Farewell Liberia

July 30, 2014 

We receive word that all missionaries would be evacuated from Liberia because of the Ebola virus.

Here are some pictures as we prepare to evacuate.  

The Liberia Monrovia Missionaries gather as a group one last time at the Mission Home.

Missionaries waiting at the Mission Home to receive instruction from President Kirkham

All suitcases were gathered in the driveway at the Mission Home and weighed.  You should have seen all the re-packing as the missionaries tried to keep their suitcases under 50 pounds.

Saying their goodbyes.

This is what a porch full of missionaries looks like. 

As we looked around, it touched our hearts to realize that we know and love each one of them.

  Elder Berrett says of President Sayon, "I love him like a brother."  

He worked so hard to help us all get on our way.  It was so hard to tell him goodbye.

Here we are with Naomi Johnson, the housekeeper at the Mission Home.  

As we drove away, I stuck my arm out the car window and waved to her.  There she was standing on the stairs doing the 'I love you' sign back to me. That picture will stay in my heart forever.

Naomi's baby boy is due the first part of September.  She told us that they are going to name him after President Kirkham and Elder Berrett.

Roger Denney?  Denney Roger?

Elder Berrett with President Kirkham.

President Kirkham was our calm leader.  We are so grateful for the way he handled the evacuation and that we were able to serve with him and Sister Kirkham in Liberia.

Saying good bye to the AP's

Elder Dahlin who was reassigned to Tennessee and Elder Burr who is now in the Ghana Accra Mission - with us!

At the airport.

Elders Burr, Tolar, and Bowring

When we walked into the waiting room at the airport in Liberia, one of the missionaries said, "Welcome to the Celestial Kingdom."  That's what it felt like, to enter the room and see all these missionaries that we love.

Our special friend Abraham knew something was up and stopped by our apartment to see us the night before we left.  We were able to tell him goodbye.  Early the next morning when we opened our apartment door to start loading our suitcases in the truck, there he was.  He wanted to come help us!

We flew to Ghana by way of Brussels and London.  Here are the missionaries resting during our layover in Brussels.

Sign at the Roberts International Airport in Liberia.

We hope we can "Come Again".

This is the sign we left on the back of our apartment door.

We do love Liberia and the many friends we made there.  We are praying for their good health and that they know just how much we love them.

The whole evacuation story is just too long to tell here, so when we get home we'd love to share it all with you.  We witnessed many miracles and can testify that Heavenly Father really does watch out for his missionaries.  We have been greatly blessed.

We have been reassigned to the Ghana Accra Mission and look forward to serving there for the last 7 months of our mission.  A new adventure awaits us!