The first time we stopped at the Betty Jonah orphanage, we had just driven eight uncomfortable hours from Monrovia to Yekepa. The sun popped out as we crossed the line into Nimba County and two little boys on the side of the road spotted me in the front seat.
“Hey! Gimme five dollars!!” one of them yelled, smiling at me.
I smiled back and waved, resisting the urge to chuck my whole wallet out the window.
We pulled up to the orphanage and hopped out of the truck, anxious to stretch our legs. A small herd of children ran up to greet us with big smiles and “Liberian handshakes”, which end with both parties snapping their fingers. It was the perfect welcome to Yekepa.
That Saturday we returned to the orphanage, despite transportation challenges in the morning. Long story short: we had planned to take a taxi, but, like many plans in Liberia, it didn’t work out. We eventually set out by foot. Thirty minutes later, a truck stopped next to us and the driver asked where we were going. We told him our destination and he offered to give us a ride. Not one to normally hop in cars with strangers, I quickly remembered my default decision-making mantra for Liberia: Trust Hannah.
Within seconds all three of us were piling into the white truck, just in time for the man to look at Hannah and say, “I think I’ve seen you around. Do you have a monkey?” I instantly felt relieved, and couldn’t help but smile. The tall white girl with a pet monkey—that’s probably how everyone in Yekepa remembers Hannah.
Our day at the orphanage was lighthearted and fun. We took instax pictures under the pink tree and watched the kids play soccer. Samuel found a lizard and pretended to throw it at Ashley and myself, which made both of us scream while everyone else laughed hysterically. The kids guessed our ages (they thought I was 17! ha!) and we asked them about their favorite activities. A little girl named Pauline followed me everywhere. We listened to the kids pray and laugh and sing worship songs.
It was a sweet, sweet day.
One of the things I loved most about this orphanage was that Pastor and Mrs. Jonah have a strong desire to not only provide shelter and physical nourishment for these children, but also to provide them with spiritual guidance. That was apparent from the minute we arrived until the minute we left.
If you’ve been searching for an opportunity to sponsor a child, it costs $30/month to sponsor a child at the Betty Jonah Orphanage. If that’s too big of a commitment, a one-time donation can be helpful with some of their current needs: mattresses, a new fence, mosquito nets, medication, vaccines, cleaning and sanitation. Every little bit helps.