Monday, June 19, 2006

Getting Busy

We are getting busy. Well, I'm getting busy. Renita was born busy. My class is finishing up this week; I have a final exam to produce. Renita just finished a two day business workshop a few hours away from here. I am still teaching reformed theology for various branches of the "Christian Reformed Church of Liberia." Renita is finishing up this year's home schooling while de facto managing the neighborhood soccer team. She is also halfway through her LEAD business class. I am gearing up for two big events: in July, faculty from Calvin College and Kuyper College in Michigan USA with be visiting MPCHS to figure out how to help us develop a social work program, and in August I am leading a two week, forty hour workshop on counseling and psychosocial skills for reps from about a dozen NGOs around the country. The kids are having a blast. Hannah is out every day chasing and being chased, teasing and being teased, laughing, crying and having the time of her life with the dozens of kids who live here. Noah now has chickens, dogs, pigeons, is hatching lizards and snakes, just released a baby bird he found back into the wild, and is bugging us to get a monkey. Here are a few shots that capture the activity.

The rainy season is upon us. Only half the days are like this at this point. The others are good enough to get out and do stuff...

Practice for the neighborhood soccer team-- they call themselves the "Eleven Dangerous Dwarves." We still don't know why.

While watching soccer practice, Victoria, Odelle and Rachel decide to plait Renita's hair. As you can see, she loves the attention.

The finished product. A work of art, heady to behold. She loved it so much,it stayed in her hair a full half hour.

The Disco Hil Christian Reformed Church. I was asked to do another one of my workshops on Christian theology. I never dreamed I'd be doing this stuff, but I enjoy hanging out with the Salt.

The Church elders. Rev Zar, denominational head of the CRCL, and a good friend, is second from left.

Inside the church, the workshop participants.

After the workshop, we visted the church parish, a lovely village. Here, some of the ladies prepare cassava.

Here are three shots of Renita's trip into the interior, about two hours drive for a two day micro business workshop. The country is hilly and, as you see, very green.

...and here is a shot of the road to the workshop site. Lots of these wooden plank bridges.

This panorama of Renita in action blends three pictures to give you an idea of what the teaching environment in the palaver hut was like. Kinda cool, I think.

One of our neigbors got a monkey, so Noah had to see it. It mostly lays around waiting for its tummy to be rubbed.

Oh, and here is that picture Renita told you about-- Enoch, Chokon and Yers Trooly doin' the "I Love the Generator" dance.