Last Week of School!

Last week was our final week of instruction before exams. My students came back from the break excited about a fun week. Monday was our review day. The students were overwhelmed with all of the information they needed to study for their exams, but grateful to get it out of the way so that we could have fun the rest of the week. Tuesday was movie/game day. We watched Madagascar and played some group games outside. Wednesday was Beach Day!! The class had been looking forward to this day all semester. We spent the entire day at Golden Beach, playing soccer, playing in the waves, and eating pizza! Thursday was another movie/game day. We watched the movie Bolt and played some relay games in the classroom that helped the students study for their exams. Friday was out class party! The students brought in food and drinks, and we all celebrated together. We spent the afternoon out on the basketball court, just playing with each other. Last week was the perfect way to end such an awesome year. Check out all the pictures from Golden Beach and the Last Week of School on my picasa page.

On Sunday we went to church at New Georgia Baptist Church, where we have attended several times this year. The pastor and deacons prayed over Holly and I, our work at Ricks, and our travel home. It was a very special moment.

After church Olu took us to a friends house on the St. Paul River. When we arrived, we saw several people that we have met throughout our time in Liberia. We were told that the gathering of people was a surprise party for Holly and I. We spent the entire day and most of the evening sitting on the dock, eating delicious food, and talking with friends. It was so relaxing and peaceful out on the dock. I sat in a hammock for most of the time and it was amazing! By the end of the night Mia was sound asleep in my arms. It was a long day, and we were exhausted by the time we got home.

Now we are in the middle of exam week, and making final preparations to go home on Friday. The fact that we are leaving has still not completely set in. Tomorrow will be my last day with my students, as they complete their final exams. On Friday morning their will be a closing program in honor of me and Holly before we leave for the airport. I know that will be a hard day for both of us. Saying goodbye to this place and these people will be very hard. I am trying to rejoice in the last 10 months, and leave Ricks knowing that I will be back some day soon.

What is done and yet to come, Amen!

There is a song by Dave Barnes called Amen, that I think describes so many of the feelings and emotions that I have had throughout my experience here in Liberia. I have never been great with words, but this song inspired me to write this blog.

In the last 9 months I have experienced love. A love that I have never felt before.. I have fallen in love with a country, a school, and a community in a way that I never thought was possible. This love will forever be a part of me, and this place and these people will always have a piece of my heart.

In the last 9 months I have experienced pain. A pain that comes when you watch someone that you have come to love suffer from the effects of poverty and corruption. A pain that forces you to react and respond. A pain that brings tears and hope.

In the last 9 months there have been days, and days, and days that feel the same. Sometimes these days are discouraging, and sometimes they are so refreshing. These days happen a lot more than I ever thought they would.

In the last 9 months I have experienced fear. A fear that brings frustration and worry. Will my students learn? Do they understand? Am I really making a difference?

In the last 9 months I have experienced pure joy! These are the best days and the best moments. There are times when I can do nothing but smile. The moments when the giggles of children become contagious, and the laughter of friends turns a bad day around. The people here bring me joy!

In the last 9 months I have built friendships. These friendships are genuine and sincere, not bound with conditions or obligations. I have made life-long friendships with people who have literally changed my life. People who love and care about me, and don’t expect me to be someone that I am not. People that I love and that I want to continue to learn more and more about every single day.

In the last 9 months I have experienced peace. Peace in a country where 200,000 people lost their lives during 14 years of civil war. Peace in a country where the majority population was displaced and people are re-building their lives. Peace when all I can hear at night is the sound of rain and crickets. Peace when children run and play, and when students talk about their dreams for the future.

In the last 9 months there have been nights of lights and music till we sleep. There is music that comes from the lips of families singing together before they go to sleep. Music comes from the students’ dorms, and from the radios of security as the walk the campus grounds. The best is when you see a person walking alone, singing so loud, so into the song, not caring about who hears them.

In the last 9 months I have been strong, but I still break. Like when a 9th grade student dies from complications with chicken pox, or a 2nd grader gets pregnant and kicked out of the house, or there is an accident and a child gets burned by boiling water, hot oil, or a coal iron. Sometimes we break, but still have the strength to keep going.

In the last 9 months I have experienced hope. Hope that our students will be motivated, inspired, and empowered. Hope that individuals and churches will continue to support the work being done at Ricks Institute. Hope that this country will continue to develop and prosper.

In the last 9 months I have experienced doubt. I have doubted my ability to teach my students the things that they need to know to succeed in life. I have doubted my strength and have doubted my hope. With doubting comes questioning. Sometimes the questions have answers and sometimes they don’t.

In the last 9 months there have been memories made that I will never live without. There will be endless stories to share, and pictures to show. There are people, places and experiences that I will never ever forget.

In the last 9 months there have been tears. Tears that I have shed out of frustration, out of sadness, and out of happiness. I have watched tears flow down the cheeks of friends and children. Tears come and go, for good and bad reasons.

In the last 9 months there has been grace. The grace of God has been so evident since the day we stepped off the airplane. Grace that is seen in the smiles of laughing children. Grace that is seen in a sunset on the beach. Grace that is seen walking through the market. Grace that covers us all.

In the last 9 months there have been prayers that I never thought I’d make. Prayers that came out in so many ways because I didn’t know how to pray them. Prayers in strange places and at strange moments. Prayers that were prayed alone and with others. Prayers that I know God heard, and that I know will be answered in Gods own timing.

Amen. What is done and yet to come, Amen.

Things are quickly coming to an end

Five weeks from today Holly and I will be boarding our plane, headed for home. Our departure date of June 11 gets closer and closer with each passing day. It is hard to believe that our time here is coming to an end.

Yesterday marked the end of our basketball season. We played Don Bosco in the semi-finals of the high school tournament. Our girls were defeated by a large margin. The team we played was the team we beat in the super cup championship last semester. They came fired up, ready to beat us yesterday. The lady Dragons put up a good fight, but Don Bosco played better and they were more determined to win. Although the season is over, the girls have asked us to continue coaching them through the end of the school year. This showed Holly and I that they are committed to the team and want to continue working to get ready for next year. Coaching this team has been a highlight for me this year, and it will be one of the things I miss the most when we leave in June.

The end of the school year is also quickly approaching. Next Friday, May 14, is a national holiday. School will remain closed for the following two weeks for the WAEC Exams. Ricks will be the hosting site for this standardized test. We will host 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th graders from all around the Monrovia area. School will resume on May 31^st for one week before final exams. I only have 9 days left to teach my students before their exams. Where has the year gone? My students and I have worked hard to get all of their quizzes and assignments done before the WAEC break, so that we can just review for the exams and have fun when they return to campus.

I have started making a list of things that I want to do during the two week break. This is a nice opportunity for Holly and I to get to do some last minute things before heading home. A good portion of that will be spent with people that have become a huge part of my life over the last 9 months. Leaving our friends will be the hardest part about returning home. Part of the break will hopefully be spent seeing places that we have yet to see. I have fallen in love with this country, and there is so much beauty to be seen and enjoyed. There are also several things that I want to buy before leaving. These things will be a reminder of the last nine months and the life changing experience that I have had, but they will never be enough to fill the part of me that I will leave here. Hopefully the two weeks will be enough time for us to do all of these things.

I feel like time is something that I so often take for granted, and forget how valuable it is until it is gone. In August I had no idea that May would arrive this quickly. So much has happened, but yet there is so much that I want to see happen. I have been reminded by friends and family of the seeds that I have helped plant here, some of which I have seen grow and others that I may never see grow. The things that I have done and accomplished here are the ones that are easy to talk about. I am excited to get to share about the ways I have seen students and teachers grow during the last nine months. I can’t wait to talk about all of the progress that has been made at Ricks Institute. But then there is this “thing” that I will never be able to fully explain. There is a life change that is hard to share with others, knowing that they cannot even begin to understand. There is a part of me that will always be in Liberia. Something about me has changed and I don’t know that I will ever be able to put that into words. I do know that I will forever be different than I was nine months ago.

Let it RAIN!

Liberia has two seasons- rainy season and dry season. Rainy season is normally June thru October and dry season is typically November thru May. Holly and I arrived in August, smack dab in the middle of rainy season. Over the last 8 ½ months I have come to like and dislike several things about both seasons.

The rain brings bugs, and I mean lots of bugs. Now I have never really been “scared” of bugs, but the bugs here are different than any bug I have seen at home. The spiders are the size of my hand. Large cockroaches fly right in front of your face. There are beetles bigger than golf balls. There are multiple winged bugs that are attracted to the lights around and in our house that range in size. The moths might as well be birds. The praying mantis’s can find comfort on just about any wall or screen. And the ants… they just never ever go away, no matter how much bug spray we use. Normally I would probably be fascinated with these bugs, but during rainy season they think that my home is their home, and that is when I draw the line.

Rainy season also brings cooler weather, and by cool I mean in the low 80’s or on a good day the upper 70’s. This makes for a comfortable nights sleep underneath my sheet. There is also nothing like going to sleep to an African thunderstorm (yes, I am still convinced that the thunderstorms are different here).

Rainy season also endures at least 4 months of abundant, clean water. For some children it even means an easy bath! After experiencing 6 months of dry season, I have a greater appreciation for the rain. It means full wells and water towers, enough water at the pumps for everyone in the community to use and have access to. It also means CLEAN water to drink, bathe, wash, and cook with. Water really is life!

Rain= Mosquitoes., which means MALARIA. Malaria is a harsh reality on the continent of Africa. It is a disease that for some can lead to death. Although malaria is very inexpensive to treat, most families living in poverty do not have access to good medicine or the money to afford it. Fortunately, most of the students at Ricks have access to healthy treatment, but that does not reduce the number of cases. During the course of this school year, 90% of my students have been out with malaria. For some with mild cases, they are back in school after 3 days. Those with more severe cases can be out for weeks at a time. Malaria affects everyone in Liberia, but with money and resources it can be prevented and treated.

Although the rain does not prevent children in Liberia from playing, it does put a damper on outdoor fun and learning. For the first few months of school I kept praying for a day with no rain, so that I could take my class outside. I wanted to be able to escape the dark, concrete classroom and do something active. That day didn’t come until early October, but when it did I welcomed it with open arms.

Holly and I have experienced an entire dry season in Liberia. We made it! The things that I like about dry season are basketball practices and games, beach days, outdoor events, playing with kids, and simply being dry. We survived the African heat and the obnoxious amount of sweat, but bring on the rain. After much time without running water, only one pump on campus with water, and lots of sunburn, we are thankful to be welcoming back rainy season.

A day of LAUGHTER!

Thursday was one of the best days I have had in the last 8 months! I took six of my students to beach for the afternoon. Every period I try to take some of my students in town as a reward for their hard work, grades, attendance, and behavior. This time I decided we would go to Golden Beach and get pizza. Holly took 6 students in her advisory group also. The students were all so excited!

After the elementary tests on Thursday morning, we loaded the van and headed into Monrovia. When we got to the restaurant, we got tables on the sand so that we could see the ocean. After my students ordered their drinks, we headed down to the water. What started as just putting our feet in, turned into getting soaked. We laughed as we jumped over the waves that came crashing into the shore. A few of my students were eager to go in to about knee level and others were scared that the undertow was going to carry them out to sea. It is very common for the children (and adults) here to be scared of the ocean, and some of that fear is because most of them cannot swim. I was determined to help ease their fears, but also keep them safe. Two of my girls held my hands the entire time. The undertow was strong and sometimes we fell when the waves went back out. The girls squeezed my hands so tight and we laughed as we tried to stand back up. Needless to say, by the time our food came out we were soaking wet.

We sat down and enjoyed soft drinks, pizza, and french fries. This was the first time that my students have ever tried pizza. Some of them really liked it, and others not so much. The french fries were a hit! They were gone in about 5 minutes. It was so fun to just watch them eat. Although I used my hands, they all attempted to use their forks and knives, which I thought was so cute. Most of them gave up after the first try, but one of my little girls was determined. She leaned over to me and said, "Look Ms. McInvale! I am an American woman." Our whole table started laughing. She told me and the others that we were Liberians because we were using our hands. It was so much fun to just hang out with them outside of school. These are my favorite times with my students.

After we stuffed ourselves full, they were so eager to go back out and play in the ocean. This time Holly and the older students came too. We walked down by the rocks and took pictures. My students slowly started taking off layers of clothes. Some were down to their underwear. There are still times that I forget how common that is here. I was surprised to watch the older students sit down in the water in their uniforms. They were smart enough to bring a change of clothes, unlike the little ones. Oh well!

I felt like a little girl on Thursday. I didn't care about getting my clothes wet and dirty. We held hands and ran on the sand without a care in the world. It was so peaceful. No one wanted to leave. It was such a great day!

Check out my pictures!

Easter 2010: An Affirmation of Faith

On Easter Sunday we attended Monrovia Christian Fellowship with some of our friends. This church was different then any other church we have been to in Liberia. It was a much larger- close to about 400 people. The service only lasted for a little over 2 hours and included most of the basic elements that I am used to. There was no African music., but instead we sang and heard many contemporary praise and worship songs that are popular in the US. There was even powerpoint! For the first time, Holly and I were not the only white people in church. There were about 20 Americans and Europeans who attended the Easter service. My first impression of this church was similar to what I call a “mega church” in the US. I walked through the doors expecting a new and different experience. In some ways it was and in some ways it was not.

There was a part of me that really missed the little African church that I have become used to in the last eight months. There was also a part of me that liked the little things that reminded me of home. I loved being able to sing songs that I knew and follow along with unfamiliar songs on the screen. I really enjoyed having my own chair and not being super crowded on a wooden bench. I was grateful to have space so that I was not sweating the entire service. I was thankful that they only took up one offering and it only lasted about 5 minutes. It was both weird and amazing to sit in a Liberian church, led by Liberians, and forget that I was in Liberia.

My absolute favorite part of this church and this particular service was the choir and praise team. There are no words to describe African voices singing in unison. Although the songs were American, the voices were definitely Liberian. They sing so loud and so beautifully. Music has always been my favorite element of worship, and experiencing church in Liberia has given that a whole new meaning. I had almost forgotten that it was Easter Sunday, and then the choir sang “My Redeemer Lives.”

I have definitely had my share of “God moments” in the last eight months, but this one was unique. As I sat in my chair, with goose bumps down my spine, I had no doubt that Christ was present in that sanctuary, at Ricks Institute, and in the country of Liberia.

I don’t expect anyone to understand this, but I have felt closer to God in the last eight months than I have in my entire life, and this Easter confirmed that. There is something so special about this place that I am not sure I will ever be able to explain. To be surrounded by people who have experienced poverty to the extreme, absolute destruction caused by war, and real hunger, can sometimes be overwhelming. But to be in a room, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ with them, was life changing. I will always remember Easter Sunday in 2010 as a day that affirmed my faith.

The Ricks Olympics!

For the first time since the war, Ricks Institute hosted 16 schools from across the country to participate in the Ricks Olympics on March 26th and 27th! This two day event consisted of male football (soccer), female kickball, and male and female basketball. The theme for the event was to bring youth together through sports. The students were all encouraged to accept the results of the games and just have fun. They were told that the Olympics is not about winning and losing, but about coming together to support youth development. By doing this, they were all winners! The Ricks campus was packed with over 1,000 students ready to compete. The dorms and guest houses were full, and the excitement was unescapable.

There were two major sponsors that made this event possible. Lonestar Cell contributed close to $15,000 to the repairs of the basketball court and snack shop. They also provided scoreboards and prepared the fields for both football and kickball. Coca Cola set up stations around campus, selling cold soft drinks and water. All of the proceeds went to Ricks Institute. These two companies really played a huge role in the Olympics.

School was cancelled on Friday, and the games began around 10:30 am. The Dragons defeated their opponents in every sport on Friday. The Dragon pride was contagious. Friday night was the Kick-off for the Miss Ricks Beauty Pageant. The auditorium was packed with students excited to see the contestants show off their stuff. After a long day, we were exhausted, but ready for another full day on Saturday.

Unfortunately, Saturday was not as victorious for the Ricks Dragons. The football and kickball teams lost in the semi-finals, but both teams played hard and did well. Our girls lost their first basketball game in the finals of the tournament. We lost to N.E. Gibson, a team that was much taller, bigger, and stronger than ours. Three of our starters had just played in the kickball game minutes before, and needless to say, they were exhausted. The heat was draining and the energy level was low. Our girls played hard at the beginning of the game and were only down by 5 at the half. The second half just kind of went down hill, and our girls just gave up. There were a lot of factors that contributed to our loss, but we were disapointed in the way the girls played. I think the loss was good for our team. The girls needed a motivator to show them that they need to work hard at practice. They all left the game upset by the loss, but I am hoping that they have the determination and drive to improve. N.E. Gibson was a good team and they deserved to win the trophy, but I know that our girls can beat them. I hope that we will have a chance to play them again in the high school tournament.

The highlight of the Olympics was the finals of boys basketball. The Dragons male basketball team has been working very hard for the last month. They were determined to win the Olympics. All of their hard work paid off, and they won the final game by a large margin. The court was packed with spectators, and when the final whistle blew, the Ricks students celebrated with the team. It was a happy moment for the team and for the rest of the school. It was a great way to end such a great weekend. Go Dragons!