Sunday, February 26, 2006
The Methodist group also visited with the new president.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Rev. Dean Williams, pastor of visitation at Trinity United Methodist Church, 30 W. Front St., and his wife, Ruth, logged 14 1/2 hours in the air to attend the Jan. 16 inauguration of Dr. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as the first woman president of the Republic of Liberia.
They flew from Pittsburgh to Detroit to Amsterdam, then to Africa.
The Rev. Mr. Williams served at Trinity from 1966-77 and retired in 1992, but he now does visitation three days a week. He and his wife, who live in a retirement community in Sebring, were part of a United Methodist group.
"We started getting involved in missionary work in the early 1970s," Mr. Williams said. "And we've been to Liberia three or four times."
That connection landed the Ohio couple an invitation to the historic inauguration in Africa's oldest republic, which was founded in 1847 by freed American slaves. News reports noted that Johnson-Sirleaf's election marked a move toward stability in the country, which endured a 14-year civil war.
"We had good seats," Mr. Williams said about the inauguration event, which was held outdoors in Monrovia, the capital. "We were lucky to be under a reed canopy and not in the sun," Mrs. Williams said.
Rice and Bush
Mr. Williams said that 77 heads of state attended, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. First lady Laura Bush also was there. "Rice got the biggest hand of applause and cheers.
"We learned a bit of news about Condoleezza ... when she was growing up, she spent time in school in Liberia," he explained.
The Williamses also attended the inauguration dinner, which had about 1,000 guests. During their trip, from Jan. 6-22, the couple was part of a group of 12 who stayed at the home of the resident bishop in Liberia, John Innis. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Mrs. Williams said.
Mrs. Williams said she had wondered about the dress protocol for the occasion. The cook at the bishop's residence offered advice on appropriate attire, suggesting a business suit or African dress for the men and dressy clothes or African dress for the women.
"I went shopping and bought a white African dress at one of the booths in the city ... they make the clothes right there and embroider them as well," Mrs. Williams said. "I got it 'off the wall' -- they don't have hangers so they have them on the wall," she explained.
Visit with president
A few days after the inauguration, the couple and the Methodist group had a 45-minute visit with the new president. "She talked about some of the goals for the country," Mrs. Williams said. "She is very intelligent and gracious. She worked at the United Nations and the World Bank ... she has a lot of background that will help the country. If anyone can do it, she can."
"We talked with her ... she is very kind," Mr. Williams said. "And she signed our invitation."
Mr. Williams also said that the new president attends a Methodist church in Monrovia. "She thanked the [Methodist] church for service to her country."
Their trip also included a visit to Camphor Mission School in Bassa County, Liberia. "There are some 50,000 children in 121 Methodist schools in Liberia," he said. "There is a dream to build a university campus about 10 miles out from Monrovia."
Missionary work
Williams said missionary work has taken them to Costa Rica, the Caribbean, Senegal and Kenya. "We hope to go back to Liberia in the fall or January," he said, to help with some projects.
"Missionary work gives us a lot more than it gives them. It's the satisfaction of helping," Mrs. Williams said. "They appreciate it so much and really need the help."
Life in Liberia is a challenge in many ways. "There is no power or running water," he said, and added the new president is working on developing the infrastructure. "The bishop's residence is lucky to have a generator, a gift from an American benefactor," Mrs. Williams said.
"If a Liberian earns a dollar a day, that's good wages," he said. "The exchange rate is 55 Liberian dollars to one U.S. dollar."