After four flights, my arrival into Liberia was complete. Going through customs was no problem, however, retrieving my luggage from the carousel was something that I might compare to being on the NYSE floor (because I know what that is like). The room was overcrowded, people were shouting and airport workers were taking off random pieces of luggage. Trying to remain calm (but perspiring like mad), I made my way to a clearer area where I was able to retrieve my luggage and move to the next step of finding my ride.
Outside of the airport a lot of people were waiting for others to be picked up. It gets dark in Liberia around 7 PM, and since my flight got in at 7:20, my chances of recognizing anyone were narrowed. A man with a megaphone approached me and asked me where my final destination was. I told him Phebe Hospital, and he began shouting PHEBE HOSPITAL from his megaphone. Immediately, I found the people who were there to pick me up!
That night, we stayed at the Luther Church in Liberia’s compound located in Monrovia. For breakfast, we ate a nice hotel (electricity and water anytime of the day). A Danish missionary showed up there as and since the people I was eating with knew him, he joined us as well. I related to him how Grand View’s roots are Danish Lutheran and we talked about the difference between happy and sad Danes. It almost felt like being at church on a Sunday back home.
Speaking of back home, Liberians sometimes remind me of people from the Midwest—hard working people who like to laugh.
