We didn't know what would happen when we said yes to Melvin.

A year ago, a passionate young leader in Liberia reached out with a vision that stopped us in our tracks. He told us about a village called Gwekpolosue—one hour from where he lives, but a world apart. He told us about children who wake before dawn to walk to unsafe water sources. Children who work rice fields with scratch tools instead of going to school. Girls who get pregnant young and never finish their education.

And he told us about a dream: What if we could feed them? What if food could bring them back to school?

But Melvin didn't just want charity. He wanted sustainability. He wanted something that could generate income month after month, year after year, so these children would never go without.

That's when he shared his idea: a school bus.

*Village Reach Dreamer, Melvin, of Mission: Liberia*

At Village Reach, we've always believed that transformation happens when local leaders are empowered to serve their own communities. Our new mission statement reflects this: we walk alongside Dreamers like Melvin, helping them bring God-given visions to life through sustainable, community-serving businesses.

And Melvin? He became our first official Dreamer on the African continent.

This is Mission: Liberia—our first community-serving business launch under our new mission. And it's happening because of God's faithfulness and the generosity of supporters like you.

The Vision: A Bus That Feeds Children

Here's how it works:

We purchase a 72-passenger American school bus, ship it to Liberia, and rent it to a local transportation company. The rental income is steady: $150 per day, 26 days a month. That's $3,900 a month—enough to fund a feeding program in Gwekpolosue village.

Children come to school with full stomachs. Attendance rises. Girls stay in school longer. Families experience dignity and hope.

The bus isn't just about transportation. It's about transformation.

*The bus Village Reach is sending Melvin*

Where We Are Now

This week, our co-founder Chase is purchasing Bus #105—a 2011 school bus from Mason County, Kentucky, with 66 seats and good windows. The mechanic inspection happened in mid-January. All necessary maintenance has been completed.

Next steps:

Register and insure the bus
Drive it to Baltimore
Ship it to Liberia
Estimated arrival: April 1st

Melvin has been telling the transportation company for a year that this bus is coming. He's been patient, faithful, and ready. Once it arrives, the company will be following up with him—because it's a good bus. An American bus. And it's going to change everything.

The Reality in Gwekpolosue

When Melvin first visited Gwekpolosue, he went because a friend invited him to minister there. He didn't expect to fall in love with a village. But when he met the children, everything changed.

"I love to see children smiling," Melvin says. "Not sad."

*Melvin waving to the camera with children smiling all around*

But sadness is close in Gwekpolosue. Most of the children are farmers' kids. They work the fields helping their families survive. Education isn't highly valued—not because parents don't care, but because hunger is immediate and school feels distant.

Many children don't come to school every day. And for the girls especially, the future is fragile. Some get pregnant at a very young age. Some drop out before finishing grade school.

When Melvin looks at these children, what worries him most is devastating and simple: the lack of a better future.

"The kids are our future generation," Melvin says. "If we don't mentor them or care for them, we will lose a young generation."

So we asked ourselves: What if we could help him do something about it?

A Partnership Rooted in Faithfulness

Melvin's passion for helping children started back during his undergraduate days. But Gwekpolosue gave that passion a mission. And Village Reach gave that mission a partnership.

We didn't rush him. We listened. We prayed. We asked questions. And slowly, together, a plan took shape.

This is how we work. We don't impose solutions. We walk alongside Dreamers, helping them steward their God-given visions with wisdom, training, and support.

To equip Melvin for what's ahead, Village Reach University (VRU) is creating a course specifically for him. When the bus is operational, he'll have access to training on financial management, accountability, transparency, and sustainable operations—plus a certificate to validate his learning.

Because faithfulness isn't just about saying yes to a vision. It's about learning how to carry it forward with excellence.

Melvina's Hope

Melvin's daughter, Melvina, has her own vision for what a bright future looks like for kids in Liberia:

"The kids should have the opportunity to go to school."

It sounds simple. But in Gwekpolosue, it's revolutionary.

This Is Just the Beginning

Mission: Liberia is our first community-serving business launch, but it won't be our last. We're learning as we go—building a model that can be replicated, refined, and multiplied.

Because here's what we believe: God doesn't wait for us to have all the answers. He asks us to take the next faithful step. And somehow, along the way, He does the equipping.

Melvin took that step when he said yes to Gwekpolosue.

We took that step when we said yes to Melvin.

And you're taking that step every time you give.

A school bus is being purchased this week.

Soon it will cross an ocean.

And when it arrives, children will be fed. Dreams will be restored. Futures will be rewritten.

This is what happens when Dreamers are empowered. This is what happens when communities are served sustainably. This is Mission: Liberia.

Thank you for making this possible.

Melvin is launching Mission: Liberia—our first community-serving business under Village Reach's new mission. A school bus purchased in the U.S. will be shipped to Liberia, rented to a transportation company, and the income will fund a feeding program for children in Gwekpolosue village. This sustainable model brings children back to school, keeps girls in education, and creates lasting change. Your support makes this possible—will you stand by us as we launch Mission: Liberia?

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