last night as i was making my way to my room to read and hit the sack, i stopped by jan's room to tell him good night. in his room i could faintly hear drums and some singing. he did not know what it was. i asked if he wanted to go explore. he was happy to.
we stepped out into the darkness and wandered down a foot path back behind the house.
after searching for a little while for the source of the music, we jan located the house and we knocked (we knocked on the iron door which part of the wall around the property). no one answered so we looked around. we found a neighbor who knew the people in the house and he was able to rouse them on our behalf. after the young man who answered the door inquired with the mother of the house we were let it.
it was late and proved to be an intimite gathering of an orphanage home with some women and children. as soon as we were seated they broke out in vibrant song. we joined in as we could in the singing but could not help but be caught up in the spirited and vivacious singing. and the singing soon developed into some dance as well. in a short while there was also a scripture reading and prayer.
jan and i both were quite blessed to be a part of this time of worship. the women loved God and showed their love shine strongly through their worship and the work they do with the kids they have taken in.
again, i was struck by the fervancy of faith in the midst of so little. joy comes from the spirit of God and not from the possessions that we have.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
heat v. rain
yesterday was by far the hottest day i have experience thus far. most of the day was dry and full of the beating sun. the head coupled with the humidity proved to be a powerful duo. not only did i sweat non-stop, i also felt as though i would melt. however, most liberians, who like me enjoy the cooler air the rains bring, were out en masse selling their goods out of wheelbarrows, from atop their heads, or out of the wooden stands constructed along the side of the road. they would say that even though it is hot, business is much better.
as i was not thinking about selling anything, i was longing to use the umbrella to guard me from the sun as is has so faithfully from the rain. when the rain came in the late afternoon, i sighed in great relief.
today it rained, and i should probably say, it rained cats and dogs. for most of last night and for most of today the heavens opened the flood gates. as a result i did not get out of the compound at all today. unlike yesterday, a cool (in relative terms) breeze covered the land like a gentle fan.
now if i was pressed to choose between the rain or the sun, i would have to choose the rain. not only is it cooler but it also dances and sings as it falls.
as i was not thinking about selling anything, i was longing to use the umbrella to guard me from the sun as is has so faithfully from the rain. when the rain came in the late afternoon, i sighed in great relief.
today it rained, and i should probably say, it rained cats and dogs. for most of last night and for most of today the heavens opened the flood gates. as a result i did not get out of the compound at all today. unlike yesterday, a cool (in relative terms) breeze covered the land like a gentle fan.
now if i was pressed to choose between the rain or the sun, i would have to choose the rain. not only is it cooler but it also dances and sings as it falls.
encounters
the other night three men joined the house. they are all (or were) police officers who volunteer for an organization called pointman. i mentioned them in a previous post. jan (yan), the jolly stout man from s. africa and i have been taking walks in the afternoon exploring what is to be explored. two days ago, we headed down the street and came to a home where jack lived. we met jack but at first he was a little shy. he would hang around and peer behind people or run away when we got close but eventually he warmed up to us. at one point jan held his camera close to take a picture and jack grabbed for the camera and jumped on jan's back and then promptly climbed on his head. at this point he was no longer interested in the camera but in the possibility of lice in jan's hair. soon he was on my head doing the same. as you have probably guessed, jack is a monkey.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
early thoughts on liberian culture and life
travel is such a blessing. there are few things that compare with being able to see parts of the world so distinctive and fascinating as what i am observing now.
one of the most striking things (other than the heat and rain) is the smiles of the people. liberians, almost as a whole, have difficult lives. 85% unemployment and 78% illiteracy. as i have said previously, there is little infrustructure. yet, yet, with so little there can be such joy. rufus' words still echo through my head about God's grace being prevalent here. the challenges are undeniable and overwhelming, but to just crack a smile in someone's direction is enough to get a large smile in return.
not only is this a joy to be surrounded by such a sea of smiles, but it is humbling to think of how easily i grumble or i am dissatisfied with something that is not even present here. how can the smiles of such an economically depressed nation be found everywhere when in my own country they are significantly less common? what does wealth or self-satisfaction do to one's contentment? or is it something else?
though one can find a smile in any direction, it is hard to observe the dire poverty. as i walked with jan this afternoon we saw tremendous poverty. where the average person makes 2 dollars u.s. a day, how can you afford the supplies which are so expensive? a shirt for $15. a hammer for $25. gas is expensive. very few can afford a car. running water, plumbing, or even a generator are outside of most people's possibility financially.
one problem is that many of the young have only known this world of ramshackle living. and they do not see it as a problem. they either say "this is africa" or "it is because of the war".
on to what i have eaten. the rainy walk was good to be out. though people had ducked for shelter and they thought jan and i were crazy, they still had their faces peering out at us.
i tried five interesting things today:
1. potta. long o. this is actually clay or a sandy clay-like, grey-colored dirt. yes. clay or dirt. and women are known to eat it. many women eat it when they are pregnant. it is popular. my desire here is not to perpetuate thoughts of africans being savages by any means but this one took me back. i tried it. it tasted like one might think clay would taste like: chalk with sand. i am not a big fan.
2. kola nut. this is actually like a big bean that comes from a pod. it has a red hue. my first reaction to putting it in my mouth was to spit it out. again, not one of my favorite things. students eat it to stay awake for exams. supposedly it is high in caffine.
3. kalla. this, like the previous two, are found at most huts that sell things. it looks like a donut hole. a golf ball sized piece of dough that has been fried. it is hot and then they put a crushed red pepper paste on top. ah, now this is good. not only does it satisfy the mouth but it burns on the way down.
4. catfish with palm oil. the fish was caught and then dried with salt. it is reconstituted then heated with copious amounts of palm oil (which is red in color). this is a really tasty dish which is placed over rice.
5. plantains. these are a more starch-filled version of the bananas we get in the states. i had the plantain both steamed (?) and fried. both work well. any type of banana is enough to make me happy.
one of the most striking things (other than the heat and rain) is the smiles of the people. liberians, almost as a whole, have difficult lives. 85% unemployment and 78% illiteracy. as i have said previously, there is little infrustructure. yet, yet, with so little there can be such joy. rufus' words still echo through my head about God's grace being prevalent here. the challenges are undeniable and overwhelming, but to just crack a smile in someone's direction is enough to get a large smile in return.
not only is this a joy to be surrounded by such a sea of smiles, but it is humbling to think of how easily i grumble or i am dissatisfied with something that is not even present here. how can the smiles of such an economically depressed nation be found everywhere when in my own country they are significantly less common? what does wealth or self-satisfaction do to one's contentment? or is it something else?
though one can find a smile in any direction, it is hard to observe the dire poverty. as i walked with jan this afternoon we saw tremendous poverty. where the average person makes 2 dollars u.s. a day, how can you afford the supplies which are so expensive? a shirt for $15. a hammer for $25. gas is expensive. very few can afford a car. running water, plumbing, or even a generator are outside of most people's possibility financially.
one problem is that many of the young have only known this world of ramshackle living. and they do not see it as a problem. they either say "this is africa" or "it is because of the war".
on to what i have eaten. the rainy walk was good to be out. though people had ducked for shelter and they thought jan and i were crazy, they still had their faces peering out at us.
i tried five interesting things today:
1. potta. long o. this is actually clay or a sandy clay-like, grey-colored dirt. yes. clay or dirt. and women are known to eat it. many women eat it when they are pregnant. it is popular. my desire here is not to perpetuate thoughts of africans being savages by any means but this one took me back. i tried it. it tasted like one might think clay would taste like: chalk with sand. i am not a big fan.
2. kola nut. this is actually like a big bean that comes from a pod. it has a red hue. my first reaction to putting it in my mouth was to spit it out. again, not one of my favorite things. students eat it to stay awake for exams. supposedly it is high in caffine.
3. kalla. this, like the previous two, are found at most huts that sell things. it looks like a donut hole. a golf ball sized piece of dough that has been fried. it is hot and then they put a crushed red pepper paste on top. ah, now this is good. not only does it satisfy the mouth but it burns on the way down.
4. catfish with palm oil. the fish was caught and then dried with salt. it is reconstituted then heated with copious amounts of palm oil (which is red in color). this is a really tasty dish which is placed over rice.
5. plantains. these are a more starch-filled version of the bananas we get in the states. i had the plantain both steamed (?) and fried. both work well. any type of banana is enough to make me happy.
rainy day liberia
today seemed to fit within the more typical category of rainy season liberia.
it did not rain - it poured. the morning brought some sprinkles but this afternoon the gates of heaven opened and God blessed and cried over this country.
i taught math again to 9th graders at the isaac david school (ids). though i am less than proficient in math, i was able to hold my own. my reward came in dozens of pearly white teeth exposed through smiles. though tuition is extremely low by american standards, the fee is still high for private school for the average liberian. most cannot (just like the states to some degree) afford private school. ids has simple but adequate facilities. the classrooms are dry and the students have desks. i gave the math teacher a bunch of math books today (thanks mike) and he was everjoyed. he thanked me and thanked me. though the teachers have a curriculum, they do not have many resources from which to draw. it makes for creative teachers...
i took a bunch of photos today at the school before the rain laid down its heavy blanket. i will check on trying to get some up.
after teaching i came back to christine's for a good lunch. i ate with three gentlemen that came in last night. they are all police officers. one from the states. one from nigeria. one from south africa. they are here giving various leadership conferences focusing on a. ethics, b. leadership skills, c. anti-corruption. at the end, if people choose to stay, they give a gospel presentaion. it has been fascinating talking with them. especially mike from nigeria and jan (think dutch. the "j" is pronounced like a "y".) from s. africa.
after lunch it was still raining hard but i wanted to get out so i asked if anyone wanted to take a walk. only jan was willing to brave the weather. i will talk about a few things about our walk in my next post.
it did not rain - it poured. the morning brought some sprinkles but this afternoon the gates of heaven opened and God blessed and cried over this country.
i taught math again to 9th graders at the isaac david school (ids). though i am less than proficient in math, i was able to hold my own. my reward came in dozens of pearly white teeth exposed through smiles. though tuition is extremely low by american standards, the fee is still high for private school for the average liberian. most cannot (just like the states to some degree) afford private school. ids has simple but adequate facilities. the classrooms are dry and the students have desks. i gave the math teacher a bunch of math books today (thanks mike) and he was everjoyed. he thanked me and thanked me. though the teachers have a curriculum, they do not have many resources from which to draw. it makes for creative teachers...
i took a bunch of photos today at the school before the rain laid down its heavy blanket. i will check on trying to get some up.
after teaching i came back to christine's for a good lunch. i ate with three gentlemen that came in last night. they are all police officers. one from the states. one from nigeria. one from south africa. they are here giving various leadership conferences focusing on a. ethics, b. leadership skills, c. anti-corruption. at the end, if people choose to stay, they give a gospel presentaion. it has been fascinating talking with them. especially mike from nigeria and jan (think dutch. the "j" is pronounced like a "y".) from s. africa.
after lunch it was still raining hard but i wanted to get out so i asked if anyone wanted to take a walk. only jan was willing to brave the weather. i will talk about a few things about our walk in my next post.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
D+1 or D-Day?
is tues. june 26.
despite less then five hours of sleep i was up a few minutes past seven. my body is not quite sure what time it is.
i go to take a shower. the spider is on the shower curtain to greet me.
i step outside and ask one of the men to tell me if this is poisonous or not. he shrugs, mumbles that it is not, brushes it with his hand and steps on it with his bare foot. hum...
the shower cleared some of the fog from my mind.
i had a simple breakfast of oatmeal and bread with salami. i ate with laurence who is the man of the house. his wife, christine, is the one i had connected with and planned my trip with. he was kind and welcoming. he answered my questions and made me feel at home.
after breakfast i met some of the seemingly innummerable men and few women who were around the house. shadrack (sp?) lives on the property in one of the houses with his wife and four kids. the kids are adorable. i played soccer with them (7, 5, 3, 2) this afternoon. shadrack takes care of the grounds and the generators. his wife helps in the kitchen. there is big ester and little ester who also work in the kitchen and around the house when guests are staying here.
rufus, clarence (his assistant), and a few other reap people came around this morning. i ate a small mango (which they call a plum) from the tree from just outside my building.
i found that i have internet access at the house but it is slow. however, it is wireless. funny how everyone here has a cell phone (there are no landlines) and a computer (at least the reap people do), but there is not electricity or other simple amenities.
rufus, clarence and i were driven to the isaac a. david memorial school at about 09:30. on the way the road was filled with yellow taxis and a few others cars and trucks. many people milled about on the side of the road. they seemed to be either sitting and staring or hawking some good out of their wheelbarrow.
we passed many schools - all of which had students in uniform. the isaac david school (named after a former supreme court justice in liberia) was thronging with students in blue and white.
they all greated me with large pearly-white smiles and touches. after meeting the prinicpal of the school and meeting harvey and jenna (the two americans who are joining me in the work here; harvey just finished his junior year in school; jenna just finished her freshman year in college) i went into the ninth grade classroom and started to teach math.
the students are in their last week of classes. but the sixth and ninth grade have their national exams starting next week. we started to cram for the test.
the room was simple with old wooden desks, a chalkboard and a table against the wall. the eraser was a piece of clothe wrapped around a bunch of thin plastic strips or a wadded up piece of paper. the walls were made of cinderblock and the roof was tin. i went through part of a practice exam that i was given by the teacher. most students had simple notebooks and pens. they were responsive and respectful. like my ninth graders, some were on top of the game and knew what i was talking about and others struggled to keep up. i showed them some short-cuts to doing the problems without needing to do all the problems.
i got back to the house close to three and ate some corn and home-made french fries. and a banana. from the table, i stumbled back to my room and collapsed on my bed. i slept for two hours.
when i woke, i played soccer in the sand with shadrack's kids. we laughed and laughed. after much fun, i finally had to call it quits because i was being bitten so many times by red ants. i have bites all over my feet and on my arms and chest. how did they get so high?
this evening i had my first truly african meal. i had rice from china and a casava leaf dish with chicken. casava is a root that is eaten often here. the leaf is put in a large (two foot tall) wooden mortar and pestle. some pepper is added. it was different but quite good. it reminded my of an indian dish (pallock paneer (?) but without the paneer).
now i am sitting in front of clarence's (thanks clarence) laptop sweating and typing.
it is ten thirty. i am ready for bed.
i hope all that are reading this are well.
God is exceedingly kind to me and i am very grateful to be here. it is so different, but so much the same. students are students are students, no matter where you are. same with humans. though these people seem to smile more than most (esp. more than brits.)
ah, i forgot to mention, most of the day today did not have rain. we had a few good rains but most was dry (it is difficult to use that word when the humidity is so high and i am always wet with perspiration) and cloudy.
thanks for yours prayers.
last thing - for a long time tonight the generator was not on so i went around with my headlamp. i saw another huge spider outside my room. like a dog or cat, its eyes glowed in the light of my headlamp...
despite less then five hours of sleep i was up a few minutes past seven. my body is not quite sure what time it is.
i go to take a shower. the spider is on the shower curtain to greet me.
i step outside and ask one of the men to tell me if this is poisonous or not. he shrugs, mumbles that it is not, brushes it with his hand and steps on it with his bare foot. hum...
the shower cleared some of the fog from my mind.
i had a simple breakfast of oatmeal and bread with salami. i ate with laurence who is the man of the house. his wife, christine, is the one i had connected with and planned my trip with. he was kind and welcoming. he answered my questions and made me feel at home.
after breakfast i met some of the seemingly innummerable men and few women who were around the house. shadrack (sp?) lives on the property in one of the houses with his wife and four kids. the kids are adorable. i played soccer with them (7, 5, 3, 2) this afternoon. shadrack takes care of the grounds and the generators. his wife helps in the kitchen. there is big ester and little ester who also work in the kitchen and around the house when guests are staying here.
rufus, clarence (his assistant), and a few other reap people came around this morning. i ate a small mango (which they call a plum) from the tree from just outside my building.
i found that i have internet access at the house but it is slow. however, it is wireless. funny how everyone here has a cell phone (there are no landlines) and a computer (at least the reap people do), but there is not electricity or other simple amenities.
rufus, clarence and i were driven to the isaac a. david memorial school at about 09:30. on the way the road was filled with yellow taxis and a few others cars and trucks. many people milled about on the side of the road. they seemed to be either sitting and staring or hawking some good out of their wheelbarrow.
we passed many schools - all of which had students in uniform. the isaac david school (named after a former supreme court justice in liberia) was thronging with students in blue and white.
they all greated me with large pearly-white smiles and touches. after meeting the prinicpal of the school and meeting harvey and jenna (the two americans who are joining me in the work here; harvey just finished his junior year in school; jenna just finished her freshman year in college) i went into the ninth grade classroom and started to teach math.
the students are in their last week of classes. but the sixth and ninth grade have their national exams starting next week. we started to cram for the test.
the room was simple with old wooden desks, a chalkboard and a table against the wall. the eraser was a piece of clothe wrapped around a bunch of thin plastic strips or a wadded up piece of paper. the walls were made of cinderblock and the roof was tin. i went through part of a practice exam that i was given by the teacher. most students had simple notebooks and pens. they were responsive and respectful. like my ninth graders, some were on top of the game and knew what i was talking about and others struggled to keep up. i showed them some short-cuts to doing the problems without needing to do all the problems.
i got back to the house close to three and ate some corn and home-made french fries. and a banana. from the table, i stumbled back to my room and collapsed on my bed. i slept for two hours.
when i woke, i played soccer in the sand with shadrack's kids. we laughed and laughed. after much fun, i finally had to call it quits because i was being bitten so many times by red ants. i have bites all over my feet and on my arms and chest. how did they get so high?
this evening i had my first truly african meal. i had rice from china and a casava leaf dish with chicken. casava is a root that is eaten often here. the leaf is put in a large (two foot tall) wooden mortar and pestle. some pepper is added. it was different but quite good. it reminded my of an indian dish (pallock paneer (?) but without the paneer).
now i am sitting in front of clarence's (thanks clarence) laptop sweating and typing.
it is ten thirty. i am ready for bed.
i hope all that are reading this are well.
God is exceedingly kind to me and i am very grateful to be here. it is so different, but so much the same. students are students are students, no matter where you are. same with humans. though these people seem to smile more than most (esp. more than brits.)
ah, i forgot to mention, most of the day today did not have rain. we had a few good rains but most was dry (it is difficult to use that word when the humidity is so high and i am always wet with perspiration) and cloudy.
thanks for yours prayers.
last thing - for a long time tonight the generator was not on so i went around with my headlamp. i saw another huge spider outside my room. like a dog or cat, its eyes glowed in the light of my headlamp...
upon arrival
the plane was supposed to arrive at 19:30. we arrived at 23:45. it would have been even later if we would have landed in sierra leone like we were supposed to.
when the doors of the plane opened, those who were deplaning were happy to get off to be on the ground after a long flight but also because the men were up again and demanding to talk with the captain. i gave me condolances to one of the crew members and stepped out on the stairs that they had rolled up to the plane. there was a light drizzel and the air was heavy and hot. breathing was like taking in a breath after you put water on the sauna rocks. all the lights were off at the airport except for landing strip and the decrepit building that was the terminal.
i joined the line for non-citizens and waited to approach the simply plywood booth that housed a woman who was tired yet talked fast. i made it through without any problems. my wet bags arrived on the belt and bypassed bag inspection to go through the metal security gate to the throngs of people on the other side.
as soon as i passed through, i was surrrounded by mostly young men asking me questions and trying to sell me cell phones or willing to call for me. i looked for my contact rufus. i pulled and carried my bags by ducking and denying numerous people vying for my attention. at one point a man asked me who i was looking for. i said "rufus". fortunately rufus was near by and he asked if i was josh davis. no sign. but a smiling face. rufus, who is the acting director of reap that i am "working" for, was able to sneak me away to the awaiting minivan.
the rain was torrential at this point. i felt as though my clothes were soaked through. a man named james was driving. the road right by the airport was a continuous series of potholes. once we got on the main road, we were able to move about about 30-50 kilometers an hour. the rain was coming down so that it looked like we were going through hyperspace in star wars. being in this older minivan with the heat on to keep the windows defogged, i thought for sure that my pores would be entirely clean within a minute.
as we drove i noticed the jungle along the road, street lamps but no light, and large termite mounds. when we approached the city, the roads went from tolerable to a muddy washboard and pot hole mess. we were stopped twice. once by united nations troops and once by police. we were questioned and let go without incident. [does anyone know why the u.n. has baby blue as their color? men with baby blue helmets and machine guns seems like a contradiction.]
the drive to the norman residence was almost at the end of a dirt road that would give a hummer a challenge. many times, i could have walked faster than we drove.
the house is more like a compound. it actually has three main buildings, all of which house people. it is surrounded by a ten foot wall with razor wire on top. i was greeted by a series of men who helped me with my bags and showed me where the room was and the bathroom.
i unpacked. (thanks tracy for all of your help. i could not have done it without you.) everything was there.
i put on my sandals, grabbed my towel and headed to the bathroom to get a most needed shower. there was running cold water from a shower head at the end of a medal hose. though i was quite hot, the water was startlingly cold. as i put shampoo in my hair, for some reason i looked up at the wall above my head. there it was. just like my experience in thailand (though this time much more civilized): an enormous spider. larger than my palm, it slinked back and forth. probably it did this in fear but to me it looked like it was determining how it was going to jump when i had my eyes closed. since there was no light in the bathroom, my headlamp gave off a limited and erie beam in the darkness. i closed my eyes and washed out the shampoo. all was well.
my room was simple and spartan. two bunk beds. i tried to set up my mosquito net but with a fuzzy head and tired eyes, i just drapped it over me. it was 02:30. the sounds of the night were odd; seemingly gigantic frogs croaked and locust-sized crickets sung to me as i tried to sleep. the net stuck to my body. i sweat.
eventually i drifted to sleep.
thanks God for a safe arrival.
when the doors of the plane opened, those who were deplaning were happy to get off to be on the ground after a long flight but also because the men were up again and demanding to talk with the captain. i gave me condolances to one of the crew members and stepped out on the stairs that they had rolled up to the plane. there was a light drizzel and the air was heavy and hot. breathing was like taking in a breath after you put water on the sauna rocks. all the lights were off at the airport except for landing strip and the decrepit building that was the terminal.
i joined the line for non-citizens and waited to approach the simply plywood booth that housed a woman who was tired yet talked fast. i made it through without any problems. my wet bags arrived on the belt and bypassed bag inspection to go through the metal security gate to the throngs of people on the other side.
as soon as i passed through, i was surrrounded by mostly young men asking me questions and trying to sell me cell phones or willing to call for me. i looked for my contact rufus. i pulled and carried my bags by ducking and denying numerous people vying for my attention. at one point a man asked me who i was looking for. i said "rufus". fortunately rufus was near by and he asked if i was josh davis. no sign. but a smiling face. rufus, who is the acting director of reap that i am "working" for, was able to sneak me away to the awaiting minivan.
the rain was torrential at this point. i felt as though my clothes were soaked through. a man named james was driving. the road right by the airport was a continuous series of potholes. once we got on the main road, we were able to move about about 30-50 kilometers an hour. the rain was coming down so that it looked like we were going through hyperspace in star wars. being in this older minivan with the heat on to keep the windows defogged, i thought for sure that my pores would be entirely clean within a minute.
as we drove i noticed the jungle along the road, street lamps but no light, and large termite mounds. when we approached the city, the roads went from tolerable to a muddy washboard and pot hole mess. we were stopped twice. once by united nations troops and once by police. we were questioned and let go without incident. [does anyone know why the u.n. has baby blue as their color? men with baby blue helmets and machine guns seems like a contradiction.]
the drive to the norman residence was almost at the end of a dirt road that would give a hummer a challenge. many times, i could have walked faster than we drove.
the house is more like a compound. it actually has three main buildings, all of which house people. it is surrounded by a ten foot wall with razor wire on top. i was greeted by a series of men who helped me with my bags and showed me where the room was and the bathroom.
i unpacked. (thanks tracy for all of your help. i could not have done it without you.) everything was there.
i put on my sandals, grabbed my towel and headed to the bathroom to get a most needed shower. there was running cold water from a shower head at the end of a medal hose. though i was quite hot, the water was startlingly cold. as i put shampoo in my hair, for some reason i looked up at the wall above my head. there it was. just like my experience in thailand (though this time much more civilized): an enormous spider. larger than my palm, it slinked back and forth. probably it did this in fear but to me it looked like it was determining how it was going to jump when i had my eyes closed. since there was no light in the bathroom, my headlamp gave off a limited and erie beam in the darkness. i closed my eyes and washed out the shampoo. all was well.
my room was simple and spartan. two bunk beds. i tried to set up my mosquito net but with a fuzzy head and tired eyes, i just drapped it over me. it was 02:30. the sounds of the night were odd; seemingly gigantic frogs croaked and locust-sized crickets sung to me as i tried to sleep. the net stuck to my body. i sweat.
eventually i drifted to sleep.
thanks God for a safe arrival.
precarious arrival
flying over thirty six hours has a way of working your body over.
everything was a normal (except for the time changes) from los angeles to houston and houston to london. but the flight from london to liberia was eventful. the plane was four hours late when we finally boarded. then we sat without moving for about fourty-five minutes. the plane was old. maybe a ninties version of some british or american plane. a hand me down.
i sat next to a man from sierra leone. it was interesting talking with him about his life and his experiences with the war there. he (desmond) is studying computers in london. his wife lives in minnesota.
in front of me was a young british nurse who was volunteering with mercy ships. there were actually quite a few anglos on the plane who were doing work with mercy ships. there was a new ship that is docked in monrovia which is just starting to do work here. and another ship that is being decommissioned and shipped to india.
all became agitated on the plane when the captain announced that we were going to go to monrovia, liberia before freetown, sierra leone. as most people on the plane were on route to sierra leone, the news did not go over well. they had paid for a direct flight and the plane was already really late. on top of this the airport in freetown is not in freetown. it is across a body of water. there is no bridge. a helicopter last week crashed so there was no helicopter. the hovercraft was not working. so the only available way across was by ferry. most felt as though the ferry would not wait for them and they would have to get a hotel by the airport.
many of the men got up from their seats and gathered by the lavetory and angerly discussed the situation. as people were getting more and more agitated, fortunately, by plan (if this is possible) or by grace, we began to hit turbulance and the seatbelt sign came on. everyone was asked to take their seats. the flight attendents (who were particularly young) went around and checked to be sure everyone had their seatbelts on.
this calmed the situation some. and to pacify the people they passed out free sandwiches and candy bars. later they passed out free drinks.
upon approach, i noticed that monrovia had few lights. like los angeles or other cities are a sea of lights, monrovia was just a few dozen here and there. that is for a city of about a million.
we were in for a surprise as our first attempt at landing did not work. at the last minute the pilot pulled up and we had to take another run at it. the second try was successful but i think everyone recieved a minor dose of whiplash.
welcome to liberia.
everything was a normal (except for the time changes) from los angeles to houston and houston to london. but the flight from london to liberia was eventful. the plane was four hours late when we finally boarded. then we sat without moving for about fourty-five minutes. the plane was old. maybe a ninties version of some british or american plane. a hand me down.
i sat next to a man from sierra leone. it was interesting talking with him about his life and his experiences with the war there. he (desmond) is studying computers in london. his wife lives in minnesota.
in front of me was a young british nurse who was volunteering with mercy ships. there were actually quite a few anglos on the plane who were doing work with mercy ships. there was a new ship that is docked in monrovia which is just starting to do work here. and another ship that is being decommissioned and shipped to india.
all became agitated on the plane when the captain announced that we were going to go to monrovia, liberia before freetown, sierra leone. as most people on the plane were on route to sierra leone, the news did not go over well. they had paid for a direct flight and the plane was already really late. on top of this the airport in freetown is not in freetown. it is across a body of water. there is no bridge. a helicopter last week crashed so there was no helicopter. the hovercraft was not working. so the only available way across was by ferry. most felt as though the ferry would not wait for them and they would have to get a hotel by the airport.
many of the men got up from their seats and gathered by the lavetory and angerly discussed the situation. as people were getting more and more agitated, fortunately, by plan (if this is possible) or by grace, we began to hit turbulance and the seatbelt sign came on. everyone was asked to take their seats. the flight attendents (who were particularly young) went around and checked to be sure everyone had their seatbelts on.
this calmed the situation some. and to pacify the people they passed out free sandwiches and candy bars. later they passed out free drinks.
upon approach, i noticed that monrovia had few lights. like los angeles or other cities are a sea of lights, monrovia was just a few dozen here and there. that is for a city of about a million.
we were in for a surprise as our first attempt at landing did not work. at the last minute the pilot pulled up and we had to take another run at it. the second try was successful but i think everyone recieved a minor dose of whiplash.
welcome to liberia.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
what i will be doing
some startling statistics:
the organization christine started is called "r.e.a.p." (restoration of educational advancement programs) which is educationally focussed. the acting head of reap is rufus m. he has been exceptional at being an aide to me from the other side of the atlantic. thanks rufus.
there is much yet to be seen as to what i will do and what i will experience.
i am very excited for this opportunity to serve and to learn.
- 60% of liberian teachers have not graduated from high school
- liberia has a 85% unemployment rate
- liberia has almost no infrastructure to speak of (roads, electricity, plumbing, schools, banks etc. are all in terrible condition
the organization christine started is called "r.e.a.p." (restoration of educational advancement programs) which is educationally focussed. the acting head of reap is rufus m. he has been exceptional at being an aide to me from the other side of the atlantic. thanks rufus.
there is much yet to be seen as to what i will do and what i will experience.
i am very excited for this opportunity to serve and to learn.
a short intro to liberia
my temptation is to write about how liberia was formed a colonial society in the united states to repatriate emancipated slaves and other african americans to africa or to tell of it being the first and oldest african republic or how many liberians wanted to create an america in africa or how devolved into fifteen years of civil war that devastated the all aspects of the country or to talk about the relatively new first democratically elected woman head of state in africa. but i will refrain. there are many websites that can give you all the information you want if you are so interested.
czech these out:
what i have found interesting, especially considering world history, it liberia's connections to the usa, slavery, wwII, and many other things. liberia plays a tangential role in the movie blood diamond that came out recently. taylor, who was the president of liberia, and who is now on trial at the hague, is responsible for much of the fighting and horror that occured in neighboring sierra leone. "blood diamonds" mined in s.l. were sold over the border in liberia...
czech these out:
- http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6618.htm
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1043500.stm
- http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/liberia/history.htm
what i have found interesting, especially considering world history, it liberia's connections to the usa, slavery, wwII, and many other things. liberia plays a tangential role in the movie blood diamond that came out recently. taylor, who was the president of liberia, and who is now on trial at the hague, is responsible for much of the fighting and horror that occured in neighboring sierra leone. "blood diamonds" mined in s.l. were sold over the border in liberia...
a short intro into how the trip to africa originated
it is a little disturbing when you do not feel like you have a good grasp of what you are teaching.
i am a world history teacher (i just finished my first year teaching world history). i know very little about the history of africa. as i was teaching this past year, i did some cursory research but my interest was piqued. as someone who loves to travel, the opportunity to go to africa has never been far from my mind. however, other places have for one reason or another come before africa.
with this year of teaching world history, africa rose to the front of my mind and i started to research different possibilities. i wanted to volunteer and did not want to raise money so that limited my options. my current gifting is not in construction or medicine so i knew that would not be the way to go. i love teaching and i wanted to see what opportunities were out there to teach.
through a friend, bill g. (who seems to know everyone), i was able to come in contact with christine n. (thanks, bill) who is a native of liberia, west africa, who was previously involved in the government there. she is a believer who loves God and has a passion for education in her country.
when visiting tracy, i was able to meet christine in los angeles (thanks, christine), and it was clear that our passions meshed well. we talked of different possibilities and it became increasingly evident that this was a great opportunity - and the opening i was looking for. she had started a school outside of monrovia, the capital of liberia, and i would be able to work with students and teachers.
after speaking with christine a few more times, doing some research, and praying, i decided to pursue this fantastic option. time has moved and i am scheduled to fly out tomorrow morning. i leave los angeles early in the morning (sunday) and i arrive in liberia monday night. needless to say, i will be spending a lot of time on planes and in airports. lax to houston to london to freetown to monrovia.
i am a world history teacher (i just finished my first year teaching world history). i know very little about the history of africa. as i was teaching this past year, i did some cursory research but my interest was piqued. as someone who loves to travel, the opportunity to go to africa has never been far from my mind. however, other places have for one reason or another come before africa.
with this year of teaching world history, africa rose to the front of my mind and i started to research different possibilities. i wanted to volunteer and did not want to raise money so that limited my options. my current gifting is not in construction or medicine so i knew that would not be the way to go. i love teaching and i wanted to see what opportunities were out there to teach.
through a friend, bill g. (who seems to know everyone), i was able to come in contact with christine n. (thanks, bill) who is a native of liberia, west africa, who was previously involved in the government there. she is a believer who loves God and has a passion for education in her country.
when visiting tracy, i was able to meet christine in los angeles (thanks, christine), and it was clear that our passions meshed well. we talked of different possibilities and it became increasingly evident that this was a great opportunity - and the opening i was looking for. she had started a school outside of monrovia, the capital of liberia, and i would be able to work with students and teachers.
after speaking with christine a few more times, doing some research, and praying, i decided to pursue this fantastic option. time has moved and i am scheduled to fly out tomorrow morning. i leave los angeles early in the morning (sunday) and i arrive in liberia monday night. needless to say, i will be spending a lot of time on planes and in airports. lax to houston to london to freetown to monrovia.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
a quiet beginning
my brother-in-law suggested i establish a blog to record the events of my trip to africa. previously i had envisioned sending out group emails, but this might prove to be much easier. thanks mark.
so here is a record of my virgin march into blog land and into africa.
so here is a record of my virgin march into blog land and into africa.
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