It was Christmas Eve, 1989. My family had just finished pulling out the decorations for the western-style tree that was shipped to us all the way from Norway to our home near Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia. We always enjoy Christmas and look forward to celebrating with family and friends. Not this year…it was not meant to be.
In the blink of an eye our celebration was cut short by a cryptic radio announcement by Liberian President Samuel Doe. “The country should pray,” he said. “Our nation has been attacked. We are at war. If you see anyone who looks like they don’t belong, you should report it to the authorities.” With those few words, our whole country was thrown into panic. In the ensuing chaos, our comfortable but modest home was burned to the ground.
I happened to be looking out my living room window when an army jeep drove right onto our front lawn. Rebels started piling out. Wide-eyed, I screamed, ‘Bessie, get the children and hide!’ Small bodies ran past me as Bessie yelled her orders. In just seconds, it was quiet again. I stood alone, watching. There was nothing I could do.
I was dragged from my home, along with 100 other men, tortured for days and then gunned down in an open field. Because I reminded my fellow prisons not to give up hope but to pray - they called me Preacher Man. One day the rebels took us to an old field outside of town and told me to get in the middle and pray. I did and because of this I was the lone survivor of this mass execution. More rebels had been hiding in the tall grass surrounding us. As I began to pray the hidden rebels stood up and sprayed us with machine guns. Bodies of friends and neighbors who had surrounded me all fell on top of me, protecting me from the bullets. I waited for hours until I thought it was safe and crawled out, covered in blood.
Brother Bruce Beakley met Bessie and I on the flight to America and as heard God speak to him, he reached out to us. He asked us about our life and ultimately decided to help tell our unbelievable yet true story. Only with God’s help could we endure. The journey from our war-torn homeland to a new life for my family in America took nearly twenty years. As I look back on my life, and recount the details of our harrowing escape, I know God was with me and my family. The tragedies and triumphs we experienced are truly strung together on a thread of faith. I thank God for the gift of faith that he has given me. I thank God for how he reunited me with my family whom I had thought dead. I thank God that I did not give in to the rage I felt and desire to murder those who attacked us. I thank God that he has helped me to forgive and live in peace.
Our family has suffered much. Many times we don’t agree with what God allows to happen because it hurts us, or those we love, and we can’t understand His purpose. Those are difficult, painful times. But we refuse to live in fear.
Visit www.RefugetheBook.com
Friday, June 26, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
FAQ on Liberia
In their new book, Refuge, John and Bessie Gonleh, together with their friend and co-author Bruce Beakley, share the unbelievable true story of their flight from their war-torn homeland to a new life for their family in America, a journey nearly twenty years in the making. As they recount the details of their harrowing escape, the tragedies and triumphs are strung together on a thread of faith. Below are some facts regarding their home country of Liberia. To get a copy of the book visit www.RefugetheBook.com
Q: Where is Liberia located?
A: Liberia, officially The Republic of Liberia, is a small country on the West African Coast, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its most notable feature is its distinction of being the point closest to the New World, the Americas. From that promontory point some 500 years ago, Spanish slave ships first departed with their human cargo.
Q: Who founded The Republic of Liberia?
A: Forty years before the Civil War, freed slaves returned to the very location from which their ancestors had departed. They created a permanent settlement that became known as Monrovia, after James Monroe, the American president, that echoed the architecture and layout of their old homes in the antebellum South. Arriving ships brought American customs, dress, holidays, the English language (now the country’s official language)[i], and Christianity. By local standards, the returning freed slaves and their descendants were rich. The new arrivals soon became the ruling elite over the indigenous tribes. Armed clashes and battles ensued, but the Americo-Liberians prevailed and created a democratic government. The Republic of Liberia (“the land of the free”) was founded in 1847.
Q: What is the demographic breakdown of Liberia’s population?
A: The population of over 3 million comprises 16 indigenous ethnic groups and various foreign minorities. Indigenous peoples comprise about 85% of the population, the largest of which are the Kpelle in central and western Liberia. Americo-Liberians, who are descendants of freed slaves that arrived in Liberia as of 1821, make up an estimated 15% of the population, half of US origin and half from the Caribbean. There also is a sizable number of Lebanese, Indians, and other West African nationals who make up a significant part of Liberia’s business community. A few whites (estimated at 18,000 in 1999; probably fewer now) reside in the country. As of 2006, Liberia has the highest population growth rate in the world (4.50%). Similar to its neighbors, it has a large youth population, with half of the population being under the age of 18.
Q: What were some factors that led to the first and second civil wars in 1989 and 1999?
A: For almost 140 years since the country’s founding, the Americo-Liberians maintained power over the indigenous tribes. Ironically, when the freed American slaves returned to Africa, they began to take advantage of the poor locals, just as they themselves had been exploited. Preferring the customs and culture of the antebellum South, they did not truly integrate into the existing culture. Over time, resentment among indigenous tribes grew. In 1980, Samuel Doe staged a successful coup. He executed then-president Tolbert along with thirteen government ministers and officials. Doe became the first Liberian president from the indigenous tribes, and he claimed to represent all 16 tribes. But history reveals him as a despot and dictator who used his power to persecute other tribes. In 1989, an Americo-Liberian named Charles Taylor, with the backing of neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, invaded Liberia. These troops gained high levels of support with tribes persecuted by their present government. A large section of the country came under the invaders’ control as a result. The typical rebel soldiers were young, uneducated cast-offs given to ruthless, even pointless, violence. By this time a new player had also emerged. Yormie Prince Johnson (former ally of Taylor) had formed his own army and had gained tremendous support from the Gio and Mano ethnic groups. After a few short years of relative peace, a second civil war broke out in 1999 pitting rebels against then-president Charles Taylor. An estimated 200,000 Liberians were killed as a result of the two wars.
Q: What happened to Charles Taylor, the main instigator of the Liberian civil wars?
A: After staging another insurgency, Taylor was elected president of Liberia in 1997. His autocratic and dysfunctional government led to a new uprising in 1999. Under pressure from the United States, he finally stepped down in 2003 as president and accepted Nigeria’s offer for asylum. He was captured trying to escape across the border of Cameroon and is currently standing trial in The Hague. He faces charges of war crimes, violating the Geneva conventions, and other atrocities.
Q: What is the current political situation in Liberia? Has there been any progress toward peace?
A: Yes, Liberia is taking steps toward peace. Liberia’s current president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, was democratically elected on November 8, 2005. Daughter of the first indigenous Liberian to be elected to the national legislature, Jahmale Carney Johnson, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was born in rural Liberia but is a Harvard-trained economist. She has been widely celebrated for being the first elected female head of state in Africa. A former Citibank and World Bank employee, Johnson-Sirleaf’s career also includes heading the U.N. Development Program for Africa [3]. Johnson-Sirleaf was jailed twice during the Doe administration before escaping and going into exile. As president, she hopes to bring her credentials as an economist to bear and enlist the help of the international community in rebuilding Liberia’s economy and infrastructure. Her efforts to have Liberia’s external debt of $3.5 billion cancelled were at least partially rewarded on November 12, 2007, when the IMF agreed to begin providing debt relief.[8] She has extended a special invitation to the Nigerian business community to participate in business opportunities in Liberia, in part as thanks for Nigeria’s help in securing Liberia’s peace. Exiled Liberians are also investing in the country and participating in Liberia’s rebuilding efforts.
In addition to focusing her early efforts to restore basic services like water and electricity to the capital of Monrovia, Johnson-Sirleaf has established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address crimes committed during the later stages of Liberia’s long civil war. She is also working to re-establish Liberia’s food independence.
Visit www.RefugetheBook.com
Q: Where is Liberia located?
A: Liberia, officially The Republic of Liberia, is a small country on the West African Coast, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its most notable feature is its distinction of being the point closest to the New World, the Americas. From that promontory point some 500 years ago, Spanish slave ships first departed with their human cargo.
Q: Who founded The Republic of Liberia?
A: Forty years before the Civil War, freed slaves returned to the very location from which their ancestors had departed. They created a permanent settlement that became known as Monrovia, after James Monroe, the American president, that echoed the architecture and layout of their old homes in the antebellum South. Arriving ships brought American customs, dress, holidays, the English language (now the country’s official language)[i], and Christianity. By local standards, the returning freed slaves and their descendants were rich. The new arrivals soon became the ruling elite over the indigenous tribes. Armed clashes and battles ensued, but the Americo-Liberians prevailed and created a democratic government. The Republic of Liberia (“the land of the free”) was founded in 1847.
Q: What is the demographic breakdown of Liberia’s population?
A: The population of over 3 million comprises 16 indigenous ethnic groups and various foreign minorities. Indigenous peoples comprise about 85% of the population, the largest of which are the Kpelle in central and western Liberia. Americo-Liberians, who are descendants of freed slaves that arrived in Liberia as of 1821, make up an estimated 15% of the population, half of US origin and half from the Caribbean. There also is a sizable number of Lebanese, Indians, and other West African nationals who make up a significant part of Liberia’s business community. A few whites (estimated at 18,000 in 1999; probably fewer now) reside in the country. As of 2006, Liberia has the highest population growth rate in the world (4.50%). Similar to its neighbors, it has a large youth population, with half of the population being under the age of 18.
Q: What were some factors that led to the first and second civil wars in 1989 and 1999?
A: For almost 140 years since the country’s founding, the Americo-Liberians maintained power over the indigenous tribes. Ironically, when the freed American slaves returned to Africa, they began to take advantage of the poor locals, just as they themselves had been exploited. Preferring the customs and culture of the antebellum South, they did not truly integrate into the existing culture. Over time, resentment among indigenous tribes grew. In 1980, Samuel Doe staged a successful coup. He executed then-president Tolbert along with thirteen government ministers and officials. Doe became the first Liberian president from the indigenous tribes, and he claimed to represent all 16 tribes. But history reveals him as a despot and dictator who used his power to persecute other tribes. In 1989, an Americo-Liberian named Charles Taylor, with the backing of neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, invaded Liberia. These troops gained high levels of support with tribes persecuted by their present government. A large section of the country came under the invaders’ control as a result. The typical rebel soldiers were young, uneducated cast-offs given to ruthless, even pointless, violence. By this time a new player had also emerged. Yormie Prince Johnson (former ally of Taylor) had formed his own army and had gained tremendous support from the Gio and Mano ethnic groups. After a few short years of relative peace, a second civil war broke out in 1999 pitting rebels against then-president Charles Taylor. An estimated 200,000 Liberians were killed as a result of the two wars.
Q: What happened to Charles Taylor, the main instigator of the Liberian civil wars?
A: After staging another insurgency, Taylor was elected president of Liberia in 1997. His autocratic and dysfunctional government led to a new uprising in 1999. Under pressure from the United States, he finally stepped down in 2003 as president and accepted Nigeria’s offer for asylum. He was captured trying to escape across the border of Cameroon and is currently standing trial in The Hague. He faces charges of war crimes, violating the Geneva conventions, and other atrocities.
Q: What is the current political situation in Liberia? Has there been any progress toward peace?
A: Yes, Liberia is taking steps toward peace. Liberia’s current president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, was democratically elected on November 8, 2005. Daughter of the first indigenous Liberian to be elected to the national legislature, Jahmale Carney Johnson, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was born in rural Liberia but is a Harvard-trained economist. She has been widely celebrated for being the first elected female head of state in Africa. A former Citibank and World Bank employee, Johnson-Sirleaf’s career also includes heading the U.N. Development Program for Africa [3]. Johnson-Sirleaf was jailed twice during the Doe administration before escaping and going into exile. As president, she hopes to bring her credentials as an economist to bear and enlist the help of the international community in rebuilding Liberia’s economy and infrastructure. Her efforts to have Liberia’s external debt of $3.5 billion cancelled were at least partially rewarded on November 12, 2007, when the IMF agreed to begin providing debt relief.[8] She has extended a special invitation to the Nigerian business community to participate in business opportunities in Liberia, in part as thanks for Nigeria’s help in securing Liberia’s peace. Exiled Liberians are also investing in the country and participating in Liberia’s rebuilding efforts.
In addition to focusing her early efforts to restore basic services like water and electricity to the capital of Monrovia, Johnson-Sirleaf has established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address crimes committed during the later stages of Liberia’s long civil war. She is also working to re-establish Liberia’s food independence.
Visit www.RefugetheBook.com
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Q& A Part 2 with John and Bessie Gonleh
Authors of Refuge: A True Story of Faith and Civil War
Q: How have you held on to your faith in light of the horrors you have gone through? Were there times when you doubted God’s goodness or love for you? How did you handle those doubts?
A: Certainly there were times, particularly surrounding the deaths of our precious children, that we were plagued by moments of doubt. It was very hard for John Jr. and Miracle to process the loss of Comfort. Through our daily devotions, we would submit these doubts and fears to God, knowing that everything good comes from Him. But we always remembered that we are not God. We don’t know His plans or agendas. Nothing can happen in this world without God allowing it to happen. Many times, we don’t agree with what He allows to happen because it hurts us or those we love, and we can’t understand His purpose. But we have to believe the Bible. It says that for believers, all things—including good things, bad things, and even horrible things—work together for the good, or God’s best purpose, for each Christian. That is God’s promise to all of us who believe in Jesus. That’s why we don’t have to live in fear. Even though we can’t see God face to face, we can know that He will allow us to live as long as it is good for us. He allows us to finish the work He planned for us to do just like He allowed Jesus to complete His work before permitting evil people to kill Him. There were so many times when His promises and His miraculous protection and provision for us in the past were the only things we had to hold on to. And really, what was the alternative? To curse God and die? How would this help us or the children? No, there was only one choice—to live, to move forward in faith, trusting God and realizing that He is our only real refuge. This assurance has been vital to sustain us as we have awaited the safe arrival of our two youngest children, John Jr. and Miracle, whom we were forced by U.S. immigration policy to leave behind in Africa.
Q: What are some of the ways you have experienced God’s provision for your family since your arrival in the United States?
A: We have been truly amazed by the way God has used his people to meet our needs—at times beyond what we would even think to ask. We spent several months living with family and friends as we awaited the approval of our driver’s licenses and work permits. During this time, we started attending the First Baptist Church in downtown Montgomery, AL. The church owned several old inner-city homes that they were refurbishing. In return for helping to fix up one of these homes, they permitted us to live in one house rent free. As church members began to hear our story, they donated furniture, appliances, a television, beds, a kitchen table, pots and pans, dishes, and silverware. In short, we went from owning absolutely nothing in September to living in a furnished house by Christmas! We truly felt like Job. After we had suffered such tremendous losses, God restored to us everything we had before and more. When our driver’s licenses and work permits came through, we were able to secure jobs. I (John) work at Faulkner University, and Bessie works at the First Baptist Church daycare. A lawyer, Douglas McElvy, at First Baptist agreed to help us file the necessary paperwork to apply for John Jr. and Miracle to join us. Like so many others, he too offered his services free of charge. We sent money back for John Jr. and Miracle every month and called them weekly. There were several more bumps in the road. I broke my back in a serious accident at work and suffered almost a year of excruciating pain before finally having back surgery. Also, the immigration process had been maddeningly slow, and we missed our children. But even that trial did not deter our hope. Now our children are here with us! We can finally put our arms around John Jr. and Miracle and be a family united to serve God.
Q: The idea for this book was initiated by your friend and co-author, Bruce Beakley. How did this unlikely friendship come into being?
A: We met Bruce in the most unlikely place—an airport terminal in Brussels, Belgium. We were awaiting a flight to the U.S. when we were approached by another passenger, hobbling on crutches, who wondered if we were refugees and if John, with his cleric’s collar, was an Episcopal or Catholic priest. The man seemed surprised and confused when John replied that he is, in fact, a Baptist minister. Later, on the flight, this same man came back to speak with us. We found out that he was an American who had been in Belgium for a hip replacement surgery, of all things. “I hope you won’t think I’m crazy, but God told me to come back and help you,” he said. We shared just a little of our story with him—how John had been tortured and escaped death and how we had spent six months in the bush. The kind stranger didn’t understand all the details of our situation but, politely, he didn’t pry for more information. He took out his wallet and gave us $160—the only money we would have as we set foot in America. He also gave us his phone number and email address in Houston, TX. We gave him our daughter Monica’s number in Montgomery, where we would be staying. I (Bessie) concluded our short conversation with a prayer. Since that meeting, Bruce has been a true friend to us, a gift from God. He came to visit us in November 2005 on his way to a prison event with Champions for Life, a ministry in which he is a leader. We began telling the details of our story, and he was so intrigued that he spent most of the weekend with us. During that weekend, he had a dream that our story should become a book—and that he would write it. Since then, he has been very focused on making this dream come true. We have been so blessed to have this special friend in our lives.
Visit www.RefugetheBook.com
Q: How have you held on to your faith in light of the horrors you have gone through? Were there times when you doubted God’s goodness or love for you? How did you handle those doubts?
A: Certainly there were times, particularly surrounding the deaths of our precious children, that we were plagued by moments of doubt. It was very hard for John Jr. and Miracle to process the loss of Comfort. Through our daily devotions, we would submit these doubts and fears to God, knowing that everything good comes from Him. But we always remembered that we are not God. We don’t know His plans or agendas. Nothing can happen in this world without God allowing it to happen. Many times, we don’t agree with what He allows to happen because it hurts us or those we love, and we can’t understand His purpose. But we have to believe the Bible. It says that for believers, all things—including good things, bad things, and even horrible things—work together for the good, or God’s best purpose, for each Christian. That is God’s promise to all of us who believe in Jesus. That’s why we don’t have to live in fear. Even though we can’t see God face to face, we can know that He will allow us to live as long as it is good for us. He allows us to finish the work He planned for us to do just like He allowed Jesus to complete His work before permitting evil people to kill Him. There were so many times when His promises and His miraculous protection and provision for us in the past were the only things we had to hold on to. And really, what was the alternative? To curse God and die? How would this help us or the children? No, there was only one choice—to live, to move forward in faith, trusting God and realizing that He is our only real refuge. This assurance has been vital to sustain us as we have awaited the safe arrival of our two youngest children, John Jr. and Miracle, whom we were forced by U.S. immigration policy to leave behind in Africa.
Q: What are some of the ways you have experienced God’s provision for your family since your arrival in the United States?
A: We have been truly amazed by the way God has used his people to meet our needs—at times beyond what we would even think to ask. We spent several months living with family and friends as we awaited the approval of our driver’s licenses and work permits. During this time, we started attending the First Baptist Church in downtown Montgomery, AL. The church owned several old inner-city homes that they were refurbishing. In return for helping to fix up one of these homes, they permitted us to live in one house rent free. As church members began to hear our story, they donated furniture, appliances, a television, beds, a kitchen table, pots and pans, dishes, and silverware. In short, we went from owning absolutely nothing in September to living in a furnished house by Christmas! We truly felt like Job. After we had suffered such tremendous losses, God restored to us everything we had before and more. When our driver’s licenses and work permits came through, we were able to secure jobs. I (John) work at Faulkner University, and Bessie works at the First Baptist Church daycare. A lawyer, Douglas McElvy, at First Baptist agreed to help us file the necessary paperwork to apply for John Jr. and Miracle to join us. Like so many others, he too offered his services free of charge. We sent money back for John Jr. and Miracle every month and called them weekly. There were several more bumps in the road. I broke my back in a serious accident at work and suffered almost a year of excruciating pain before finally having back surgery. Also, the immigration process had been maddeningly slow, and we missed our children. But even that trial did not deter our hope. Now our children are here with us! We can finally put our arms around John Jr. and Miracle and be a family united to serve God.
Q: The idea for this book was initiated by your friend and co-author, Bruce Beakley. How did this unlikely friendship come into being?
A: We met Bruce in the most unlikely place—an airport terminal in Brussels, Belgium. We were awaiting a flight to the U.S. when we were approached by another passenger, hobbling on crutches, who wondered if we were refugees and if John, with his cleric’s collar, was an Episcopal or Catholic priest. The man seemed surprised and confused when John replied that he is, in fact, a Baptist minister. Later, on the flight, this same man came back to speak with us. We found out that he was an American who had been in Belgium for a hip replacement surgery, of all things. “I hope you won’t think I’m crazy, but God told me to come back and help you,” he said. We shared just a little of our story with him—how John had been tortured and escaped death and how we had spent six months in the bush. The kind stranger didn’t understand all the details of our situation but, politely, he didn’t pry for more information. He took out his wallet and gave us $160—the only money we would have as we set foot in America. He also gave us his phone number and email address in Houston, TX. We gave him our daughter Monica’s number in Montgomery, where we would be staying. I (Bessie) concluded our short conversation with a prayer. Since that meeting, Bruce has been a true friend to us, a gift from God. He came to visit us in November 2005 on his way to a prison event with Champions for Life, a ministry in which he is a leader. We began telling the details of our story, and he was so intrigued that he spent most of the weekend with us. During that weekend, he had a dream that our story should become a book—and that he would write it. Since then, he has been very focused on making this dream come true. We have been so blessed to have this special friend in our lives.
Visit www.RefugetheBook.com
Friday, April 24, 2009
Q&A with the authors of Refuge: A True Story of Faith and Civil War
Q: For many people, the mental picture of Africa is one of village life in the bush. What might they find surprising about your life in Liberia before the first civil war began in 1989?
A: While there are still many tribal villages in the bush, the western influence (specifically, the American influence from the freed slaves who founded the democratic nation) can also be found in Liberia. We lived in a four-bedroom house in Paynesville, a suburb of the capital city of Monrovia. Though we had both grown up in a village environment, as teenagers we attended boarding schools, and the life we built for ourselves and our children was not that different from the average middle-class American family. I (John) owned a block factory that supplied construction materials all over the country, and Bessie worked at a bank. We shopped for food at grocery stores and even owned one window-unit air conditioner. I served in ministry at our Baptist church and led a prayer group. We celebrated Christmas in much the same way that you do here in the U.S. It just wasn’t Christmas at the Gonleh house without a real Christmas tree—imported from someplace like Norway—with beautiful ornaments, caroling, and a visit from Sani Claus, the Liberian version of Santa Claus. We had a beautiful life.
Q: Recently, the news has been filled with images from places like Darfur and other parts of Sudan. Based on your experiences in United Nations camps, can you describe the life of a refugee?
A: When we finally arrived in Danané, across the Liberian border into Ivory Coast, we anticipated a safe haven. After all, the United Nations, the world’s most powerful humanitarian organization, would take care of us. We are truly grateful for everything this group sought to do. But it has been our experience, both in Ivory Coast and in Guinea, that the process through which food and supplies are distributed to refugees is often corrupted by the locals hired by the organization. We often saw packages clearly labeled “Property of the United Nations—Not for Resale” brazenly displayed in the open market in Danané. The people stole everything, even the bags of bulgar wheat the UN sent precisely because it is so difficult to cook and hard on the digestive system that nobody would want to steal it. In Guinea, we often smelled the aroma of meat cooking, but we never tasted it. The people hired to prepare the meals either took it home or sold it. We were so thankful for our tent at the camp in Danané. But, depending on how hastily the camps must be constructed, the layout of some camps is often a disaster in the making. When latrines are placed too close to eating areas, cholera takes hold. Malaria and other deadly diseases are common. Birth rates are high, and so are infant mortality rates. Many camps are overcrowded, and many homeless people gathered in one place can lead to unrest, even conflict. Refugees are often treated with resentment and mistrust by local residents. In Ivory Coast, for example, there was a plot among the local citizens to wipe out the entire Liberian refugee population as we met in our churches one Sunday morning. The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations do what they can to ease the suffering of displaced people. But the goal must be to find a permanent, peaceful home for refugees, whether in their native lands or elsewhere.
Q: What were the most devastating losses your family sustained during the war and your resulting odyssey to relocate to the United States?
A: Without a doubt, the most painful experiences were the losses of our children. When the war began, we had eight beautiful children, six who lived with us. Our youngest, Chester, died from a disease he contracted in one of the first villages to offer us refuge. He was four years old at the time. Twelve years later, when we were staying in Danané, a border town in Ivory Coast, we lost Comfort during an attack waged by Liberian mercenaries. Our eighteen-year-old daughter Annie was in another town visiting friends on this day, and we have never heard from her again. Of course, we lost all of our material possessions, but nothing compares to the pain of losing a child. We praise God for preserving the lives of the other children in our family before the war began and for adding two new blessings to our family—John Jr. and Miracle, who were born during our stay at Danané.
Visit www.RefugetheBook.com
A: While there are still many tribal villages in the bush, the western influence (specifically, the American influence from the freed slaves who founded the democratic nation) can also be found in Liberia. We lived in a four-bedroom house in Paynesville, a suburb of the capital city of Monrovia. Though we had both grown up in a village environment, as teenagers we attended boarding schools, and the life we built for ourselves and our children was not that different from the average middle-class American family. I (John) owned a block factory that supplied construction materials all over the country, and Bessie worked at a bank. We shopped for food at grocery stores and even owned one window-unit air conditioner. I served in ministry at our Baptist church and led a prayer group. We celebrated Christmas in much the same way that you do here in the U.S. It just wasn’t Christmas at the Gonleh house without a real Christmas tree—imported from someplace like Norway—with beautiful ornaments, caroling, and a visit from Sani Claus, the Liberian version of Santa Claus. We had a beautiful life.
Q: Recently, the news has been filled with images from places like Darfur and other parts of Sudan. Based on your experiences in United Nations camps, can you describe the life of a refugee?
A: When we finally arrived in Danané, across the Liberian border into Ivory Coast, we anticipated a safe haven. After all, the United Nations, the world’s most powerful humanitarian organization, would take care of us. We are truly grateful for everything this group sought to do. But it has been our experience, both in Ivory Coast and in Guinea, that the process through which food and supplies are distributed to refugees is often corrupted by the locals hired by the organization. We often saw packages clearly labeled “Property of the United Nations—Not for Resale” brazenly displayed in the open market in Danané. The people stole everything, even the bags of bulgar wheat the UN sent precisely because it is so difficult to cook and hard on the digestive system that nobody would want to steal it. In Guinea, we often smelled the aroma of meat cooking, but we never tasted it. The people hired to prepare the meals either took it home or sold it. We were so thankful for our tent at the camp in Danané. But, depending on how hastily the camps must be constructed, the layout of some camps is often a disaster in the making. When latrines are placed too close to eating areas, cholera takes hold. Malaria and other deadly diseases are common. Birth rates are high, and so are infant mortality rates. Many camps are overcrowded, and many homeless people gathered in one place can lead to unrest, even conflict. Refugees are often treated with resentment and mistrust by local residents. In Ivory Coast, for example, there was a plot among the local citizens to wipe out the entire Liberian refugee population as we met in our churches one Sunday morning. The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations do what they can to ease the suffering of displaced people. But the goal must be to find a permanent, peaceful home for refugees, whether in their native lands or elsewhere.
Q: What were the most devastating losses your family sustained during the war and your resulting odyssey to relocate to the United States?
A: Without a doubt, the most painful experiences were the losses of our children. When the war began, we had eight beautiful children, six who lived with us. Our youngest, Chester, died from a disease he contracted in one of the first villages to offer us refuge. He was four years old at the time. Twelve years later, when we were staying in Danané, a border town in Ivory Coast, we lost Comfort during an attack waged by Liberian mercenaries. Our eighteen-year-old daughter Annie was in another town visiting friends on this day, and we have never heard from her again. Of course, we lost all of our material possessions, but nothing compares to the pain of losing a child. We praise God for preserving the lives of the other children in our family before the war began and for adding two new blessings to our family—John Jr. and Miracle, who were born during our stay at Danané.
Visit www.RefugetheBook.com
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