We're baaack….

… IN LIBERIA!!

 After 17 hours in the air and 8 plus hours worth of layovers, we arrived back in Liberia on February 15th.  Our 4 large, very heavy suitcases, however, did not arrived till 

February 18th!! 

 Long story - let's just say we felt very blessed to finally have everything arrive safely.

Here I am hugging our 'found' suitcases.  I even did a 'Happy Dance' for the airport luggage guys, which they really enjoyed!!

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The Monday before we came back to Liberia, we had the chance to meet with several of 'our' missionaries' parents.  It was easy to tell why these missionaries are so great!!

Front row - Elder and Sister Berrett and Lindsay Pearmain

Middle two - Brother and Sister Witehira, Sister Zaugg, Sister Price, 

Sister and Brother Pearmain

Back row of dads - Brother Conners, Brother Zaugg, Brother Price

We got back in time to do apartment inspections.  Just had to share this picture of the cleanest missionary kitchen we've ever seen and the missionaries who made it happen.

This is the Banjor apartment -

Elders Cottrell, Bowring, Osanebi and Morrison

They'd even put up hooks to hang their pots from.  We were very impressed.  In fact, their whole apartment looked great.  Nice work Elders! 

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We are so grateful for how well things worked out while we were home and that we were able to return to finish our mission after only 1 month.  My cheek is healing nicely and I only had to have 1/2 of my thyroid removed.  Right now, that half if working perfectly, so I do not have to be on any medication.  A real blessing.  Thanks to everyone for your faith and prayers. 

You can take the Berretts out of Liberia, BUT…...

You can't take Liberia out of the Berretts!! 

 While it's been nice to be home and see everyone, we really are missing Liberia and being 'real' missionaries.  We've had a couple of experiences that have helped with our 'homesickness' for Liberia.

We were able to meet Elder Orton's family and Elder Zaugg's mom and sister.

We had such a nice visit with them and were able to tell them we had recently seen their Elders and that they are doing well.

(We might not look like missionaries, but we still feel like ones!)

It really is a small world, especially in the church.  When we told Dr. Jason Hansen, who removed the growth from my cheek, that we were missionaries in Liberia, he made it possible for us to meet a young  man named Alex Vandi.  Alex works as a security guard at the doctor's clinic.  Alex had escaped with his family from Liberia during their civil war to live in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone.  He now lives in Utah.  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with him.  

He gave us his sister's name and address for the missionaries to go visit.  A referral!!  Our plan is to go to Paynesville, and meet her when we get back.

  

What a difference a week makes!!

LAST MONDAY (Jan. 13), we were in Liberia at the Mission Office attending a farewell 

luncheon for Sisters Nyamekye and Udenwa who would leave for home the next day.  

Later that day, we were on OUR way home.

The Thursday before, we learned we would have to come home for me to have a growth removed from my cheek.  No doctor in Liberia could do what needed to be done.  

"OK, we'll go home, get it done and come right back." BUT the trip home also found I have a growth on my thyroid.  

So, THIS MONDAY (Jan. 20), we're waiting for the results of my thyroid biopsy.

The size of the bandage makes it look worse than it really is.  I was accused of coming home for a face lift.  Really? If I was going to get a face lift, I hope I'd look better than this!!

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So while we wait to see what will happen next, we've been able to spend time with family.  Can't complain about that!  Here we are with our 20 grandchildren.  Didn't think we'd be doing this for a least another year.  

We are missing Liberia and all the wonderful missionaries there. 

 We're anxious to go back and get to work.  

Good Bye to Logan Town :(

It was a sad day for us - Our last at the Logan Town Branch.  It was hard to say goodbye.

The Branch Primary Presidency

Sister Tlula, Sister Sorbo (President), Sister Berrett, Sister Tugbe

I LOVE these ladies!

Logan Town Branch Presidency

with Elder Berrett

Brother Tugbe, President Borwah, Brother Mombo

Notice Elder Berrett and President Borwah have the same good taste in ties!

These are Jatala ties, a well known brand here in Liberia.

My little friend Hannah 'Banana'.  We were both sad to say goodbye.

I was able to give out Rice Krispie treats and smiley face stickers to the Primary children.

Not sure who everyone in the picture is BUT I do know the little boy under my chin.

That's Isaac Morris who is a special little friend to me.  He struggles being good in Primary, but somehow he and I just clicked.  Maybe because I, too, have a hard time being still for very long.  He said to me today, "Sister Berrett, I will miss you" then handed me a flower he'd picked.  I will miss you too, Isaac.

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These are the missionaries that are serving in the Logan Town Branch area.

Elder Smith, Sister and Elder Berrett, and Elder Guymon

Elder Khasiahi, Elder Obeng-Poku, Sister and Elder Berrett

Look how crowded church was today.  They brought a bench from one of the classrooms so people could sit down outside.  See in the window, how full the chapel was.

Next week we will start attending the New Kru Town Branch and I'm sure we will come to love the members there just as much.

Happy New Year!!

Hard for us to believe it's 2014.  That we've been in Liberia parts of 6 different months.  We are excited  to be able to spend this next year here.

This Sunday will be our last in Logan Town Branch.  President Kirkham has assigned us 

to the New Kru Town Branch for the next few months.  It will be hard for us to leave Logan Town.  We have come to love these members and think of them as 'our' branch.

Elder Berrett with Brother McCauley.  

Brother McCauley owns the building where Logan Town meets.  Elder Berrett first met him when he and a member of the Branch Presidency were looking at the land behind the church to see if there would be room to add on.  Brother McCauley's home is behind the church.  Elder Berrett invited him to come to worship with us.  He said yes and came the very next Sunday.  Since then, he's been baptized, ordained a priest, and baptized his own son.  He will be a real asset to the branch.  

This is Logan Town's Branch President - President Borwah - with his immediate and some of his extended family.  He also has a son on a mission in Nigeria.  

During Primary, this little girl was fussy so Sister Sorbo, the Branch Primary President, picked her and put her on her back.  See how she's just holding on.  It's not even her little girl.  As soon as the little girl was on her back, she quieted down and was happy.  I was amazed how she was able to stay on!  The President just went on teaching the lesson.  No big deal!

We rode with the Humanitarian Missionaries - Elder and Sister Miles - to check on a couple of the well sites and latrines they are having built.  The communities we visited were so pleased to be getting their own. 

 These might be the only bathrooms some of these people will ever see or use.  Many came up to us to say thank you.  What great work the church is doing here in Liberia.  Brother and Sister Miles have worked so hard and blessed many lives.  

Something for you to think about this new year.

We love you all and wish you the best year yet in 2014.

If it's Saturday, there must be a baptism!

Baptisms at the Duala District Center 

Here I am in the hall with our Bushrod Island District missionaries before the baptism.

L to R - Elders Guymon, Bangura, Erickson, Zaugg, me, Zolo, Montgomery, Fairwell, Pearmain, Humpherys, Gunnell, and Backman.  

I had just handed out the Christmas cards and candy our family had sent for the missionaries.  Of course the package containing the candy that was mailed clear back in November didn't arrive till after Christmas, but I think the missionaries were still pleased to get them.

11 people were baptized today.  Some members along with three of our missionaries did the baptizing.

See the three with name tags?  They are -  Front - Elders Humpherys, and Price.  

Back - Elder Montgomery.

Hotel Africa

Received this picture from our grandson Blake.  You can see a boy on a surfboard with a giant wave in front of him.  It says -

"I love you to the people in Africa."

This is just how we feel - We love the people in Africa, too!

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The day after Christmas we took a 'field trip' with Elder and Sister Hezseltine and drove to what was once the Hotel Africa.  The road leading to the hotel had been a nicely paved 2 lane road with an island and lights down the middle.  Now though, you can only drive on one side of the road, the lights no longer work, and the road is in disrepair.

Sign at the entrance to the hotel grounds.

(The following information about the hotel is taken from the website 'FayzFiles from Liberia')

At one time the Hotel Africa was a 5-star hotel.  It was built for a large Pan-African Conference in the mid-80's.  There were 50 separate villas for each head of state.  

The hotel continued in service right up to the l990's but then the war began and eventually the hotel was looted and has laid in ruins ever since.

The pool was built in the shape of the map of Africa.  We thought this looked like it might be a bar built into the pool where people could be served drinks while still in the water.

View from what was once the hot tub back to the hotel.

It must have been a beautiful hotel when it opened and it is still a very solid structure.

Some local boys walked with us around the hotel ruins.  Elder Berrett asked them what these markings were on their necks and arms.  They told us their fathers' had drawn them to keep away snakes. We asked where they see snakes and they pointed all around us.  I thought to myself,  "There's snakes around here?!  Do I need some stars on my neck??"

We couldn't resist a walk on the beautiful beach.  Even found some sea glass to add to our collection.

Down the beach from the hotel were these fishing boats.  It was interesting to watch them put the boats into the water.  The boats were made of hollowed out logs.

Also close to the hotel was an 18 hole golf course.  Elder Berrett had to check it out.  It's $15 to play and $10 to rent clubs.  Instead of 'greens' they have 'browns'.  Here they are showing us how they smooth the dirt out before you try and putt your ball into the hole.

I have a feeling we'll be coming back for a return visit to the Hotel Africa.