I need to be FAT.

June 30, 2012

Ok, so I’ve always thought that I’m a reasonably flexible person in most situations.  That’s so being tested here, wow.  This is a whole new level of necessary flexibility that’s somewhat intimidating.  While I was still in Monrovia I was chatting with one of the organization founders and she said something that I really liked and has impacted me.  She said that to be a missionary, you must be fat: Flexible, Adaptable, and Trusting in God.  I liked that for several reasons: one, it sounds amazing, and two, it’s really true.  That’s just been really stuck in my mind for the past couple of days, especially with what’s been going on and the uncertainty regarding what I’ll be doing while I’m here.

So a few days before I arrived in Liberia, the funding for the main health project of Equip Liberia was given to a different organization.  Translation: the work that was planned for me no longer exists with Equip Liberia.  The handovers start in about a week or two from now, and before August is over they will all have been handed over to the other organization.  It’s kind of a weird time to be here doing healthcare then, since it’s all being terminated.  Equip had originally planned for me to work at the main health care center in a small town called Saclepie, but it will be handed over within two weeks.  So I ended up travelling to Ganta to try and figure something out from there, and help out as possible.  I was told to make myself comfortable in Ganta for at least a few days.  Yesterday I was at a meeting with staff and I was speaking with one of the midwives, and we made a decision that I would move to Saclepie to work until the handover as soon as we could get a ride on an ambulance that was passing through.  Literally within thirty minutes I was on an ambulance headed towards Saclepie!  The absolute definition of a split decision, my friends!  Tonight is my second night here in Saclepie, and so far I really like it.  It’s much smaller than Ganta, and doesn’t even have a gas station.  Needless to say, there’s no grocery store either.  The house is very nice though: everything is bright blue – walls, floors and curtains all!  There is no running water, but the house does have electricity for five hours every day.  Honestly, I’m surprised at how little the water/electricity thing bothers me.  It’s really just a little inconvenience that can easily be gotten used to. 

I’ve met so many people in the past week and a bit.  The Liberian people are so friendly and welcoming.  The culture is so interesting, I feel like there is so much to learn!  I went with two friends to a graduation celebration today, and it so was such a neat thing.  There was dancing, and the traditional body paint on the women.  As people entered, the women did a traditional dance type-thing with you, to welcome you to the party.  They danced around you, hugged and kissed you on both cheeks as they sang in their tribal language.  It was beautiful.  I’m really glad I got that opportunity.