Mission Trip to Africa

Please keep me in your prayers, I am visiting Liberia Feb 6-28, 2011.

Albert & Tegeste Stewart Liberia

The Stewarts are products of the mission field. They were saved under the ministry of the late Missionary Denzil Bolton. Brother Stewart was assigned to Liberia in 1971 as a military advisor. They returned to the USA in 1976. The Stewarts received their missionary appointment to Liberia in 1982. Arriving in Liberia in 1984, they were assigned as pastor of the headquarters church. Brother Stewart was also assigned as National Missions Director. As National Missions Director he had the oversight of evangelism, church planting, organizing seminars, crusades and revivals. Presently, Brother Stewart serves as the National Field Superintendent. He has the oversight of 154 churches, 4 missions, 29 day schools and 1 Bible school. Sister Stewart serves as Bible school instructor and administrator of the Maranatha Bible School. Sister Stewart works closely with the Ladies Ministries as an advisor.

Brother Stewart also serves as the National Field Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church of Guinea. God has blessed the Liberian church to reach into this predominately Muslim nation. The church has been registered in Guinea. There are about 500 members and 5 preaching points in Guinea including the capital city of Conakry where there are about 75 members.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DESK

Have you ever thought just a wee little bit,
Of how it would seem to be a misfit,
And how you would feel if YOU had to sit,
On the other side of the desk?

Have you ever looked at the man who seemed a bum,
As he sat before you, nervous...dumb...
And thought of the courage it took to come,
To the other side of the desk?

Have you thought to yourself of his dreams that went
astray,
Of the hard, real facts of his every day,
Of the things in his life that make him stay,
On the other side of the desk?

Have you thought to yourself, “It could be I,”
If the good things of life had passed me by,
And maybe I’d bluster and maybe I’d lie,
From the other side of the desk?

Did you make him feel he was full of greed,
Make him ashamed of his race or creed,
Or did you reach out to him in his need,
To the other side of the desk?

May God give us wisdom and lots of it,
And much compassion and plenty of grit,
So that we may be kinder to those who sit,
On the other side of the desk?

Anonymous

Sometimes feeling worse means you are taking steps to get better

Alcohol and/or other drug use mixed up your thinking patterns. For those in early recovery, your brain needs time to adjust to life without chemicals. As this happens, you can have feelings that don't make any sense, such as:



Feeling like you've been asleep for years and can't handle the simplest situation without using.
Feeling grief in letting go of your use.
Feeling stranded and wonder "what now?"
Feeling like you lost the friends or family who are still using.
Feeling that sobriety is like punishment or being deprived.
Feeling strange during ordinary activities because you have forgotten how to do things sober.
Pain from other problems can suddenly resurface.
You can have trouble thinking clearly.
You might struggle with anxiety or depression.
You might "space out".
Impulsive behaviors can pose a challenge.
Your emotions can run to extremes with anger, self-pity, hopelessness, or defensiveness.
It might be difficult to remember things.
It can be difficult to commit to things.
Your physical coordination might not work as well.
You might have trouble sleeping.
You might constantly stress about every aspect of life.
You might feel numb or "drugged" with emotions-depression, anger, helplessness-just like when you were using.


These emotions mean your brain is recovering now that the alcohol or drugs are gone. During this time:



Don't expect too much of yourself. Your physical coordination and ability to concentrate won't work as well for a while.
Try to avoid doing things that could make you feel worse, like eating junk food or drinking coffee.
Find humor in situations instead of feeling sorry for yourself.
Remind yourself that your emotional state will get better soon if you stay sober.
Get as much sleep as possible. Don't worry too much about sleep disturbances. You will sleep better soon.
Eat well, including healthy snacks if you are hungry.
Take vitamins to restore needed nutrition.


As time goes by, you may notice that your head is clearer. Instead of fighting your impulses, you can relax and just go through your day. You can think about the weeks ahead, instead of just today. You are moving into longer-term recovery.



YOU CAN DO THIS!!



The Next Step...Toward a Better Life SAMHSA