Sunday Fun-day

Today has been a lovely little day. This morning we went to New Georgia Baptist Church - Olu's home church - in a small village of Monrovia. Historically, my drives to church have not been too eventful, but that was certainly not the case this morning! After turning off the main highway to Monrovia, we drove through some smaller markets, and made our way into a little community off the beaten path... and by off the beaten path, I mean you have to go down the path that beats you around a little bit! The roads in Monrovia are hit or miss - either they've been redone since the war and are therefore smooth sailing, or they haven't been and they have pot holes that could swallow a VW bug! The road leading to the church was a little winding dirt road that took us through a community of homes. Because it's rainy season - and it has RAINED for almost 3 days straight! - there were some pretty awesome puddles along the way. Basically, it felt like we were on a roller coaster... up and down, side to side, splashing here, almost getting stuck there... it really was quite the adventure!!

We did eventually make it to the church, where our attention during the service was pretty split between the actual service and Olu and his wife Otolee's children, Mia (2 yrs) and Q (2 months). They are absolutely adorable, and were undeniably distracting (but in a good way of course). The service we thing began at 10:30, but we arrive a little past 11... it was filled with songs, including one of my favorite hymns, "Take My Life," announcements, choir selections, preaching, and readings. Overall, a great introduction to Liberia church. I don't imagine we will go there every Sunday, as there is a service on campus, and we hope to try out many other places while we're here!

After church, we were invited back to the Menjay's house on campus for lunch. It was delicious! White rice with a mix of potato greens (somewhat like collard greens), fish, and chicken in a stew of sorts. It had an amazing flavor, but I won't lie, it was spicy too! My lips were burning, but I loved it. There were also some fried plantains to go with it - helped put the fire in my mouth our for sure :) So, so good.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in rambling conversation with Olu, hearing about anything from the visit some students had with president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf back in May to his vision for the future of Ricks. Olu is legit - he knows what he's doing, has a clear vision of where he wants Ricks to go, and does everything he can to get it there. I'm so lucky to get to know the Menjays throughout this year.

I am learning so much each day, and just trying to soak it all in right now. I heard it said today that Liberia is like a virus - it gets under your skin and you can never quite get rid of it. Although comparing Liberia to a virus seems a bit rough, it's a good comparison (in the sense that there's something about this place that will always stay with you). Ricks is so much the same. Anybody considering a trip to West Africa, let me know... maybe you can come catch the Ricks bug with me!