We are very much grateful to the Lord for the month of March.  Indeed it is a month to march forward in new dimensions to the glory of God. We are also grateful to the Lord for enabling us to be of true service to our fellow mankind to His glory.

Last month we had a rewarding widows, elderly, and disable fellowship catering to 205 people to the glory of God. The majority were widows. 
 
During our outreach Prince Gieeplay, from Rivergee county, son of the Bethel Word Church Senior Pastor, presented an inspiring message of hope to the widows, elderly and disable people and 8 people stood-up and gave their lives to Jesus for the first time!

We directed them to Bible believing churches in their respective communities to continue to grow in their new found faith in Jesus.

We are pleased and overwhelmed with the joy of the Lord in our lives for enabling us to conduct the first operation mat to mattress to the glory of God. Giving widows a bed to sleep on. Widows like Mama Mamie, with her 2 grand children, were living in conditions so deplorable, and unimaginable. But our intervention was so divinely programmed, we could not rent a place for her but prayerfully sought the Lord for direction in the situation. We found a good samaritan, another widow, who had a house but with very bad roof. We were able to change the roof and made it more conducive and comfortable for Mama Mamie and her two grand children.

We are grateful to the Lord for his provision as we continue to reach the voiceless in Liberia. We are grateful as well to YOU as you play a vital role in our work. You are advocates for CHAP and for every widow, orphan, and disenfranchised person in Liberia. THANK YOU!

Aaron Paul
CHAP International
Country Director

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The first month of 2017 was indeed a blessed month; though there were some challenges during the month it was by your prayers and support we made it to the end of the month successfully. We are so grateful to the Lord for His blessing upon our lives enabling us to be of service to our own country men who are the least among the brethren.

The news of CHAP International's new office location spread wide and there was always a flow of people coming to us from the new community with their plights.

There are no jobs, the youth are all out on the street,  drugs are taking over the youth, as well as armed-robbery increasing in the society, and children on the street are begging and some are selling, asked to be bread-winners for their family.

Also the elderly people, widows, are running on the street begging and starvation is killing them. The most annoying thing in all these happenings is that the sitting government is not doing anything about it. I spoke to many young people and some adults who regularly visit the political party compounds because they are given a meal a day there. But once the election comes and a party wins or loses, the political party leadership will not cook food for any of these people, nor create any program for their sustainability. It has become one of our prayer requests, for God’s intervention for a better change in Jesus Name.

Around the world Easter is celebrated with jubilation and dancing. It is no different in churches and homes all across Liberia, Africa.

​As Holy Week continues, today we celebrate Maundy Thursday.  Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means command, or new command. Today, just one day before his crucifixion, Jesus sat at the table with his disciples for the Last Supper. It was here that Jesus gave them a new command, "Love one another as I have loved you."

"The love of Christ drives us everyday to love those all around us."
 
 
What an amazing command from the Lord as he approached his death on the cross, for us. His disciples, and the world, would see just how great that love is!

That love of Christ drives us everyday to love our family, love our enemies, love our friends, to love those all around us. It drives us to love those half-way around the world. It drives us to love on the disenfranchised in Liberia, Africa. 

This Maundy Thursday do not forget the words of Christ, to love one another. He has perfectly shown us what true love looks like. 

New Ventures in 2015

Despite the bad of 2015 and our fight to End Ebola, it brought with it so much good. We began three new programs/projects in 2015, one to widows in the Sinkor Monrovia area. A community that surrounds our office in Liberia. We can't think of a more impactful and amazing way to reach the community than to gather women and disabled individuals on the front steps of our office. Where we spend time in God's word, encourage and build relations, and send them home with some rice to nourish their bodies. A ministry that has been on our hearts for years came to fruition and continues to grow as we now minister to over 150 widows through our Widow Outreach Program. 

​The second program is our Feeding Program at Diamond Creek Community School. Through this outreach we provide two meals a week to students at Diamond Creek, ranging in age from 4-16 years old. We are also able to bless the dedicated and amazing teachers once a month with a meal. Through this feeding program we are able to feed 165 students on a weekly basis. Liberia is one of the most impoverished countries in the world and malnutrition among children is a major concern. Malnutrition results in poor concentration, decreased energy, weight loss, dry skin, weakened muscles, and an increased susceptibility to infection and disease. Through our feeding program we are directly fighting a hunger and malnutrition crisis and helping these kids reach their full potential! 

Our goal in 2016 is to increase our feeding program from two days a week to five! Looking beyond that we would love to reach more schools and more students! 
​Donate to our Feeding Program today to help us reach these goals!

Finally we began a Farming Project in Kanweaken, Liberia located in River Gee County. A very rural area, with impassable roads, we aim to bring about sustainability and economic growth to families and a town. We started out with 10 families and hope to see that number increase in 2016. 

Find out more about our River Gee Farming Project. 

We are all too familiar with Liberia's history of conflict, war, and violence. A decade and a half of war results in destruction, leaving a country in utter ruin. The war destroyed Liberia's physical infrastructure and left a country with a rich agriculture history depending too greatly on food imports. In the post-war period agriculture is still the main source of livelihood for a majority of Liberians. We believe that promoting agriculture growth will spur Liberia's economy and provide sustainable food and income for many families. Developing Liberian-led agriculture projects will ultimately reduce hunger and increase economic growth, rural employment and sustainability in many towns and villages. We are striving to do just that in the town of Kanweaken, Liberia located in River Gee County. We pray that this pilot farming project will create a successful blueprint for us and the community that we are aiming to impact.  

About River Gee: River Gee is located in southeastern Liberia and has a total land area of 5,627 square kilometers. The average annual rainfall in River Gee is 107 inches and the average temperature is 77.5 degrees F. Vegetation of River Gee County is typical of the tropical rain forest, which is characterized by evergreen and semi deciduous forest. Logging and farming activities over the years have contributed to about 2.6% loss of the forest in the County. Nonetheless, the County still boasts of ample forest and timber
 for harvest. Kanweaken is a small town centrally located near Fishtown, the capital of River Gee. Due to its rural location Kanweaken has limited access to healthcare and education, among many other essential needs. 

How our River Gee Farming Project works: Through the help of the local community we hand picked ten women from the town of Kanweaken and provided each individual/family with farming tools and access of two acres each to farm for a period of nine months. At the end of the growing period each farmer is required to give back 10% of what they yield to the needy in the community. Through the growing of essential foods such as rice and cassava it will put food on the table and and provide a sustainable income. Agriculture is a major source of income for most women in Liberia. Through a successful pilot program and the financial support from our donors we pray that God will open up doors to increase the number of families included in our River Gee Farming Project. 


If you would like to be a part of the River Gee Farming Project click here to donate

It didn't take long for the buzz of Ebola to fade from the front page of your newspaper. After the short lived "Ebola-scare" in the States life went back to normal for most Americans. As 2014 came to an end it seemed as if Ebola had disappeared off of the globe all together. The truth remains that despite progress Ebola is still prevalent in Liberia and still claiming lives in West Africa. We will continue to fight for the defenseless, the forgotten, and the marginalized. We have seen war, we have seen poverty, we have seen peace, and we have seen Ebola. We will fight until hope is restored. 

In August of 2014, according to the World Health Organization, Liberia was seeing 300 new Ebola cases per week. Last week there were only eight and two days this month there were NO new cases. An initial slow response to the Ebola Virus in early 2014 left it plenty of time to build and move. The international response since the second half of 2014 has been tremendous and due to the fearless and courageous efforts of Liberians taking a stand and organizations who were already on the ground, Ebola will be eradicated once and for all in 2015!

2014 was a difficult year for us as we painfully had to end our partnership with the Liberian Christian Orphanage in Careysburg. It was a hard decision but one that ultimately gave the children an opportunity for an improved quality of life. The well-being of the children always comes first. 

As we looked to regroup and find new avenues to serve, Ebola appeared seemingly out of nowhere with intent on death and destruction. As Ebola continued to build we focused 100% of our efforts on finding and implementing ways to end the deadly virus. Thanks to a resilient Liberian staff and selfless stateside donors we were able to hit the ground running with our End Ebola Awareness Campaign in Monrovia communities. Early on many Liberians refused to believe that Ebola was real instead believing in a government conspiracy just out for money and power. Government distrust in Liberia is deeply rooted and remained a challenging obstacle. With a 60.8% literacy rate educating Liberians door to door, face to face proved to be a great tool to not only explain what Ebola was and is but the dangers involved and how to protect yourself and your family. We also were able to provide many families and needy individuals with soap, chlorine, buckets, and other sanitizing supplies that they could not afford on their own. Constant washing of hands with chlorine (bleach) is a great way to kill the disease instantly. We also set up several hand washing stations around our office in Sinkor and surrounding areas. 

Near the end of 2014 we partnered with an amazing organization, Equip 2 Serve. Their focus is training and equipping West African pastors to go out into their communities to reach the lost and change their communities and country for the better. Due to the Ebola outbreak food shortage became and underlying issue putting many Liberians on the brink of starvation. We partnered with Equip 2 Serve to not only provide our staffs and their families with rice but also providing rice to the less fortunate in around the Monrovia area. Led by Pastor Aaron Paul we have been able to feed families, widows, the disabled, and others. Aaron Paul takes the time to not only provide rice but speak into their lives through scripture and encouragement.

Despite a nightmare of a year in 2014 for Liberia and West Africa one thing remains constant, Liberians have always been resilient and no doubt will rise out of the ashes of Ebola with strength, courage, and hope. We are honored to work alongside an amazing staff on the ground in Liberia that have shown their commitment time and time again to their people. We also look forward to future endeavors with Equip 2 Serve. 

We continue to evaluate and discuss how and what we will be doing post-Ebola. There are no doubt plenty of children and families who are forever changed because of it. Kids who have lost their parents, families who have lost loved ones, communities who have been torn apart. We want to serve wherever God leads us and places us and we are preparing for just that. We will NOT stop fighting until Ebola is completely eradicated once and for all! Thank you for every ounce of support, and every prayer you have sent our way in 2014 and we look forward to a renewed relationship with you in 2015! 

If you would like to know more about CHAP and how you can serve alongside us in 2015 do not hesitate to reach out to us at contact@chapusa.org. 

Over the years we have grown a faithful and passionate community of supporters who join us as we fight hunger and share the love of Christ in Liberia, Africa. We are so grateful and so thankful to these individuals who month after month give to our Feed A Child Program and to CHAP International as a whole.

As we strive to do more in 2014 we also want to make it easier for those who generously give and through partnering with Vanco Services we have made that possible in 2014!! 

Vanco Services is a reputable and secure online giving services company that provides electronic donation options  to more than 15,000 churches, schools and non-profits. They were highly recommended to us by another non-profit in the area.

If you would like to give online just click our DONATE NOW page  and it will direct you to a secure page through Vanco Services where you can create a profile, give a one-time donation or setup monthly donations. 

Thank you again for believing in our ministry and for supporting us as we grow together! We love Liberia!

It's been an incredible year to say the least. With the support of so many selfless individuals we are blessed to continue our ministry in Liberia, West Africa providing food, education, hope, love and Jesus to a group of kids who we love so much! From all of us at CHAP International we want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for investing in us, investing in Liberia, investing in these kids and investing in something with eternal significance throughout 2013!

We strive to build a community locally that will impact a community globally and we were so pleased to see that community grow this year. 

The bottom line is that without our help these kids at the Liberian Christian Orphanage in Careysburg, Liberia would not have enough food on a daily basis, access to quality education, or the resources to build a solid foundation. We want to play a part in helping them build that foundation. By loving them with all of our heart and soul, walking with them and fighting for them when they cannot fight for themselves. 

We want to personally thank the individuals who stepped outside of their comfort zone and embarked on an around the world trip to Liberia with us in June. Our 2013 missions team was incredible and so much was accomplished! Thanks to great leadership and a humble, ready to serve team, this trip was one of our best to date! We look forward to what the 2014 trip has in store. 

We want to also thank the churches who have stood behind us and supported us. Victory Church, Reality Church and Pilgrim Bible Church. Thank you for believing in what we are doing and for helping us go out and do it!

Thank you also the the families and individuals who continue to give to CHAP month in and month it. Through our Feed A Child Program we were able to feed 80 kids everyday this year and were overjoyed as they celebrated Christmas with a huge party filled with lots of food, soda and candy! 

Without the help of our faithful supporters through the Feed A Child Program we would struggle mightily to provide for the children. These kids are the heart of our ministry and we exist to bring those beautiful smiles to light. So thank you from the bottom of our hearts for every dollar that you have given to the children of the Liberian Christian Orphanage and to CHAP International as an organization. Thank you for standing behind CHAP in 2013 and as we embark on the new year!

Liberia, Africa. 16 days ago today we landed at Robertsfield International Airport just outside of Monrovia, Liberia. It was a familiar rush of hot, humid air greeting me at the top stairs of the exit ramp. I was about to make my 4th trip to Liberia a reality! Since my first trip with CHAP International in 2009 I have fallen in love with Liberia. This year was without a doubt going to be a new and exciting endeavor as my beautiful girlfriend embarked on this journey to Africa with me. Breathe it in, Welcome to Liberia! 

The airport in Liberia is simply chaotic. We breezed through immigration and attempted to retrieve our 16 bags of luggage in the small and overcrowded baggage claim area. Stepping foot outside of the airport you get your first taste of Liberia. I can still remember my very first experience in 2009 as we made our way out into a dark and crazy new world. There were people everywhere, some waiting for expectant arrivals and many others trying carry your bags to make a little extra money. The first guy I spotted as I walked out was, my dear brother, Pastor Aaron Paul.  Aaron is one of a kind. Always joyful, always smiling, full of wisdom and a godly man. A man who has been an incredible encouragement and mentor in my life. He is a part of our CHAP Liberian staff and we would not be a successful ngo in Liberia without him.  The drive from the airport to the guesthouse, in Monrovia, is a beautiful drive. Liberia is so green and rich, so vibrant, full of life and wonder. As you drive through the countryside you can’t help but be gripped by the scenery. As we get closer to Monrovia the towns become bigger, the people become more numerous and the quiet countryside turns into a jam-packed city. People, cars, trucks, motorbikes-everywhere. 


The Baptist Missionary guest-house, which we call home while in Liberia , is situated amongst the chaos in Fishmarket Sinkor. On the corner of Airfield Dr is "Old Folks Restaurant" which transforms into a bass-booming night club in the wee early hours of the day. Finding solitude in Monrovia requires a trip to the beach or some noise canceling headphones. This is Liberia. 

Experiencing culture is adventurous. It requires of you to step outside of your comfortable, mundane life and to see what the world has to offer. To eat foods you've never heard of, to talk with a person who is difficult to understand, to step foot on a land that doesn't look like home, to hear the testimony of a man who suffered through 14 years of civil wars and survived by digging for food in heaps of trash. Liberians are joyful, resilient, humble, God-fearing, hopeful, accepting, easy going, and full of pride for Mama Liberia! Something I would have never learned from my comfy confines of Lancaster, PA. With my comfortable bed, my 3 meals a day, clean water and indoor plumbing. I'm living large and it makes me very uncomfortable. 

What is stirring in my heart and how can I adequately express it? Why do I love Liberia? What keeps me going back? Why am I so involved? To put it as simple as possible: the people, the kids, the country. The screams of "Steve, Steve" as I jump out of the car for the first time in 16 months and see my kids faces grinning from ear to ear with an overflowing of joy exuding from them. The touch of kids so fascinated with my soft hair and long beard. The feeling of holding Angel for hours as she falls asleep in my arms, as she relishes in the opportunity for a soft and comfortable sleep. Being invited into Aaron Paul's house to meet his wife and kids, honored to be a part of his life. The outpouring of gratitude from all Liberians towards our team for traveling 7,000 miles across the Atlantic to show we care, we love you, we love Liberia and we want to do be a part of bringing restoration. Amidst the rubble, the trash, the pain and the hurt, we see beauty. Spending every waking moment of 24 hours of travel, and a week in a distant country with a team of 8 individuals who share the same heart and passion. That is what keeps me going back!

In such a short time at the orphanage we were able to accomplish so much! We installed new mesh and mosquito netting around all the windows to fix the gaping holes. We built awnings over every window to keep the rain from pouring into the bedrooms during the current rainy season. We fixed the leaky roof, fixed the plumbing in the outhouses, built a new gutter system that enables them to catch large amounts of rain water, replaced all of the broken and rotted bathroom doors, had 26 wooden bunk beds built for the kids so that they are not sleeping on bare concrete any longer. We purchased 46 new mattresses, sheets, and mosquito nets for each bed and bought some kitchen supplies. 

Thank you so much to our team. To our fearless, passionate, and driven leaders! President Brian Deamer, Holly Gilmore and Brian Kurtz! Thank you to each and every person who prayed for us and continues to pray for CHAP, who gave supplies, donations, and their love as we embarked on this 10-day journey to see our kids! Most importantly thank you to our Liberian staff: Pastor Ramsey Keita, Pastor Aaron Paul, Pastor Sackie, Pee Wee, Martha. It was incredible to build new beginnings as a staff and to continue to grow as an organization. We cannot do this without you! Tank you O!!