Ron, Shirley and Jackie Ayers Forwarding Agents; M/k Lyndell RobinsonLiberia Christian College R. R, # 1, Box 35LM-ICO - Buchanan Mechanicsburg, 11*Robert's International Airport 625^5Liberia, West Africa

Dear Friends,

Buchanan, Liberia ccp n /January I981 '

Our first month in Liberia has included many happy'reunions, an encouraging conference, and a beautiful Christinas. Emotionally there havebeen the usual ups and downs that come with rapidly changing cultures inour jet age. Physically we have been adjusting to the 90® P. temperatureand high humidity of the tropics (quite a change from Illinois winter).Spiritually we have been once again challenged by faith and perseveranceof Christians who depend upon God in a way that we Americans may not havedone since the frontier days. We are thankful to be back in Liberia,

REGIONS

Nearly the whole teaching staff met us at the airport when we arrived.The teachers who were not able to be at the airport met us in Buchanan.In addition to the teachers who were with us when we left in '79? AbbaKarnga, Roujee Morris, Mary Beh, and Stephen Gee; there were several newteachers; Johnathan Sundaygah, Seokin Payne, Thomas Harl, and HenryAdams. Mary was especially happy to see us return, for all last year shewas the only woman teacher at Iflie school. This year she will have quitea bit of company, Shirley will be teachir^ as will Lynn Wagner and PatSheffer, Pat is with the Christian Reformed Mission, which is also work-'ing with the Christian Education Foundation of Liberia as are those ofus from the Christian Churches. We ai^ excited about the way our teachingstaff is shaping up for the 1981 school year,

CONBERENCE

December 14, the WHOLE Ayers family went into "the interior for thefirst time. Last term Shirley didn't feel much like traveling while shewas preg nant. After Jackie was born we thought it would be too big ahassle to take a small baby to a village in the bush. This time Shirleymade the two hour igalk with little difficulty (except for a stre tch of200 feet where the path was covered with hard biting driver ants). Jackiewas not even breathing hard by the time'we arrived, I. suppose that couldbe because she was carried all but about 50 feet. When we were walkingthrough the high forest she looked up at all the trees around us and said,"How are we going to get out of here?" The only problem we had was thecold at night. A couple of nights it must have gotten down to 60°! Thetheme of the conference was, "Persecution will come; Prepare", or in Bassa,"Gah liun Dyin Be Nahnmaa"', Obtously for such a theiae it would have beenbetter to have teachers who have experienced persecution, but we werehappy for the opportunity to study and share the results. The conferencewas particularly encouraging to us because the 6OO people who attended werechurch leaders. To teach at such a gathering is not just a giving process,but it is a time of mutual edification. The limited tii'ne in "Uie in'terioralso gives us some contact with the way 90/2 of the people in Aeria live,

CHRlSTiiAS

The Christmas we spent in Liberia was actually the ^rd Christmas forus this year, Christmas lasted all the way from before Thanksgiving untilChristmas, At thanksgiving time we celebrated Christmas with our farailiesin the States, Christmas day we drove about 30 miles to the home of Larryand Ann Vanderaa, They live down a very rough dirt road near a districtheadquarters and hold pastors training classes, called TCE (TheologicalEducation by Extension). Soon other missionaries and their visiting relatives arrived until in all we were 22, About sundown we sang and openedsome gifts we brought for each other. Then we went to the tables outsideand ate Christmas supper by candlelight (in Liberia it is dark within afew minutes of the time the sun sets.) The roasted goat, potatoes, squash,papaya, tomatoes and pie was excellent. Of course, we also drank the nativedrink of Africa, water! After supper we cleared the tables then went inside to a room filled with candles, listened to a Bible reading, to Erica(7 years old) play the recorder, and to Handel's Messiah. Vie stayed withLarry and A.nn that ni^t, sleeping on the living room floor, ¥e relaxedthe next day, feeding the rabbits, working on a loom and talking until wereturned to Buchanan that afternoon. True, thei"^ was no snow, but Christmas1980 was a very special Christmas,

2,

HIGH SCHOOL

The last few days have been very busy preparing for the Junior Highand High School entrance exams. The exams in the areas of Bible, Englishand Math are ready now, only the administering of them remains. We arepraying for students to come who will grow into able servants of God andtheir communities. Since our school is a private school the students must,pay tuition. Many of the families have difficulty paying the tuition, butwe rely on that income to pay teachers and buy materials. The fees we willcharge this year are?

Entrance Exam

RegistrationSports feeGala Day PeeP.T.A, dues

Library feeI.D. Care

Costume DayHigh School tuitionJunior High tuitionBook Rent

Uniform

Graduation (graduating seniors)Gown

Documents ,

Invitations and Programs

$5.005.005.005.005.005.00

2.502.50

150.00- 120.00

1/5 costvariable

15.00

7.507.50

We hope that in the near future we will be able to obtain some farm landto help the school to be supported and to provide employment for the students,' We are looking forward to the new year confident that God willbless the efforts of our faculty and the students.

'VIAGNSRS

Please continue to pray for Lynn and Blair, We were thinking thatthey could live in the house Shirley and I used to lived in on the otherside of Buchanan. We have now found a house available that will be largerand better situated, very near to the school campus. This will not onlysave time-and-gas (5.00/gal)," but-it^wl"llr;"al"so- put" them -c"iase-tD~uir-^nd—in a very quiet location. The owners would like to have about $150/ monthrent, which is very cheap compared with the rent normally charged in Buchanan,This will be some additiorjal expense for the school family, so we are prayingthat God will supply this need, Everj^one here is excited about the arrivalof Lynn and Blair.

M/l!^ Lyndell RobinsonR, R. 1, Box 55Mechanicsburg, II. 625^5

Yours in Christ,

Ron, Shirley &, Jackie

• ^

Ml Of-iiii

JUN 261981

LIBERIA CHRISTIAN MISSION

Si'i'- "O "w-P n • ti u. Forwarding Agent:Lyndell &Bonnie Robinson Mark and Linda Cutler

KoKo ^1, Box 33 R RMechanicsburg, IL 62545 Tower Hill, IL 62571

SPECIAL APPEAL

Dear Christian Friends,

Liberia wltlng to make you aware of an emergency situation in

bv 19^1, the Bank of Buchanan,' Liberia, whi-ch' was-used'"uy buuh tne mission and the missionaries in Liberia, was'closecTbv"

Sd iroOO^in^t'hP h mission [Liberia Christian College]had $5,000 in the bank. This was tuition money paid by the studen+s

tboufl9oS°ir?hfK of Liberian teachLL Th^ lyerfhafthere fe ?-i e ° recovered, androlf fer t^he ''® recovered. The pay-for the native teachers runs about $1,500 per. month, and thehave®^i?®h®^^®'̂ ®®2 month. The Liberian teacherssmall childSn^to fled!® March, and many of them have families with

+u ^oaoBers have continued their teaching duties eventl°hfT'n have not been paid. The Ayers and Wagners have triednn u°!?® money to buy food, but this has but a strainheln sunnSlt'®th® Budgets. The Liberian people and churches whohelp support the school are very poor and only able to give min-iniaihelpo Many of them may have lost money in the same bank#

present both the college and the missionaries are using aaffiliated with the Chase ManhattenBank of New York, whicn should be safer.

would pay the average teacher'swu 5^^? month. Gifts in any amount will be of great help.^at IS needed in this situation is special, one-time gifts thatT.^„ ®..,u®" * ipediately, to help "tide them over" untilJuly, when tuition for the second semester will be collected.

or,a these funds designated "Liberian teachers pay",and make the checks to LIBERIA CHRISTIAN MISSION. The forwar^Agapnts listed above will work together to wire the money immediatelyto Liberia through banking channels®

forget to pray for the Ayers and V/agners along with®^i®" counterparts during this trying situation. Thanksin advance for your concern and help®

Yours for Christ in Liberia,

Lyndell and Bonnie RobinsonMark and Linda Cutler

^0/

Ron and Shirley AyersLiberia Christian CollegeLW-ICO - Buchanan

Robert's International AirportLiberia, lEST AFRICA

JUN 261981Forwarding Agents:Lyndell and Bonnie RobinsonR. R. # 1, Box 33Mechanicsburg, II. 625^5

LIBERIA CHRISTM l-HSSION

NSWSLETIER.PROM FORtJARDING AGENTS

Answers to PrayerSince the laab newsletter, Shirley has had thyroid surgery. This has been of

lis and to many of you, especially since the test for malignancy^ States and returned to Liberia before Ron and Shirley could

^ I'esults, In a letter received May 11^, we finally learned thatthe test was benign. We praise God for that good news.T•iv.c.v^n o' that Ljmn and Blair Vagner joined Ron and Shirley ininff InflH ^ ' They have already relieved some of Ron and Shirley's teach-Shirley being a new source of fellowship and friendship for Ron andConcerns

thp-i situation in Liberia has been of concern to Ron and Shirley sinceoVipnifq -ir. +v! They have had to wait a month or longer after depositingnnnPTT- there for the checks to clear here so that they could use thea nerqnnoT « ^ Buchanan bank is indefinitely closed, Ron and Shirley had 5i-900 in

-i-h-iL school had ;>5jO00 in a separate account. It is fearedr,-p +ho, lost. The school's account was its operating fund and consistedteflphp-ra semester's tuition. The school has been unable to pay the Liberianin flnntVio-P ^ ^^PPHss. Since that time Ron and Shirley have deposited $1,000nrovide for th ^ ^ will stay open. Please be in prayer that Qod willor from another expenses of the school either by the reopening of the bank

Foundation of Liberia

Foundation of Liberia Karnga, president of the Christian Educationw-io-h qphppi ^ -5v,-P • administrative board of Liberia Christian College and

3:hool'̂ Sne™d:r Foundation of recent activities•f-ina+ io++£.» 1 ' Sinder of this newsletter consists of condensed portions ofthat letter whicii we thought would be of interest to you.

jagh School Principals

serve as prinoiphr''''All®of 1° following Christian professorsAmerica with the exoebtlL of T '•"^^sionaries from Christian churches in

1 nu 1 Karnga who is liberian.Charles Boatman 1971-1972

A. Wayne Meeee ^972-1973 1974-1977Wayne Shaw 19Y5--15'74'Ronald Ayers 1977-1979, 198I-Abba Karnga 1979-1930

2.

3.4.5.

^y~Law3 and ElectJ^n of Officers

of the Fou2atiS°anrt°r^^^^^ revised the by-laws to inci-ease the effectivenesseLecLlirchSoLa r» the active partncipation of more Christians andagents), ' hy-laws can be obtained from the forwarding

officers elected to serve the Christian Education Foundation ofFor IvpR m Karngaj Vice President - James Cephas; Secretary -Ron Ayers, Treasurer - John Colnoe; Chaplain - Jacob Buegar. Me ask that you

pray for these men and for the Foundation as it seeks to serve and equip thechurches in 1981,

Christian Extension l-linistriesThe Foundation and the Christian Reformed Mission in Liberia have agreed to

consolidate their resources for the development of Christian Extension Ministriesunder the auspices of the Christian Education Foundation of Liberia. ChristianReforroed Mission^is the mission of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.They are responsible for funding the Christian Extension Ministries in order towork towards accreditation of extension programs in theology, agriciilture andmal health; to proraote the growth of the church laity; to help the Bassa church

ii^mbers to read and write in their own language for their own benefit^ churches; and to provide scholarship assistance for selected par-eons through Christian Extension I-iinistries.

Teach Staff for Liberia Christian College and High Schoole were ^ppy to welcome Mr, and Mrs, Blair Wagner to our I98I teaching staff,

ey arrived in Liberia on March 26^, Mrs, Pat Scheffers also volunteered hertime to aid our "beaching staff. Pat is from the Christian Reformed Mission ander coming o join with the teaching staff of LCC was an answer to prayers. We

follows- teachers. The 1981 teaching staff of LCC is as1. Ron Ayers - Principal, Science and Math Teacher2. Roujee Morris - Piath and English Teacher5. Hen3:y Adams - English and Economics Teacher4. Seokin Payne - Bible and Social Science Teacher5. Patricia Scheffers - Math Teacher6. Blair Wagner - Science and Bible Teacher ''7» Lynne Wagner - English Teacher

a ~ and Literature Teacherin a? ? •* Science and Literature Teacher10. Shirley Ayers - Bible Teacher

ll' Social Studies Teacher12, Thomas Karl - Math Teacher

Ik* Kahdyu - Regis-brar and Cashiera arnga - Academic Dean, Bassa and Social Studies Teacher* b*

High School PTA Meet.-ino;

with 41 parents attending. The principal distributed the+n pnonn-rao-o +K • enrolled to the parents. He appealed to the parents

more time on homework,

where the ^ P^^ayers concerning the closing of the Bank of Liberiaindefinitelv and -t- school are deposited. The bank has been closed

paid b.^ the school) teachers on the staff, liissionary teachers are notmeet at the end of each six week testing period to

students ° ^ irifw.tfid on tJ.<5 prr-blnms of the school and its