes?), and we were given a platter of fresh bananas. Can't wait to post the video of this, which includes Justin's honkey-taculous dancing.
Seems like a dream now...a good story to tell the grandchildren.
I fired up helmet cam on Day 3. Have some good video of the jungle rides. Will get those up once I can get some bandwidth. You'd think you could get some decent Internet service here in the middle of the jungle.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, The Virus and I went down on Day 3. I was checking out a village on my left, and didn't notice that the bikes ahead of me had stopped until it was too late. My last minute evasive manuever was too sudden and the bike went down hard. The Virus lost it's headlight and both turn signals...I sustained minor cuts to my hands and a bruised hip. Video coming soon. ;)
It was unbelievable. I'm pretty sure that most of the dirt bike crew were choked up on this visit. I have a ton of video so you can experience a bit of it for yourself.
We sat in a circle in the middle of the village with the pastor, the chief, and the elders. We presented them with the box of shoes (all of this for a box of shoes?), and we were given a platter of fresh bananas. Can't wait to post the video of this, which includes Justin's honkey-taculous dancing.
Seems like a dream now...a good story to tell the grandchildren.
I fired up helmet cam on Day 3. Have some good video of the jungle rides. Will get those up once I can get some bandwidth. You'd think you could get some decent Internet service here in the middle of the jungle.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, The Virus and I went down on Day 3. I was checking out a village on my left, and didn't notice that the bikes ahead of me had stopped until it was too late. My last minute evasive manuever was too sudden and the bike went down hard. The Virus lost it's headlight and both turn signals...I sustained minor cuts to my hands and a bruised hip. Video coming soon. ;)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Yekepa, Day 2
Yesterday was our second day in Yekepa. Things are starting to get rolling now. The basketball team repaired the goals at the public park in Yekepa. The medical team sorted supplies. The band unloaded equipment, set up in the chapel, and practiced.
The dirt bike team took our first ride yesterday. We are all relieved to actually be on the bikes now. We rode to the Liberia/Guinea border and took a walk through no mans land. We then rode into the city of Yekepa and visited the market. We visited the Grace Baptist Orphanage...the kids were beautiful and all of them came out to greet us and shake our hands. The people of Yekepa are incredibly friendly, we are being treated like rock stars. As we doubled back by the orphanage, the kids were out on the road screaming and waving at us.
I'm going to wire up the helmet cam today, so I should have some video in the next couple of days.
Be praying for the dirt bike team that our rides are safe. Pics to follow!
The dirt bike team took our first ride yesterday. We are all relieved to actually be on the bikes now. We rode to the Liberia/Guinea border and took a walk through no mans land. We then rode into the city of Yekepa and visited the market. We visited the Grace Baptist Orphanage...the kids were beautiful and all of them came out to greet us and shake our hands. The people of Yekepa are incredibly friendly, we are being treated like rock stars. As we doubled back by the orphanage, the kids were out on the road screaming and waving at us.
I'm going to wire up the helmet cam today, so I should have some video in the next couple of days.
Be praying for the dirt bike team that our rides are safe. Pics to follow!
Live from Yekepa, Liberia
We've reached our base camp, the African Bible College located in Yekepa, Liberia. The campus is beautiful, surrounded by mountainous jungle. It's been an exhausting journey, 4 days of extended airplane rides and a long bus ride through the jungle.
The men are set up in the dorm rooms at the college...no A/C and sleeping under mosquito nets, but the rooms are really nice.
A quick summary of our travels:
June 12th:
Phoenix to Washington DC flight. Dustin Nelson got to be an honorary flight attendant and served drinks to the whole plane...telling them about our mission on the way.
Washington to London flight. Touched down in London at 6:35 AM London time.
June 13th:
Had a 14-hour layover in London, which seems like alot but it took us 4 hours to get out of the London airport, and an hour each way to take the tube to the Picadilly Circus exit. Watched Algeria versus Slovenia at a pub in Leicester Square (next to Chinatown) called O'Neills.
Finished up the day with an 8 hour flight from London to Nairobi.
June 14th:
Nairobi to Monrovia flight. The scene at the Monrovia airport is chaos. We located 24 of 28 boxes...4 boxes missing...including the dirt bike box with the helmets and rope. Oh well...expect the unexpected. We make our way by bus to a couple of homes outside of Monrovia that are located on the beach. It's early evening, so the team heads out for a swim in the Atlantic. We head into Monrovia for a bite to eat...eat at Sajj House, which feels strange as the restaurant is guarded and surrounded by barbed wire. Monrovia is bustling with people out on the streets.
June 15th:
Up early for another swim in the ocean. We then pack up and drive by bus through the heart of Liberia, to our base camp located in Yekepa. Pretty much an uneventful ride. Get to see alot of Liberia during this trip. We arrive at the ABC University, and everyone has settled in to their rooms.
The men are set up in the dorm rooms at the college...no A/C and sleeping under mosquito nets, but the rooms are really nice.
A quick summary of our travels:
June 12th:
Phoenix to Washington DC flight. Dustin Nelson got to be an honorary flight attendant and served drinks to the whole plane...telling them about our mission on the way.
Washington to London flight. Touched down in London at 6:35 AM London time.
June 13th:
Had a 14-hour layover in London, which seems like alot but it took us 4 hours to get out of the London airport, and an hour each way to take the tube to the Picadilly Circus exit. Watched Algeria versus Slovenia at a pub in Leicester Square (next to Chinatown) called O'Neills.
Finished up the day with an 8 hour flight from London to Nairobi.
June 14th:
Nairobi to Monrovia flight. The scene at the Monrovia airport is chaos. We located 24 of 28 boxes...4 boxes missing...including the dirt bike box with the helmets and rope. Oh well...expect the unexpected. We make our way by bus to a couple of homes outside of Monrovia that are located on the beach. It's early evening, so the team heads out for a swim in the Atlantic. We head into Monrovia for a bite to eat...eat at Sajj House, which feels strange as the restaurant is guarded and surrounded by barbed wire. Monrovia is bustling with people out on the streets.
June 15th:
Up early for another swim in the ocean. We then pack up and drive by bus through the heart of Liberia, to our base camp located in Yekepa. Pretty much an uneventful ride. Get to see alot of Liberia during this trip. We arrive at the ABC University, and everyone has settled in to their rooms.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Time to Go
Well, the bags are packed and it's time to go. We meet at the church at 4:30 AM this morning, and will be departing Phoenix for Washington D.C. at 7:50 AM. From Washington D.C., we fly to London. After a huge layover in London (plan to catch some football from a pub), it's off to Nairobi, Kenya. Final hop is from Nairobi to Monrovia.
I'm not certain how much connectivity I'll have in the next few days...but I'll check back in as soon as I can.
I want to say "Thank you!" to all of my supporters who helped to fund this trip. Your gift was amazing...thank you for letting me be your eyes and ears, hands and feet...you are part of something very special.
Last, but not least, thank you to my amazing wife Jodi. Not only has she volunteered to watch the munchkins while I am away...but she did so much to help me prepare and pack for this trip. Thank you love!
I'm not certain how much connectivity I'll have in the next few days...but I'll check back in as soon as I can.
I want to say "Thank you!" to all of my supporters who helped to fund this trip. Your gift was amazing...thank you for letting me be your eyes and ears, hands and feet...you are part of something very special.
Last, but not least, thank you to my amazing wife Jodi. Not only has she volunteered to watch the munchkins while I am away...but she did so much to help me prepare and pack for this trip. Thank you love!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Ride the Buffalo!
Since I've been telling people about my trip to ride dirt bikes through the jungles of Liberia, people have been telling me that it's a "once in a lifetime" opportunity. And I think to myself, I hope not. It's kind of sad if you only get the chance to do something like this once in your lifetime. The Grove goes to Africa at least once a year (this year we have 4 separate trips planned). There is also a yearly trip to Mexico to build homes. And The Grove organized a trip to Haiti after the earthquake. There are so many opportunities out there to live the life that you've dreamed of.
I've worked pretty much my entire life. I started working when I was 18, worked my way through college, got a job right out of college, and have been working ever since. I skipped many spring break trips, passed up on the Europe backpacking trip after graduating from high school, passed up the trip to Machu Pichu...all so that I could work.
Until now, I didn't know any other way. I feel liberated knowing that adventure is out there for me...all that I need to do is to go find it. Some might be calling it a mid-life crisis. I call it a mid-life awakening. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the leaders of The Grove for showing me another way to live. I now intend to "show by doing" for my own children. The message that I want to send to my boys is that there is more to life than just working.
On a recent trip to Denver, a group of friends and I went to Golden, Colorado to tour the Coors Brewery. At the end of the tour, we were wandering around the city of Golden, which has a giant bronze buffalo statue in front of the Buffalo Rose bar. And since this is how my mind works, the first thing that came to my head was to ride that buffalo. Now the back of the buffalo was covered in ice, and the top of the statue was about 10 feet above street level, so there was a good chance that I was going to break some major piece of my anatomy either going up or coming down. As I was trying to navigate my way up, my friends did nothing to help me mount this beast...they just stood back laughing, taking pictures, and keeping an eye out for the local authorities. A total stranger was walking by, and quickly picking up on my intentions, said "here, let me help you"...he cupped his hands and lifted me up on to the buffalo. The moral of the story is that when God gives you the inspiration to do something, just do it...and quiet the voice that says there is potential danger involved. Your friends may not initially support you, but you might meet some new people along the way, and in the end...your friends will be proud of you for what you have accomplished...
It's never too late to start living life. It's never too late to go out and see the world...meet new people...experience life. Put away the excuses, and step out there. You aren't too poor or too old or too afraid. Work can get along without you for a week or two. As important as you are to them, your family will survive without you as well. It's time for you to ride that buffalo!
I've worked pretty much my entire life. I started working when I was 18, worked my way through college, got a job right out of college, and have been working ever since. I skipped many spring break trips, passed up on the Europe backpacking trip after graduating from high school, passed up the trip to Machu Pichu...all so that I could work.
Until now, I didn't know any other way. I feel liberated knowing that adventure is out there for me...all that I need to do is to go find it. Some might be calling it a mid-life crisis. I call it a mid-life awakening. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the leaders of The Grove for showing me another way to live. I now intend to "show by doing" for my own children. The message that I want to send to my boys is that there is more to life than just working.
On a recent trip to Denver, a group of friends and I went to Golden, Colorado to tour the Coors Brewery. At the end of the tour, we were wandering around the city of Golden, which has a giant bronze buffalo statue in front of the Buffalo Rose bar. And since this is how my mind works, the first thing that came to my head was to ride that buffalo. Now the back of the buffalo was covered in ice, and the top of the statue was about 10 feet above street level, so there was a good chance that I was going to break some major piece of my anatomy either going up or coming down. As I was trying to navigate my way up, my friends did nothing to help me mount this beast...they just stood back laughing, taking pictures, and keeping an eye out for the local authorities. A total stranger was walking by, and quickly picking up on my intentions, said "here, let me help you"...he cupped his hands and lifted me up on to the buffalo. The moral of the story is that when God gives you the inspiration to do something, just do it...and quiet the voice that says there is potential danger involved. Your friends may not initially support you, but you might meet some new people along the way, and in the end...your friends will be proud of you for what you have accomplished...
It's never too late to start living life. It's never too late to go out and see the world...meet new people...experience life. Put away the excuses, and step out there. You aren't too poor or too old or too afraid. Work can get along without you for a week or two. As important as you are to them, your family will survive without you as well. It's time for you to ride that buffalo!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
First Letter from Eric to the Munchkins
I am working on creating a series of messages that Jodi can read to the boys each night that I'm gone. My first message will begin with the boys watching my favorite clip from the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness", starring Will and Jaden Smith.
"Don't ever let somebody tell you...you can't do something. Not even me. You gotta a dream...you gotta protect it."
What I love about you boys the most is your drive, your desire to follow your own path no matter what your mom or dad say. Sure...it drives your mom crazy sometimes, but it makes you special. People are going to try to take that away from you...don't let 'em. People are going to tell you that you can't do something because you are not smart enough, too slow, or too small. Don't listen to them...they don't want to see you succeed. Love yourself first! Live life with passion, and follow your own path.
I love you more than all the stars in the sky. Good night and have sweet dreams!
Love...Dad
"Don't ever let somebody tell you...you can't do something. Not even me. You gotta a dream...you gotta protect it."
What I love about you boys the most is your drive, your desire to follow your own path no matter what your mom or dad say. Sure...it drives your mom crazy sometimes, but it makes you special. People are going to try to take that away from you...don't let 'em. People are going to tell you that you can't do something because you are not smart enough, too slow, or too small. Don't listen to them...they don't want to see you succeed. Love yourself first! Live life with passion, and follow your own path.
I love you more than all the stars in the sky. Good night and have sweet dreams!
Love...Dad
Monday, June 7, 2010
Information about Liberia
A little information about Liberia...
Liberia is on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, the Ivory Coast, and Guinea. It is home to 3.5 million people. It was founded and colonized in 1821 by freed American slaves by the American Colonization Society, and declared the Republic of Liberia in 1847.
The capital of Liberia is Monrovia, named after James Monroe, the 5th president of the United States and supporter of the colonization.
Liberia experienced civil war from 1989 through 2003, leaving the country decimated, with an estimated 200,000 Liberians killed in the conflict.
Liberia is peaceful today, but the economy is in shambles. It is one of the worlds poorest countries, with 85% unemployment. The economy continues to struggle due to the fragile security situation, devastation wrought by the war and its lack of infrastructure.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Trip
There are 30 people from The Grove heading to Liberia. Over 60 have already left for Malawi.
The Liberian mission will be deployed in the following teams:
Medical: Will provide a medical clinic in multiple cities/villages. Will provide medical care to those who rarely have access to it.
Music: Concert performances in multiple cities.
Basketball: Will travel the country and play different Liberian teams, and provide a basketball clinic for Liberian youth.
Construction: A construction team will be headed to Liberia in July and November to complete a gymnasium for the African Bible College.
Leadership: The leadership team will provide mentoring to local pastors.
My team is the dirt bike squad. We will deliver shoes to rural villages in Liberia. Earlier in the year, the members of The Grove donated over 2,000 shoes. The shoes have been shipped to Liberia, and are ready to be delivered to those in need. Though it seems a small gesture, many in Liberia do not have shoes, and they are desperately needed to prevent disease.
The Liberia mission departs on Saturday, June 12th from Phoenix, and returns on Monday, June 28th.
The Liberian mission will be deployed in the following teams:
Medical: Will provide a medical clinic in multiple cities/villages. Will provide medical care to those who rarely have access to it.
Music: Concert performances in multiple cities.
Basketball: Will travel the country and play different Liberian teams, and provide a basketball clinic for Liberian youth.
Construction: A construction team will be headed to Liberia in July and November to complete a gymnasium for the African Bible College.
Leadership: The leadership team will provide mentoring to local pastors.
My team is the dirt bike squad. We will deliver shoes to rural villages in Liberia. Earlier in the year, the members of The Grove donated over 2,000 shoes. The shoes have been shipped to Liberia, and are ready to be delivered to those in need. Though it seems a small gesture, many in Liberia do not have shoes, and they are desperately needed to prevent disease.
The Liberia mission departs on Saturday, June 12th from Phoenix, and returns on Monday, June 28th.
6 days to go
6 days is the countdown. I'm not really feeling anxious. I've been thinking about and planning for this trip for so long...it doesn't even seem like that big of a deal anymore. I received a lot of "good lucks" at Jodi's 20th reunion last night...and I could tell that they were thinking "don't get yourself killed".
So to recap, how did we get here? Jodi and I have been church shopping since we arrived in the valley. We tried the Catholic route first, since I grew up Catholic and wanted to "Come Home" as the Catholic church was suggesting after another round of ugly scandals. So we landed at St. Timothy's, which had a young, vibrant community led by Dale Fushek. We started to buy in until Fushek was indicted on a multitude of sexual misconduct charges. Strike three, you are out Catholicism. (Strikes one and two are a story for another day)
We then attended a small Lutheran church in Chandler, which I dubbed "Catholic Lite" due to the lesser amount of pomp and circumstance. Though we were happy with the church, we must not have been happy enough to fully commit.
We had heard that some of our neighbors were attending a church called "The Grove", which I would drive by every day on my way to work. Now I was skeptical as it seems that churches pop up faster than convenience marts in the east valley. And growing up in the "one holy, catholic and apostolic church" mindset, it did not feel right going to one of the "other" churches. "The Grove" was everything that I had feared. People wore sandals, shorts, and brought coffee into the service (the horror!). Half of the service was contemporary, entertaining, and lively music. The Grove even had the gall to bring in a punk band into the house of worship...blasphemy!!! The pastor was dressed fashionably straight out of the Banana Republic catalog...he didn't even have the common decency to dress in robes...and he is under 70...what could he possibly know at such a young age?
I was dismayed to find that I actually enjoyed the service and would look forward to attending church on Sundays. I felt that I couldn't possibly be getting closer to God if I was actually enjoying myself! Ok, sarcasm aside, back to the point of this post. How did I end up signing up for Africa? Though I've always struggled to embrace religion, the part that I've enjoyed most is the coming together to perform public service. The pastor of The Grove, Palmer Chinchen, has a passion for serving the world in the name of Jesus Christ. Palmer's father picked up and moved his family to Liberia, Africa when Palmer was young, in order to serve the people. The Chinchen family has created two bible colleges in Africa (in Malawi and Liberia), and Palmer and his siblings have carried the torch to devote their lives to God and to service of the forgotten. This story was so amazing and foreign to me, but it inspired me and sold me on The Grove. When Palmer asked for volunteers to go to Africa, it called to me. My wife and I discussed the trip, and we decided that I should go first (I think Jodi wants to see if I make it back in one piece before she signs up).
That's pretty much how I got here. Now it doesn't hurt that I'll be riding a dirt bike through the jungles of Africa. But as they say, God works in mysterious ways! ;)
To learn more about The Grove, click here.
To view the blog of Palmer Chinchen, click here.
To view a trailer detailing Palmers new book True Religion, which is a book about trips such as this Africa mission, click here.
So to recap, how did we get here? Jodi and I have been church shopping since we arrived in the valley. We tried the Catholic route first, since I grew up Catholic and wanted to "Come Home" as the Catholic church was suggesting after another round of ugly scandals. So we landed at St. Timothy's, which had a young, vibrant community led by Dale Fushek. We started to buy in until Fushek was indicted on a multitude of sexual misconduct charges. Strike three, you are out Catholicism. (Strikes one and two are a story for another day)
We then attended a small Lutheran church in Chandler, which I dubbed "Catholic Lite" due to the lesser amount of pomp and circumstance. Though we were happy with the church, we must not have been happy enough to fully commit.
We had heard that some of our neighbors were attending a church called "The Grove", which I would drive by every day on my way to work. Now I was skeptical as it seems that churches pop up faster than convenience marts in the east valley. And growing up in the "one holy, catholic and apostolic church" mindset, it did not feel right going to one of the "other" churches. "The Grove" was everything that I had feared. People wore sandals, shorts, and brought coffee into the service (the horror!). Half of the service was contemporary, entertaining, and lively music. The Grove even had the gall to bring in a punk band into the house of worship...blasphemy!!! The pastor was dressed fashionably straight out of the Banana Republic catalog...he didn't even have the common decency to dress in robes...and he is under 70...what could he possibly know at such a young age?
I was dismayed to find that I actually enjoyed the service and would look forward to attending church on Sundays. I felt that I couldn't possibly be getting closer to God if I was actually enjoying myself! Ok, sarcasm aside, back to the point of this post. How did I end up signing up for Africa? Though I've always struggled to embrace religion, the part that I've enjoyed most is the coming together to perform public service. The pastor of The Grove, Palmer Chinchen, has a passion for serving the world in the name of Jesus Christ. Palmer's father picked up and moved his family to Liberia, Africa when Palmer was young, in order to serve the people. The Chinchen family has created two bible colleges in Africa (in Malawi and Liberia), and Palmer and his siblings have carried the torch to devote their lives to God and to service of the forgotten. This story was so amazing and foreign to me, but it inspired me and sold me on The Grove. When Palmer asked for volunteers to go to Africa, it called to me. My wife and I discussed the trip, and we decided that I should go first (I think Jodi wants to see if I make it back in one piece before she signs up).
That's pretty much how I got here. Now it doesn't hurt that I'll be riding a dirt bike through the jungles of Africa. But as they say, God works in mysterious ways! ;)
To learn more about The Grove, click here.
To view the blog of Palmer Chinchen, click here.
To view a trailer detailing Palmers new book True Religion, which is a book about trips such as this Africa mission, click here.
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