St. Bartholomew's Church

On Wednesday afternoon, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori visited St. B's missionaries Keith and Kristin Chapman at Trinity Dental Clinic in Liberia.

Her visit was part of a weeklong stay in the country, at the invitation of the Episcopal Church of Liberia.

The visit is best described by Kristin in this email message from earlier today:

"I know, we still can’t believe it, either! And, if not for a toothache (not hers!) this never would have happened!

We learned of The Most Reverend Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori’s visit to Liberia from our priest at St. B’s. A couple of weeks ago he wrote to us letting us know she would be here. We started contacting everyone we could find online to see if it would be possible to see her while she was here. Another missionary in Liberia sent us her schedule and we decided to attend the service she was doing at the cathedral downtown.

So, on Sunday we went and it was quite a service—all three hours of it!!! But, other than shaking her hand at the peace (which about 500 other people did as well) we did not have a chance to introduce ourselves.

So, on Tuesday, Keith texted the man in charge of her schedule to see if she might be able to drop in at the clinic just for a few minutes on her way to another event. Within minutes of that text we received a YES!! Here’s the amazing part. Keith and I had been trying for weeks to get in touch with Bishop Hart, the bishop of Liberia (the man in the collar in the above picture). Bishop Hart was out of the office for two weeks and then was busy with the Presiding Bishop. We never were able to meet with him. But, just before the Presiding Bishop’s arrival he called because his brother was suffering with a severe toothache! Keith had seen his brother the morning that he texted about them coming for a visit.

According to the Presiding Bishop, it was Bishop Hart that insisted that they stop by and visit us!! Who would have ever guessed! God does work in amazing ways!"