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Mission Statement
According to a recent Voice of America article “More
than 70 percent of Liberia’s employable workforce lives on less than a dollar a
day and most cannot read and write; up to 80 percent of its population of 3.5
million lacks formal employment.”
This is one of many reasons why Bush Hill Presbyterian Church
feels called to support Bush Hill Presbyterian Church members Carney and Ophelia Johnson with their
mission to restore the Presbyterian Todee Mission in their home country of
Liberia. Founded in 1945, Todee Mission was the first and only high school in the Todee
District, accommodating 460 students, including 152 boarders. It was supported
by the Presbytery of Liberia.
The Liberian Civil War disrupted all educational and training
activities in Todee District, including Todee Mission, and had a significant impact on its
residents, particularly children. The school plans to provide instruction to
prepare students for college, but it will also provide training in agriculture,
construction, and home economics for non-college bound students.
Efforts are underway to restore buildings and establish basic
infrastructure such as electricity and water. In a report recently received by
the Interpretation and Stewardship (I&S) Committee, Ophelia said “We have no
materials. We need everything … we are at “ground zero”—everything unattached
and wooden in all buildings was taken … even the roof of the girls’ dorm was
removed.”
The facility does have a basic clinic, built in 1972, that is
still the only facility offering limited health care to forty-two surrounding
villages. This facility also needs restoration, but it was recently able to help
provide worm tablets and measles immunizations for nearly 1,000 children.
Though the project is in the early stages, Bush Hill
continues to look for ways in which members can support this special project and
the I&S Committee has had ongoing communication with Ophelia. We hope to soon
begin working with other local churches to accept donations of supplies to be
sent over on a container ship. However, at this point the best way to help the
project is with financial support.
Thanks in part to the
generosity of many individual donors, BHPC has forwarded medical supplies and
nearly $100,000 in
contributions to Todee Mission. Also, a container of furniture and school supplies was
sent in November 2007. Portions of the church’s special offerings are also
designated for this mission. Anyone wishing to support Todee Mission can continue to
make contributions through Bush Hill Presbyterian Church. Please mail your
contribution to 4916 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310. The memo
area on your check should be marked “Todee Mission.” Our bank
will wire transfer contributions to ensure funds are available in
Liberia within days of receipt.
If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact
Bush
Hill
Church (office@bushhill.org
or 703-971-1171). Please join our church in praying for the success of the
Presbyterian Todee Mission.
History
History
of Liberia:
Liberia, "land of the
free," was founded by freed slaves from the United States in 1820.
Located on the West Coast of Africa, Liberia was traditionally noted
for its academic institutions, iron-mining, and rubber, as well as
its modern
standard of living. Liberia has had a long standing and close
relationship to the United States.
Political upheavals
beginning in 1989 and two civil wars spanning 14 years largely
destroyed Liberia's economy and brought a steep decline in living
standards. In August 2003, under intense U.S. and international
pressure, then President Taylor resigned from office and a
transitional government was put in place until democratic elections
resulted in Africa’s first female head of state, the Honorable
Madame Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. She was inaugurated in January 2006
and formed a government drawn from among Liberia's ethnic groups,
including members of the Liberian diaspora who had returned to the
country to rebuild their war-ravaged nation. Thousands of Liberians
who fled the country during the wars are slowly returning home,
including some of the more than 39,000 Liberians now living in the
United States.
History of the Presbyterian Todee Mission School:
Todee Mission was founded in 1945 when Rev. Dr. Mendescole, a
Presbyterian minister, persuaded then Paramount Chief, Mr. Kpana
Goba, to donate land for the establishment of a mission school that
would be operated by the Presbytery of Liberia. Mr. Goba had the
foresight to bring educational opportunities to his people. He
followed through on his vision and donated a 200-acre piece of land
on the outskirts of Goba Town to make this a reality. In further
pursuit of his dream, he personally undertook the building of the
Goba Town Presbyterian Church, assisted with constructing the
first three buildings on the Todee Mission campus; and in addition,
fed the mission from his own resources for two months.
Todee Mission is located in Todee District (about 30–35 miles from
Monrovia) in rural Montserrado County, Liberia. The District has a
population of about 50,000 inhabitants who are mostly subsistence
farmers. Todee Mission was the first and only school with a high
school in the area. It included grades K–12 and accommodated 460
students, including 152 boarding students. At its peak, Todee
Mission had pipe-borne water, plumbing, and electricity supplied by
generators. Its large physical facility consisted of a large
classroom/office building, principal’s cottage, girls’ dormitory,
boys’ dormitory, and a kitchen/cafeteria building.
Immediate Needs
Manual Agricultural Grater:
Self-sufficiency in food production is a major objective at Todee
Mission, and great progress is being made. If you have been hoping
for a special opportunity to help Todee, this is one of those times.
A manual agricultural grater costs $1,000 U.S. dollars. If
you would like to make a contribution toward this purchase, please
make your check payable to Bush Hill Presbyterian Church and write
Todee Mission in the memo area. Thank you for your continued
generosity and support!
Warehouse Space:
Bush Hill Presbyterian Church has just shipped a second container to Todee
Mission. For future shipments, a FREE warehouse space is
needed to store items
until they are shipped. If anyone has or knows of someone who has
warehouse space, please contact Dick Szymanski or the church office
(703-971-1171;
office@bushhill.org).
Mission Updates
September 2011 (TEMPO article)
September 2010 (TEMPO article)
June 2010 Update (Report to
Session)
February 2010 (TEMPO
article)
June 2009 (TEMPO
article)
February 2009 (TEMPO
article)
September 2008 Update
August 2008 Gala Benefit
Update
July 2008 Update (TEMPO
article)
August 2007 Update (TEMPO
article)
June 2007 Update (TEMPO
article)
May 2007 Update
Monetary
donations may be sent at any time to:
Bush Hill Presbyterian Church,
4916
Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310.
Please
mark “Todee
Mission” in the memo area of your check. |
