6 Days: Countdown to ELWA Part 1

8:30 am   One week from today I will arrive in Monrovia, Liberia!   I don't know if my brain or emotions can wrap around it.....   I had the strangest dream last night----a modgepodge of circumstances and thoughts and places including both the Dallas and Ohare airports merged into one maze-like mall/airport, missing luggage, not being able to get my family to answer their cell phones, Karen Ackley, and a mystery reunion (or was it a wedding?) venue and hotel.  I think I'm excited.    and probably have a little anticipatory anxiety about my trip.....   I'm laughing this morning.....


Today's task:  Packing trial run----gathering all the stuff I think I need to take with me, deciding what I REALLY need to take with me, and deciding what luggage I'm taking!   


9:30 am  Just sent Chris out to do a bunch of errands for me, bless his heart.   I'm wearing a new pair of shoes all day to break them in.  They're one of the very few new items I bought for my trip.  Goodwill and Arc have been my friends during this process.


11:30   Packing is coming along.....condensing everything into the smallest possible bag.  I'll take a break to upload a few more pictures.


More history of ELWA and Liberia....


My family left ELWA/Liberia in 1975 when I was 14 years old.  (Yes, I just turned 50 -- still getting used to that number....)   Here is an arial view of the compound as I remember it.  The big building housed the radio station.  Houses lined the beach road amongst the trees.

In the 1980s and 1990s Liberia suffered a tragic civil war.  Missionaries and were evacuated and ELWA---my little bit of paradise---became home to thousands and thousands of refugees and the site of wartime battles.   Here is some of the destruction....

This is my friend Karen Ackley's house after the war.

Here is the same house now.  As you can see people who care about ELWA and Liberia are repairing, rebuilding, refreshing this very special place.   That's what I'm hoping to participate in----bringing life back to my childhood home.   








......back to packing......






1:15pm   After packing for the tropics, it's strange to look outside and see snow on the peak.......   Heading out to CSEC's final basketball game, then to do a few more errands.     More later.....