December 15 interview with American Lutheran missionary Bette McCrandall, coordinator of the Lutheran School System, Lutheran Church in Liberia, by Soka Moses.

Bette McCrandall, coordinator of the Lutheran School System of the Lutheran Church in Liberia , visited the Lutheran Training Institute (LTI) Campus on Thursday, December 4, 2003 . Ms. McCrandall is an ELCA missionary to the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL). She has worked in Liberia for the LCL for more than 20 years, only making a few visits to the U.S. to visit relatives and to seek refuge in times of war.

Ms. McCrandall said that she found a heavily bushy and completely ruined campus on her visit to the Lutheran Training Institute (LTI), which is located in Salayea, Zorzor District, Lofa County, about 176 miles north of Monrovia.

"The entire place is extremely bushy and massively looted!" That was Ms. McCrandall's opening statement when she was asked to comment on what she saw during her visit to the LTI campus.

She explained that except for a few buildings with asbestos roofs, only standing walls remained of the modern science complex and all the other buildings on the LTI campus. "Nothing," she said, "is left in its building. All windows, doors, furniture, and all other equipment and materials were carried away from the few buildings she assessed.

Ms. McCrandall said that although she could not move all around the campus to take a look at all structures due to the very thick bush, she asserted that from all indications, the other buildings were in no better condition than the houses she inspected.

She also noted that the campus and surrounding area was abandoned. She said that this place appeared not to have been inhabited by people for a long time, except for occasional visits by some locals and combatants.

This is not the first time LTI has been looted. During the Liberian civil war of the 1990s, the rebel faction ULIMO was in control of the Zorzor region and heavily looted LTI.

However after the presidential elections in 1997, Lutheran World Service (LWS) and a German NGO, GTZ, got involved and renovated LTI to prewar status. In addition to an academic school, GTZ also operated vocational training programs at LTI. By 2002, the LCL was carrying on diligent recruitment of instructors to increase the standard of the high school, when the largest rebel group fighting in Liberia , Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), launched heavy attacks and eventually captured Zorzor District. LTI, other institutions and private homes were destroyed. All of Lofa County is still under LURD control, and security there is fragile.

LTI was constructed at its present site in 1958. One of the most prominent features of the new campus was its Science Complex, which was the best equipped of any high school in the country. The school accommodated more than 300 boarding students before the war, and had well-furnished homes for instructors and staff members.

Commenting on the significance of LTI to the Lutheran Church in Liberia , Mr. G. Moses Kwalula, Assistant Supervisor of the Lutheran School System, was quick to point out that "LCL relied on LTI for manpower development. It is a real priority to the Lutheran Church ."

Mr. Kwalula further stated that LTI was not the only school in the Lutheran School System that had vocational skills training programs in its curriculum even beyond high school level. Some years ago, LTI also offered theological training for the Lutheran Church . Mr. Kwalula stated that prior to the war, 80 schools made up the Lutheran School System. By 2000, only 40 schools were operating. As the war intensified, there were only 25 schools left by 2002. "At present, only 11 schools are operating," he says, "rebels control more than 50% of the country." Mr. Kwalula was confident about the future, however, and assured that as peace returns, more schools will be reopened.

Mr. Kwalula further noted that because of the importance of LTI to the Lutheran Church in Liberia , plans were in place to relocate LTI to Monrovia . He said that buildings were being for the relocated campus when the war intensified and eventually in shattered this plan. The LCL then resolved to hold back that plan.

Reporting on the plans and concern for the future, Ms Bette McCrandall explained that "there is intense brain-storming as to whether to keep LTI at the academic or vocational technical level when its campus is reconstructed. "But these are hypothetical questions," she said. "Concrete discussions will begin after peace is established and reconstruction completed,"

She further explained that "the priority is getting LTI renovated. LCL is concerned now with soliciting support from partners for renovation, because LCL currently has no funds for the renovation of LTI." Mr. Kwalula added, "We only pray for the Lord's provision and pray for funds to renovate LTI. He noted that a proposal is presently being compiled for the reconstruction of LTI. Mr. Kwalula sadly pointed out that there is no sponsor yet for this proposal. "We hope and pray that our partners in mission and others would sponsor this project." He however claimed that partners in Germany had earlier developed interest but refuse to do anything "until the war is over. Hence, they are not entirely reliable until they can come back."

When asked to comment on any reconstruction plan, Ms. McCrandall says, "LTI needs more than renovation; because of the massive destruction of property, it must be rebuilt." She is however afraid that lack of funds will cast a dark shadow on the hope for reconstruction.

In her conclusion, Ms. McCrandall said it is her ardent prayer that total peace return to Liberia . She anticipates residents returning home to begin rebuilding their towns, "because the whole district needs rebuilding."

Her prayer is that LTI be reconstructed. Until peace returns and until the LCL finds money to rebuild LTI, all that remains of the formerly-modern Lutheran Training Institute that trained leaders, clergy and technicians for the Church and for the country at large is a ruined campus.

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