don't know when I'm going but it's no use missin' the boat

Here's the plan. Head to a country called Liberia where it's hot all the time and where amazing people speak a bewildering version of English and wear Obama jeans. Where I'll be stretched in ways that intimidate me now. Where I'll learn a ton and hope to be of actual help.

Sound good?

So I know the where, but the when (mid-September is still the best guess) and a good bit of the how have yet to be determined. Much of that rides on the final agreement for a contract between IRD and the USDA. They're working on ironing it all out, so hopefully it won't be too terribly long before logistics can start to be solidified.

I did talk to Richard today, the IRD guy who will be in Liberia in charge of the whole project. He seems like a good guy, from the 20 minutes I spent on the phone with him. That will be a big deal as I'm guessing I'll be working with him pretty closely. He heads to Liberia this weekend and will be there on Monday.

whispers of some quiet conversation

Hiya! I know I've been quiet lately, but - as you can probably imagine - I've been weighing and thinking and praying quite a bit. A couple of updates:

1) I need to tell my work about my decision by THIS FRIDAY, and
2) The project start date has been moved to Oct 1, which means (if I go) I'd probably be heading off in mid-September sometime.

Many thanks to those of you I've talked with about this decision. So appreciate the listening ears, encouragement and wise insight. Can't tell you how much, really!

And apologies if I seem to be making this too drawn out or dramatic; once decided, it will be whatever it is. It's just big in my life.

Prayers appreciated!

Never Loose Hope

One of my favorite things as a total newcomer to this beautiful crazy place has been the sayings on the backs of taxis. So we started trying to catch photos of 'em as we'd drive along. Usually Mustafa was in the front seat, so I'd see one and toss the camera up to him quick, and Abee would slow down while Mustafa tried to get the picture. Toward the end of the trip we got pretty efficient at the process!

Here are the photos we managed to capture (with a few non-taxi ones thrown in for good measure).

Can't believe it, really....

Today was all about wrapping up details and heading out. We stopped by Samaritan’s Purse, a good-sized and highly regarded NGO based here (not far from our guest house!). The Shanks had connected us with Bev, a program director for them. We talked quite a bit about living an expat life in Liberia, and how they manage various projects – great info. There’s a small group of women that meets to hang out and surf (!!) that she’s a part of, and that I could maybe tag along with if I come back. Here are Gladys and I outside their compound.

Chuck, a pastor in Florida who’s lived here and comes back every year to visit, has been another guest at the guest house on and off during our time here. He asked if he could ride with us to the airport. Of course we said “of course!”, so here we are packed into our car – a fitting way to wrap up the Liberia experience!

Many good-byes all around and we were off. Can't believe it, really...

[We arrived in Brussels, Belgium at 5 am, and - since our flight didn’t leave till 10:30 - we took a train into the city and bashed around the early-morning streets a bit. Here are some photos – definitely a place it would be great to explore more! So sad that not one chocolate shop was open at that early hour… I did get to try a Belgian waffle and take a picture of (what I think was!) Brussels lace….]

last full day...

Today had some of the bustling back and forth that has been fairly normal for us here. Our cancelled meeting from yesterday with the Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Zarzar was still on today for 11:00. We had a really helpful meeting with him and LOIC and IRD (our partner organizations), and he connected us with a Ms. Pratt who focuses on school feeding programs. It will likely be she who we work with as we determine which schools will get focus. After the meeting Mustafa and I waited in the colonnade outside the building for Abee and Gladys. It was HOT so Mustafa told me to hold the expression on my face while he took a picture!

We then took our final trip “upcountry” – this time to Cape Mount County to look at one of LOIC’s technical skills schools. Since we will probably be using trainees from the program for the renovations, it was a great opportunity to see some of what they do. The students were all done with class for the day when we got there, but they must have held them back so we could see them – a tad awkward! But it was great fun to see some of the stuff they’re learning – small engine repair, hair weaving, masonry, tailoring, baking, and carpentry. We also stopped by a day care that is provided by the school so the students can attend class. All of the programs are 9 months long, and students leave being pretty competent in their trade of choice. James, the guy who had picked us up from the airport, is the administrator of the Cape Mount school. So after the students left we peppered him with more questions about how the program is run. Well – actually Gladys and I did, while Mustafa and George hammered out more details of the agriculture proposal.

The teaching staff at the school make $150 a month, regardless of their skill or level of education (very frustrating if you have a high level of education!). Because many of the students come from far away, the instructors often pay rent for them out of their own pockets, just so the students can attend class. Often their pay is delayed for up to two months because of administrative run-around with the grant that funds the school. James talked about coming down to Monrovia on Friday – the next time he’d have internet access. As we asked how some of these details could possibly work, James would explain, “it’s sacrificial, it’s sacrificial”. He’s been doing this for five years, and we get the sense that he’s getting pretty burned out with the role. He has his master’s degree and probably feels qualified and ready for something different.

We ended the day with a stop by Gladys’s sister’s home, where she’s been staying while she hangs in Monrovia. We got to meet her mom and sister, brother-in-law and ADORABLE nephew “Win”. (They had tried for five years to have a baby and had given up when he came along – hence the name!). It was great to put faces to names and chat with them for a while.

My laptop thinks its still in Wisconsin. The clock reads 7:06 PM, which means it’s just after midnight here in Liberia. That means I fly out today. I should go to bed, but I’m afraid. Afraid of the last page of the booklet that has been my time here. Not sure whether it will conclude “The End” or “To Be Continued…” and quite honestly afraid of the answer either way. At various times throughout this trip I have figuratively “surfaced” – trying to step back, step out, and consider. In my head is a continually running refrain, “I’m really, truly, in Africa. I’m seeing things and talking to people that till now I have seen only in calendars, the news and promotional material for charities.” Every moment here has been a privilege. I’m perfectly serious about that; It’s been (mostly!) easy to be a good sport about this because of that – things that are difficult here for me are everyday life for folks who live here. And I get the privilege of stepping out of one life into another, very different one. Why wouldn’t one just soak that experience in for all it’s worth? I’m scared of the day ending because I’ll no longer be able to put off making a decision about whether this becomes my life, for real, in just a few months…

Please keep your legs off the wall

Today was a fun day in Liberia. It started with me getting a new dress! For someone who really is not a fan of clothes shopping, this is definitely the way to go: have a friend who is your same size and whose mom is a seamstress and knows how to make beautiful dresses out of African lappa fabric. Pay her to make one for you! I wore it to start the day, and then a meeting we had with the deputy minister of education was cancelled till tomorrow, so I changed so I can wear it again tomorrow.

First thing we headed off to CHAP farms - an initiative based in Liberia that is working on using agriculture to enable Liberians to live sustainably and independent of outside aid. Robert showed us around their farm and explained various aspects of rice, okra, and other types of farming they're doing there. (In the picture, I'm uploading their brochure to my laptop).

We next headed to Margibi county to look at agricultural initiatives there. Mr. Willie Cooper is Mr. Solunteh’s counterpart in Margibi county and he and his staff were fantastically knowledgeable. We wandered around their experimental farm and nursery, and learned a lot more about how agriculture works here. Mustafa will use a lot of this info in his upcoming presentation for aid funding.

The day has ended in a series of unfortunate events. They didn’t have room for both of us at the guest house for tonight, so earlier today Mustafa volunteered to go to (a much less nice) one nearby. We were both struck by this sign we saw on the wall as we toured the place. The story gets more serious: as Mustafa dropped some of his stuff off in my room he was chagrined to see an unmannerly wretch, smugly sitting on my bed with about the filthiest feet you can imagine. What IS the world coming to? But that’s nothing to what comes next: about an hour after he left there was a sudden loud banging at my window. When I worked up the nerve to lift up the curtain and investigate, there was David, our building’s guard. He told me that “a guy” was outside and wanted to be let in. I went to the front door and peered through the bars to find David and… Mustafa! Perhaps there is some hope for human decency in the world after all: I happened to be in a fairly decent mood so I decided to let him in. Apparently they’d given him the wrong outside key, so he’d spent an hour with their security guard trying to make the key work or wake someone up to let him in, all to no avail. So the poor guy gets to spend the night on one of the lobby couches here.
Tuesday morning update: apparently that was NOT the end of Mustafa’s misfortunes: he had skeeters biting his feet all night, and was awakened at 5 AM by other residents who were ready to get started with their day. Guess if he’s grouchy today, I’ll try not to hold it against him.

Liberia owes me a hair band

Well, we’ve been here a week! Hardly seems possible. I hope you back in the ‘States are having a lovely Memorial Day weekend.

Today we visited Monrovia Christian Fellowship, a church that’s been recommended by probably five or six different folks I’ve spoken with. I really liked it – I knew a lot of expats are a part of that community, so was pleasantly surprised when I found that it’s pastored, strongly attended and (from what I can see) run by Liberians. Great singing, great teaching, and just plain nice to be there. 

After church, we headed to the home of Brendan and Christina – some folks that Joy had referred me to. They were marvelously hospitable; we talked of many things and feasted on spaghetti, garlic bread, and chocolate chip bars. Yum! They have five kids and another family living in their guest house, AND they’re leaving for the ‘States tomorrow, so it was really gracious of them to invite us in spite of all that’s going on. They had great stories of life here (like the time they wanted to buy ice and got eggs instead!), and it was great to learn a bit from them about how they’ve learned to make living an expat life workable.

We then headed back to the guest house where I had great intentions of being productive, but really just ended up taking a long nap! Ever since arrival here we’ve talked about wanting to go down to the beach but tonight was the first time that actually happened! 

Mustafa was wise and stayed in the “wade” zone. I played about in the crashing-ness and half drowned myself trying to body surf and generally had a lovely, refreshing time. I am holding Liberia responsible for the hair band (not the 80’s kind!) that somehow disappeared in the process.