London

...and here are some of my London pictures. again, about 2 months overdue.

London

I decided to extent my stopover in London to 3 days, since I'd never been to England before and don't know when my next opportunity will be. Tim, the boyfriend of my dear friend Ruth, very kindly picked me up from the Airport at 1:30am and let me crash at his flat in Roehampton. Outfitted with Tim's extra mobile and a map of London, I set off into the city the next morning. I did a lot of wandering, a favorite pastime of mine, and I was able to meet up with a few friends in the city. The trip was a great time of relaxation and introspection, and I think it helped ease my adjustment back into life in the good ol' USofA.

The Canary Islands

...here are some photos from the Canary Islands. They're about two months overdue, but that's how I roll these days...

Gran Canaria

After our outreach in Liberia, the crew of the Africa Mercy set sail for the Canary Islands. The ship spent a couple of months in the islands over the holidays so that it could be repaired and prepared for its next 10-month expedition. I was able to enjoy 5 days in this European vacation hot-spot with my fellow crew members. It was a special experience to re-enter Western society with other Mercy Shippers. Together we were able to freely gawk at the paved roads, the order, the variety of food, the electricity, etc.

more photos

Dock and Ducor Palace

Here are some photos of the ship, the dock, and Ducor Palace. Ducor was at one time one of Liberia's most prestigious hotels. It is seated at the top of the highest hill in Monrovia and has some of the best views of the city and sea. The hotel was looted by rebels during the war and was closed for business. Later it became a shelter for thousands of refugees. Now it remains guarded and deserted.

Boomerang Child

...So yeah, I'm slightly embarrassed that I haven't updated my blog in about a month and a half. Motivation is low because I feel like Gilbert isn't quite as interesting or noteworthy as Liberia. But that's a bad attitude; there are events-a-plenty around here.

After 5 days in the Canary Islands and 3 days in London, I headed back to AZ via a direct flight on British Airways. (direct flight=super exciting) And then, I entered what I now refer to as The Time Warp. I slept a lot and then got sick and slept even more and then it was Christmas and then I went to the East Coast to visit friends and then I started to take a class and continue the med school application process and look into some other graduate schools and now I'm here. Really I can't believe I left the ship over a month ago. I've gotten to reconnect with several Mercy Ships friends state-side, which has been such a blessing!

I'm going to sift through my thousands of pictures from last fall (no joke) to find some fun Canaries and London shots for da blog. So stay tuned...

On leaving Liberia...

There is a part of me that is relieved to leave Africa, where 'corruption' has become a cliche, where malaria looms and parasites threaten my Western immune system, where police checkpoints induce fear rather than feelings of security. I'm relieved that I will no longer be asked for money on all corners, that I will no longer be asked for my address, that I will no longer be known only by the color of my skin.

There is a part of me that breaks for Africa, where government officials have betrayed their people, where parents neglect their children and children kill their parents, where satan's malevolent deception pervades God's loved ones. I am broken over the hundreds who are unjustly imprisoned, over the hundreds of thousands who where killed senselessly because of the greed of a few, over the countless children who are denied nutrition, family and hope.

And there is a part of me that rejoices with Africa, where people are quick to praise the name of Jesus, where God's existence is not intellectually debated but accepted and exalted, where restoration is evident. I rejoice because Christ's righteousness is preached, Christ's reconciliatory nature is enabling, and Christ's miracles are happening.

Sailing

We're sailing in the Atlantic! Our current location is apx 23.4N and 18.3W - just off the coast of the Western Sahara. The sail has been a lot of fun so far. I was feeling a little seasick at first (I'm not taking any medicine), but I soon developed my "sea legs." This means I have learned to constantly shift my weight, overcorrect my steps so I don't weave down the halls, run when the ship is rolling down and brace myself when the ship is rolling up. Our captain told us that a good way to prevent seasickness is to keep a full stomach. I have really embraced this advice and have taken to eating Pringles all day long.

Here are some pictures of our sail:

The Sail

Collision with corruption

I took a short trip last weekend with several friends to Buchanan, another coastal city about 70km south of Monrovia. Saturday was great - we enjoyed a beautiful albeit bumpy and cramped 3.5 hour ride there, a nice walk along the beach and a nice dinner. Sunday however was less than relaxing and more than adventurous.

The problems began Sunday morning when we tried to pay for our night spent in the hostel. We had to be out by 10am, but at 10am the owner was nowhere to be found. We took our $30 (3 rooms at $10 per room), placed it on the caretaker's desk, and left to walk along the beach. When we returned to the hostel later that afternoon to meet our taxi the owner was quite concerned. Apparently he had been searching for us all morning because, as he claimed, he never received our payment. We explained in detail where we had left the money, and he maintained that it was never there. Before we knew it, the 6 of us foreigners (probably the only white people in town) were surrounded by about 30 Liberians and two "officers" of questionable authority. It was quite a scene. We explained and argued for about an hour, but it was to no avail. Things were escalating and it was evident that we were gonna be traveling after dark, so we ultimately decided to pay again.

We were quite unhappy about the situation. Not because we each had to fork over an extra $5, but because we had fed right into one of Liberia's evils: corruption. We'll never know if the hostel owner was being honest about not having received the money. If he never got it then it was because someone else went into his home and took $30 off of his desk in the 10 minutes that it was left unattended. Both situations are disheartening. Corruption plagues this poor, hurting nation, and it is one of the biggest blockades to recovery. It seems that everything operates by the ten dollar handshake, and this stagnates progress.

Getting ripped off made me sad about the state of Liberia, but there is plenty of room here to hope. There are pastors here that urge members of their church to walk as Jesus walked - with integrity and fear of God. It is my prayer that these seeds of integrity may be scattered in good soil. Soil that is fertile and far from the cares of this world that threaten to choke life.