Liberian native shares mission trip highlights

Glen Allen resident Abeosse Woodson Freeman, who goes by Aby, presented a program May 8 at First Baptist Church in Richmond with her friend and fellow FBC member, Lori Humrich.

Freeman is from Careysburg, Liberia, and she and Humrich spent two weeks in Liberia with two of Freeman’s children as part of a March mission trip. They joined members of other churches from around the country, helping in the health clinic and with hunger relief programs for children.

At the First Baptist presentation, Freeman (pictured, at left) teamed up with Humrich to lead church members on a pictorial tour of their Liberia visit, complete with photos, music and a video.

The video told the story of Lott Carey, who joined First Baptist Church of Richmond in 1807 and became one of the first American settlers of Liberia. Born into slavery in 1780, Carey worked in Richmond tobacco warehouses before purchasing his freedom and that of his children for $850 in 1813. He bought land in Henrico County, and became a Baptist minister. In 1821 he migrated to Liberia, where he established a church and founded several schools.

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