Learning to live in Liberia

To get you caught up on life here, I thought I'd share a little that I have experienced. In my first two weeks here, I have been allowed out of the Village quite a bit. I have had my first experience buying groceries, both in a store and in an open market. In the grocery store we shopped in US dollars which was easy. On the streets it is Liberian dollars. It takes $67 Liberian dollars to equal $1.00 US. That means you are carrying around a stack of bills just to buy a little fruit. It was a little overwhelming to be counting out $20 bills by the oodles to buy some lettuce. But the good news is I survived. Most things are available here PART of the time. There is always a very limited selection though.

I have had the opportunity to make a few trips to the ocean. It is only a 20 minute walk.
It is very beautiful and refreshing in the 86 degree/75% humidity weather. It is a bit confusing though as I look out on the deep blue sea I think I am looking toward home but since Liberia is on the downward curve of Africa I am actually looking southwest. I was here a few days before I realized that my house faces the ocean. I thought it was in my back yard somewhere. Sometimes early in the morning I can actually hear the waves crashing.

The Rafiki Village is built on a very sandy piece of land, although there is quite a bit of jungle on our property farther back, enough for me to be cautious to watch out for snakes if I'm out at night. I haven't seen one yet except dead in the road.:) That was enough to excite my nephew, Landon.:) On an interesting note, the land that we are using was formerly "Boy's Town", as in the ministry started in the US back in the day. You older folks will recall the Spencer Tracy movie made about the founding of the "Boy's Town" ministry. Well, it was here in Liberia as well. There is still a small, very poor village down the road called "Boy's Town".

It is interesting, but sad, to see a country recovering from civil war. I am told employment is at about 20%. That's employment, not unemployment. The roads are in poor condition. As I traveled across the land last week I saw several of what looked like "Andy Griffith" type gas stations, but with no pumps. They said "gas for sell" and where the pumps should have been there would be a couple of one gallon glass jars full of gasoline. I asked and yes before the war
there were functioning gas stations everywhere. There are still electric lines in many places where there is no longer any electricity (which is everywhere unless you have a generator).

I have tried to give you a picture of life in Liberia. I realize it doesn't fit my blog title but there is more to come. After all there is Joy in serving God where ever He puts you. Don't miss the next posting.

Julie