PALMYRA, Va. — When Effort Baptist Church in Palmyra, Va., sent its first team to Liberia in 2003, they found themselves in the midst of “pretty dark, pretty frightening circumstances,” says June Clifford, the church’s pastor. They were there to…
SIDEBAR: Thousands of children bear weapons in wars around the world, say international aid groups
International law prohibits anyone under 18 serving in armed forces, and considers it a war crime for anyone under 15 to fight. Nevertheless, according to Amnesty International around 21,000 children were exploited as child soldiers in Liberia’s civil war. It…