Felando Family for Liberia

Back in the States

2008-08-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

Greetings again from the Felandos. We have made it back to the USA safe and sound and are temporarily residing at Grampa David and Gramma Josie’s in Fullerton CA. The kids are enjoying fresh homemade tortillas and I and my love Claudia are trying to see where we can find a new home for our family.

We have been so uplifted by the comments and correspondence we have received regarding our decisions to serve in Liberia and to return to the US.

THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU - AND RICH BLESSINGS WE PRAY FOR ALL WHO SHARED COMMENTS ON THE LAST POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO GOD OUR FATHER IN HIGHEST HEAVEN FOR ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US AND THROUGH US WHILE WE WERE IN LIBERIA. WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE BEEN THERE AND TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FRIENDSHIPS WE MADE. THANK YOU YHWH FOR BLESSING US.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness –

I have been so blessed by God to have had so many opportunities put before my family and I to share the truth of God’s word with so many while we were in Liberia. I would like to share some of our experiences in this and future posts.

Our children have amazed me the most. They are so fearless when talking about God and His ways for us to live. We give credit to God’s holy word and Spirit. We have been using a neat little bible tool/book for the last couple of years called Sword Fighting during our daily family worship and bible study time. It has been such a blessing to us and to some of the visiting families who partook in some of our study times. We have been so blessed by participation feedback of some of the visiting parents and children during our time in God’s word. Thank you all for that.

My son David is one of the bravest children I know. Luc and Ela as well as the rest of them like to share the truth of the bible with adults and children they meet. It reminds me of when Jesus says we have to live a life pleasing to God and have the faith and belief of a child to enter the kingdom of God.

I am going to finish this post later about the teachings my son David shared with a few older men at our container site in Liberia regarding the Sabbath and the Holy days of God. In the meantime know that we are now in California. We can be reached via email or phone if you would like to contact us. davidfelando at hotmail dot com or 714 331 5502.

My better half and love of my life, Clauida, is going to post some things about our challenging 40 hour journey home and the temporary loss of a child.

Be blessed, Love God, and love others.

The most challenging of God's Moral Code for our life, can we obey it !!!
this is incredible insight to God's word and truth for our lives

Does it matter to God what we do throughout the year???
this is even more mind boggling about our traditions vs God's

Godspeed

Headline - Update - and more info

2008-06-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hello from Liberia again. We are all okay - our internet connection has always been iffy but now for the last few days completely gone. We will update more when we get re-connected. Right now I am posting from the AOH offices.

We do however have some important news to relay to all. For family and friends and those of you that care and those that actually read our blog.

And now for the headline: The Felando family, after much prayer and very much heartache, has decided to move the family headquarters back to the United States of America. There are myriad reasons for the decision but the greatest and most important is my love for my wife and children. To give you a little more info, below are email excerpts and added info.

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As usual it has been busy around here, even though we only had a few guests recently, life keeps on going. Without going into gory details we had another case of malaria (Desiree) which we battled successfully. Then came an abscessed tooth (David (little)) which was also successfully removed. Currently we are addressing a serious case of eczema (Ela) , three cases of non-healing skin wounds (David (big), Dominique, me) and a case of a somewhat mysterious skin fungus/strep infection (me). All being treated by doctor mom with enough improvement to keep me from worrying too much. Thank you God. As far as David’s area of expertise is concerned, he obviously has been busy fixing our ever failing computer equipment. Occasionally he catches a mouse or two (no kidding). And overall he keeps us safe in this house - he protects us being electrocuted by the challenging wiring in this house and he takes care of minor and major floods that occur because of the wash machine or because of rain pouring through the roof at night.
That's basically it in a nutshell.........

In the meantime we have tried to get settled somewhere to start our farming project. By the beginning of this week however we realized that this hope will be unfulfilled.
My eyes are getting watery as I type right now because I am sad but at the same time I am joyful. Okay I know I don't make sense but hey - I am a girl.
Please bear with me while I try to explain, though I am sure my words won't be able to explain it all. But I am hoping I can give you a little insight.
I am sad because the vision I had for a life in Liberia has been erased. This country is such a beautiful place and God has placed some of His most magnificent creation on this land but the truth is that man makes it ugly. I know that anything else I will share with you about my experience here is not 'Liberia' specific it is 'human nature' specific.
At first glance you don't see the deep rooted depravity that has affected all areas of society here. Again, this is nothing that you wouldn’t find around the rest of the world as well. But for some reason lawlessness is the chosen life style here. Again, so it is in the rest of the world. But here a mob will form within seconds and they will beat a guy to bits. If you try to tell them (like my brave (or maybe crazy) husband did) that they are doing the wrong thing and that at this point the country of Liberia has laws and law enforcement and the authorities one block away should be handling the 'criminal' , the mob will yell at you "we don't care, we don't want the police, we will 'handle' this ourselves, this is Africa not America we don't want police, this is Liberia". So you see aside from the daily lies and deception that are part of every conversation here, aside from horrible environmental damage and the damage to human life that is inflicted daily, there is utter disregard for any form of law or legal system. I don't know how things will turn out for Liberia....'improvements' are popping up daily, the roads are being fixed, new expensive stores are opened, etc. I do know however, that I cannot function here. Another realization I had is that the USA really is the land of the free......this probably sounds quite cheesy but I do miss my freedom, my freedom of going to the store and parking my car with out being surrounded by a dozen of so ex-combatants wanting money from me. Yes, I am called to give to those in need - and I have - but here I wouldn't dare drive to the store without Dave because I’d be surrounded by all these men.
Getting back to buying land.....that's another story. After talking to many and taking everything with a grain of salt this it what it boils down to. The land will have to be surveyed to make sure exactly where the boundaries of the seller’s land are. So far nothing out of the ordinary. But let's say you’re looking to buy land next to a lagoon - you better make sure that the land is surveyed when the lagoon is full with water - otherwise they will add the dry acreage that is usually under water in wet season, and sell that to you as part of the property. Let's say you bought 10 acres with a lagoon, you might end up with only 5 or 6 acres of usable land. Then after you have squared away the surveying you have to make sure that no one else has a claim to the land (other then the seller). For example Lucy bought a plot of land from Bob. Bob had all the proper deeds to prove that it was his land and he had the rights to sell it. So Lucy bought the land. A few weeks later Bob's older brother Joe shows up at Lucy's and told her that Bob didn't have the right to sell the land. Since Joe is the older brother only he has the right to do so and that she needed to get off his land. Now Lucy had to spend a bunch of money and time in court to prove her case, she did it to keep the land, and as of today no one has harassed her by showing up in the middle of the night threatening her and her family with machetes and spears. This is another common practice around here. Another place Dave just checked out had this occur with 40 men armed and threatening the patriarch of the land. Also, recently there have been reports that a senator and another man got into a land dispute and if you search the internet you can see more of the gruesome details. This story is not the reason for our decision but to give you an insight of the dysfunction and lawlessness that prevail in this country, which prevent us from making Liberia our home.
There are many, many, many more stories like this but I will leave it at that. My intention is not to 'bash' Liberia but hopefully to draw somewhat of a 'reality' picture. A reality that we have been confronted with, and after prayers and tears is leading us to pack up. As you know we came with a bunch of suitcases and two sea containers with things of our old life and FULL of the new things and the visions of the new life here. Well, only suitcases can come back with us so our 'lives' will have to stay. Which reminds me to tell you to watch out what you ask for - I remember sitting in my huge Texas home thinking how nice it would be if lightning would strike (of course while I am not home) and get rid of all the 'stuff'. Now there, I have it, We will have to start from scratch!

Now, I do want to tell you that I am very grateful for 'my life' in Liberia, however long or short the stay. And yes, I did get the monies .....Benetta will get her teeth fixed as soon as the Dentist opens in July, Oretha's son David will be able to go to school starting August and Alice will get Taxi money to come see her mom. Thank you again for all your support and your e-mails. I will try my best to continue supporting our Liberian sisters once we are back in the US.

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Thanks for your kind words, yes it's been a hard decision to leave everything behind. (Other then a few suitcases). I am hoping one day I get my mind clear enough to put my experience down on a piece of paper. At this point I don't know where to start because life in Liberia is so 'complicated'. I think there is no other place like it on this planet, for that reason it is difficult for me to find the right words and explantations. Liberia is so beautiful and so ugly, it is so full of hope and so full of depravety. Sounds like the rest of the word but it's not - see I don't have the words to describe it, it's 'complicated'. Honestly, I think you have to have lived here to fully understand the inner workings of this country and her people. I am very greatful that God has allowed me this experience, the land, the people, the heat, the rain, the skin diseases, the raw sewage, the malaria, the only pediatrician in the entire nation, the ladies that work with me, the orphange, the Acres of Hope nannies and office guys, the parents picking up their children, the Liberian food, the palm wine, the beach, the markets, the roaches, the mice, the days without electricity, the days at the public adoption hearings at the captiol, the beggars in the streets, the police officers pulling us over for whatever non-existing traffic violation, the women who want me to take their babies to America, the children that just wanted to touch my white skin and my funny hair, the wood carvers, the dress makers, the taxis, the motorcycle drivers transporting mattresses and mirrows with out worry, the Lebanese store owners, the UN, the Indian pharmacists, the British cough syrup, the Chinese doctor, the peninsula the new orphanage is being built on, the Chinese and Liberian workers that are building it, the bush and eating bush meat, the dirt roads, the pot holes, the gasoline and it's price........all of it is a small part of those few minutes of my life that were spent here. I praise you Lord for the time here and I praise you for allowing me to leave with a greatful heart and a lot less luggage.

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As you read above we are very grateful for our ministering time here. Our life’s mission of being a Godly family has effected many, we’ve been told. The children and I have had many opportunities to share the gospel of the kingdom of God with strangers and friends and share the teachings and call of Christ Jesus to obedience and to honor and glorify God the Father. Search the word of God for some time with God - John 17:3-4, 6-8; Matt. 6:33, John: 15:10, Matt. 7:21, 24-27; 1Jn.3:5-6, 1Jn.2:3-6, 1Jn.3:4, Luke 4:43

I will be sharing much more pictures and some video of our brothers and sisters and friends here and the witness to this people that my wife, children and I have been blessed to be. Stay tuned for more soon.

If you would like to reach us here our number is 011 231 6420082.

Godspeed

Voinjama trip to see land for AOH farming

2008-06-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

Wow what a wonderful and exciting trip to Lofa county and a farm area about two hours from Voinjama. We traveled almost ten hours to get to Voinjama then trekked off the next a.m. for the farm. Came back to Monrovia the following morning - the whole family made it fine over the rough and tumble roads, and I was able to gain some off road racing experience. Yeah!!

Just starting our trek up country - to the hills

Roadside villages

At about hour 5 starts bumpy dirt roads

My wonderful co pilot in life

Passing a town in the jungle - almost there

An old favorite past time - target practice

Hustle and bustle - jungle style

We made it to the hotel and the neighbors were there to check us out.

A little hotel expansion underway.

Power to the hotel was being fixed when we arrived. We used candles till about 9pm

Playtime with a puppy

Hard at work.

The hotel kitchen right off the entrance.

Tuckered out from the ride - time to sleep. The boys and I shared this bed and room.

Next day trek to the farmland.

Further in.

Still further in.

Opening onto the savanna - I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

This savanna was beautiful crop lands before the war. The folly destroyed EVERYTHING that was usable.

We made it to the coffee farm area.

Safari Pete

They are brushing (clearing) for the future farming here.

Coffee area video

Going into the local village for a bite to eat.

Break time for some lunch - chicken and sauce over rice. Pepper soup for the brave.

A village man re-thatching his roof

Going for a jungle walk to the falls.

The trees were breathtakingly tall

Peter walking under a fallen tree

Deep in the jungle was this waterfall area some of the boys swam in.

Hiking out of the jungle before it is too dark.

It was a beautiful and fun visit to Voinjama

More sowing of the word of God

2008-06-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

Watson and our family have done a lot together and below are some of the pictures of recent work at the orphanage and more street films. We pray the word is strong as it penetrates the hearts and minds of our Liberian siblings.

Covering Genesis 1 and the creation story

Watching a video to drive the points home

Mr. Watson and master Luc assembling the screen and speakers.

Audience participation - we had about 8 different youth singing bible songs during film reel changes - it was a blessing.

The film was quite the draw. It helps when the power is off until midnight around here on Saturdays typically.

We served about 500 in the local community and are planning a show in the Matalee area next month.

Beautiful farm areas right outside of Monrovia

2008-06-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

We have had many a blessed opportunity to visit farm areas of interest for setting up agricultural projects for the benefit of the children being cared for by AOH.
Right outside of town 10 - 20 minutes away are some of the most beautiful vistas of fertile ground. Below are some pictures of the area and its wonder. Enjoy.

The land is so rich, it's a shame the people don't have the gusto to pick up farming again full force. There are so many reasons we've heard for not farming, from fear to laziness to inconvenience and the rest - but in the end Liberia could feed most if not all of Africa- if it wanted to.

Some of the rubber trees off the highway

Some curious children out to welcome the visitors.

Getting ready to put the mud on the stick house.

Taking a walk to look at the water source for the dry season irrigation needs.

Here is the river that is drawn from for irrigation - nice ingenious walking bridge.

Prepping plantings uner the shelter of a greenhouse canopy.

The fire hose pumps up the water from the river.

More village children enjoying their day.

man at work making rows.

Talk about Ol' MacDonald - Look closely at all the babys in this pitcure -
kittens, ducklings, puppies, toddlers - what fun.

Our vehicle of choice for potential rough roads and danger - the Landrover Defender.

Hauling water for daily life.

Saying goodbye for the day.

Some skin issues

2008-06-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Apparently in high humidity there are far better chances of wounds healing at much slower than normal rates. This in addition to an open wound and the many different germs in the air and on soil due to the lack of sanitation in the city make for a very good breeding grounds for infection. I have been seeing this in many members of the family and have now myself become a victim of what I thought could not happen to me. Below are a few pictures of some of the trials of lower than fourth world conditions. We are sure and strong in the blessings and love of our Father God. We add this post just as an indication of some of the things afflicting the land of Liberia.

My baby Dominique is healing from an abrasion that will not dry into a scab. As mentioned above it is dangerous to let it go without constant observance. She has finally started some scabbing and at last report coming on fine.

This picture of my foot shows a smaller mosquito bite that went into a little infection and an amazingly large infection that resulted from a very very small nick I didn't even know I had until a few days later when it started to be a bit painful. The small nick WAS the size of one of the hair stubble growing around the larger wound.

This was an abrasion that is now in its sixth week of trying to heal. It is close to being done God-willing.

Sorry for the somewhat graphic pictures.

Around our house

2008-06-11T20:25:00.001-07:00

The blue house at the end of the street with the red gates

Some memoirs of the visit here by Presidents Bush

Ooop - There he is.

Bennetta, Ruth, Oretha and Desiree at the cookpot on charcol oven and prep table

This is the view of the neighbors roof and beyond that the roofless home.

This is a very nice market building that Pres. Sirleaf helped to complete in an initiative of creating market places. Now we need a sidewalk and a finished lot in front.

This is a look off of most every street in Monrovia.

Amputee Soccer (Footballers)

In front of the building early morning school walks

The shack at left is a common sight here - the sign says "Food Ready" which means this is a fast food or cookshop shack.

This is a fellowship bldg right across the half a street from our compund

Children enjoying themsleves in Liberia (anywhere)

2008-06-11T19:55:00.001-07:00

Heeeeey there plum lovers - Get ready to dig in.

Children holding their own Sabbath service with music and bible reading. - Nice.

David with Ruth at the cooktop on the Fridge.

Queen and princess preparing to serve up breakfast

Noah suffering joyfully with all the skin ailments

Ela in green

Boys will be boys

The gals laughing it up - That's Lucky Girl on right

David teaching Laadan some chords

My little girl Desiree

Saying goodbye to a new family

Visiting the orphans with new families

Noah taking a nap under the mosquito net

Boys waiting for a reading lesson with Papi

I dunno what it is do you know what it is ? I dunno.

Running to hear who is at the gate

Oh the wonderful imaginations of our blessings from God.

Sharing the Gospel according to Luke on the street (front of the house)

2008-06-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

We have been so blessed to have been introduced to brother Addelle Wateson of childrens fellowship. We are ministering to the local folk via film and speech. We also conduct bible studies and Godly movies at the orphanages of AOH. More on that later.

Here is one of the show outreaches we did in Spring 08

Containers really did arrive

2008-06-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

We thought the containers came in early but it wasn't until another month and a half before we actually saw them. On March 11th and 12th we finally got the containers from the harbor in Monrovia (they departed Houston in Dec '07). Praise God that everything was well and okay on board.

Muhamed and the kids at container one.

Drumroll please.

All is intact!!!! Yes!

Gbarng (bong) County farmland amd natural beauty

2008-06-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

Amazing creation of God - His glory is everyday evident in his workmanship here. Below are some pictures of the farm areas of Gbarng County. We have a friend in Francis Dunbar and he was so hospitable in showing us the land he grew up on and the unfortunate destruction due to anarchy and war. Enjoy the pix.

The cotton tree is so wonderful in its various shapes and sizes
Hills and savanna are abundant in Liberia.

These people were so amazed at their picture after I shared it with them - they jumped and were in awe like it was a miracle to them. Notice the traditional baby on back.

At the local village by Francis' land and old acquaintances.

This is an old farm house that is dilapidated - one of more than three I saw. The others were mere foundations and some walls.

Gregory (aka Buster) on top of the world.

It was nice to visit a beautiful falls area just about forty minuts away from the farm. What a ride there - and a very exciting return ride - it started pouring rain while on the back hilly dirt roads. Slip sliding away has a very different meaning now. Buster handled it all in stride.

Finishing guest rooms and living areas

2008-06-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

We have really had a great time doing this work as if unto the Eternal.

We are hoping the retuning family will enjoy the bright new facelift we have been blessed to provide. Below are some of the living spaces improved for them and the guesthouse.

before after

rooms ready for visiting parents

Dining area and living area below ready to enjoy

So what kind of work have you been doing Dave

2008-06-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

Really, we have been so blessed to be here by the care and hospitality of Acres of Hope - Liberia. We are awaiting for the opportuinty to continue servng while raising money for our famliy and for the orphans and other projects AOH is doing. We have been blessed to be able to serve temporarily as guest house host family while seeking land for farming and agriculture purposes. We have been busy at work on prepping and maintaining a home for self and guests as well as the ongoing search for ag land optys, not to mention the outreach to all people here as we strive to emulate Christ Jesus for God's glory.

We have been so grateful to have the opportunity to stay in the comfort of this housing provided by friends of AOH. Because of that blessing, we have tried our best to improve, at no cost to the now traveling family, their home used for missionary living and working. We pray they are happy with these blessings.

I have been put in charge of the house and operations by AOH totally but I want to give thanks to my wonderful wife and famliy for all their help as well as a great assistant of the house, Jackson, for his diligent service. Also some other notables need mentioning in the work of the improvements, namely Laadan, Robert (Jacksons son) and Solomon.

Rooms in process (painting, wire to light and switch terminations, mosquito net anchoring and hanging)

Family living area wiring and painting

Pulling out old and wasted cabinets

After the damage is done - time to clean clean clean

Looking better, much better

Time to prep for painting.

painting underway

The sole survivor

and the mighty conqueror - Jackson

Wow!!! Mentos FRESH

March 31, 2008

2008-03-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone - I am trying my best to keep this blog up and running .............. not having electricity all the time Really slows things down. Plus I am just not good at this! I got the pictures downloaded but they are all in the wrong order..........click and drag just doesn't work right now. I am adding a little caption to each pic (not in chronological order) ....I hope you enjoy.

Peter and Noah fighting against the Knight of Water

Me loading the dryer (aka a clothesline) while our mechanical engineer (aka Dave) is working on our well pump (in the fore ground)

Our kids with some of their new friends from next door. There are about 24 people living next door in shacks and the little ones love to come over and play in our yard. I love these kids...they always ask me for water because I have 'sweet water' .....I have a Berkey filter that removes all impurities so the water does taste sweet. I think that's how God intended our water, sweet and unpolluted.

My son David getting a haircut. Here it is done with a comb and a razor blade. Amazing

Desiree and Mamie (that's my Liberian name) getting ready to serve breakfast to our guests.

Some of the our great men serving Acres of Hope and Liberia.

A praying mantis hanging out on one of my laundry tubs.

It was quite the day when President Bush visited Liberia. Police and UN soldiers everywhere. And by orders of the Liberian President no one was allowed to drive anywhere that day. Just imagine.......you would be told you couldn't drive anywhere today because the president is coming for a visit. Really just think this through, people were not able to go to work that day because the taxis were not allowed to drive. And you weren't allowed to just walk 'around' either. But guess what....the Liberians were honored that President Bush paid a visit.
The Felandos had a great day too. We live right next door to the UN airport and yes that's exactly were our president's helicopter landed. So we were out on the street early that morning, wearing our Texas State T-shirts and Cowboy hats and waving our US/Liberian Lone star flags. It was great. David got a great look of the Pres smiling and waving at him. (I admit after waiting two hours I went back up on our balcony and had a cup of coffee, so I just got to see his limo whiz by)

Ela and Patty from AOH waiting for the Pres

This is a view from our balcony. You can see some of the UN soldiers with their blue berets and the Liberian Police in their riot gear........Hey the Pres is coming.

The kiddos having fun with Elo leaves.......huge leaves and a fantastic tasting root we eat for lunch. yumm-o

This picture is my favorite........a brand new family on the way to the airport.......taking home their two beautiful girls to the US to meet their brothers. This lovely brother and sister in Christ were our first guest and had to deal with a lot of imperfections of the guest house.......no water, no electricity, no whatever. They were an inspiration to me because even though everything that could go wrong did go wrong while they were with us they had joy in the Lord and it showed. Thank you!

And Julie if you read this ....ditto .....

Thank you all for looking at this wacky blog. Please know we are doing great and feel truly blessed by meeting all the remarkable parents that are visiting with us. You are all an inspiration.......I keep explaining to my Liberian friends what adoption is all about. And let me tell you the Liberians are amazed at your big hearts and they are filled with joy that you take 'the least of these' and consider them worthy to call them your son or daughter.

Thank you all and may the Peace of our Lord be with you and yours always!

February 14, 2008

2008-02-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

Time flies when you’re having fun in Liberia!
And what a great country it is. The poverty is overwhelming but the hearts and attitudes of the people are just as extraordinary.

Fritz being attacked by a 'dangerous' Liberian vine - he was so tangled up we had to cut him out.

We have moved to our next temporary location at an apartment in Sinkor, Monrovia. The upstairs rooms are intended as guest rooms for Acres of Hope adoptive parents and we will be assisting in making them feel as welcome and comfortable as possible while they are here to pick up their children. Currently, we are still in somewhat of a renovation stage of the house / rooms but we are looking forward to have our first guests shortly.

Prayer for a new family at the Acres of Hope guest house

Our containers have arrived, still somewhere at the harbor at this point but we are anticipating having them released before the end of the week. Some time later this year we are hoping to set up our permanent housing. At this point all we know is that we would like to end up in the ‘country’. Either coastal aka the beach or up country, where the farming land is more fertile. For now we serve here and will wait on the Lord………isn’t that the story of all our lives.

In the meantime we all have adjusted well to Liberian life – the people, the food, the temperature, God’s plan for our lives…..all are amazing.

Benetta chopping potatoe greens - our favorite Liberian dish

Mostly I am inspired by the people I meet. My next door neighbors live in a ‘house’ with just walls! There is no roof, doors, plumbing, furniture…nothing. Plastic buckets are being used for washing kids and dishes. Coal stoves are used for cooking. The ground is full of glass and other sharp objects that make me cringe when I see all the children happily playing soccer. But that’s just it - the kids are joyful and their mothers are joyful and all are hoping for a brighter future. There we are in this nice house and the lady next door in her walls with nothing tells us:
“Welcome to Liberia – you are all welcome and when my plums (=mangoes) are ripe you can have some.”
So you see life here is harsh for most but God’s love is abiding.

I am looking forward to the mangoes and living in community with my new neighbors.

Well that’s it for now. We will keep blogging maybe once or twice a month so thanks for your patience.

Dave - the all around home improvement guy. He does everything from high tech electrical AC/DC stuff to low tech bleaching smelly bath- rooms, all with a smile on his face!

PS: Steph this update is for you and Teresa!

PPS: Monrovia has a great brewery – I know my beers and ‘Club Beer’ is top notch.
(Patrick – got a brew yet?)

Wonderful day to all

2008-01-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful day we had today. We were able to put some of the talents that God Almighty has blessed us with into practice and strengthen our skill of loving others. Enjoy the pictures…..

Making Friends – Actually Claudia is trying to learn how to cook Liberian. Grace (the nanny in charge of the special care orphanage) is teaching her every morning. She took Claudia to the market and is introducing her to the local fare. Fish, beef, chicken feet, hot peppers, palm oil and of course lots of rice are the staples of Liberian cuisine.

new friends (Grace on left)

Using Skills – I had a great opportunity to share some of the automation and industrial controls know how by troubleshooting a tank filling system that was over filling the gravity tank since we arrived. What I thought would be a simple re-wiring of the contactor turned into a good chance to be diligent at the task at hand. After finding broken sensor wires and a circuit still able to be used I had to rip out the very, very thin speaker wire that was originally installed (absolutely the wrong wire for this application, but here you must do with what you have) and re-lay better grade wire. After about four hours I was able to test the system before power went out. And yes – thank you God – the system is running fine without overflow problems.

up for the troubleshooting challenge checking the level sensor

Sharing Great Joy – What an emotional experience we had when this lovely couple from the US got to see there adopted twins and baby girl for the first time. Praise the Lord!
A new family was made today and it was just as exciting and wonderful as the birth of a child.

Twin boys for mama and papa

Going to meet baby girl

What a moment

The new family and friends

God's blessings in real time

Warm welcome to Liberia and some new pictures

2008-01-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

We are settling in the guest house for a brief while and enjoying the neighboring orphans from Acres of Hope. The children are making friends and helping with the orphans and some of the storytime joys. It’s like instantly having even more brothers and sisters.
We are doing well, adjusting to the weather - about 85 and 60% humidity, a little cooler in the evening early morning – the humidity is supposed to crank up to about 95% within the next month.

I am hiding the ID of the orphans in the below pictures for privacy purposes but they have the most amazing smiles and joy in their hearts.

We had a wonderful rest in the Lord today, mentally, spiritually and physically. We were able to hit the beautiful beaches of Liberia for a while and – Wow!!!!!
What a wonderful and refreshing time to relish in the magnificent and powerful creation and design of God. It was good to share ourselves with the local Liberians and I had the chance to show a few young local boys how to get into the deeper waist high water to body surf (they are terrified of the potential for death by drowning because they lack some very basic wave wading skills – hope my childhood years in the South Bay beaches of L.A. pay off). The waves made for an incredible playscape for the children and we enjoyed lunching under the tiki style huts on the sand. After that we went to the lagoon on the other side of the shore where fresh water is setting on a bed of sand washed over from the high tides. It’s like a three foot deep freshwater pool with beach sand – neat.

Here are a few pictures of our new surroundings – the “mall” and other local stores. There is a wonderful grocery store but most everything else from buckets to flip-flops are found at the street vendors, or in their portable kiosks (wheel barrows). Traffic is quite challenging as the main route to the city is under construction but we make due with what we have to work with. We are very encouraged at the business and improvements that are slowly but surely coming – God willing.

We had a chance to share again the joy of our salvation tonight, this time with a neat little dvd called God’s Story. It is a program that is being used to reach the world with the story of God’s plan of salvation from His word. Our family has been enjoying this dvd for over a year now and if you get a chance pick it up.
This is the link for more gods-story(dot)org

We are patiently awaiting the soon arriving containers carrying the donations for Acres of Hope orphanage and the missionary housing items among many other family items.
Pray that the logistics go well with the containers, please. You cannot believe what you have to go through to get the items and containers into your possession. Pray for us in that regard.

May God Almighty enhance your walk with him through his enduring word.

Peace to you all.

We've Made it to Liberia

2008-01-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, we have made it to Liberia and are well and very excited about our new home. We are temporarily in the guest house of Acres Of Hope and look forward to setting up permanent abode closer to the orphanage. There are 13 orphans here at the special needs orphan housing and our kids are taking to them with great joy. The girls are already learning from the nannies how to cook Liberian and the boys are creating toys from the growth of wood and other scraps of building material for their adventures with the orphan boys.

It was a short lived trial for us and shock as well in seeing the tremendous differences in culture and everyday way of life. We are so blessed in America and are now really seeing what most of the world sees in how the daily markets and lives work for so many countries in the world like in Mexico, India,, China, Bosnia, Russia, Liberia and many many others.

What a feeling of joy we had as we prayed about and trusted not in the things and worries and concerns of man but in the promises of God and blessings from him. Our spirits were truly lifted by the power of God’s word and the Holy Spirit of God as the joy of our salvation was renewed and our faith refreshed.

We thank you for your prayers and support and will chat soon with pictures.

David, Claudia and children.

PS: If you would like to subscribe to a feed that notifies you of any updates and gives you options to go see them or not please paste this into your browser address bar and choose to subscribe to our feed. Hope this helps you all.

http://felandosinliberia.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

A break in Europe with the Omi and Opi before Liberia

2007-12-18T13:33:00.000-08:00

Well, thank you God Almighty for the chance to finally have a bit of a break before we get to Liberia.

What a logistical challenge in preparing for our trip to Germany to visit Claudia’s parents.

So many things needed to be packed for the visit - all the items needed for our visit while in Germany (cold weather clothing, etc, etc) and the needs for our arrival in Liberia (very warm weather clothing and essentials for at least a month – basic housing items plus local items like mosquito nets).

I have to thank God for my wonderful partner in life, my bride and love - Claudia. She has done so much in the logistics and prep for our move to Liberia. Thank you honey.

Below are some pictures of our journey to Germany and some of Opi and Omi's neck of the woods.

Enjoy

In Houston Intercontinental Airport

On the plane to Deutschland

Frankfurt Ariport

Omi und Opi greeting the kids

Claudia's hometown of Ansbach

Out to eat - Yum

Out in town for a walk

On the train to Nuremburg

The castle wall

City center

Siblings in the Hofgarten for a walk

Farewell friends - Thank you for your prayers

2007-12-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

Before leaving we had a chance to meet with many many friends and family and we thank you for the time and well wishes. Felicia our friend was the inspiration and coordinator of our gathering at the Stadium - Thank you Felicia.

I would like to put so many more photos but hope you enjoy the few selections that were made. Thank you all again for being friends.

Friends and family

Preparing to get out of country. - November thru Dec 2, 2007

2007-11-30T23:49:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the many individuals that assisted us on our preparation for our move to Liberia. Below are some pictures of some of the moving and farewell gatherings. We will miss all of you and cherish the many memories of our times in the USA.

We hope you enjoy the short snap shot show of some memories.

Packing - packing - & more packing

Prepping for the trip to Liberia W. Africa - including the dogs -

but first ,a visit to the in-laws in Europe (Brrrrrrr).

Prepping to load the containers - get your garages ready.

Container #1 ready to be loaded

Douglas was an incredible blessing - Thank you Doug.

Special thanks to Douglas Whiddon of Whiddon Masonry in Dripping Springs TX for the use and help with his Load-All fork lift equip.

A true God-sent angel was his assistant Patrick Dougherty who assisted with the loading of heavy equipment into both containers. He and I worked well into two nights worth of loading and tying down items in the containers. Thanks.

Patrick Dougherty assisting

My friends Patrick and Shelby, thank you for being there and Shelby, thank you for all the help in so many ways (loading, land, truck & trailer lending, meals etc, etc ). We will continue to pray for you all.

Shelby

Pat-O

Let the loading begin. Bring it on!!!!!!

I think this load is topped off.

One down - one to go.

Praises and Thanks to our God for his perfect timing

2007-10-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

YES ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

We have been blessed by God Almighty with the perfect family for our home here in Sawyer Ranch. We are here until end of November before we depart in early December - God willing - for our new location in Liberia, West Africa.

We want to thank you all for your kind thoughts and words and especially for your prayers. We give all glory to God and anticipate his fulfilling of his purpose in our lives. We will be updating more often now with what will be transpiring until departure. If you would like to have updates please send me an email.

Thank you again for the prayers and encouragement. We will have a get together at our home in late October if you are interested in visiting. Please contact us if you would like details.

P.S. If, and only if, you are interested in assisting in any other way prior to our departure in December we are in the process of looking for and acquiring the following equipment items to bring on cargo container(s). If you know of any good used equip outlets or dealers, or can donate equip or donate monies towards equip please advise with a reply or call. Thank you.

Again we look forward to spending time with you at the get together if you can make it.

Tractor(s) 25HP or higher (looking into Kubota)
Tractor Implements
Irrigation systems
Welding equip
Trailer for hauling anything (big or small)
Many manual garden tools (rugged wheel barrows, shovels, hoes, pruning tools, etc)
Chainsaws and spare parts

The LORD is with you when you are with him, If you seek him, he will be found by you. 2 Chronicles 15:2

For the Kingdom of God and the way of Christ Jesus,

David Felando & Family

Jesus said "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." Luke 4:43

Growing in the Lord

2007-05-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

We continue to prepare and to wait on the Lord as we grow deeper in Him with His Word.

Thank you for your prayers and concern for our calling. We are hopeful that the Lord's will be done in our life and calling and that we walk humbly with Him as His servants in Christ. We are so thankful everyday for the tremendous blessing we have had in our life to date and we strive to better our relationship with Jesus through continuous communication with Him through His Word.

We must push out the clutter, chatter and distractions of the world in our lives and breath in the life giving almighty Word of God. We should make it the guide for every second of our life.

- the B-I-B-L-E - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

2007

2007-01-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a blessed and favorable new year. We had great celebrations over the past month and we have wonderful memories of the past year. Praise to God for our health and for the growth we are gaining in the knowledge of Jesus.

We look forward to the blessings that will come to us as we get to the land of Liberia. We ask that you keep us in prayer as we wait on the Lord's timing for the sale of our home. I believe that once that happens it will be a wild ride as we make our way out of country. We ask your prayers for strength and patience now and especially as we get going.

Thank you for your love and support. Until our next post I leave you with a couple of things, a quote from Paul that is a goal for our life, and a great gospel message web link.

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ." Philippians 3:8 NLT

Winter is here

2006-12-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

Thoughts for the day - we are very anxious to get into the thick of things in our new home but God is preparing us a little longer as we patiently wait on Him. We are faithfully relying on the Lord and His timing. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

We pray that you and yours will have a wonderful and blessed winter season.

Waiting and preparing

2006-09-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Our estate sale went fantastically, thank you God, and we have raised over half the funds needed for transportation and import costs of the shipping container for the AOH Missionary Camp and Orphanage items we will be shipping.

We have our house for sale and are awaiting an offer. We have had a contract pending but it fell through.

We continue to gather information and equipment and other items for our journey to Africa. Thank you for your prayers and especially for your support.

Just Getting Started

2006-08-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

We are a family of nine on the path to Liberia. I am new at this weblogging so please bear with me as we give you an insight to our family mission, to serve the people of Liberia. We give God the glory for our calling and all that we may accomplish for Him as we embark on an adventure in being the hands and feet of our Lord.