Liberian Journals - Solar Light Mission

Mission 2010 Pictures

2010-07-29

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Mission 2010

From Leesburg to Liberia, St. James' brings literacy camp to Bromley
School for girls

By Mary Davila, July 13, 2010
[Episcopal News Service]

A hand-made sign hanging on the wall of the
Bromley Episcopal Mission School for girls welcomed the 16 missioners
who traveled from Leesburg, Virginia, to Monrovia, Liberia. The sign
read, "If love hadn't existed in your hearts, you wouldn't have come
this far. Thank you for educating us, and for securing our future."

The mission team, all members of St. James' Episcopal Church in
Leesburg, made the church's third visit to Bromley in two years. The
focus of the June 22-July 5 mission trip was on literacy.

St. James' offers an annual reading camp in Leesburg, working with
rising third graders in the community whose reading skills are below
grade level. The mission team, comprised of youth and adults, adapted
the local reading camp to an international setting, and led seven days
of literacy camp at Bromley.

The Bromley girls expressed their appreciation for the mission, and
they were especially grateful for the connections made with American
teenagers. "I pray that you will continue to send mission teams to us.
And next time, please send even more teenagers," said Bromley student
Kapanah Gaygay, 17. "We connect with other teens. We are so grateful
that they come to visit us, and help us with our education."

The St. James' youth also found the connection to be incredibly
meaningful. "At first glance, it's easy to notice the disrepair, the
destruction, and the trying conditions at the Bromley School. But when
a girl comes and holds your hand, so eager and excited just for your
presence, somehow you see an entirely different side of the school,"
said Shelby Rombach, age 16.

"It made me really value the simple things in life such as water,
food, family, a place to call home, and the power of education --
things that I used to take for granted," said Jessie Joseph, 16. "I
went to Bromley expecting to teach the girls things, but instead I was
taught valuable lessons. The girls really taught me what a true friend
is, and that it can be found in any race, age, or gender. I cannot
wait to go back to those smiling faces again someday."

Bromley was once a premier school for girls in Liberia, but it was
forced to close in 1997 during the height of the 14-year civil war in
Liberia. Bromley re-opened in 2003, its student body comprised largely
of orphaned girls, age 3 to 18. In the past seven years, Bromley has
regained electricity and running water, and the Bromley girls are
motivated to become Liberia's leaders of the future. However, many of
the high school age students struggle with literacy skills, as their
education halted during their elementary years.

The literacy camp sought to strengthen the students' reading skills by
giving them individual attention and creative means of learning.

The camp featured five literacy centers, and all of the activities at
the centers were planned by St. James' youth missioners, age 16 and
17. The youth led a readers' theater group, a group reading center, a
music and sign language station, an art center, and a first aid
center.

After finishing the centers, the group enjoyed an hour of free reading
with the Bromley students. The younger students gravitated to The Cat
and the Hat and The Giving Tree, while the older students preferred
Night John. The missioners brought about 1,000 pounds of supplies for
the reading camp, and gave two books to each of the 80 Bromley
students who attended the camp. The faculty of the Bromley School also
participated in the camp, learning how to use the resources available
to them to engage the students in creative ways.

St. James' plans to send more youth mission teams to Bromley in the
future, with a focus on education, both with Bromley students and
Bromley faculty.

"The love that is shared in that school is breathtaking," said
missioner Jane Horton, 17. "My experience in Liberia completely
changed my perspective on how I live, and I will never take anything
for granted again. In America, we teenagers worry about typical high
school-related problems. For teenagers in Liberia, their problems are,
'will I eat tomorrow?' It just shows us how fortunate we are."

-- Mary Davila is assistant to the rector for youth and children's
ministries at St. James' Episcopal Church in Leesburg, Virginia. She
led the St. James' mission team to Liberia.

Mission 2009

This mission trip to Bromley marked my fifth trip to Liberia, having spent thirteen weeks there in the past two years. Needless to say, Liberia has taken permanent residence in my heart. In fact, I was brought to tears many times from friends calling and saying, "Welcome home, Kimmie!" This is exactly how I feel. Home.

I also felt tremendous joy in introducing my friends to the extraordinary girls at Bromley, to their teachers and their caretakers. What an honor. We were all profoundly affected. We hold memories of successful work, but also of voices rising in song, laughter floating up like bubbles, profound conversations, tiny hands finding ours, and of eyes that hold a deep joy even in the midst of such hardship.

The theme we chose for this mission came directly from words and visions of the school's founders, carved into the walls of the Julia C. Emery Hall over 100 years ago, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6). The primary focus of our mission was to provide the Bromley teachers with professional development, utilizing critical thinking skills and communication through visual art and oral and written language.

This particular mission came as a direct result of the requests for professional development from the teachers and staff at Bromley. For months and months leading up to the mission, all the participants put their expertise- and their hearts- into planning. We also collected and shipped 49 boxes of teaching aids and school supplies and carried 13 extra suitcases packed with mission materials to leave at Bromley.

Teaching seminars, small group work and team-building activities for the teachers coincided with many student art projects designed to not only offer interpersonal social skills and teamwork, but also to address the hunger for creative channels, which was expressed on my last trip. We also gave out certificates for successful completion of the program, Mission T-shirts, and goodie bags (provided by the congregation at St. Philip’s, Durham, NC) for all the students and staff.

In addition, one of our missioners, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Allergy and Immunology at the University of Virginia, Dr. John Hunt, was able to conduct preliminary assessments of medical needs at the Bromley Clinic, the J.F.K. Medical Center and ELWA Hospital, a project that has been developing over the last 10 months.

The results were rewarding, and even more than the successful project, we continued to build relationships. As Buck Blanchard, World Missions Coordinator for the Diocese of Virginia says, "It's the people, not the project."

Everyone came home with many letters of thanks and love from the staff and the students, which will help carry us all through our own challenging times at home. On our last day, filled with songs and cake and tearful goodbyes, I told the girls that I felt a little sad, but I thought I could speak for the group when I said our hearts did not feel heavy. Our hearts were light because they were filled with their love and their light. They are lights in our darkness, stars in our night and they will always remain in our prayers. Then, we all sang, "This Little Light of Mine," and clapped and cried and laughed. Hide it under a bushel? No possible way!

Just as the students and staff at Bromley take comfort in knowing there is someone across the ocean who remembers and loves them, we feel exactly the same way. It's as if we have brushed fingers with angels and in so doing will never be completely lost. Hand-in-hand we can do so much. Isn't it so exciting to dream of where the next step will lead?

A special thanks to all the missioners who worked selflessly to provide a lasting impact on The Bromley Episcopal Mission School:

This year’s members of the mission team included Rev. Kate Bryant, Assistant to the Rector for Adult Ministries at St. James’, Leesburg, five individuals with a total of 142 years of accumulated professional experience in education (Diane Bell, Nancy Chapin, and Elaine Nunnally of St. James’—Leesburg, VA; and Laurraine Landolt and Paul Miller of St. Peter’s—Purcellville, VA); a world-class pediatrician, Dr. John Hunt, from Church of Our Savior—Charlottesville, VA; a professional with 30 years of information technology experience, Judy Hall, also from St. Peter’s—Purcellville, VA; and a professional with 15 years of experience in community development, Donna Rewalt, from St. Philip’s—Durham, NC.

Solar Light Mission 2008

that

As Rev. Mary, our fearless leader so wisely prayed, "Thank you for laughter, which crosses all languages.”

From the youth...

“All the problems of Liberia can be seen through the eyes of the children. But no matter what the conditions, people are people.” ~Neil, 16

“We bonded with the girls and that helped them because now they know there is someone out there who cares about them.” ~Michelle, 16.

“I won’t be taking anything for granted anymore, especially flipping a switch to get light or taking a hot shower.” ~R.J., 18

“Some of the most haunting images for me were the houses in the city. They were basically just sticks.” ~Gabrielle, 17

“I want to give more time to mission work, to people who don’t have the opportunities I have all the time." ~Harrison, 18

“A lot of people ‘know’ that kids are struggling in Africa, but not many people get to experience it. You finally realize what you have." ~Liz, 18

“Light can shine in even the darkest places.” ~Ashley, 18

Remember...

"The love that is shared in that school is breathtaking," said
missioner Jane Horton, 17. "My experience in Liberia completely
changed my perspective on how I live, and I will never take anything
for granted again. In America, we teenagers worry about typical high
school-related problems. For teenagers in Liberia, their problems are,
'will I eat tomorrow?' It just shows us how fortunate we are.""

It made me really value the simple things in life such as water,
food, family, a place to call home, and the power of education --
things that I used to take for granted," said Jessie Joseph, 16. "I
went to Bromley expecting to teach the girls things, but instead I was
taught valuable lessons. The girls really taught me what a true friend
is, and that it can be found in any race, age, or gender. I cannot
wait to go back to those smiling faces again someday."

"At first glance, it's easy to notice the disrepair, the
destruction, and the trying conditions at the Bromley School. But when
a girl comes and holds your hand, so eager and excited just for your
presence, somehow you see an entirely different side of the school,"
said Shelby Rombach, age 16.

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."

Mission 2010

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You are the light of the world...

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Liberian Journals - Solar Light Mission

Mission 2010 Pictures

2010-07-29

Oct/Nov Mission 2009

Mission 2010

Mission 2009

Solar Light Mission 2008

Remember...

Featured pictures

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."

Mission 2010

2009-11-16

You are the light of the world...

2008-10-22

Mission 2007

2010-04-12

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