What I Will Miss

This little series of blogs goes out to Elloa - thanks for the request!  Just goes to show that if you ask - I will respond... and probably in more detail than you were thinking :)  I was going to make a short "Top-10" list for each of these, but by now you all have learned that brevity is not my strong suit.  There are definitely more things I could add to each list, but for now I'll stick with some highlights.  So listed with some explanation, here are some things I am going to miss about Liberia:

People.  The students, fellow teachers, staff, families on campus, friends.  All the people here at Ricks have undoubtedly become our extended family over the past 10 months, and I will miss these people more than anything.  I don't think any further explanation is needed. 

Pineapple.  It's incredible.  Some of the best, most naturally sweet pineapple you'll ever eat.  Some kinds can even be bright green on the outside yet still amazingly sweet and juicy inside.  There's just no compaison.

Saying hi to every person I see.  Literally every person I see on campus says hello.  One of my favorite greetings comes from some little girls and little boys who don't know my real name so instead simply call out "white woman hello!" in a sing-song type of way that makes it sound like all one word.  Other children think my name is "Miss White" which is closer to Miss Wegman but not quite, yet still very cute and funny to me.  Adults aren't without greeting either, whether it's "good morning" or "how's your day?" or simply, "yeah, hello ma."  I know I'll be moving to the south where hospitality abounds, but I somehow doubt it can match the warmth and friendliness of the Ricks community.

Being part of a nation during a critical point in its history.  Liberia is at a crossroads.  Having recently emerged from a civil war and looking toward the future with hope, Liberia is at a point where working for progress and development is crucial.  Roads are slowly being paved, power is progressively being restored, and access to clean water is gradually improving.  There is abundant hope for Liberia.  Yet there's also the sense that it is a collective effort, and that all people in the country - non-citizens included but especially Liberians - are needed for the rebuilding effort.  It's an exciting time in this little nation's history, and I feel privileged to get to be a part of it. 

Liberian food.  I really like it!  Rice with some kind of spicy, oily soup... not exactly something I would have picked out for myself, but really unique and really quite good!  From potato greens to Okra, ground pea to plantains, I will miss this stuff!  I've heard of a couple Liberian restaurants in the States and might even try cooking some myself if the craving strikes and I can rummage up the ingredients.

The slower, more simple pace of my life here.  For the first time ever I have a job that I go to in the morning and finish with in the afternoon or evening.  There are no papers I should be reading or writing or extra things I should be doing at night.  I have free time, and lots of it.  I read books for fun and write in my journal and come up with long blog posts.  I can go a week or two without leaving campus - and therefore without getting in a car.  I can walk everywhere on campus I need to go, and everything I really need is right here.  I'm part of a small community where everyone knows each other, and I love this.

The beach.  The beaches here are gorgeous, and the water seems somehow more wild and majestic than it does in the US.  Perhaps this is because I'm looking out into the Atlantic instead of the Gulf of Mexico... but there are always waves and often big ones.  There are no tacky, neon-colored shops selling seashells and one-size-fits-all t-shirts.  It's just the beauty of the beach and the water, and often some striking black rocks.  When I'm on the beach I often feel I've slipped into Narnia or found some remote island that no one else knows about...  It's a feeling that can't be replaced.

Feeling a sense of purpose in my life each day.  Without question I believe that each day of each person's life has purpose, and that the work I do in graduate school is just as important and done in the same effort to serve God and love others as the work I'm doing here at Ricks.  I firmly believe this.  Yet it's easier to feel and believe that's true here.  Something about being labeled a "missionary" - having someone say, "you're doing God's work" - makes it easier to remember the purpose of what I'm doing each day.  Naturally, it's easier to find purpose and meaning in teaching students than it is in being a student and getting caught up in the reading and writing and research of graduate school.  I will miss the ease with which I remember my purpose here at Ricks, although I will strive to remember it more intentionally in the days and years to come.