yasc

Home

Growing in...

Growing in Liberia

I was an agricultural missionary to Liberia, teaching at Cuttington University
September 2006- Sept 2007

My BLOG: Growing in Liberia

Read my latest news and reflections, including letters, photos, and video from my time in Liberia.

Young Adult Service Corps

I was a member of the Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps. There were 9 other YASC members deployed around the world last year.
CLICK HERE for more information on YASC

My Assignment

I was working at Cuttington University outside of Suacoco, Liberia. Cuttington is an Episcopal University that has an agriculture school. I developed curriculum and taught lecture and lab courses in Introduction to Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Developing Livestock Production Systems. I also helped develop a goat and cattle program, and acted as an advisor to the school farm. In the impoverished communities and orphanages surrounding the university, my students and I developed a community health program involving use of Moringa trees, and planted 10 pilot orchards. I also assisted a nearby community that had no access to clean drinking water, to repair or drill 4 safe wells, fund the construction of the first latrine in the community, and fund the startup cost of a community based skills training program.

Mission Orientation

I spent two weeks in New York City at an orientation for the new missionaries of the Episcopal Church. There were twenty-three of us. Though that seems like a small number of the more than 2 million Episcopalians, I must say the mission of the church is in good hands. I have never seen a group of people more passionate about service or more full of the Spirit. I hope that through our witness to our home churches and Dioceses, we will be able to spark more interest and involvement in mission work.

Funding

Support of my mission was a joint effort between: the national church, Cuttington University, and my community of support. It costs $16,000-18,000 to place a YASC volunteer overseas for a year. This cost includes, organizational costs for the national church, health insurance, travel, a monthly stipend of around $500 a month, and one thousand dollars to resettle in the US. The receiving church/institution usually organizes housing.

Fundraising

You all far surpassed my fundraising goal, with a total just shy of $20K

The following are my sponsoring parishes:
                           St. Luke's, Atascadero, CA - my home church
                           St. Paul's, Cambria, CA
                           St. Benedict's, Los Osos, CA
                           St. Martin, Davis CA
                           St. Peter's by the Sea, Morro Bay, CA
                           St. Barnabas, Arroyo Grande, CA
                           St. James, Paso Robles, CA
                           St. Stephen's, San Luis Obispo, CA
I was also supported by many individuals who have heard about my mission, and wanted to be a part of it, including people from Faith Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, Christ Church in Philadelphia, Trinity Episcopal Church in Redlands, United Methodist Church in Atascadero, Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkley, Camp Coast Care the Lutheran/Episcopal Disaster responce camp in Mississippi, and many others.

Fundraising is an important part of mission. Those who support me financially or in prayer join in a very real way in what I am doing. There are three active participant groups in any one mission: the missionary, those who receive her, and those who send her. I will keep in touch with my community of support via email, to keep them active participants in this mission.