New life in Liberia

So three weeks ago we began our journey to start our new life in Monrovia, Liberia. 

We left the UK on 15th August and we met another MAF family,who are also serving in Liberia, in Amsterdam, and took our last flight together here to Monrovia and now we are neighbours. They have been amazing helping us to settle in giving advice showing us around, along with the other MAF family that is here. We feel very welcomed. The kids are all enjoying playing together too- 10 children in total. 

Zack and Esther are now approaching the end of their third week at their school, AISM, (American International School of Monrovia), about 9km from home. It has been a rocky road as they try to adapt to a bigger secular school with different classes and teachers, making new friends and being at school for lunch and the afternoon. Yesterday was our first good day for both of them and we are thankful for many people here showing them grace and patience as they transition. There is a school tuck shop, a totally new concept for them, and they get so much to spend each week and they love choosing what snacks they want. It has been fun to see them so excited about that. 

Andrew is in the office learning how things work for MAF Liberia and supporting the pilot. He went for a flight a couple of weeks ago but with flights in high demand, and a waiting list, there often isn’t space for him to go to gain experience here. That will come! He heads off to Uganda on Sunday for some training and is looking forward to flying again. When he returns he will have a check out flight here at the end of September and then should be ready to go! He is looking forward to serving here at a pilot.

Monrovia has proved very wet!!!!! Some days it literally rains all day and all night! We make the most of it when the rain stops and head out to the beach. We are blessed to live on a compound, more like a private road with expats serving with Samaritans Purse and SIM and Liberians with a Liberian school here and a hospital-praise God we haven’t needed that yet except for when I donated blood for an expectant Mum. The compound has one side on the beach and we can see and hear the sea from the house making it about a three min walk to the sea! We brought body boards with us so the kids, and Andrew and I, enjoy those when weather and free time coincide. 

I attended a ladies bible study which will meet every Thursday morning and was it was a joy to meet with other Christian ladies. The mission community here is a lot more spread out over the city than Chad. 

We have started employing a house help, called Esther also. She needs a lot of instruction and although we both speak English, we find it hard to understand each other’s accent. Jacob and her seem to get in very well and she has a lovely serving heart.

Many of you know I didn’t like the driving in Chad. Here I still don’t like it as the police do lots of checks and ask for bribes, but it is more organised and generally less random than Chad, with fewer motorbikes,(as they aren’t allowed on the main roads), but more traffic.  It can take us anything from 20 mins to an hour to get to school. Andrew leaves at work at 6am to avoid the traffic too.......

Shopping here is more straightforward too. There is lots of choice for things, except for fruit and veg,and a few supermarkets to choose from but prices are very expensive. We have seen products shipped in from the UK with British pound amount on but they are sold here for two or three times that amount. Jacob has a real liking for Liberian donuts! We went with friends after attending a Liberian church on Sunday to a coffee shop with wonderful choice of donuts. The kids were very happy.

We have attending a couple of churches. A big one in the city but it is very loud but the teaching has been good. And it is lovely to understand an African church service! Also we have been to a smaller church, more like a house church, so there are options.

Thank you so much for you support and prayers. We have lots to be thankful for as we settle into life in Liberia and pray that God will use us here as he chooses and no doubt in ways we don’t expect. 

Praise and prayer points :

For the MAF team here serving so hard and yet finding time to welcome us so warmly and helping us settle in Liberia. 

Pray we find the right church for us as a family. 

Thankful for good schooling for Zack and Esther. Pray for them as they continue to transition to their school work and building friendships, and they can be a good witness. 

Pray for Andrew as he travels to Uganda on Sunday and for the three flight tests he has next week. 

We are thankful to be able to use a MAF car until we find one of our own. Pray we will find the right car for us.

Thankful for being able to enjoy  time with Jacob and for the ladies bible study that meets weekly. 

Praise God for good family time at the beach. 

God bless 

Andrew, Hannah, Zack, Esther and Jacob