In Liberia

So after a few days in Liberia, life continues as normally as it can :) We arrived Wednesday morning to tears and songs praising God that the Africa Mercy had finally left England and arrived where it was meant to be. Thursday night was the last community meeting on the Anastasis - it was pretty cool to have 400 people praising God and worshiping together. In walking around the ANA (short name) it is easy to see why people are attached, but it is so exciting to think about what God has planned for the Africa Mercy. Please be lifting everyone up during this time in your prayers - there are many people saying good-bye to an old friend and home, which will be very difficult. I guess my prayer is that they would have a time to grieve and say their good-byes but God would also allow them to let go and move on with what he has planned for the Africa Mercy. She is a great ship and will be so much better for living on once we get settled in. She is a little too clean and orderly right now, but I am sure that wil change after next week when everyone will have moved onto the ship.

I was able to get off the ship yesterday, see a little bit of Monrovia and go to the beach. There were a couple people with birthdays, so there was a little party at CeCe beach which is about a half hour drive from the ship, depending on the traffic. As we were driving, it was easy to see that this is a poor country (they are two years out of 14 years of civil war) but it was good to hear how things have improved even from the last time Mercy Ships was here about a year ago. The beach itself was nice - nice sand, water that was refreshing but not too cold and a place to sit in the shade so I did not fry up in the sun. In the evening there was a group of about 25 eating dinner together which was a great way to start meeting people - most of the group was crew that I have not met yet (because they still live on the ANA). Several even worked in the Academy (school) so I was able to meet some of the people I will be working with in the fall. They told me that they have actually heard my name a lot because I have been on the staff list since last fall when the Africa Mercy was orginally going to arrive in Africa. I guess my name came up many times in staff meetings saying that I would be there soon -- and now I finally am :)