Goodbye Foya, Hello Ghana
Trip Start
Jun 28, 2007
1
8
10
Trip End
Nov 16, 2007
Foya, Liberia
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Well, this is my last night in Foya. Then tomorrow I head to Monrovia for a couple days and leave for Ghana on the 9th for a little R&R and then off to Bopalu for the remainder of my time in Liberia.
I've really enjoyed my time here. The people I've worked with have been great and the villages where I've worked have shown me great hospitality. It's been an amazing experience working where people are starting to put their homes and lives back together after a long and painful civil war. It must be nice for them to finally come home after years of living in a refugee camp or an internally displaced persons camp (IDP), even if there isn't much left. And how much better it must be for them to come home and find organizations like SP that are there wanting to help them put things back together. I've been very impressed with this organization and what they are able to accomplish and with the efficiency and quality that is put forth in their work. I don't want to talk negatively about the other NGOs working in the area, but I will say that SP stands above the rest, by far.
My time in Foya has been spent constructing and installing filters in one village and then moving on to another. I've put in my two cents here and there and have tried to help Ben out with logistical problems and make the operation run a little more smoothly. The work hasn't been too hard or stressful, and I can't say it was exactly what I was expecting or hoping my internship to be like, but I've been learning a lot about international relief and development and NGO work. Nights and weekends are pretty laid back and there's not much to do except read, play cards, and hike up mountains. I've gotten pretty accustomed to cooking on coal stove pots and taking showers with buckets which I'll get to continue in Bopalu (goody, goody for me). Also, the morning devotions with the staff has been one of the favorite parts of my days.
So, that in short, sums up my couple months experience in Foya. Any questions are greatly welcomed. Enjoy all the pictures as well (just random pics taken during my two months in Foya in no particular order). I'll be sure to let everyone know how Ghana works out.
Here we go!! Get excited, it's Tomlin time baby!!
Comments
Good to hear from you.
Hi Jordon,
Nice hearing from you and glad that things are going well. I gathered from your comments that the work you have done to this point is not as technical as you expected, will the work be different at your next destination? Things here are the same moving in to the fall routine. Emily is in her third week of school and started into her core classes which she says are going to be difficult and Sydnee started 7th grade last week and so far she thinks this is going to be a really fun year. She made the cheer leading squad which I think has something to do with it. We are starting Wednesday Night Live tonight and you may have heard that Konnect has moved to Sunday nights and KAOS is still on Wednesdays to try and give both groups more space. I am no longer a leader for KAOS I was asked by Frank Battista to become a middle school leader for YFC in South Park which I am really enjoying especially since I can have some direct impact, hopefully, in my own community and the kids are really fun. PG is has recently started a new sermon study series on 1 Timothy which has been very convicting with Paul talking about our Christian walk and commitment. It's causing me to take a closer look at where my walk is currently which is a good thing. Well enjoy your R&R trip and I look forward to hearing about your new work location. God Bless you and thanks for staying in touch you're in my and Kelly's prayers. By the way the Steelers regular season starts this weekend and they play Cleveland in Cleveland if you want to taunt any of your Cleveland freinds from college. Take care.
Earl
Hi Stranger
Hey Jordan,
I finally got your blog information from Earl Elder. So how are you doing ? I CAN'T believe you ate a frog ! You don't eat beans, how can you eat a frog !!
You look good...happy, healthy, etc. Is the job end of Liberia going well ?
Summer flew by really fast, so we're back to routine.
Send me an e-mail sometime at pknic6@yahoo.com
I'll write more later. I'm home from work for just a few minutes.
Keep in touch, stay safe and well.
Prayin' for ya'
Karen (Nicholson, of course)
Very nice to see Foya on net