Tag Team- It is Laura & Mackenzie

It has almost been a week, but in no way does it feel so. Everyday is filled to the brim, driving throughout the Liberian country side along the very bumpy roads, visiting Special Ambassadors (a program set up through Teach Peace where they deliver emergency supplies to disabled children and their families in their homes), and spending days fixing up the Our Lady of Fatima Rehab Center. All of it has been amazing and simultaneously very humbling. Liberia is physically and spiritually a beautiful country but very rundown. The majority of houses are made of clay and have roofs fashioned from corrugated sheets of metal, the luckier ones have cinder block walls. Today we drove around delivering the supplies to Special Ambassadors and saw some very desolate parts of the country side. For one house, not far from the coast, we weaved through the market place deep into the city where we turned into a side alley and weaved ourselves deeper. We walked by countless numbers of huts crammed together, each housing numerous people. It really opened my eyes to how lucky people are to have yards and privacy. Though it was eye-opening to us we were explained to that in the Liberian culture there is no concept of intruder. In America we would have been walking through front yards, here we were welcomed and even had our own entourage of beautiful little children. All of it was quite an experience. The day ended with a more humble moment. We had traveled to the last house of the day, visiting a thirteen year old boy who required a wheelchair, which we were to deliver. Upon arriving we were informed the young boy had passed away on Sunday. At only thirteen his life had been taken away by polio. A disease easily addressed and vaccinated against in America. It took us all by surprise and really made us take a step back, to stop thinking about our aching feet and hot bodies, and just realize how in such a beautiful place so much suffering is occurring because they cannot afford prevention methods.

On a happier note we our halfway through our Crocs donations and so far it has been a great success. We gave away 80 pairs to our friends at the Rehab Center (ask whoever you follow this blog for about the special people we met there, truly inspiring and strong people) and their expressions alone made it all worthwhile. The little kids loved them and the adults were so grateful. Crocs are perfect for over here, especially the children for currently the majority are wearing flip flops that immediately when the pickup game of futbol begins. They have been dubbed slippers by the native Liberians we are traveling with and have been such a blessing to have.

And now my part of the novel is done,

Mackenzie

And let me introduce Laura:

Hello! It seems that most of the information to share- Andrew would like me to let all of you wonderful people know that, and I quote, "Liberia has no judgments and no front yards." But apparently credit to Kenz. So essentially, heat causes madness. Lots of heat, lots of humidity, lots of beauty.

So, past all of the sillyness, of which there is a lot, this country is absolutely gorgeous, and every day presents itself full of opportunity to grow as individuals, as a group and as global citizens.

For several days we were able to spend a lot of time at the Rehab Center; learning about Liberia and how it handles certain populations. Not only have we learned a lot, as Mackenzie shared we had to opportunity to offer our help with shoes, toothbrushes, pens, pencils and maintenance work around the center.

Yesterday offered the opportunity for a game of soccer between six of us and a village of in the absolute pouring down rain, in a road that was essentially turned into a river. Absolutely fantastic and so very much fun. Rather liberating.

Every day seems to offer more and more to explore, experience and appreciate.

-L.