03/30/2021 Graduation Day in Buchanan, Liberia

Today was the second graduation day for the Buchanan pastors.  This classroom was small by comparison with thirty graduates.  Many pastors were unable to travel because of travel costs to the classroom.  It costs about $50 US for their expenses, and this time around, during Covid, they were just not able to get here.  We are thankful that we had a dynamic bunch of pastors (plus two deacons’ wives) who worked hard to graduate with their second GBTF Certificate.  We are now planning on returning twice a year for the next 3 years to finish level one and two for this growing class.

After class today, we drove on an incredibly bad dirt road all the way back to Gbarnga to rest for the night and day tomorrow before embarking again for the other side of Liberia on the SE coast.  Before departing for the SE, however, on Saturday morning we have the privilege of watching 11 GBTF trained  church planters receive the gift of a new motorcycle from our church planting ministry partner Advance Ministries. Advance funds GBTF trained national pastors $50 a month for one year to start new churches. These men are going to now be able to truly accelerate their ministries with dependable transport!  GBTF trained men have now started in excess of 120 churches in the past 40 months or less!

Then we will begin a class on the Southeast coast on Monday morning.  It will be a brutal week because it entails an all night and all day trip back into Monrovia on Monday night after class and Tuesday to get the Covid test required in order to fly on Friday – once again all on dirt roads.  Monrovia is the only testing center in the entire country!  We will finish the class on late Thursday night and drive back into Monrovia on Friday to fly out on Friday night!

Pray this week that we will trust in the Lord’s strength and honor Him under difficult circumstances.  He endured infinitely more for us!