This Week in Review

Well, this past week has been an interesting one. I feel like in my second week here that I'm finally starting to hit a bit of a stride. It's exciting for me when I'm in an environment where I'm constantly learning and being challenged. Admitingly, there are plenty of times and situations where there are lots of unknowns. There have been a few meetings this week where I have walked out and asked co-workers, "so what was that lady talking about?". Thank goodness for great co-workers who have kept me afloat.

This past week we also had a guest from the UK who is going to bring a team of 15 coaches over in November to run soccer camps for underpriviledged children. He is a riot and kept us all in stitches throughout the week. Although it's months away, I'm already looking forward to the team coming, and know that it will be a highlight of the year. Soccer, like so many countries around the world, is huge in Liberia, and it will be a great medium to getting to talk to youth about important issues.

One of the highlights of this week was getting to visit one of the women rehabilitation homes. Originally, there was one home that was started by one of our Liberian staff a few years ago, and thankfully there has been the addition of another home. These homes take in women excombatants, ex-sex slaves, or women who were taken as wives or girlfriends of soldiers in the war. In this home that I visited there are 17 girls, some as young as age 14, and 13 babies. The women attend school, learn a vocation, and obviously work through some of the phsychological affects of what has happened to them. It's amazing to see the work that is being done in their lives.

We've had a change in weather this week, and the rainy season will soon be here. Two nights ago, I lived through the LOUDEST thunderstorm of my life. The lightning was like a strobe light going off in my window, and the strikes kept me awake till wee hours of the morning. As the electricity sparked out of one of the outlets in my bedroomI knew the storm was getting serious. The rainy season, as I mentioned before, will pose interesting moments and great struggles for our staff in the upcoming months.

Today, we found out at 3 pm, while in a meeting with other aid agencies, that Monday is a national holiday. It was a funny monent, because it was the first time we had heard about it. We went back to talk to our national staff, and even they were unaware of the day being a holiday. So, this has turned out to be a long weekend for me, which is very exciting. I may go to visit Bomi Lake on Sunday with our some of our staff. Unfortunately, I will have to work Monday, but thankfully only part of the day.

Well, to all you mothers out there...mine in particular...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY on Sunday!!!!