The kitchen side of our house with our new used Pathfinder.

The back of the house. Beyond the house is the ocean, about a third of a mile away.

A view from the front yard. Kids not included.

A not too unusual scene as I peeked my head out the door yesterday. Somewhere in there is my wife.

Ventura doing a number on Hannah's head.

Hannah in her bedroom, peeking from behind the bug net. Not really too many flying bugs, but nobody likes a cockroach climbing across one's legs, especially if it is being pursued by a lizard, which is being chased by a vole.

Renita with her "Is this shot necessary?" look.

Bob and Lionel stringing the solar security lights. Generator shed in background.

A view of our kitchen. Renita and Hannah working on baking a birthday cake over a coal pot.

Is this guy good looking or what?

A Few Images

Hey folks,

That last post was some kind of Blogger error-- not ours of course, so we deleted it. If it doesn't look like it is fron us, its not. Now that we have some internet access, I'll try to send pics every time. There are so many great shots; these are just intoductory.

We were saddened to hear of the death of Steve King. The Kings mean so much to many Liberians. Our prayers and love go out to Judy.

We are still getting settled, but much has happened to make us feel more at home. We even got a dog yesterday. I begin my job tomorrow. Will write much more soon-- enjoy the pics.

Bob and the Reed Fam

Our house, in the middle of Liberia. Noah and Lionel on the porch.

Bob makes pancakes on the coal pot.

That's right. Hannah. Laundry.

Father and son calculate the risks of a gray Atlantic.

View of raindrops from our porch.

Now that's a front yard!

The rainy season at Thinkers Village. View from our front porch. Deacon Reeves house next door.

This is how our furniture got delivered.

The Reeds in Mom and Dad's bed just before Dad's laptop bit the dust.

Hannah doing some porch reading.

This I think is my favorite shot so far. A group of kids from the orphanage leading Noah along a sand cliff by the ocean.

Getting Settled

Hey Gang,

At the internet café again, hopefully with images very soon. It has been an active week. We live about 20 minutes to the south and east of Monrovia, along the coast. Each day I’ve had to be driven (or “be carried” as they say here) into the city. One trip into Monrovia is an entire day affair, and only about three things can be accomplished before the body and soul needs a break from the haggling, jostling, begging, waiting, returning, shouting and sweating that occurs there.
We must go however, because the city has what we need to accomplish our first major task here: to get settled.

Getting settled means, among other things, and roughly in chronological order: killing very large cockroaches and spiders, unpacking, learning to use the toilets and showers (no running water), purchasing basic food supplies, buying a drill, a safe, and hardware, attempting to get online, installing some security alarms, hanging bed netting, hauling water from the well to the barrels in the house (every day) selecting phones, changing phone servers, returning phones for replacement parts, ordering iron bars for doors, shopping for a car, attempting to get online, purchasing furniture, cleaning fire ants out of furniture, haggling for best prices on cars, catching a lizard in our bedroom, going to Western Union downtown to get wired money for car, being turned away because money is in Renita’s name, driving back with family to get money for car, purchasing car, backing car into tree, learning the hard way what the wrong voltage can do to a laptop, catching a lizard in Hannah’s bedroom, getting title to car, registering car, getting car insurance, hunting down the vole in Hannah's room (a vole is like a large mouse with long nose), reporting to US Embassy, getting letters of employment from MPCHS, and registering with Liberian Immigration.

Now, lest you think we find settling in overwhelming or too great a burden, I assure you it is not. We remain in good humor. Our life at home is more peaceful with every passing day. We live close to the beach, and our neighbors seem to like us. Our evenings are quiet and there is play and laughter throughout the day, every day. Look for images of life in Liberia very soon.

Don't Touch that Mouse Button

Hey folks, just a quik update: my laptop is toast and we are still trying to get up and running. We can do posts, but still no reliable way to get pics on the blog yet. We are working out the high tech gremlins.

Things are well. We have a 4wd vehicle and phones. Will post more very soon. We miss you, but are doing very well. Can do without the foo-foo though.

The Reeds in Liberia

Ok Peoples, we have arrived. Got here Sunday night, with seven out of eight pieces of checked luggage. We are adjusting, and every day is a little better. Rains every day, have yet to see the sun. Learned to cook on a coal pot. We'll buy a car soon. Phones just arrived today. We'll call somebody and get you the numbers. Within a few days I hope to get you a full report. Its already been quite the adventure.

Teaser: saved an orphan girl named Naomi from drowning in a very high Atlantic surf Tuesday, almost went down myself. Noah had visions of his father being swept away.

Renita looking great beside an unruly Atlantic.

A Day in Brussels

We spent our Saturday sleeping in, then exploring a marvelous and fascinating city. It would be great to come back.

Sunday we continue our journey, leaving at noon Brussels time and arriving in Liberia nine hours later at 7:15pm, Liberia time which os also 7:15 GMT. That would be 3:15 DST.

Hopefully, we'll find the net soon, but not sure when. Look for updates. See you in Africa.

Brussels-- just a couple miles from our hotel.

The exploring begins.

City Hall.

Everywhere there was this great architecture.

Everywhere.

This was in a courtyard. City Hall I believe.

More of Brussels.

It was all great.

Dad shoots daughter on Brussels train.

Bob shoots wife and son.

Noah shoots his dad.

Eating-- what else in Belgium-- waffles.

JFK to Brussels-- A Better Second Leg

The delay doomed our itinerary. After a seven hour flight, we missed our connecting flight to Monrovia by about 40 minutes. Actually, we could've boarded the Liberia flight, but our 700 lbs of luggage would be on its own until Sunday-- unacceptable. The possiblity for losing our luggage in transit or at the Monrovia Roberts Field Airport, and the spectre of hassling forever with American Airlines and SN Brussels on poor phone connections was too great.

We told SN Brussels to fly away without us and we stayed with our luggage. The second leg in our journey had suffered a compound fracture.

Fortunately, we happen to know this Physician.

After an attempt to do a slight-of-hand which Renita caught and set straight, American Airlines took responsibility for the coffee maker glitch and offered to put us up in a nice Brussels hotel with new tickets to the next flight to Monrovia, Liberia-- two days hence. Suddenly, I was smelling a blessing. Instead of arriving in Liberia with no luggage, exhausted after being on two planes for twenty solid hours, we would be taking two evenings and a full day to rest, recover, refresh, in Belgium-- free. So, we'll take a couple days in this grand city before we leave for Liberia on Sunday morning. What a nice surprise gift from this Physician Guy. He told us, "What's the rush? You're in a great city. Enjoy! I insist!"

Saturday, we explore Brussels.

Hmmm... a three hour delay, and our lay over in Brussels is three hours. I think we are in for a pleasant weekend in Belgium.

Noah snaps a shot at a tired Hannah from over his seat behind her. At this point, we've been in this plane eight hours with three to go, and only four of those hours were in the air.

GR to NYC

The first leg of our journey was smooth, but navigating NYC was a bit taxing. We landed in LaGuardia, but would fly out of JFK across town. No problem, we had a ten hour layover. We rented a van, loaded up our fourteen pieces of luggage, and headed into NYC to see Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty. Traffic was normal for NYC, but it was all new to me. After getting lost more than once, we made it into Manhattan and saw the sights, had lunch, and headed to JFK for the second leg of our trip.

After an emotional day that started early, and included major goodbyes, cross country travel, NYC driving and three airports, we were a bit tired by the time we got to JFK. We boarded on time, and waited an hour due to heavy traffic. We were watching the clock, because we had only a three hour layover in Brussels, and really only a two hour layover for our baggage, which needs that time to be checked from one plane to another. As we finally prepared to take off-- I mean we had taxied to our take-off point on the runway--the captain informed us in his Capatainy way, "... Ah folks, ah, we have some bad news for ya there..." They had discovered an ominous leak of water coming from somewhere. So we headed back to the terminal for our second hour in the plane to learn the source of the trouble: a leaky coffee maker (Oh NO!). Of course, this instrument must be repaired, so after hour three, we were again ready for take-off. We suspected that unless God really wanted us in Liberia on Friday, we were not making the connecting flight to Monrovia. What was on His Mind?

4:30am Goodbye neighborhood! Goodbye old house!

TSA really rushed and hassled us at Grand Rapids Intnl. Renita got flagged and everything was searched. Her family could only watch from a distance. She couldn't say her goodbyes!

The journey begins. On the ground in Grand Rapids-- Renita sad especially because in the rush and craziness at Grand Rapids, she did not get to say goodbye to sister Janette, who has been such a pillar for her. The rest of us are oblivious and geeked.

During our ten hour layover bwteen Laguardia and JFK, we hang out in NYC. Lady Liberty has our back.

Waiting for our ill-fated flight to Brussels. We thought the next day would lead to Africa. Little did we know that a leaky coffee pot would lead to eleven hours in the plane and two extra days in Belguim.

Flight Info

Thursday July 21
Departing Grand Rapids/Ford International (GRR)
American Airlines #4922, 6:35 am
Arriving New York City/LaGuardia International (LGA)
8:36am

Departing New York City/Kennedy International (JFK)
American Airlines #0172 6:35pm
Arriving Brussels, Belgium/Brussels National (BRU)
7:55am (local time, 1:55am DST)

Friday July 22
Departing Brussels Belgium/Brussels National (BRU)
SN Brussels Airlines # 0235 10:35am
Arriving Monrovia Liberia/ Roberts International (ROB)
5:50pm (local time, 1:50pm DST)

Luggage Juggle

Ok folks, time to get moving. We are packed up, and as I type, we have 14 hours before our flight. The house is empty, the bags are gone, and for the next few hours we'll be unable to send any pics because we won't have internet access. By tomorrow, we should be able to reconnect at JFK and give you an update. See you in a few!

Headin' out...

Renita and Janette trying to figure out which bag has the alarm going off.

Our worldly possesions reduced to 700lbs in eight suitcases.

Janette and Renita begin the relay.

Brother-in-law Dale and Bob hauling like the beasts of burden they are.

Noah lends a hand to Uncle Dale with a 70lb bag.

Just about... DONE!

Saying Goodbye, part two

We saying our final farewells, and it is getting to us. The emotional cost of leaving is becoming greater than we anticipated, and the price goes higher with each hug. Each of us is parting with best friends and so many lovely people; we are each grieving individually and as a family. Renita and I look into the eyes of the dearest people in our lives-- wondering who we will see again and who we won't, wondering if we haven't lost our minds-- and we are suddenly ambivalent. We eagerly desire to leave, to get started, get set up in our new home in Africa, and at the same moment we find ourselves wishing, wishing, oh, couldn't we stick around just a little longer? Could we not linger a while and savour the place and the people so dear-- just to make sure they are real? Like Noah, who asks with pained urgency if he can stay overnight at Matt, Sam and Ben's "just one more night," I find myself for the first time resisting the coming unknown, and for the first time, wanting to hold the familiar. I find myself not wanting to say goodbye.

In the midst of it, there are orientation meetings, planning groups, errands, loose ends, emergencies, and the ever-present awareness that there are some things that just won't get done. The following are images of our last few days in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, Developed World.

Saying farewell to my mentor and our dear friends Warren and Joanne. They stood by me through a lot, and remain champions on behalf of the Reeds.

A few of the folks gathered for our farewell. Thanks Norm and Mary!