Date:Thursday, June 26, 2008 10:19:49 AM
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Hello friends! This is the first I've time I've had access to internet since I got to Liberia. We had safe flights (all 30 hours of them) and all of our bags arrived at the same time. Hooray! The weather has been pretty hot most of the time (I have no idea of a temp) and it rains like crazy every night and sometimes during the day. I've only been proposed to once which is kind of a downer for my self esteem ;-). We had last Saturday and Sunday to hang out at the school in Monrovia and get to know everyone and the neighborhood kids that always show up out of nowhere. The Atlantic Ocean is about 50 ft. from where I'm staying and the beach is covered in garbage. Everyone uses it as a trash can and a bathroom at the same time. There's sometimes running water in the mornings but it doesn't last long and there is no electricity. Mon-Wed we drove out to the other school called 15 Gate which is on the Firestone plantation. So far I've taken photos of and collected bio sheets for all 65 kids in the nursery class, so when I get home I'll be looking for people to sponsor them so that they can continue to go to school. I still have to get pics and info for about 200 more kids out there. It's like the Africa you see in magazines out there - grass huts, mud bricks, naked babies, huge spiders - I'm loving it. I've been healthy until last night when I threw up a nice meal of rice and pineapple. Haven't had much to eat since then, but I'm trying to shove stuff down. We usually eat rice and fruit for every meal. Sometimes there is meat. I'm currently trying to decide if my stomach is going to explode or settle down. The thing I love most about it here is that whenever I want to play, all I have to do is walk outside and there will be tons of kids to play with. Out in the rural areas they are perplexed by my skin. They try to scratch the white off of me. I'm making lots of friends, young and old, and I have a Diddy look-a-like who is pretty into me haha. No worries, I'll come home alone. Anyway, my time is running out so I'll write again when or if I can. Much love to everyone!

--
-Stephanie

I'm glad everything was fine and she got home safely.

Monday, June 30, 2008 11:17:32 AM
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Hey again. I don't know what I want to tell all of you yet so if this e-mail sounds like a babbling, disjointed ramble, I apoligize in advance. Let's see...Friday we went to the semi-finals for girl's kickball and boy's soccer. Our school lost for kickball and won for soccer so we're in the finals now which will be on this Friday. It had to be close to 100 degrees that day and we stood out there with no shade or place to sit. On Saturday we went to the market downtown and I bought 3 lappas (African wraps) and some other stuff that you'll see when I get home. We got all dressed up African style that night and took our Liberian security guys out to dinner. I had a real salad. Like, actual green food and it was fantastic just because it was lettuce. Then we taught our friends how to play spoons and it has since become a nightly ritual. On Sunday we went to church which is always super fun but super deathly hot. That's where I always find out I can sweat in new places. We sang and danced and all that good stuff. The sermon involved witches that turn into animals and how when you kill an animal you have to cut off it's tail and take it back to your village so that everyone knows you didn't murder a human. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful and quiet.
Today we drove out to 15 Gate school (way out in the rural areas) in the pouring rain and broke down twice. We stopped at a place to get the car battery checked out and then the mechanics stole the keys because he wanted more money. I still don't know how that got resolved. Anyway, once we got to the school, I was able to get the bio info for about 80 kids so that was really productive. Tomorrow I'll take all of their photos and hopefully it won't be during a monsoon. OH! So the "bathrooms" (aka holes in the ground) aren't really maintained, so there are millions of maggots squirming around you when you pee and then they get all freaked out and go crazy. It's extremely disgusting but also fascinating to watch. There was a nice big spider friend in there with me today and a wasp nest. Good times. Every single kid that came to us for medical help tested positive for malaria today. I don't even know how many cases have been confirmed. A boy, Junior, came in with a broken leg that has been broken since Thursday. We took him to the hospital and now he's spending the night at the school in Monrovia with us and we'll take him to a bush bone doctor tomorrow.
I think those are the major highlights in brief and uninformative fashion. No more puking or anything for me, so that's good. I hope you are all doing wonderfully and I'll see/talk to you after July 8th. I am going to cry so hard when I have to leave. I'm going to go dodge the rivers in the street now and walk home with my chicken friend that keeps walking past the internet cafe. Much love to everyone!



Monday, June 30, 2008 11:17:32 AM
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Hey again. I don't know what I want to tell all of you yet so if this e-mail sounds like a babbling, disjointed ramble, I apoligize in advance. Let's see...Friday we went to the semi-finals for girl's kickball and boy's soccer. Our school lost for kickball and won for soccer so we're in the finals now which will be on this Friday. It had to be close to 100 degrees that day and we stood out there with no shade or place to sit. On Saturday we went to the market downtown and I bought 3 lappas (African wraps) and some other stuff that you'll see when I get home. We got all dressed up African style that night and took our Liberian security guys out to dinner. I had a real salad. Like, actual green food and it was fantastic just because it was lettuce. Then we taught our friends how to play spoons and it has since become a nightly ritual. On Sunday we went to church which is always super fun but super deathly hot. That's where I always find out I can sweat in new places. We sang and danced and all that good stuff. The sermon involved witches that turn into animals and how when you kill an animal you have to cut off it's tail and take it back to your village so that everyone knows you didn't murder a human. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful and quiet.
Today we drove out to 15 Gate school (way out in the rural areas) in the pouring rain and broke down twice. We stopped at a place to get the car battery checked out and then the mechanics stole the keys because he wanted more money. I still don't know how that got resolved. Anyway, once we got to the school, I was able to get the bio info for about 80 kids so that was really productive. Tomorrow I'll take all of their photos and hopefully it won't be during a monsoon. OH! So the "bathrooms" (aka holes in the ground) aren't really maintained, so there are millions of maggots squirming around you when you pee and then they get all freaked out and go crazy. It's extremely disgusting but also fascinating to watch. There was a nice big spider friend in there with me today and a wasp nest. Good times. Every single kid that came to us for medical help tested positive for malaria today. I don't even know how many cases have been confirmed. A boy, Junior, came in with a broken leg that has been broken since Thursday. We took him to the hospital and now he's spending the night at the school in Monrovia with us and we'll take him to a bush bone doctor tomorrow.
I think those are the major highlights in brief and uninformative fashion. No more puking or anything for me, so that's good. I hope you are all doing wonderfully and I'll see/talk to you after July 8th. I am going to cry so hard when I have to leave. I'm going to go dodge the rivers in the street now and walk home with my chicken friend that keeps walking past the internet cafe. Much love to everyone!

This is from a girl I know who recently went to Liberia. I admire her for being able to see Liberia for what it really is:


'Ah-lo' from Liberia!
[that's hello in Liberian-English]

I can't believe that I've already been in Liberia for almost a week! I apologize for those who worried about me arriving safely; this is the first chance I've had to make it to a computer. It has been great checking my email (all 132 emails) and reading all of the emails of encouragement! This first update is going to be short, but the next will have more details.

I arrived without any problems on Monday night! I was able to find the person I was meeting in the Brussels, and because the plane was half empty, Debbie and I were able to sit together and get to know each other (and sleep). When I got off the plane in Monrovia, I thought I landed in the wrong place! It wasn't too hot, the air wasn't thick with smoke, and the airport was repainted and air conditioned?! Other than that, I felt right at home!

This week has been very very busy! On Tuesday I was able to go to BJCCV to see all of my kids! They had no idea I was in Liberia, so needless to say, they were totally shocked! Lots of hugs, smiles and tears! The new school building looks amazing! I have also already visited 9 of the orphanages that ORR is currently doing work at. It was an overwhelming 2 days of alot of traveling, and it was also eye-opening. The children are all so sweet and beautiful; but the needs are tremendous! I spent those 2 days surrounded by children playing with my arm hair (that's new for them), platting my hair (braiding), dusting the dirt off my feet or clothes and basically just starring at me, trying to figure me out. It was been wonderful! At the same time, I've been in a few orphanages that have some great great needs, and those orphanages have broken my heart! I'll go into more detail in my next update.

I was able to go to Mercy Ships on Friday night for dinner. It was my first time going into town, and Monrovia looks GREAT! So many improvements and just the activity of the people on the streets--you can tell things are improving. There's some electricity in town and there's a new gas station that literally blows me away every time I go by, which is awesome!

Now I know you're all wondering about the living conditions. My roommates/coworkers are great! Better than I could have imagined! We've had alot of great times already, and bonded over children, sweat and surfing! My house is super great! Plenty of space and sweet ladies who are taking very good care of us! We have a generator that runs from about 8pm-10pm. No running water...but an amazing outdoor shower that feels great at the end of a long, hot, sweaty day! Mary cooks our meals...and she can cook some mean pumpkin and potato greens! We have 3 security guards who rotate watching our compound, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know them better. And if the security guards weren't enough, we've got a guard dog (One Love) and the most pitiful kitten you've ever seen. They provide for our entertainment when we sit on the porch to cool off at night. (You aren't picky in Liberia)

Anyway, this is really long! And I'm sweating to death, so I need to hop back in the car for a breezy car ride! So yea, God is doing some really great things already, and I'm really looking forward to what He will do! Thanks to everyone who's been praying for me!!

God bless

Ladies these posts make me want to hop on a plane right now. I love to travel and there are so many more places I want visit. Thanx for sharing this with us and letting those of us who have not gotten to visit Liberia get a taste of this country.

Idocare may I ask (if you do not want to share thats ok) What takes you back to Africa? Are you there for work or humanitarian reasons or just for leisure?

Scratch that LOL I just realized this was a friend of your sons. Sorry.

You're welcome. Hopefully, you will one day.

...even though the son's friend comes across as narrow minded and it sounds like she's staying in the sewers with the rats. Hopefully, before the end of her stay, she will try to upgrade a place that even a dog might want to sleep in.

what did i tell you!!! You don't listen!!!!

Don't worry...I understand the struggle!

....

I believe this 18- year old told her story from the way she seen things and in her own way. Take into fact that this is her first time being in Africa and she's entitled to write her experience as she lives it.

From what I gather, your friend has been to Liberia before and she can see all of the improvements, plus she probably knows some more history then this 18-year old. Anyhow I did enjoy her writing as well. Thanks for sharing, I love reading about other countries from Americans that actually was there. Just by reading your friends post I could tell she's older then 18.

I'm hoping that you will post again if you should hear from her, again thanks.

4The love of Henry,


I hear you on that one, I asked Steph. if she could stuff me into her suitcase when I heard she was traveling to Liberia .....LOL She also went to China this year with her high-school (The school of Arts ) for a school project. I'm like you, I love to travel too. Since I haven't been too many places it's just fun reading about it, Oh, yeah, I'm still waiting for you to tell me about Guinea. LOL

She is 21 so she's not that much older. The 18 year old is definately entitled to her share her experience. I'm also entitled to say what I think about her written experience. Maybe she will have the opportunity to go back and compare the first experience with the second experience. She might be older then and have a completely different perspective OR she might be older and still have the same perspective. I applaud her for choosing to go there and help out because the place needs all the help it can get. She seems to be there doing great things for the children, but (to me) she does come across as narrow minded...AND from what I know about Liberia - based on my own experience - she sounds like she's staying in a less than typical, dumpy area. I don't know what part of Monrovia or "the bush" she is staying in, but I went to some of the poorest, filthiest areas and I was still able to find toilets without maggots squirming around. LOL.

Anyway, this is just the way that I read it and this is my own opinion.

Hey Idocare, I still can't get the meaning of your FREAKING posts. Can you be real and say exactly what's on your mind instead of pretending with this thread? If what your so called saw is true, can you name one that do not have maggots or one African country rural area that do not have pit hole latrine? Come on, tell me what you get!

Osagie,

I don't know you nor never heard of you. But what I posted was a e-mail I received from one of my sons friend that's doing mission work in Liberia. Those are her words, I just copied and pasted it.

Sorry for you if your having trouble understanding her describeing her adventure.

As you mentioned, you didn't go to every slum there in Liberia and I don't even know exactly where she is but I do enjoy reading and learning from her writings, just as I enjoyed reading your friends e-mail. I just posted her experience to share and again I hope you do post your friends experience so we here on VJ can learn more about Liberia as they see it.

Knowing me isn't important then explaining your intention of posting your so called experience. Me having trouble in understanding your post, you get it all mix up and don’t want to be sincere to your self. I told you not to pretend, come out and say exactly what you have in mind to say and not to use someone experience as a cover up. You know you’re using this post to send your negative message to people about Liberia. LEARN IT TODAY! You’ll NEVER find an African country without pit hole latrine in the rural communities. Don’t be sorry for me rather be sorry for yourself because you are still carrying the same old idea the media had been showing. What happen to those nice places in Liberia, or is she living in the rural area? I hope she find a better place there to live since she enjoying the look and smell of maggots.

A fight A fight!!!!!

Introducing the O'jays!!!!!

Osagie,

I don't understand why your trying to make this out to be something more. If you read my post you would of read that this girl is out in Liberia working on a mission. That's the end of my comments to regarding this post. For you to be so new to this site, you sound like someone that just want to get things started and I'm not in to that. I have yet to hear of a mission worker going into a country and serving the middle class to rich.

Want to try to get this thread locked go on and do it, but I'm not gonna entertain whomever this may be. You can just go ahead and write whatever your gonna write I'm cool with that, I've already posted what I wanted and will continue to post within the guidelines, so you post what you want here and type what you want, cause I'm surely gonna post what I want, your sayin that I'm the original writer ? Say whatever you desire, I have nothing to prove to you. I will no longer entertain you type what you want.


Peace to you and yours !!!!!

That was a very mature and responsible response. I too did not particularly care about the missionary's comment but you are right... you have not disrespected anyone.

Actually when I read this post I missed the bad parts of the missionaries post. I skimmed through it the first time hence my first response. Reading it more thoroughly this time I had to luagh becuase I wouldnt hop on a plane to see what she described when I can drive or walk to see that in some areas here in the US lol.

Sometimes poeple who have not travelled much may exaggerate the things they see, not out of intent but out of culture shock, exposure beforhand, and maturity. If she grew up in a bad area in the States she might be accustomed to seeing people using the bathroom in the street, on a beach, or for that matter in the hallway of their apartment building(lived in a building like this once lol). But if she never experianced living or being around a slum area here in the States she might tend to exaggerate the things that she sees somewhere else due to sudden exposure and being thrown out of her usuall element.

However everywhere has slums and rotten places that most dont like to go into. We have crack and meth houses, people peeing and pooping in the streets, people doing drugs in the streets, and all kinds of other hot mess. It dosnt suprise me that she may have witnessed the things she said she did becuase there are slums and people that do the unimaginable all over the world. Rain dosnt just fall on one side of the fence lol. She might need just a small reminder of that when she gets home. Either way thanx again for sharing ladies.

nicely...said!

I concur.

Seriously?!?! I lived in one.

Point of correction, I’m not making things up but simply telling you to stop hiding your motives behind that little girl who haven’t tasted what life has to offer. She maybe be from an upper class in the US and haven’t seen what she saw, so by looking at it; it was astonishing and exciting. She has more life to live, that’s just her beginning.

Secondly, being as new as you stated does not erase my ability to comprehend your motives behind this thread. You may denied it in this public forum but God knows your heart and you don’t want to be honest to your very self. It is not my intension to get this thread lock up; my goal is to expose your hidden motives. Should everyone be asking: “can anything good out of Idocare”? That isn’t a good question. You’re always posting depressing thread at the wrong time. An example of what I’m saying excluding this is your happy New Year thread.

I’m not looking for entertainment and don’t deserve it, all I want is to be real. I hate to be a hypocrite; I tell you exactly how I feel about things and still be calm. Like you said that you will continue your trashing posts, keep it up; that’s you but how long will you continue such a hypocrisy act?

I give you peace, freely as I receive, freely I give. How’s that?

Very interesting, I asked for the name of one African country and didn’t see anything but your seriously and that you lived in one. Maybe you can come out with that country name and before you do, let me tell you about Ghana. Ghana is pretty and very much prettier then Liberia but they do have pit hole latrine in Ghana. People are coming from Ghana with infected asses full with rashes from those same latrines. Maybe the area you lived never had a that latrine but that doesn’t mean that the entire do not have that latrine. I will say it again, NO AFRICAN COUNTRY RURAL AREA IS FREE FROM PIT HOLE LATRINE!

I wish to get the name of that country anyone wants to exclude from the above statement, no offense.

Where do I start ?

Yes, there are pit hole latrines in Ghana but they are a fairly recent development there.

I don't know where you get the infection side of it from. They are not meant to be sat on, but it is possible that some people are not using them properly. Rashes can be manifested by many things, not just latrines.

Ok, there seems to be some angst coming in my general direction. I do have a signature that describes the country that I lived in, and if you had been reading other posts, I've described everything starting back in 2005. I'd rather not start a fight over my village or my husband's village, but I do think it is interesting that you believe every single village in Africa has a latrine. I guess all those NGO's can stop building them. I do believe there are even places in the grand ol' US of A that do not have latrines.

And I'm glad that in your last post you did recognize that the area I lived in could have not had a latrine.

I'm not going to get into my story any further with you. I wish you the best.

ETA - Zee

Just to clarify, my post was not directed at you. I just wanted to make sure that the Osagie was privy to the fact that latrines are only now becoming popular. And it is true, even today, there are places in Ghana that do not have one.

Zee - I know it wasn't directed towards me. My comments were also to Osagie. Thank you for clarifying though!

I never saw a latrine in Ghana, and I've been to Takoradi, Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi, and many more places... Not saying that it is not there, but I never saw them.

May I direct anyone who has a distorted view of Africa back to the thread called "The Africa They Never Show You"

Have a Happy day, ya'll!!! I know I will

I'll tell you were to start, lol just kidding....... ok, speaking about pit hole latrine, I know it is not meant for sitting rather to squat on it. What I noticed is a big force of heat coming from the hole (latrine) going straight into you ### and its surroundings. I've been working in African countries especially the rural areas for long and have seen lot of things that is termed to be disgusting. I wasn't the one who caught the infection, it was two of my colleagues who caught it but I saw lot of things that I just don't feel please to share as an exciting moment. I know the pit latrine has been built by NGOs in most African countries and they do have maggots in it, trust me I know how it looks.

This is the reason why I said that I haven’t seen the true importance of this thread because what that girls saw in Liberia (maggots in a hole a.k.a latrine) is ALL over Africa.

OK reality check here people...

You are arguing about human waste facilities. Seriously people...is there NOTHING better to do?

GO ahead have your Toilet/pit hole latrene war.

I am getting out of here before the Sh!t hits the fan.

You can't just go generalizing like that though. What is true of one person's experience is going to be different than someone else's. There are areas where you will see certain things and areas where you will not. There are people who visit only major cities, that have no idea what other areas of the country look like and so they make their assumptions based on what they see. The same goes for the people that actually live in the community. There are some places, all over the continent, where, if you go and tell them "We are going to give you a pit latrine" they will have no idea what it is because they have never seen it.

It may be common, but it may not be the norm for some people.

Its not about the latrines. Its about

I think that there is a tendency to get caught-up when reading old, archived threads when you are new to the forum. But we must realize that archives are PAST TENSE. New Years was almost a year ago. We have all moved on since January.

I'm all for reading archives, but I certainly don't think it's cool to start an altercation from something someone wrote many months ago.

When I first came along here, I said some silly things back then too. I want to apologize for those comments, because after sitting back and witnessing some of the bickering that has come along lately..............

A great man once said "Why can't we all just get along."

Ooops, well maybe Rodney King wasn't all that great of a man, but those words apply to so many aspects of life and living.

Stevi

I agree with P! What is with all the POTTY talk?????

gross...

Eww, it looks like he's tasting it, too.

YUMMY maybe I should put it in the Chocolate thread!!

O.M.G. That made me throw up a bit.

what good is poop talk without fart talk too??

ummm, no....no thank you

WTF

Stevi,

You are so right about your thinking, but guess what? We use the past as guidance for the future and if you can’t realize that, you need to be reminded. Another thing, being new here as you claimed doesn’t limit my reasoning.

You did a good job by apologizing after you realized that some of your posts were silly but the creator of this thread haven’t change. She is still moving on and promised to continue with whatever degrading post she has. You have moved on since January and that’s interesting but she’s still on her path.

I wonder if you read all of my comments, my posts wasn’t in regard to the past but this current thread and I used the past as a reference since she promised to post whatever degrading post she thinks about.

Anyway, that was a nice quote.