Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Recently I have had the pleasure to speak with Roger and Jody Will. The Will’s live in the community of Lost Springs, KS. Roger and Jody have had a working farm for many years, along with their full time jobs.
In 2016 they felt God was calling them into mission work. They spent a good year praying and meditating on God’s word, making sure they were hearing him correctly. In 2017 they met with Glen and Rita Chapman (now retired IM missionaries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo working in Kikongo). They learned that there was a need for their skills in Kikongo and this started the ball rolling toward their mission work. In 2017 they attended the Hear the Call conference at Green Lake, WI. While there they also met with Reverend Dr. Charles Jones, the ABC International Ministries Area Director for Europe and Liberia. They knew that there was a chance they may not be able to go to the Congo due to civil unrest so they were also checking on the possibility of a plan B.
As one door closed, another opened, and in January 2018 they traveled to Liberia, Africa. They discovered the realities that followed what we sometimes heard about only in the short news reports that we received here in the U.S.A. Liberia had struggled through back to back civil wars and was then struck hard by an Ebola outbreak. The ravages of war, famine caused by war and disease had nearly eliminated an entire generation killing most of the people who had agricultural experience. When Roger and Jody arrived in one Liberia’s agricultural areas they found that the people working the farms had book knowledge but lacked the hands-on experience that was lost when that generation was lost.
To illustrate, Jody told me that when the Liberians were attempting to catch a cow they would simply chase the animal around until it grew tired and they could get a rope around it. Roger assisted them in building fences and cattle enclosures where cattle could be herded into and confined. He also taught them how to neuter bull calves and boar hogs to improve the meat quality. They worked with the Liberians to provide better nutrition for their livestock, based upon local resources, as well as how to vaccinate their livestock.
As they near their retirement they felt that they are being called back to Liberia. Roger and Jody are planning to return to Liberia where they will again work with Rick’s Institute and also to possibly partner with two other Baptist schools. One is the Lott Carey Baptist School and the other is the Baptist Seminary. Both schools are starting agricultural programs and it is their hope that these schools will also find a need for their service. They plan to depart for Liberia sometime in January and hope to spend 60 days in Liberia this trip. The ABCCR distributed an email earlier this month about their planned trip.
When I spoke with the Will’s earlier this week I learned that they are still seeking financial assistance for their trip. It seems fitting that I share this with you during the time that our church is collecting World Missions Offering, a special offering that helps so many around the world. Unfortunately, none of the WMO will assist Roger and Jody as they are volunteer missionaries.
If anyone would like to contribute to Roger and Jody Will’s efforts to help the people in Liberia, a fund has been established with the First Baptist Church, 201 E. Hawley St., Herington, KS 67449. In the memo field write Liberia Mission Trip.