Since I didn't take any pics myself, I am still waiting for others to start posting theirs online. I'll update this thread with the interesting ones:

A little about the trip:
Liberia is the second poorest country in the world. Even their capital does not fully have running water or a power grid. They have an 80$ unemployement rate. The group consisting of 14 members came to help build a church and set up a schools computer lab which would also function as a public internet cafe. We also came with the resources to set up a number of other businesses. The computer lab did not work out because of the corruption at the port of Liberia, we did not get the container until 3 days before we left. Some people there know a little about networking and will have to figure it out.

Technology wise they are very far behind about everywhere else. Only parts of Monrovia has power and I do not believe there is clean water running anywhere (it is a current government project to get it started). I saw no phone lines at all. Almost no one owns a computer because they make very little and computer cost roughly 4 times more than they do here. Cell phones and cars were pretty much the only things separating them from being in the 1800s. The common house was woven sticks, most people only owned a couple of clothing at best. This is probably not the case in Monrovia though. I did not go into Monrovia so I am not sure what it is like there.

Batch 2 (posted 1/29/09)
A group of kids standing outside a house (I am not sure if all of them live there). Most kids were dressed about like the kids in this picture, almost all the common houses were made out of those woven sticks.


A fairly typical view from the street, most of liberia looks something like this


The finished computer lab, this is one of the nicest in Liberia.


Batch 1 (posted 1/13/09):
Me with one of the Liberians who prepared our food. I also thing that this is the first picture of myself that I have posted on this forum:



The place we stayed was one of the best in liberia, even the UN put some of their people there. Although it was one of the best in Liberia, it could be compared to a crappy motel, we even only got power from the generator (no central power grid) between sundown and 7:00am. This resort had a pet chimpanzee, her name is Princess. I should have video in a few days.



The main construction site on day one


The main construction site on the last day:


One of our members eating an orange with the chimp

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Lovely pictures. How did you come to be in Liberia?

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The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out.

My church was having another missions trip there (it was my pastors third time) and I went for my computer skills. I ended up doing mostly construction, but I am very strong it all worked for the best.

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Nice pics I love monkeys lol I am going to get one soon lol

Very nice pictures. A few friends of mine went also on a missions trip organized by the church to a poor part of Brasil to also do construction work. They were building a school.

It's definitely a good thing to help poor people this way!

Added a few more.

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I must say that I am far from a religious individual. However, such religious people who visit the poorer nations of this world and do such things as you do is entirely heart warming! I cannot commend you and your fellow members of your church enough for what you did in Liberia to help these people It is fabulous!

Thank you very much for also posting the pictures for us to see.

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The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out.

Wow, it turned out really nice. How does the computer lab get power if there is no power grid? A generator? I would also assume it doesn't have internet access.

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Dingo Web Systems > http://www.dingocode.com
My Website > http://www.evanbot.com

They have a gas powered generator. They will also have internet soon, I'm not exactly sure how that's gonna work though.

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I don't like the guy feeding the monkey lol I want to feed a monkey

nice picture , im also from africa ,but the richer place , morocco

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wow nice pictures!...the chimpanzee is so cute.

Thanks for sharing those pictures.
obviously it is sad to know that someone is suffering of poverty.

Wow good stuff..

I personally don't know if I have the guts to go some place third world. I'm just so used to my own living conditions....but it does humble you a bit...

As for what WH said, I agree. I'm not the most religous person either BUT a lot of good comes out of it...

In any event, most of my business partners are very religious and I can confirm that I personally have been affected by religion...

I am still questioning though if having a computer lab really serve's a purpose for them? I don't want to get into a debate since I don't know the whole story, but it just seems they would like to have other things first than computers?

I somehow agree that religion does good things especially like in this scenario; I think it gives these people hope when theres really nothing material to base it on. I guess aid with a religious connection boosts the effect too.

Corruption really somehow makes it harder when giving aid to such places. I remember one time there was this disaster on some asian country and people donated clothes to them. But what happened was this huge bulk of donations was intercepted and instead of being given to the victims ended up being sold in the city as bargains. Sometimes I think it really is better to just deliver it yourself if possible.

Ive never actually seen it before work but it is possible to get internet using a dish right?

Well, I just think that at the end of it all if you and your team feel that youve accomplished what you came there to do then thats what matters.

I think the irrigation project can really help. Not just to get them some clean water but maybe allow them to do more in terms of agriculture to feed them.

I'm not a church going fellow, or even a believer myself but I think's it's cool you guys went out to do this. Thanks for sharing, and hopefully they will put that lab to use and use it to learn.