L.A.C.E.S.

2011-09-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Seeds of Hope
Farmers Growing for Liberia

Team L.A.C.E.S.: John Parsons and Joe Russell
Project: "Seeds of Hope"- farming soybeans and corn for Liberia
Goal: Grow crops and donate 100 percent of the profits to programs working in Liberia.

Change Agent Farmers...

Joe Russell

Seren Frost Fryatt and John Parsons

We asked John to explain to us what a growing project is.
Simply, it is a project where an agricultural crop is produced, such as corn or soybeans, and 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the crop are used to support missions programs, such as L.A.C.E.S. in Liberia.

John, why did you decide to help children in Liberia?
I have felt for a long time that one of the ways we can express our love for God is by how we respond and help those in need. This belief was really driven home by my mission trip to Liberia in February of 2011, where I saw people living in conditions of extreme poverty and inadequate housing, lacking access to safe drinking water, or adequate food, and lacking basic needs that we take for granted every day. When I returned home I felt that there must be more I could do for the people and especially the children of Liberia.

John, how did this all come together?
Upon my return from Liberia, I made a presentation about my mission trip. With the help of my wife and her brother Joe Russell (Change Agent Farmer) we introduced the idea of a growing project to help people in Liberia. Joe secured land for growing crops and we began moving forward to use this project to benefit organizations in Liberia.

Can you give us a breakdown of how people can get involved?
Farmers:
1. Donate or offer to rent (at a low cost) land to produce crops.

2. Donate labor, or management skills to produce crops.
3. Contact other farmers and ask for their help with the growing project
4. Promote agriculture to the non-agriculture public a great way to build bridges of understanding.

Other Volunteers:
1. Seek out acres of land that could be used for other growing projects. You may even own one!
2. Promote the project to others, give them the opportunity to participate.
3. Promote the mission you are supporting (in this case, L.A.C.E.S.) as much or more than the growing project.
4. Think outside the box and dream of how to improve the project, because great things can come from simple ideas.

email seren.frost@lacesport.org if you would like to volunteer or donate land.

Joe, how many acres of land did you guys plant?
We secured 23 acres of land and in June we planted 17 acres of soybeans and 5 acres of corn.

Joe, how is the land doing?
Well, the weather has been hot and the crops are in need of rain, however our "Seeds of Hope" fields have received more rain than any of our other fields.

A final note from John Parsons...
We will continue to pray for the success of the crops in the "Seeds of Hope" fields and hope they will be able to make a great impact toward the needs of the people in Liberia. The efforts of our hands can lead to great things when they are done in the name of the Lord. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we are called to care for the least of our brothers in any way we can.

Want to be a Change Agent like John and Joe? Email seren.frost@lacesport.org and get involved.

From the Intern: Alberta Part 3

2011-05-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe almost a month has passed since learning that Alberta would be getting the surgery she so desperately needs! Since then I've been busy emailing back and forth with Mercy Ships, fundraising for her trip through The A Campaign, and just this weekend James, Pastor Roberts, and I drove her to Sierra Leone!

Around 6:00 AM on Saturday, James picked me up and we headed out to Harbel. The thirty-minute morning drive was refreshingly quiet, as the city had not yet woken and the typically hectic streets were empty and still. A few minutes after I had dozed off in the passenger seat, James tapped me on the shoulder and told me open my eyes and look. I blinked wearily, slowly sat up in my seat, and was taken aback by the amazing view in front of us.

Words are going to fail me here, but I will try to set the scene anyway. We were just peaking a hill, and could see for miles in every direction. There were no people, houses or cars in sight, just a never ending forest of palm tress. The sky was a combination of pinks and golds as the sun rose over the horizon, and a thick mist fell over the palm trees, blanketing the forest with fog. Typically the roads are a mess of pedestrians and taxis and honking and insanity, so this was quite a sight to see.

When we arrived, Alberta's grandfather shook my hand and told me how thankful he was for what I was doing. While it always feels nice to be thanked, a big part of me felt like I didn't deserve his appreciation. God had answered his prayers, not me. All I did was take a few photos and make a few calls.

Alberta and her grandmother Mariah, one of our L.A.C.E.S. coaches, loaded up their two small bags, said goodbye to their family, and we were on our way. Alberta was very excited for the trip, as she had never been on a long car ride before.

After listening to many songs come from the backseat that I didn't know, I smiled when I recognized the lyrics to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." An hour or so into the trip, the singing subsided, and I looked back to see Alberta asleep on her grandmother's lap.

A few hours later, we arrived at the border. We pulled into the immigration office to get Alberta and Mariah the documents they needed to cross into Sierra Leone. The process went smoother than I thought, and only took about twenty minutes. We were even given permission to drive Alberta and Mariah across the border, something we didn't think we would be able to do. This was very good news, because we could now make sure they were all set with a good taxi to take them to Freetown, the city about six hours away where the Mercy Ship is docked.

Once we found them a reliable car, we said our goodbyes and wished them luck on the rest of their journey. The send-off was bittersweet, as I was excited that Alberta was finally getting the help she needed, but at the same time sad that I may never see her again.

After a night of worrying and wondering if they made it, I finally heard confirmation on Sunday morning that they had arrived. Please keep Alberta in your prayers this week, as she is scheduled for surgery next Wednesday!

From the Intern: Alberta Part 2

2011-04-16T11:41:00.001-07:00

From the Intern: Alberta

2011-04-13T05:18:00.001-07:00

Last week James, Pastor Roberts and I went to our program in Harbel to take some photos. As usual, I had an awesome time hanging out with the L.A.C.E.S. kids, as well as a little girl named Alberta who I’d never met before.

Alberta and her older sister live with their grandmother, who is also a L.A.C.E.S. coach in Harbel. I noticed the scars on five-year-old Alberta's forehead and asked her grandmother what happened.

Two years ago Alberta accidentally fell into hot frying oil,

which left her arm, back, chest, and part of her scalp badly burned.

Miraculously, she survived. But when her arm healed, it became attached to her side and is now severely deformed.

In addition to the disfigurement, Alberta also suffers from reoccurring blisters/cuts under and around her arm.

My heart broke for her, knowing that if she simply had access to decent medical care she wouldn’t have to lead a life of disfigurement and pain. As soon as I got home I emailed Alberta’s photos to Keith, a missionary here in Liberia who opened a dental clinic and is very knowledgeable of Liberia’s medical system. I asked him if/how Alberta could be helped. As fate would have it, Keith and his family are currently out of town in Sierra Leone on a Mercy Ship, which is essentially a floating hospital that travels to countries along the coast of West Africa and provides first world care to developing countries. Keith showed Alberta’s photos to the plastic surgeon on the ship, asking him if Alberta would be a good candidate for surgery and if they had room in their schedule. In the days I awaited a response from the ship, all I could think about was Alberta. I pulled up her photos at least a dozen times, half of those times crying silently in front of my computer screen, wondering why the world is so unfair. I had my email open 24/7, refreshing the page over and over, waiting for Keith to reply with news from the ship. After what seemed like forever (48 hours), Keith sent me an email with some VERY good news… Alberta was going to get surgery! I was so excited when I read the email. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. Today I am going back to Harbel to tell Alberta and her family the news, and I can’t wait!

From the Intern: All Liberia Life Festival

2011-03-25T07:02:00.001-07:00

For the past few weeks, excitement has been building for the upcoming “All Liberia Life Festival,” a huge three-day event happening this weekend here in Monrovia. What’s even more exciting, however, is that over 20 of our kids have been invited to represent L.A.C.E.S. during the children’s portion of the event!

The Festival, organized by the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, will feature a variety of performances, in addition to Franklin Graham and R.V. Brown preaching the Gospel. The Festival begins tonight, and is being held at the Samuel Kanyan Doe Sport Complex, also known as SKD stadium, a location where many sought refuge during the war. Thousands will attend the festival (the stadium can hold up to 35,000 people), and the event is being broadcasted internationally!

Yesterday James and I went along with the kids to SKD for rehearsal. Everyone had a great time passing and juggling balls on the stadium track, even with the blazing afternoon sun.

To be sure they are on time, many of the children participating in the Festival tomorrow morning are sleeping at the stadium tonight…myself included! I’m not sure how great of a night’s sleep I will get- but I am still very excited to spend time with the kids!

The Festival will be webcasted on March 29th at 7:30 ET. Watch here.

From the Intern: My Story

2011-03-22T11:25:00.001-07:00

For me, Africa wasn’t a whim. After seeing a documentary about the use of child soldiers in Uganda when I was a senior in high school, I ran home and told my parents I wanted to venture to this far-off content. They laughed at my new ambition and simply replied, “Someday.”

Four years later, “someday” still hadn’t arrived. College graduation was quickly approaching and my passage into the professional world was just around the corner. Realizing it was now or never, I decided to put my education on hold to do what I’d always dreamed of.

After a few weeks of talking about my decision with friends, I heard through the grapevine that a Ball State grad had actually started a non-profit in Liberia. The organization, L.A.C.E.S., was a perfect fit. The organization works with children in Africa who have been affected by the recent civil war, using soccer to teach life lessons and decision-making skills. And just my luck, they were currently looking for a communications intern. I was thrilled that I could use the past four years of my coursework at Ball State to help others while building my resume with marketing and journalism experience.

After some serious consideration, I made a six month commitment to volunteer with L.A.C.E.S.: three months working from Muncie and three months in Africa. I am now writing this from the West African nation of Liberia, carrying out the second part of that commitment and loving every minute!

Over the past few weeks I have taken bucket showers in the dark, changed a flat tired in the middle of the African bush – not to mention killing and de-feathering a chicken, which I later ate for dinner. But what I find most interesting are the stories the people of Liberia have to tell.

Last Thursday the national director or L.A.C.E.S., James, and I were at the grocery store when he ran into his best friend. I smiled, introduced myself and shook the man’s hand, not thinking much of it. A few moments later James told me the story of how they met.

During the war, James found himself in a position many innocent Liberians did – captured and about to be killed by a rebel army. While waiting to be executed, a child soldier pointed out James, claimed to know him, and ordered the others not to kill him. James had never seen the soldier before and had no idea why his life was being spared. Years later after the war had ended, James ran into his now grown savior. After a moment, they realized how they knew each other and got to talking. They are now best friends.

I’ve been working alongside James for over a month now and never knew of his near death experience or miraculous narrow escape. If something like this had happened to someone in Muncie, everyone would know about it. But because everyone in Liberia has had to fight just to survive, stories like James’ aren’t uncommon or considered remarkable.

It’s stories like this that inspire me. I am super excited for the adventures I have left to experience in Liberia, but am equally, if not more, excited to get to know more of the people here. I am so lucky to even have the opportunity to be here. I hope I can make the absolute most of it!

See this blog post and more on Ball Bearings,
Ball State's award winning multimedia web site!

From the Intern: L.A.C.E.S. Olympics!

2011-03-11T04:40:00.000-08:00

Last week Seren informed me that before the kids’ soccer games in Duport Road on Saturday, a group of 28 volunteers from Harvest Christian Fellowship in Muncie, IN would be joining us to do activities with the children. She then charged me with the task of coming up with ‘fun games’ that we could all play.

Pulling from my past experiences at summer camp, I came up with a list of games and the materials we’d need for Sunday’s event, which I had now dubbed “L.A.C.E.S. Olympics.” After filling up water balloons, gathering our supplies, and adding a few last minute activities to the roster, we were ready for the games to begin!

First up was the division and naming of teams. Kids, Harvest Church members and coaches were divided into ten teams of nine, and told that their first task as team was to choose a name! Some of the names chosen were Desert Warriors, Salvation, Corinthians, and Barcelona, just to name a few.

Next came the water balloon toss, followed by four different sets of relay races. Sounds of laughter and cheering filled the air as the day progressed, and each event was more fun than the last. Everyone in attendance had a blast- even the spectators watching from the sidelines!

At the end of the day, a member from Harvest Christian Fellowshop lead the group in prayer, and the winning teams were announced.

Candy was passed around to the kids, and soda to the adults! Even though the Olympics was over, there was once last event left- a game of tug-o-war between the L.A.C.E.S. coaches and staff, and the Harvest Church group! The kids looked on as the adults prepared for battle.

The two teams arranged themselves strategically, gripping the rope tight in hopes of winning the war. However, the moment the two groups began to pull, the rope suddenly snapped in half leaving all of the competitors on the ground. and both adults and children laughed hysterically.

Our first L.A.C.E.S. Olympics was a huge success- I can’t wait to do it again with our Harbel and Konia leagues!

-Laura

P.S. Check out our newest Facebook album for more photos from the day!

Meet Our Intern

2011-02-16T03:55:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce our new intern Laura Merz! Laura’s already busy at work in Liberia, but we interrupted her just long enough to get the basics:

Q: Where are you from?

A: I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan and went to school from kindergarten through 12th grade in the small town of Dexter. I grew up always wanting to go to University of Michigan, but realized around age 16 that I wanted to get away! For the past four years I’ve been working on my bachelors degree in journalism and advertising at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Q: Favorite food?

A: Pizza! With bacon, tomato and pineapple. Preferably with breadsticks and diet coke, but I don’t think I will be getting to enjoy that over the next 3 months.

Q: When you’re not working with LACES, where can we find you?

A: Running, playing ultimate Frisbee, playing soccer, and basically doing anything outdoors!

Q: First impressions of Liberia?

A: Incredible! It’s only my third day here and I love it already. Liberian food is delicious! I have never been out of the country before (besides Canada) and it is fascinating to see the way other people live. I love meeting new people and learning about their culture!

Q: Why did you choose to intern with LACES?

A: Ever since I worked with the organization “Invisible Children” in high school, I’ve wanted to go to Africa. But since I started college, that dream’s been on the backburner. My senior year I realized it was now or never, and decided to make it happen. Through a friend I heard about Seren, who’s also a Ball State graduate, and the work she was doing with LACES. I emailed her right away and asked if she had a place for a communications intern, and she said yes!

Letter from National Director in Liberia - James Moore

2010-09-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Logos Hope Ship is the largest floating book fair. Learn more about their great work at http://www.gbaships.org/

This ship is huge and visits countries along the coast all over the world providing free training and books for further education. They were stationed in the port of Liberia for 3 weeks. In July an advanced team from Logos Hope visited with L.A.C.E.S. and this meeting was geared towards finding local NGO's they could partner with while in Liberia. There were a few volunteers on the ship who love spending their free time in the communities playing games with the children. L.A.C.E.S. was selected amongst hundreds of NGO's to host the volunteers in our Duport Road Community.

The kids had so much fun playing new games like train ride, and frog jump. These games made the children laugh and dance. Our children, staff, and coaches also benefited from Logos Hope by receiving books, shoes, and we learned more ways on how to mentor children through sports and fun games.

We had the privleage of attending special trainings for church workers and sports ministires. We attended 3 courses youth leadership, children Sunday School, and Sport Ministry trainings. We learned new ways on how to reach out to the communities and children and we have added some of their ideas to our curriculum in our effort to provide the best mentoring program in Liberia.

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

James Moore

Pool. Patrick. L.A.C.E.S. God. - Mission Accomplished

2010-07-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

A bit wordy, but the best is at the end. So read it all.

This is something I wrote about on my personal page on Facebook a few weeks ago, but I know that this story really defines what L.A.CE.S. is all about so I wanted to share it with those who maybe are not friends with me on Facebook. Find me if you are not.

At the pool today I was reminded again how sports is an avenue for reaching youth. When I am not working, or planning for the wedding I try to go out and exercise a bit just for personal sanity. Today I needed a break from my very close friend, my computer, so around lunch time I decided to go and hit up the local recreation center and go swimming.

My Mission. Get in and out of pool and back with my computer in 1hr flat.

I got in the pool and began swimming laps for awhile and then out of no where I noticed another person swimming next to me in my lane. I wasn’t sure what to do at first so I keep swimming and noticed that no matter how slow or fast I was swimming this person was right next to me. We reached the end of the pool and he said “I beat you but only by one hand.” I was thinking to myself I did not even know I was racing anyone.

While it is normal to share a lane with someone at this pool, it was strange today because the person was an 11yr old kid (Patrick), and there were about 3 other lanes open.

I introduced myself and said “Ok I will swim on this side and you swim on that side.” Off I went again and He swam right next to me AGAIN until I got to the other end still no faster or slower then me, but right with me the whole time until the end and he would say I won. Confused once again, but starting to see what was happening I looked at the clock and realized that “My” time was almost up, but then I looked at Patrick. Looked at the clock and looked at Patrick again. Then looked at Patrick again and said on the count of ten I will race you to the other end. Over the course of the next 30min. Patrick and I raced up and down. Patrick would count 10sec between each race, however over time his counting started to go like this 1, 2, 3, 41/2 , 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 91/2, 9 3/4, pause pause 10. The final score was 15-14 in favor of Patrick, but let’s just say I let him win 15 times, good self esteem builder.

Patrick reminded me again why L.A.C.E.S. exists and why there is a need to invest in the life of a child. From what Patrick told me his parents send him to the recreation center 4 days a week on his own. While I don’t know their circumstances I know that today Patrick was in need of someone to invest in his life, and was looking for it so much that he jumped in the pool with someone he does not know and started racing them. As we got out of the pool (because let’s be honest I can’t swim for 5hrs.). He said “Will you come back tomorrow”, and I said I am not sure. His response was “Well I will be here all day until 4pm so I will be looking for you”

Reflecting back on today I realized I was doing L.A.C.E.S. work, just not the kind I thought I was going to be doing. Thank you God, for reminding me that you know our needs because today I was in need of a little inspiration (Patrick), and I think Patrick was in a little need of L.A.C.E.S.

Mission Accomplished.

Inspire us by posting your recent L.A.C.E.S. moment. Seren

NEW teams in DuPort Road.

2009-12-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

LACES 2009-2010 Opened it's 5 season

on Nov. 7th adding new teams!

A trip down memory lane…
If you remember 2 years ago, L.A.C.E.S. started working in Liberia with 130 children, 20 volunteer coaches, and 2 Liberian staff members, and as we are opening the 5th season of our leagues we are…

providing jobs for 8 Liberians staff members , in a country with 80% unemployment rate.
56 Volunteer Coaches
Serving 3 communities, 2 in the capital city, and one small village 6 hours outside the city
and… Mentoring 317 children through the avenue of sports.

Below our new teams proudly have their picture taken and join the rankings totaling us to 28 teams. In carrying on our tradition of each team being able to chose their team names based on words they find in the Bible, it looks like we have a few Saints among us!

St. Peter's F.C.

Shepard F.C.

2009-03-30T09:29:00.001-07:00

Seren Leaves Liberia, but the LACES vision will carry on under Liberian leadership

2008-12-17T14:09:00.001-08:00

Seren Frost, executive director has been in Liberia since August of 2007 training and implementing the LACES program and on Dec. 16th 2008 she will be returning to the United States to continue working towards building partnerships and establishing new programs as we strive to bring about change around the world.

As a part of our vision to rise up positive role models in communities, we expand this vision to include more than just the children. We have been preparing for almost a year and a half now, rising up strong and capable leaders within Liberia. To fulfill our vision, we have been training and empowering Liberian staff to fully take over the program, and the time has now come. On Dec. 15th, 2008, LACES Liberia will begin operating under Liberian leadership. They will be shepherding the program in an effort to promote positive development in their own nation and to be an influential part of the post-war restoration process.

As 2008 comes to an end, we are humbled by the progress God has allowed us to make in just one year. Currently, we are operating leagues in 3 different communities, and these leagues are providing 317 children with the opportunity to experience life change through the sports they love. In addition, 52 local coaches are making significant impact in the lives of children within their own communities. God’s faithfulness is so evident in the growth of the program and in the contributions that make it possible.

What is our vision for 2009? Our vision is to continue supporting the work of LACES Liberia as they work to nurture the seeds that have already been planted, while sowing new seeds as God directs. We will also be bringing LACES domestically and serving vulnerable children in the Muncie, Indiana community. There are many children in need of genuine Christian mentorship around the world, and we feel that while Liberians are building into their own, and we do not want to pass up the opportunity to rise up moral leaders within our own backyard.

LACES Enters Its 3rd Season!

2008-10-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

The weather might be cooling down, but LACES is heating up with the commencement of our Liberian leagues. Now entering our 3rd season (2 seasons every year), we started things off by having a grand opening on October 4th for our newly established program in the DuPort Road Community. So this is what LACES Liberia looks like in its 3rd season...

Listed below are the names of each league and of every team within the league. Every team’s name is inspired from the Bible, and teams choose their own names upon registration. Some take on names of people, books, significant locations/events, or they just choose to combine different biblical words. We have asked the teams to take on biblical names so they are reminded of the name they really represent when they step out on the field: the name of Christ.

:::DuPort Road:::
Grand Opening!!!

>Children: 55
>Coaches: 12

[Teams]
Daniel
Corinthians
Salvation
Trumpeters
Christ the King

:::Matadi:::
Re-opened for 3rd Season

>Children: 156
>Coaches: 18

[Teams]
Messiah
Children of Israel
Gospel Shooters
10 Commandments
Mighty Angels
Revelation
Genesis
Exodus
Romans
Trinity
Chosen Vessel
Wisdom of Solomon

:::Konia:::
Re-opens for 2nd Season - November 1st

>Children: 100 (2 teams were added to previous)
>Coaches: 20

[Soccer Teams]
Alpha Omega
Lion of Judah
Zion
God’s Faithfulness
Garden of Eden

[Kickball Teams]
God’s Glory
Ruth
Esther
Loyalty of God
God’s Mercy

LACES taking root in Liberia

2008-09-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

I am so blessed to continue to have the opportunity to watch our programs in Liberia develop and grow. Our coaching workshops are underway and new people are being trained on how to support children to discover their true potential in Christ. This time last year I was conducting the workshops, however this year as our Liberian staff have caught the vision and have been trained on how to implement the program I realized that LACES has truly taken root in Liberia and has empowered local staff to mentor and impact the communities they live in.

As I sat in the workshop I was so proud of our Program Director, James Moore, and our Mentoring Coordinator, Pastor Roberts as they educated fellow Liberians on how they can impact their future generation. In the very near future my time will be finished here in Liberia, and I know that the heart of our Liberian staff will carry on the vision and mission of LACES.

LATEST LACES NEWS
We have great NEWS to share!
We are adding another program in the Du Port Road Community in Monrovia that will include 12 coaches and 55 more children. As I have had the opportunity to meet some of the parents and children in the Du Port Road I know that God has a special plan for LACES in this community. One of the parents I met with was a former warlord during the 14 year civil war. He committed atrocities that people only speak about behind closed doors. When I met the man his stature and presence did not match up to the preconvicied notions I had in my head of what a former warlord should look like. Knowing his reputation I was even hesitant to meet him, however he welcomed me into his home as if we had been life long friends. I thanked him for allowing his son to participate in our program and he responded by saying “I want my son to become a good leader. I was a leader, but I didn’t do good things with it.”

We have a clear purpose in this community.

Seren
LACES Liberia

“SEEING GOD’S FAITHFULNESS AT WORK” 2007-2008 recap

2008-08-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

Just less than a year ago, L.A.C.E.S. began its mission to use sports as a vehicle for investing in the lives of war-affected Liberian youth. Now entering into our second year, it is obvious that God is taking this ministry to places far beyond our expectations. It is often overwhelming to realize that, even in such a short time significant life change has indeed been experienced through the L.A.C.E.S. sports leagues. And there is more life change to come.

Five years have passed since Liberia ended its 14-year civil war, but the effects are ever-present and immeasurable. In this way, the battle still continues, fighting against the spiritual, psychological, and physical ramifications of a past plagued with turmoil.
L.A.C.E.S. set out with a goal to help fight this battle through teamwork, mentorship, and sport. As is often the case, the original plan grew stronger and more effective as it yielded to the modifications and seized opportunities that are necessary for improvement. We have modified some of our strategies and programs in positive ways to better accommodate the needs of those we serve.

In the beginning, we targeted a community in the capital city of Monrovia called the Matadi Estate, and the first L.A.C.E.S. league took root. After hiring a Liberian program director and a Liberian mentoring coordinator, coaches were recruited and the inaugural 10 teams were formed from children ages 10-14. So in our first season, 130 children, both boys and girls, were being mentored on Christ-like living and were participating in the L.A.C.E.S. soccer league.

Soon an opportunity to expand was presented and 4 more teams were added to the Matadi league. And so we were able to affect the lives of 52 more children within the community. It was such a blessing to see God was growing the program, but His plans for expanding surely did not stop there.

In March of this year, L.A.C.E.S. implemented its first league outside of the city in the rural town of Konia, located approximately 6 hours north of Monrovia. With the expansion also came the addition of another staff member from Georgia, Jenny England, who implemented the L.A.C.E.S. program in Konia. The league in Konia added 80 more children to the total L.A.C.E.S. team members, making the total 262. It also added a second sport to the program, specifically for girls: kickball.

Seren Frost
Founder of LACES

LACES liberia Leagues close for the summer

2008-05-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well the first year of LACES in Monrovia has officially closed. On May 12th we graduated 20 of our coaches from the LACES academy, and 31 children from the program. The week before at our monthly Children’s Gathering we announced who the graduates of the program would be, and you could see the sadness in the kids faces who were graduating and the cheers in the background of the children who would be continuing with the program. So far our program has graduated 51 children, and many of our coaches and staff have expressed that they would like to find a way to continue to have our graduates to continue to be apart of our program. The recent proposal that the LACES staff in Liberia submitted was forming a LACES Alumni team. They would like to choose 20 children to stay under the umbrella of the LACES program and continue to evangelize to them, and teach them morals and values. They also thought it would be a great avenue to create what looks similar to a Big Brother, Big Sister program. They would help encourage the younger players, and assist the current coaches with their teams. It was encouraging for me to see the coaches and staff really express a deep care for the children they are coaching, and it showed me how much this program is really taking root into the hearts of the coaches and children here in Liberia. So I have promised them that I will do my best to make their dream a reality.

So what’s next??
Our staff in Monrovia which I am not sure if you have formally meet yet, but I loved the smile on his face way too much not to share it with all of you. James Moore is our Program Manager who will be spending the next two months along with our Mentoring Coordinator preparing and assessing new areas for LACES hopeful expansion next year. Our hope is that we can add an additional 200 children to the program and expand to impact two new communities.

Our kickball and soccer leagues in Konia commenced last Friday and will continue until July. Jenny has done a great job of implementing the program, and empowering our community coordinators to lead the coaches in the LACES philosophy. There has been a few requests to see some photos of the girls playing kickball. The best I can do right now is give you a picture of them practicing.

Jenny and I (Seren) will be returning home to the U.S. the first weekend in June (which is just in time to miss the insane downpours that occur during rainy season). We have many stories and personal testimonies to share while we are home, and I hope that we will have the opportunity to share them with each of you personally. I will be returning to Liberia in August (strategically at the end of rainy season ) just in time to commence the second year of LACES Liberia.

Thank you for all your words of encouragement, prayers, and resources and for partnering with us to make LACES a reality for so many in Liberia.

LACES new staff in Liberia

2008-04-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

I thought I would give you a face to go along with the name of our newest staff memeber here in Liberia who arrived on Easter Sunday. Jenny England has come to implement the LACES program in Konia.

Jenny graduated from Brenau University in Georgia with a degree in Psychology in December of 2007 where she also played soccer for 4 years. Jenny comes to us with great experience and understanding both in soccer and mentoring children through sports. Her first week here in Liberia it has been evident to me the passion she has for children and for serving the nation of Liberia.

We are very excited about this next stage of LACES Liberia. As we continue to expand and grow LACES we are looking for opportunities and avenues to rise up Christian leaders throughout this nation. We feel that partnering with Christian Revival fellowship (CRF) in Konia will be an excellent place to integrate LACES into the rural areas of Liberia. Our hope is that as CRF continues to plant churches throughout rural Liberia, we can continue to partner with them to offer the LACES ministry to the children in those villages as well.

Please continue to keep Jenny and our staff in Liberia in your prayers as we implement the initial stages of this project over the next 6 weeks. Stay tuned over the next few weeks, as Jenny updates us on her exciting adventures in Konia.

Liberia takes a National Census and so does LACES

2008-03-22T04:49:00.000-07:00

The President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirlief (also known as the "Old Ma" by most Liberians) declared yesterday a national holiday. She asked everyone to remain home from work so they can begin performing the National Census.

Monrovia, Liberia (AHN article) – “Liberians will be counted for the first time in decades. The Liberian government will begin its National Housing and Population Census on Friday, the first in 24 years. The Director-General of the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), Dr. T. Edward Liberty announced that everything is arranged and all is set for the six-day census. LISGIS has enlisted approximately 10,000 census field staff. These included enumerators, supervisors, inspectors, coordinators, monitors and senior trainers recruited from all over the country to carry out the 2008 national census. The field staff will knock on every door of every household nationwide to get information as to the number of residents in every household.”

Even though I am not being counted, it was a great reason to stay home from work and take this opportunity to perform a current census of the LACES program here in Liberia and our projected census of our new expansion project in Konia (I will have to ask LISGIS if that is technically allowed :))

While statistics are not our focus at LACES, I believe sometimes it is great to reflect on how the generosity of so many and the faithfulness of God has allowed us to work and impact so many children and people in Liberia in just 9 months.

As of March 23rd, 2008 LACES Liberia will include:
• 2 international volunteers – Seren Frost and Jennifer England (intern for new Konia project)
• 5 paid Liberian staff members – James Moore (Program Coordinator), Pastor Louis Roberts (Mentoring Coordinator), and three Community Supervisors
• 36 Volunteer Coaches (18 from our current programs and 18 more for our upcoming expansion project in Konia)
• 6 Volunteer Referees
• 262 Children being Mentored while playing Sports (80 of them are from our upcoming expansion project in Konia)

LACES soccer and kickball growing in Liberia

2008-03-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Well great things are happening on this side of the world.

First of all we had visitors!!
Vernon Croft, head women’s soccer coach for Indiana State, came to visit us for a very action packed five days. We held 2 coaching clinics within that time, both for the LACES coaches and also as a community outreach we offered this coaching clinic to other individuals living in the Matadi community. For everyone involved that week I believe it was a great success. Coaches from the community repeatedly thanked us for the opportunity to come and learn, and the LACES coaches learned valuable lessons on how to bring fun into their practices while teaching skill. I don’t think I have ever seen my coaches laugh so hard, and learn so much at the same time. I think one of the greatest messages that Vernon taught that week was how a coach can have so many different roles in a child’s life; they can be like a father, mother, friend, mentor, and teacher. He spent time talking about how it is a privilege to be a coach and have the opportunity to be apart of child’s life in such a special way.

Our second visitor was Sarah Grile, a childhood friend of mine from Muncie, she came with the agenda to document what LACES is doing here in Liberia. So in months to come we will be sharing with all of you through video and photography about the lives of the people in the LACES program. Sarah spent her days truly reaching into the lives of the Liberian people, and individuals shared stories with her some harsh realities about what it was like growing up in war. While the LACES program aim is to reach the children, through Sarah’s visit I was able to learn how much our coaches lives are truly being impacted as well. One of our coaches shared with me a few days after Sarah left…”that before LACES came into the community he would just spend his days wondering around the community trying to find something to do, and since last October he finds that his days are filled with more purpose and now when he walks through the community he looks for his children (those on his team) to spend time with them.”

Our final update….
LACES is partnering with Christian Revival Fellowship a local Liberian organization that focuses on planting churches in rural Liberia. Christian Revival Fellowship has asked LACES to bring our ministry to the small village of Konia about six hours outside of Monrovia. As of the first week in April we will begin the early stages of implementing this program. I spent last weekend visiting Konia and speaking with representatives from the community and apparently the girls in the community want to form kickball teams instead of soccer teams. So I figure let’s go for it, the only problem is now I have to get my hands on an official rule book for Kickball. Is there one??? The last time I played kickball I think was at recess in 5th grade, and I can’t remember the rules. So of course I asked the brilliant question of what kind of ball they use…and they looked at me like I just asked the most ridiculous question ever and responded by saying a soccer ball. So the good news is it looks like we already have some of the necessary equipment.

LACES Children's Appreciation Day

2008-02-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

On January 27th LACES ended its inaugural league in Liberia. Our inaugural league involved mentoring the children over a period of 9 weeks while they enjoyed playing the world’s most popular sport. Since our children worked very hard in these last 9 weeks, playing in the hot sun all the while rejoicing in Christ’s name, the LACES staff thought an appreciation day for the children would be a great way to end the season and to recognize the 14-year-old children who would be graduating.

The agenda of our day included:

9:00 am
Three of our female coaches got together and began preparing for the day by cooking. They sweat as they prepared some good old fashioned Liberian palm butter and rice for 130 children over hot coals in the tropical sun. I can affirm that while the food may not look so appealing to the eye, it does taste good--a little spicy, but good. No food in Liberia is true Liberian food until some serious hot pepper is added.

3:30 pm
The children were coming home from school and congregating at the field. The graduating class played a game against our coaches, and the whole community came to watch.

4:30 pm
The awards ceremony was under way. James Moore (LACES program coordinator) and Pastor Roberts (LACES mentoring coordinator) kept the children in suspense as they announced the award recipients.

Our awards criteria included recognizing teams that displayed the LACES values. We did NOT give an award to the team that won the overall league (in fact I am not even sure which team did win the league), because we want to encourage teams to work toward displaying good morals and values.

Here are the award categories:
1. Certificate of Discipline
In recognition of the team that was faithful to time and obedient to the rules and regulations that govern the LACES league.
2. Certificate of Courage
In recognition of the team that experienced defeats yet had the courage to keep playing.
3. Most Improved
In recognition of the team that had difficulties in the beginning but later was able to beat the challenges and did well.
4. Certificate of Fair Play
In recognition of the team with the least amount of red/yellow cards.
5. Most Successful
In recognition of the team who understood that success was NOT all about winning but applied effort to be the best they could be as a team and as individuals.
6. Certificate of Participation
To all the 14-year-olds who participated in the program.

5:30 pm
The children ended the day with feasting on palm butter and rice.

What’s Next You Ask?

We have expanded our league to add an additional 4 teams (we currently have 10 teams), which will mean a grand total of 182 children will be participating in the LACES soccer league. Currently we are registering more children and will reopen our leagues on February 23rd 2008.

In the meantime Vernon Croft, head women’s soccer coach for Indiana State, will be arriving on February 17th to conduct a one-week coaching workshop.

Looking forward to LACES future in Liberia.

Life lessons being learned on the Soccer field

2008-01-04T02:00:00.000-08:00

I would like to share with you a brief story about how LACES continues to teach me about the important things in life…

On the way home from last weekend’s games, I was venting to my friend Cyndee (who came all the way from Chicago to visit me for 3 weeks over the holidays) about my frustrations with the coaches.

Let me paint a picture for you. See most of the time in Africa nothing ever seems to start on time, or even close to one time. Weddings begin 2 hours late, school gets out 2 hours early, and if you show up to a meeting on time you are already 30 minutes earlier than everyone else. But my very American thinking continues to hope that LACES can do things on time, most of the time.

So on Saturday Cyndee and I showed up to the LACES soccer games around 12:00pm, and the first game should be starting by 12:15. Well by 12:15pm none of the teams had arrived for the game, our referees were no where to be found, and our match commissioner (well to this day I am still not sure why he didn’t come). All I see is one of our volunteer coaches whose team is not playing in a game that day slowly but surely putting up the nets and trying to figure out how we can get these games started. We ran around the community (literally) trying to find the teams, and trying to find all the things necessary to run the game, because the sun starts to go down around 6:30pm here and if we get too far behind it means we have to cut our evening games short. So finally by 1:15 pm our teams showed up and we started our first game.

So as I vented to my friend Cyndee, concerned and wondering if this league will work? Will we ever be able to start these games on time? And can they handle running this program? My good friend Cyndee is so great, she listened to me, and she empathized with me, and then simply said to me well at least that is not the focus of your league….

I looked at her confused and said “what are you talking about?”

Cyndee replied by saying while yes hopefully over time logistically things will improve, but the point of the league is for the children to learn about Christ and learn about morals and values. Cyndee went onto explain “Today while the games where going on, I went around and interviewed the children on my video camera and asked them what they had learned while in the LACES leagues.”

These are some of their answers she shared with me…

One boy answered by saying

“LACES is not all about winning it’s about mentoring, and respect, and to bring us together to teach us about God’s will.”

Another boy responded by saying

“Before we reach the field we pray, and they teach us to respect our friends”

Another girl responded by saying

“It teaches us about the Gospel and Soccer”

After Cyndee told me all that, my attitude quickly changed from frustration to being proud of the work that the coaches are doing with the children, and that the real focus of the LACES soccer league is truly making a positive impact on the children and on the community. So my hope for the New Year is that the LACES soccer leagues will continue to make a positive impact here in Liberia and just maybe along the way we can improve on our logistics.

LACES Liberia staff and coaches played a friendly game against each other for Christmas. Final score 2-2. Probably best that we tied.

Blessings
Seren!

LACES in Liberia team standings

2007-12-13T02:31:00.000-08:00

Team Name
W-L-Draw
Mighty Angel 2-0-0
Revelation F.C. 1-1-0
Gospel Shooter 0-2-0
Genesis 2-0-0
Children of Israel 2-0-0
Heavenly Dove 0-1-1
Wisdom of Solomon 1-0-1
Exodus 0-2-0

Chosen Vessell 2-0-0
God's Will 0-2-0

This weekend's games...
Mighty Angel vs. Gospel Shooter
Gensis vs. Wisdom of Solomon
Children of Israel vs. Revelation
Heavenly Dove vs. Chosen Vessell
Exodus vs. God's Will

LACES Inaugural Season in Liberia

2007-12-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

LACES launched our inaugural season of the LACES soccer leagues in Liberia. This was an exciting day for us at LACES and my heart was overjoyed and overwhelmed to witness it firsthand.

The day began with a march through the community, where all 130 children danced and sang for about 20 minutes.

With the community following closely behind we arrived at the playing pitch, and a big thank you for the hard work of our coaches who prepared and cleaned the field for the children to play on (the coaches spent almost 8 hours the day prior digging holes to put up goal posts, raking the field, and marking the field lines, not an easy task in this hot tropical sun). We began the opening day by recognizing our coaches and other volunteers for all their hard work and preparation and we had an official kick-off by the former National Team coach of Liberia, Kadallah Kromah.

Hundreds upon hundreds of the community members came out to watch the children play and to show their support. The children played proudly while the community members commentated on the play by play and cheered loudly for their favorite teams.

Here are the name’s of the very first 10 LACES teams.

1. God’s Will FC
2. Children of Israel
3. Chosen Vessel
4. Genesis F.C.
5. Wisdom of Solomon
6. Exodus F.C.
7. Revelation F.C.
8. Mighty Angels
9. Gospel Shooter F.C.
10. Heavenly Dove

So pick your favorite team, start a friendly competition amongst your friends or co-workers and keep checking out our blog for the weekly standings…

Life in Liberia for a child...

2007-10-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

Well I can hardly believe that I have been in Liberia for almost two months now! Wow how time flies when you are in Africa.

Typically when you think of Africa you associate it with Safari’s, exotic animals, and extreme poverty. Well in Liberia unless you consider a deer or dog an exotic animal or cockroaches in your kitchen going on a safari, then I have only seen one of these three things, and that is extreme poverty. Every day I see children NOT in school, but rather selling on the streets just to earn enough for their “daily bread.” I was standing at the corner of a street in downtown Monrovia waiting for a car to pick me up after a UN meeting with the Sports for Peace Taskforce. While I was standing there I began speaking with a 10 year old boy named James who was selling one of the biggest cucumbers I had ever seen for $0.40. So of course I had to buy one, draw a face on it, name it Larry the cucumber (from Veggie Tales), and eat it for dinner that night.

While initially I was intrigued by the very large cucumber, quickly I became more interested in the life of my vegetable seller friend James. I asked this 10 year old boy why he was down on the street all alone. He said his mother had sent him out to sell vegetables so they could eat for the day. Soon this brief exchange of business turned into an opportunity to learn more about the life of a child in Monrovia first hand. As I began listening to James my heart continued to break over and over. He is an interesting little boy whose face beamed when I asked him if he liked playing soccer and was genuinely shocked to find out that I played as well. He told me that he is the youngest of 5 children, and seemed to understand that his role in the family was to go out and sell vegetables. The sad realization is that most parents will send their children out to sell, instead of sending them to school. In fact it’s such a huge problem in Monrovia that two weeks before school opened this year the government of Liberia announced a new mandate that any child found selling food on the street during school hours will be picked up, their goods will be confiscated, and they will be sent to school.

I just sat there thinking can you imagine the burden of this 10 year old boy. He had walked over a mile from his home, and was standing on a street corner selling for his family’s daily bread. It’s sad experiences like this that are a reminder of how much the LACES program can truly transform children’s lives in Liberia. This program will take children like James off the street for a few hours, and give them an opportunity to enjoy their childhood. It provides them with an opportunity to play, have fun in a safe environment, and learn about morals and life values. Can we prevent children from selling on the streets, I would like to hope so in the future, but realistically what can we do for the children of Liberia right now? We can provide them with an alternative choice. So instead of learning about life on the street, children participating in the LACES program will be having fun and learning about a life filled with the joy of Christ.

With that in mind I am eager and pleased to share with you that the first training course for the coaches began on Monday October 8th, and the LACES soccer leagues will commence on Nov. 15th.

We ask that you please keep us in your prayers as we equip these coaches over the coming weeks with skills to truly change children's live here in Liberia.

Seren

International Day of Peace in Liberia

2007-09-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

The International Day of Peace was on September 21st of each year and calls for a full day of peace and ceasefire throughout the world.
The United Nations passed a resolution in 1981 declaring an International Day of Peace. In 2001, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new resolution that declared 21 September of each year as the International Day of Peace.
The resolution: "Declares that the International Day of Peace shall henceforth be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and people to honor a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the Day . . .“Invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, and non-governmental organizations and individuals to commemorate, in an appropriate manner, the International Day of Peace, including through education and public awareness, and to cooperate with the United Nations in the establishment of the global ceasefire.”
Observance of the annual International Day of Peace is widespread across the globe. Celebrations now take place in every country, and in Liberia it was focused on Sports for Peace.
A Sport for Peace Task Force was formed by the UNMIL (United Nations Mission in Liberia). It included representatives from the non-profit sector that are focused on Sports, UN, and the Liberian Football Association. LACES was honored to be able to take such an active role in this day and promote peace in a country were war is so much more familiar.

LACES main role for the event was to be the Master’s of Ceremony.

This role included giving opening remarks, announcing the festivities for the day, and recognizing government officials as they arrived. (On a side note I am thoroughly convinced that the higher up you are in the government of Liberia the more difficult your name is to pronounce.)

The day started off with the national Women’s Kickball Team (it’s a huge sport here for women) and then followed up with teams from the Liberia Amputee Soccer leagues.

It continued on with some live cultural music and a local comedian who kept the crowd laughing. Throughout the world at every event The Peace Declaration was read and then signed by all the participants. Finally the ceremony was concluded when the Minister of Youth and Sports honored the participants with trophy’s and medals.
This was an incredible day, and it was amazing to see sports being used for peace efforts. The crowd’s reaction and support of this event really demonstrated to the world that the people of Liberia have a desire and will for continued peace in their country.

Future site for LACES Soccer Leagues in Liberia

2007-09-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is one of 3 locations for the future sites of the LACES soccer leagues. While this soccer field may not be appealing to most, however in Liberia it brought a smile to my face. I was so excited when we found this site for many reasons.
1. As you can see it is enclosed by a white barrier wall that will help the parents feel safe leaving their children with us for a few hours.

2. It has loose sand so when the children fall they won't hurt themselves,

3. It's a clean field that does not have trash or harmful objects sticking out

4. Finally it is in the middle of the S.O.S. orphanage compound, an orphanage that raises children in family style housing. So children from this orphange will also particpate in our leagues. http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/children-charity.htm.

This particular field is where we plan on hosting a majority of our games since it is in the best condition, and is a central location for the community.

Seren is back in Liberia

2007-09-04T03:54:00.000-07:00

I am excited to share with you that I have returned to Liberia once again. I arrived on August 24th, after 48 hours of travel. It’s with great anticipation that I begin the implementation stage of this program, and I am excited to see this vision and dream become a reality. I must admit that I am nervous because I face so many unknowns, however the support that each of you has shown me encourages me and gives me the confidence to know that with Christ all things are possible.

Loving Liberia,
Seren

FIRESTONE partnering with LACES in Liberia

2007-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Many of you may not be aware of this, but Firestone the tire company has a very very large rubber plantation in Liberia. So about a month ago Seren contacted them to see if their local manufactoring plants in IN would be interested in doing an equipment donation drive for LACES..... and that was just the beginning of this partnership. Firestone suggested that they could and would like to do more to help support LACES.
Truly and honestly Firestone has taken on LACES as a passion of their own and have shown a tremendous commitment towards being apart of the restoration process for the children of Liberia. Firestone frequently ships items to Liberia, and has commited to shipping all of our equipment to Liberia for FREE! Which carries a donation value of approx. $5,000. The local firestone manufactoring plant in Noblesville, IN in addition has commited to sponsoring a team with jerseys, balls, and shoes and has also sponsored an equipment donation drive within their plant to give their 300+ employees an opportunity to get involved.

LACES Benefit Concert @ Doc's a success!

2007-06-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

L.A.C.E.S benefit concert at Doc's was a great success. It brought about awareness of current social issues for children in Liberia to the local muncie community. We raised $500 dollars that evening and all proceeds were give directly for L.A.C.E.S programs.

L.A.C.E.S. would like to thank our event coordinator Kendra Frost. She did a fantastic job of getting an enthusiastic crowd out for the evening and organizing an awesome band line-up. A special thank you to Mike Martin, owner of Doc's for providing us with an amazing venue. Thank you to all the bands, Mike Martin Band, Redic-u-lishous, Woodlands, Cory Hill Band & Good Buzz who generously donated their time and talents to help benefit the children of Liberia.

New WEBSITE & LOGO

2007-06-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hey we have a new website and logo waiting for you to check out at www.lacesport.org. Thanks to the great work of Colby Gray, our web design master, who has generously donated his talents and time to bring L.A.C.E.S. to the 21st century. For continued update information you can now access the blog through the website as well. Happy Browsing.

Thanks for joining us as we continue to take steps towards the L.A.C.E.S. journey becoming a reality in Liberia!

Seren

L.A.C.E.S. Wish List

2007-05-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

The L.A.C.E.S wish list is a list of items that are NOT necessary to run the league, but we WISH we could provide these items for the children. Currently children in Liberia play without shoes, socks, shinguards and many other items that some may think our necessary, but to these children they are just luxury items. One can frequently see a child wearing one shoe and one sock and then find their teammate wearing it’s match. Wouldn’t it be great if they all had their own equipment to play in!

We wish for New or Gently used…
• Soccer Uniforms (Shirt, Shorts, & Socks youth sizes)
• Soccer Shoes (youth sizes)
• Shin Guards (youth sizes)
• Goalie Jersey (youth sizes only 30 are needed)
• Goalie Gloves (youth sizes only 30 pair are needed)

LACES will keep on wishing until we can provide all 400 children with these items.
(Please note the children will range from ages 10-14)
Please email Seren Frost at lacessport@gmail.com for local pick-up/drop-off information

Check out the L.A.C.E.S. Video

2007-05-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks a million to Doug Scott for creating this masterpiece! To view Doug's other creative works go to eyeshift.com Doug has a true passion for the poor and needy, and donates 20% of every purchase to charities listed on his website.

L.A.C.E.S. Intern

2007-05-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

L.A.C.E.S. would proudly like to welcome and introduce to you our newest team member Christine Bizzell. Christine joins our team as the summer intern for 5 weeks. Her main roles and responsibilities include helping us achieve our non-profit status, and overall intiatives for fund development.

Originally from Cleveland, OH, Ms. Bizzell is a graduate student at IUPUI School of Public and Environmental Affairs earning a Masters in Public Affairs degree with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. In addition to her assistance with L.A.C.E.S, Ms. Bizzell is the Program Chairperson for Learning For Life's Exploring Program. She also works with children of the Indianapolis public school community as a character education teacher with Learning For Life's Reaching for Tomorrow program. Ms. Bizzell is also an elementary music teacher with the IUPUI Music Academy, and also a new member of the Indianapolis Handbell Choir, "Joyful Sound". In 2006, Ms. Bizzell assisted a group of 12 to a trip to Waveland, MS. This gulf coast community is approximately 50 miles from New Orleans, LA, and was badly hit from Hurricane Katrina. Ms. Bizzell assisted in the building of a home for one of the residents in the Waveland area. Since she's no stranger to the South, at the end of that trip, Ms. Bizzell felt that her job was not completed. Currently, Ms. Bizzell is planning another trip to continue serving those in need. On the weekends, one can find Ms. Bizzell enjoying the outdoors in a weekend drive, listening to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra or other artists, playing her instruments, and enjoying the wonderful worship service at her local church, Nu Corinthian Baptist Church.

L.A.C.E.S. 1st Benefit Dinner a Success!!!

2007-05-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

AMAZING…..
is the word that comes to my mind when I think about the success of L.A.C.E.S. 1st benefit Dinner.

The night was beautiful, and most of us did not want to leave the incredible roof top view of the Chicago skyline. Levy catering and the Grand Piazza did an incredible job of making the evening a tremendous success. The Maison Jazz Trio did a great job of setting the mood for the evening and thank you to the Holy Goat Djembe Ensemble for moving our hearts and bodies to the African beat. Finally I appreciate all of you who listened attentively while I shared the passion and vision behind LACES. You guys are incredible and blew all my expectations out of the water, and I can’t thank you enough for opening your heart and mind to the vision of L.A.C.E.S.

Thanks to the generosity of 130 people we raised $20,060 USD
in one evening!

Because of your generosity... Lives WILL be changed!

Thank you for choosing to partner with L.A.C.E.S. in the development of the next generation of Liberian children.

Seren

Three weeks in Liberia....how the days flew by

2007-03-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

It was great to drive through the streets of Monrovia once again and see all the changes that have happened in the last year. Street lamps are up, roads have improved, and order is slowly being restored in this war-torn country. It is encouraging to see Liberia continue to make steps toward a peaceful future and it was great to see how LACES can be involved in that future.

While in Liberia I spent time scouting out future sites for the leagues to be held, began building relationships with officials in the community, and discussed with local NGO’s their interest in sponsoring the ongoing projects of LACES. During my time in Monrovia my eyes were opened to new possibilities and ideas as to how LACES can expand upon the leagues. This time also revealed to me some possible challenges that LACES could face when initiating the leagues.

For one week of the trip 9 other individuals and myself put on a moving soccer camp throughout Liberia. Samaritan’s Purse hosted the team and did an amazing job of preparing the groundwork for the team’s arrival and proved to be a huge factor in the impact that this week had on the community. Unfortunately one logistical problem happened that nobody could have accounted, the teams plane was delayed in Sierra Leone for an extra day. However upon arrival we quickly got into the swing of things and began our soccer fun frenzy.

Our trip consisted of running a coaching clinic that included some of my former teammates and coaches in the LFA. It was really great to see familiar faces and play with the women again. The majority of our time was spent in the village of Bopolu approximately 3 hours of nauseating roads outside of Monrovia. In Bopolu we spent 3 days playing with children and holding one day soccer tournaments in the communities. Children around the ages of 8-12 walked as far as 2 hours to participate in these soccer tournaments. Communities in the surrounding villages had never been given the opportunity to play against one another, and not a single child wanted to be left out. Can you imagine walking 2 hours; to then play soccer in the blazing sun for 3-4 hours, all the while knowing at the end win or lose you would be walking possibly up to 2 more hours home? Well that’s exactly what some of these children did, and let’s just say that after learning about this my 3 hour nauseating trip in a vehicle didn’t seem all that bad. The team had a great time chanting, coaching, referring, laughing (lots of laughing went on), and playing with the kids during the games.

The dedication and passion that these children demonstrated during those days just further confirmed to me the depths that the sport of soccer really plays in their lives. These children are willing and wanting to find a way to learn and live out their passions and soccer is a viable means in their life to guide them to that future. In reality at the end of the week communities had joined together for a common purpose and children where given the opportunity to take one step closer to building their future.

Looking forward to the future...
LACES

Restoration of War-Affected Youth in Liberia

2007-02-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

In June of 2007 with the support of people like you, Seren Frost will be commissioned by Eden United Church of Christ as a missionary and will begin starting soccer leagues to focus on the Restoration of War-Affected Youth in Liberia, West Africa. This program will serve to develop soccer leagues that build life skills and create opportunities to spread the gospel.

Over fifty percent of the population of Liberia is under the age of 18. The 14-year civil war ended as recently as 2003 and has produced a segment of the population for whom violence and corruption has become a way of life. It has deprived young people of the positive influence of role models such as parents and community leaders. The programs goals are to use soccer as a tool to teach important values and life skills including self-esteem, teamwork, discipline, respect, fair play, fun, and the living gospel.

Why Soccer?
Soccer's popularity and communal draw provides a powerful tool for reaching youth and communicating important messages, such as the message of Christ. Soccer is already bringing people together in Liberia and has the potential to break cultural barriers and create opportunities for new social dialogue.

Our hope is that you will support this challenge of seeing the children of Liberia restored from a war affected Life.

Seren Frost- Program Director

2007-02-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

I returned to the United States in August of 2006 from volunteering and participating in a discipleship training program for 6 months with Mercy Ships, http://www.mercyships.org/, and since returning my heart has continued to long for West Africa once again.

I finished working with Mercy Ships, but not before I saw a glimpse as to what I would be doing next. One day while playing a pick-up game of soccer with a bunch of guys on the Mercy Ships team I was recruited by the local professional women’s soccer team, Pro Anchor, to play in their Professional Women’s Soccer Division. (I know that was a mouthful to read). Yes it is true, very randomly I was recruited to play professional women’s soccer in Liberia. During the 2 months I spent with the players I was able to hear how they were personally afflicted by the war, how far they have come since, and the struggles they are still currently facing. I witnessed first hand how soccer in a war torn country like Liberia truly affected and changed the lives of the women on this team. Soccer gave these women a sense of pride, responsibility, and discipline that carried over into their daily lives.

Reflecting back on this experience over the past few months, I have realized that through soccer God planted seeds in my heart that did not stop when I left Africa. Something that seemed so random one-year ago, has now become the driving force behind my new adventure that I am about to embark on…..DRUM ROLL PLEASE ……

Over the past month, I have been discussing, praying, and writing a project proposal entitled Restoration of War-Affected Youth-The Liberian Soccer Programs. While roaming the streets of Monrovia, Liberia one will see children playing soccer anywhere they can find dirt patches large enough and 4 stones big enough. Then “tada” you are witnessing a soccer game. This project will bring organization to their existing passion by creating formal soccer leagues.

Currently I am working towards achieving my minimum goal of raising $60,000 by May to run the soccer leagues. I hope this gives you a little insight into the adventure that I am embarking upon for the next few years.

Thank you to all of you who have supported me during my time with Mercy Ships and my hope is you will continue to support me in this new challenge to see the children of Liberia restored from a war affected Life.

Blessings!
Love Seren