School Daze

Hello, again.

For the last two weeks the weather has been very nice. Usually in the lower 80s and the humidity has not been too bad. It rains on and off throughout the day.

 

We are all reeling with new job assignments because our Education Director and our Child Care Director have finished their term of service and returned to the States. They left two full time jobs that need to be absorbed by the four of us who are left here in Liberia. Home Office has assigned our village two new staff members who should arrive in October. We will be counting the days!

 

In the meantime, Babs is doing the Child Care. She just returned from the doctor's office after sitting there for four hours with a little girl. Thank goodness she had an appointment!

 

The question you might be asking is that if Babs took over the Child Care, is Dave going to take over the Education? To be a Director of Education, shouldn't one have some sort of degree and maybe a little experience? I must admit I do have a little experience when it comes to education, but it was not an especially good experience and I think it was worse for my teachers. My degree is one from "The School of Hard Knocks", something that we are trying to spare these young children. 

 

Each morning, I meet with a capable staff of teachers. We pray together, and then I leave them alone so they can teach!  This morning, there was a class of boys that was rather rowdy, so I popped into their classroom and said "hi" to the students. I gave them the old line that they have a good teacher who is here to teach. That is a very important job, so she should not be wasting any of her valuable time on students who did not care to learn. Those students who did not wish to behave and learn from her, she could send them to me! In my younger years, when I was pretending to be a student, that line usually got my attention. As I left the room, it was quiet, as several pairs of big eyes watched me leave.  Maybe I did learn something in school!

 

Dave

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

Well, it is raining. The rainy season is here with a vengeance. Like "two-inches-of-precipitation-in-two-hours" sort of rain!  In case we have never mentioned it before, Liberia gets about 180 to 200 inches of rain a year. As Liberians say, "Plenty!"

People plan their lives around the rainy season. Many roads become inaccessible. Trips to the "interior" are minimal, as dirt roads become massive puddles and hardy four-wheel drive vehicles often save the day! Perfect country for an International Scout (motto: "Everything Else is Just a Car"). We do not have a Scout, but a very functional Toyota Land Cruiser.  Good thing, too, as one of us likes to drive through mud and sand just so he can use the four-wheel drive capability as often as possible. One of us is very excited that there is a lot of mud around these days.

The seasons really should be called the mud season and the dust season. We exchange clouds of red dust billowing off the roadway for red mud splashing up over the hood and windows of the Land Cruiser as we venture into town. And we are never too far from an umbrella, as it can go from sort-of-cloudy to torrential-downpour in five minutes. One always needs to be prepared (another Scout motto!) 

Wishing you all a pleasant day from drippy Liberia. Stay dry!
Dave & Babs

More Shopping!

Fresh pineapples travel to market.


Various vegetables are neatly displayed for sale.


Need a new bucket?


Clothes are hung up for easier shopping.


Unique Boutiques.



Colorful flip flops should sell quickly.

A Good Day for Most...

This is a picture of a fish delivery. That fish weighed in at 27 lbs.
She was glad to get it off her head;
the cooks were happy to clean and cut it;
we were happy to re-stock the freezer!
Everyone was happy!
Now, that is a good day!
Although, all things considered, it was not such a good day for the fish.

Hoping you have a good day,
Babs

A Year in Liberia...

We have now been living in Africa for one year.

It seems appropriate to mention some of the things we have been privileged to enjoy in the past 365 days:

---An abundance of fresh pineapples, mangoes, and bananas.
---Sitting by the ocean in our camping chairs, not another person in sight for miles.
---Missing all the political ads that bombarded the U.S. from May, '08 until November, '08.
---The joy of rescuing children from severe poverty and hopelessness.
---An endless variety of multi-hued bugs and moths.
---Being clueless as to what Britney Spears is doing.
---Playing soccer with enthusiastic preschoolers.
---The "Chicken a la Belle" at the Firestone Plantation Country Club. Very tasty dish of spicy chicken and Liberian rice.
---Daily hugs and smiles from children.
---Being saluted by the security guards and being called "Sir." Yes, both of us are called "Sir."
---Meeting people who are so different than us, and yet so much alike.
---Incredible cloud formations, brilliant lightening, booming thunder.
---Colorful fabrics and interesting African attire.
---Worshiping with a wonderful unity of the Spirit; worshiping with folks who do not seem to mind that we have two left feet and can't clap.
---Good health and many laughs along the way.

Dave & Babs

Not in Kansas Anymore...

It occurred to me today that there are several things I do now that seem quite normal in my daily routines, but which actually are new and incredibly different activities in the scope of my many years; things that I never dreamed I would be doing even a year and a half ago! This deep thought came to me this afternoon as I not only was I doing laundry for many children, but in the process of doing that laundry, I was dismantling mosquito nets in order to throw them in the washer. I can honestly say I never washed mosquito netting in California.

I always scan the sidewalks, lawns, sand, and verandas for snakes as I move around. Early in the morning, I carefully open metal security doors throughout the compound, watching for large spiders, frogs, creepy insects, and, of course..always!...snakes. Again, not typical Modesto-type actions.

When I drive, I use the horn freely. I honk at the taxi in front of me, as it pulls half-way off the road without blinker or tail lights. I honk at the people who are walking on the road pavement (no sidewalks). I honk at the trucks barreling towards me with their tires on the white line. Never was a big honker before Liberia. Now, it is a matter of survival! Actually, one of the first questions a policeman will ask at an accident site is, "Did you use your whistle (horn)?"

I find myself imitating the "Curly bird." That is not it's real name; I do not know what it is actually called. But it is a big brown and black bird whose call is the same noise Curly of the Three Stooges made...you know, "Whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop"....Curly's signature sound, which usually led to Moe bopping him on the head! These birds go through a series of "whoops" , and hence, we have named them "Curly birds." And this is the annoying sound I imitate when I hear the Curly birds calling to each other as they flit from tree to tree. Yep, I never did that in the Central Valley.

When someone complains of fever, radiating back pain, general body aches, chills, or cough, my first thought is "malaria?" I also know the cause and symptoms of typhoid fever. I have mixed several liter bottles of Oral Re-Hydration Solution (ORS) to offset the effects of "runny tummy." I have seen, and treated, scabies. Whenever people have been in Africa for a time, they take malaria and parasite medicine before going back to the states. These conditions are not regular health issues in the U.S. and may not be readily diagnosed there.

I marvel at the sky daily: clouds billowing up into the high heavens. Thunder in the distance is noted, but not a huge concern. Coconut trees bending with gusts of wind and the sound of ocean waves colliding with the beach are normal background events. Swallows circling the house at dusk and crepe myrtle bushes growing wild in the jungle are expected. Papaya and mango trees loaded with fruit; tidy rows of pineapple plants; nicely hoed cassava farms: not what one would encounter in Stanislaus County.

It also occurs to me what a big, diverse world our God has made. With THAT deep thought, I think I will pack some fresh pineapple and mangoes, and talk Dave into sitting at the beach for awhile. Time to enjoy God's goodness!

Wishing you all a wonderful week,
Babs

Fun and Games

We have had a busy, busy week here. The children are on school break, so different activities were planned every morning to keep little hands busy (and also to prevent mommas from going crazy!) 

Some of the fun stuff we did was finger painting, beach volleyball, play dough art, water games, and drawing lessons. One morning, the boys flew kites on the beach. Another day, we began our fun with a rousing game of kickball.
We also tried our hand (or rather, feet) at some line dancing. It was a busy week which everyone enjoyed. At closing ceremonies on Friday, the kids received an official "Certificate of Completion" as they had participated in all activities with great enthusiasm, laughter, and good spirits.
It is Saturday today. We are exhausted...kids and adults. Thank goodness for weekends!
Dave & Babs