Roots

Here is an overview from Mrs. Kellie Girling, the principal of The King's School in Corinth, about our trip to Liberia, and the responsibility that we feel to the people there:

LIBERIA TRIP
On February 14th, 2013 over the Winter Break I am leaving for my fourth visit to Liberia, Africa. I will be doing a week of teacher training for hundreds of teachers in the city of Monrovia and surrounding rural regions. Some of the teachers work at The King's School, Liberia, our sister school that is fully supported through our ministry called "Teacher To Teacher." Our 2013 team consists of myself; our fifth grade teacher, Miss Johnson; Lake George High School librarian Sarah Olson; and my father Pastor Bill Davidson of Church of the King, Queensbury.

LIBERIA'S PLIGHTAfter years of Civil War, Liberia is limping along without money, without many buildings, without deeds and titles for land, homes, and businesses forsaken in the war, without sanitation, without clean water, and without a strong governing structure. The key to Liberia's future is spiritual awakening, repentance from corruption, and the capturing of the minds of the future generations through Godly education. The latter is the burden of my heart.
AMERICA'S FREED SLAVESLiberia, being a nation formed for the freed slaves as a place where they could return to their homeland, has been overlooked by its mother, America. With no oil or wealth discovered until recently, we have not taken a political interest. This responsibility weighs heavily on my heart, to equip Liberia's teachers and youth to be tomorrow's leaders. In many ways, the freed slaves have often turned from being the oppressed (as slaves in America) to being the oppressor back in Africa. Perhaps this entitled spirit would not be so pervasive if we had stepped in and helped them, when they cried to the U.S. for aid against their oppressive dictators. Perhaps if we had offered them a better education of their responsibilities of freedom, the child Liberia would have learned what it takes to be a great nation from its mother.
MY COUNTRY, MY HISTORYAs a first generation American, my responsibility to my country and its history is important. I don't feel entitled to our freedoms; I feel they are great responsibilities. I had the privilege of standing in a court of law and swearing my love and allegiance to my new counrty, America. I think every American should get that privilege. To me, part of adopting my country was to do something to better it and glorify God in giving to my new culture. Educating Liberia is part of that responsibility to me. It is a way of giving back to Africa what America has taken.