day 1, day 2.

Hello friends, parents, loved ones, and curious onlookers—we are still alive.

Wifi wasn’t working last night, and I’m sorry for the short delay, but I wanted to catch you up a little bit on what’s happened on our first full day. So far the effects of the African environment on our Georgian bodies have been survivable, but definitely unfamiliar. There was a moment this morning when we all looked down at our toes and could barely recognize them for the swelling. Kayla and I spent some time trying to shove our fat feet into our Chacos, then burst into laughter at the sight of them. Tonight, a couple of the girls are puzzling over the spotty heat rash on their arms—a result of our overwhelmed bodies trying to cope with the 100% humidity we’ve stepped into. More seriously, some have had stomach pains or digestive issues, and over all of this we ask for your prayers. Side effects of traveling 30 hours across the planet can be both humorous and horrible—I’ll try to keep you up to date on those.

Yesterday was our resting day, and yet it was a whirlwind of experiences that I have no idea how I’m going to convey. We walked down the road early in the day, led by our guide Florence, to meet some of the families who live near the compound. That was a fantastic way to start the way. Children who are too young to have ever seen a white person before were sprinting from our presence, screaming and with tears in their eyes. Not exactly a welcoming party. On the other hand, some of the older kids were happy to meet and greet us, and Jeremiah and Dimitri made fast friends with their soccer (football!) skills.

Later we traveled over an hour away to Marshall, an important location in the history of Liberia. We stood with our feet in the sand where freed American slaves had landed during the abolition process, trying to take it all in. Really, the most marking thing about Marshall to me was the lifestyle of the people who are there. Children chased us through the streets wearing mostly nothing, their bellies rounded and jutting out from malnutrition. We played with them by the ocean, trying to break the communication barriers with laughter and silliness. Even though most people here speak Liberian English, the dialect is so unique that it is nearly another language itself, and so it can be difficult for us to fully comprehend one another. When I sat down in the sand, though, and started to bury the feet of three little boys, an unspoken welcomeness was there that just made me want to dance! Eventually, they were all burying my feet and laughing hysterically as I pretended to be stuck forever. We never spoke, but we did play. That seems to be the pattern so far.

It struck me as we walked back across the bridge into the village that while we would travel back to our compound and fill our bellies with beautiful Liberian food, these people would stay in their world, and what could I do to change that world? We are told not to think of ourselves as teachers, but as the ones who are coming to learn. I’m struggling to settle into that mentality—I know that there is hope for Liberia, even if we have to leave without seeing it happen before our eyes. Dimitri said during our debrief the other night, “I need to believe that there is hope for Liberia before I tell these people that there is hope. I can see it now.”

What wisdom. Pray that we all see it, and that we bring hearts full of it to the people that we meet.

Today, we went to Greater Love Bible Baptist Church, where Pastor Wesley has opened a radio station and medical clinic in addition to the church itself. While the rest of the team lifted concrete blocks for the security wall being built around the church, Dimitri, Amy and myself were asked to take a field trip to the recording studio. We spent about an hour there recording promo messages for the church that will be on the radio sometime in the near future. Dimitri so kindly informed Pastor Wesley that I am a singer, thereby entitling me to a number 1 spot on the Liberian charts. I came up with a jingle on the spot and we recorded it then and there—after I convinced my voice to stop shaking. It was nerve wracking, but fun. At least I wasn’t hauling concrete, right? :)

We spent most of the rest of the day there at Greater Love, hanging out with the wonderful people there and playing with the kids in the street. The graciousness of our hosts here in Liberia continues to overwhelm us completely—there is no end to the good food and luxury that they pour out on us. They thank us often, and it’s humbling to think how truly we ought to be grateful to them. We do say thank you often, but I pray that gratitude would overwhelm our hearts in ways we have not yet seen or felt.

I’m sorry there are so few pictures for you to see... believe me, we are taking them! The wifi is such a luxury here, but it’s not quite speedy enough to really get many pictures through. Sorry, too, that this is so long. For those of you who like to skip to the end, here are the main things you should know...

- We are still overwhelmed by things we see, but are trying to jump in and get involved with the people in spite of our uncertainties.

- We are healthy, busy, and having a great time.

- There aren’t actually any mosquitoes during the day... stop worrying, Mom.

- Jet lag is wearing off, but still difficult. I took a nap today because I was so exhausted in the afternoon, but I may not sleep tonight. Pray for our bodies to adjust to our environment with supernatural speed.

- Everyone has had an “experience” so far. Meaning, everyone has a story to tell. Pray that the voice of God comes through free and clear across the thick African air and into our startled hearts—we need Him so deeply always. Pray that each of us finds time to be alone with Him every day.

And pray that we would be attentive to His voice, protected by His presence, surrendered to His heart for the people we meet.

Thank you for your prayers, for the comments left on the last entry, and for reading this lengthy post if you’re still here! It’s 12:13AM here and I need to be asleep soon. Tomorrow we’re going to the market and then party-hopping all day for New Years Eve! Imagine a New Year welcomed in with a deep breath of hot, humid air and the thick beat of Liberian music pounding in the background. Sounds right to me...

Happy New Year!