Love for Liberia

Last year in June I went to Liberia to help with a school that gives good education to the less fortunate. Over there the fortunate are just about par with our homeless in dear old Seattle, or perhaps less so, then the less fortunate are in pretty bad shape. In 2003 they had just gotten out of a 14 year civil war that devastated EVERYTHING! In power was a corrupt warmonger by the name of Charles Taylor, the second person EVER to be charged with war crimes while still in office. There was indiscriminate missile fire from all sides, taking down buildings filled with innocent bystanders. Only recently has travel been opened up between us and Liberia again.

While I was there I was able to bring art to kids who haven't had much exposure to it. The war stopped pretty much all production of any thing artistic and destroyed so much. A lot of their culture was lost and many don't even remember the names of certain rivers anymore and have no way of finding out what they were. The sketchbook I brought, however, had more of their drawing than mine. :) I got to spend some time in the kitchen helping to cook dinner, too.

I fell in love with the people there. They taught me so much. It was difficult to leave and I could talk about these guys forever, but that's not this blog. BUT on June 4th there is a fundraiser for the organization that I went with, Serve the Children, based in Gig Harbor, WA. They're holding a dessert auction and last year one dessert went for $2000! I cried so hard. Anyway, I'm going to make a Bread Basket filled with different breads for the auction. I'm darned excited. So, in the upcoming weeks before the auction, I'm going to be practicing with the basket making process and coming up with the contents as well. I'm so FREAKING EXCITED! Send prayers and inspiration my way.

With bread,
~Chad