Preparations

June 9, 2012

My departure for Liberia is rapidly approaching.  I’m scurrying around trying to finish up my clinical here in Newfoundland while simultaneously preparing to leave for Liberia (on a side note, I have now successfully drawn blood cultures and initiated IV's!!!!).  I have my Liberian visa already, I got my last vaccination last night and I have a volunteer ID card with the organization I’m going through.  The flight loads look good at the moment, and it looks like I’ll be leaving close to June 21^st!  Things are really coming together and I’m getting so excited, but I’ve also hit the point where I’m now terrified.  There’s so much that I don’t know, and it’s quite intimidating.  I may have to check a bag for my flights, which is terrifying all alone - I don’t have the slightest clue how to do that!!! 

I’m really looking forward to learning more about Liberian culture, and ironically that’s also what I’m nervous about.  Where I don’t know anything, I really don’t want to unknowingly offend people because of my total ignorance.  But at the same time I can’t wait to learn about everything.  I don’t want to be a poor reflection of Christ because of myself and my western cultural tendencies; I think that’s what I’m most concerned about.  Prayer please! 

Maybe I should be sheepish about this, but I’m looking forward to checking out what the food is like!  Cassava in particular is something I’ve heard about so much, and I can’t wait to see what it looks like, what it is, where it comes from, how it tastes, learn how to cook it…!  And of course rice, can’t go wrong there.  :)  New experience, bring it on.