Help me get to Liberia to meet Joel

The time to meet Joel has come...

 but I need your help. For those of you who have been following my By D Grace of God series, you know that one of the most requested things in the comments is for me to meet Joel in Liberia, or fly him to the US. I figured it would be easier to go there, but it's expensive.

 This will be the trip of a lifetime. I have never been to a country like Liberia before. With the connection I have made with Joel and his community, I want to continue to help. I can only do so much from my dining room. The best thing to keep this project going is to travel to Liberia and see firsthand the needs of Joel and his community.

 

What are we going to do on the trip? We'll be meeting with schools and other local businesses. We'll be teaching business management skills and looking for possible investment opportunities. We believe that small businesses empower people and creates a stable economy.

This GoFundMe will help pay for a plane ticket and visa for myself and an experienced guide. 
I will document this experience and keep the story going. By supporting this trip, you're showing the world what great things can happen when we trust and get to know those who are different from us.

Additional Links:
To purchase the By D Grace of God photo book to help Joel's community, click here .

To visit this project's website, click here. 

Update:
Great news! Due to the generosity of a single donor, the trip has officially been funded outside of GoFundMe. Any money raised here will be invested in local Liberian schools and businesses. Thank you all for your support!