We first met Elder and Sister Mauldin (Beryl and Rita) when they arrived as the CES couple in our Uyo Nigeria Mission. Their eyes sparkled with interest and curiosity at everything that they saw in Africa, and they soon became known for trying innovative recipes with exotic local foods, knowing just where to find items in the colorful markets and in general, enjoying and submersing themselves in the local culture.
They both had been educators, he as a teacher, principal and administrator, and she as a teacher of kindergarten through 12th grade in Darrington, Washington. They have two children, Oren and Laura, who teach English in universities in China.
They are now serving their second mission — for which they requested West Africa — in Monrovia, Liberia, which is in the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission. They serve in various capacities in Membership and Leadership Support, Seminaries and Institutes and other needed areas. In a recent email they epitomized their African experience:
"Positive changes are taking place here. It is such a privilege to be part of this precious pioneering endeavor. We personally had no idea that the world was such an interesting place until we came to Africa!"
Their emails describe local ambience as well as some of the spiritual experiences that they are currently enjoying:
"We have just been outside. A breeze is politely swishing the palm fronds back and forth as the evening sets in. There are clouds near us headed north, while a distance away, we can see clouds over the ocean traveling south. It makes us dizzy! However, it is all very lovely."
The Mauldins tell of a special baptismal experience with Cecelia, a 40 year-old woman confined to her wheelchair, having lost the use of her legs due to polio. She had been attending Church for 13 years, and everyone thought that she was a baptized member.
When the Mauldins discovered that she had not been baptized and asked her why, Ceclia responded, "No one could figure out how to do it, so they didn't!"
After taking the lessons, Cecelia was ready to be baptized. When Sister Mauldin went to the restroom to check on her, Cecelia was on the floor getting herself dressed in the white baptismal clothes and smiling from ear to ear. Sister Mauldin relates that sitting on the floor with Cecelia and helping her dress for her baptism was a highlight of her mission.
Elder Mauldin describes how he and another member carried Cecelia into the font in a fold-up chair and placed her in the water. Her one-armed husband, Brother Saah, came into the font and said the baptismal prayer. Then they tipped the chair back into the water until Cecelia was submerged. Elder and Sister Mauldin expressed their gratitude at being part of such a humble, yet singular event.
The Mauldins and we both remember the young missionaries from Liberia and Sierra Leone who served with us in Nigeria. They had survived the bitter wars in those countries, and dressed in their white shirts and ties, these young missionaries would sometimes relate quiet tales of horror that were hard to fathom. When his house was attacked, one young missionary had helped some of the members of his family get to safety into the bush, only to have others that he couldn't rescue in time be brutally murdered. The Mauldins relate a story illustrating exceptional bravery during the war:
"We recently met a Sister Atillia, who is a midwife. During the war she lost her husband. When her area around Gardnersville again came under attack, she and her seven children fled the village, seeking refuge in the bush. As they were running and literally ducking and dodging bullets, they came upon a very young, first-time mother on the ground in the process of giving birth. The good midwife had her own children lie down flat. Sister Atillia delivered the baby, cutting the navel cord with a piece of sword grass and tying it off with some hair. Then they ran for safety and all ten made it!"
The Mauldins continue to tell the "rest of the story" as they describe the fallout from the war and the living conditions of some who survived:
"This afternoon we went about the city and villages looking for ‘lost’ members. Many of those on the 'lost' list are people who were active in the Church before the war, but left for refugee camps in neighboring Ghana or Cape Coast or other destinations. Most came back, but many did not. Some are simply lost. We do not even know if they survived. Anyway, we enjoy the searching and especially the finding. We hit the jackpot today and found three of the eight on our list.
"Today we went down to People's Unified Community, which is a shanty town down on the beach, filled with refugees and squatters and some who actually own their small houses built of zinc sheets and bamboo mats arranged on the broken-down foundations of once fairly nice houses. Their homes may be as close as four feet apart, with just enough space to walk through. There is so little living space and so little privacy.
"These people live in very humble circumstances. They never apologize for their tiny, dark, meagerly furnished homes. They may have mats on the floor instead of sleeping pads; few have actual beds. There are no dining tables, no refrigerators or inside plumbing. They usually all squat around a community pot of stew, each with his own spoon. They accept themselves and their neighbors for what they are, seemingly without judgment. They don't appear to notice their drastic circumstances, although most will tell you that they are hoping for something better in the future.
"Through all of this difficulty in simply existing, we see a lot of joy in their lives. If there is music anywhere, many can hear it and there are always some who are dancing or singing along. What is best is the pleasure the members realize when they live the gospel standards. When they finally get to that point, the results are amazing. After paying their tithing, they will be surprised at how they have enough money for their children's school fees and how they manage to find enough transport money to attend their Sunday meetings.”
One key element in enjoying the missionary experience is in retaining a sense of humor. The Mauldins have no trouble with this!
"We find humorous events every day. For instance, the first Saturday of each month is clean-up time. The amount of 'stashed trash' is unreal. The piles in the streets by noon on First Saturday become mountains. The trucks and loaders do all their maneuvers right in the middle of the streets, blocking both lanes and causing all sorts of traffic snarls in this million-plus city.
We recently got caught in one of these 'rats' nests' in downtown Monrovia. It had just rained three inches the previous hours, so little naked children were scrubbing down in the 'catch' buckets, while pedestrians carried their shoes and the rubbish floated by.
"Suddenly a regular USA-type garbage truck appeared on the scene and right there painted across the back was its company name: 'SANITATION WITH DIGNITY.' Our laughter exploded and we could not stop! Life is so good!"
