The Liberian life

Hi.

So here is an update of the Mumfords life in  Liberia.

We have been here over two months now and are slowly getting settled. We are getting used to the culture- the accents and understanding how things work. I love it when Liberians  want a little bit of something or it is going to rain just a bit , they say ‘small small!’.  I even hear myself saying ‘small small’ when I want just a bit of milk in my coffee for example or to try a bit of food. 

Andrew is enjoying the flying and getting used to the differences here in terms of the operations compared to Chad. He finds him self hand writing many tickets at small airstrips for for next sector that day or taking their flight money. He is getting good at guessing baggage weights when he hasn’t got scales available  at remote airstrips and telling passengers they have way too much luggage weight and need to leave things behind, along with telling other passengers the flight is full and they can be on standby next time- and then remembering and writing down heir names to pass on when he is back at the office....... all of this has been done most often whilst standing in the pouring rain! And when it rains it rains..... not much of the glamorous pilot life here..the flights are so full and booked up it is wonderful to think that Maf have only been flying here for a few years and the need is so great. They are looking into expanding flying in to Sierra Leone and Guinea from here in Liberia so that is very exciting. We are blessed to be given the opportunity to serve here. 

So apart from it being wet here so far, and we are approaching the dry season apparently for the next six months ish, it is very hot and humid. By 7in the morning the house is at 29 degrees and 70percent humidity. But we are blessed to open the windows and doors and get the breeze from the sea- as well as hearing the waves and seeing them. 

We now have a car which is great and the traffic here is busy busy busy! It makes us realise how built up Liberia is compared to Chad. To get to school in  morning it takes us an hour just to go 8km..... Andrew tells the kids it would be quicker to walk but they aren’t so keen to try that out! The men for the airport  leave home at 6ambecause of the traffic otherwise it can take 1.5hours to get about 12km and a bit of a waste of time. For those that know Andrew well early mornings and him aren’t such a good mix but Chad prepared him well and  he is managing to get out of the house on time! The kids are slowly settling into the American International school and finding a whole new world for themselves in computers and different teachers for different subjects in different classrooms and the need to be organised! Not to mention homework..... and lots of it. Remember them in your prayers please, especially Zack , as they adapt to a very different environment and life.

We have a wonderful house help a few days a week who works for us called Fanny. She loves Jacob and he her, and is great round the house. She also cooks Liberian food for us once a week- palm oil sauce, potatoe greens with chicken, pumpkin sauce to name just a few. We are enjoying experiencing these Liberian traditional dishes.

Jacob remains at home with me but we have started to look for pre school for him. There isn’t much around and the only real  option is near the airport so travel time for me taking him and picking him up , around the other twos school would be long. Please pray for this decision for him and other factors we have to consider about him going to pre school. 

Zack and Andrew have started surfing lessons- before we even knew that  there was a vacancy in Liberia and God would call us here, God was preparing Andrews heart as Andrew said to me one day ‘wouldn’t Liberia be a good country for us as we know nothing about it but we could learn to surf!’ Andrew and Zack head off on public transport(which Andrew is very good at getting now as he uses it to run errands from the office into town) which is called a k-k here ( perhaps you know them as a tuc-tuc or rickshaw) and they go to a beach avkut 6km down the road with a restaurant and sun loungers on the beach and have their lessons- I believe they also sample a plate of chips and some coke too! 

The mission community is more spread out, smaller and we feel harder to get to know people here. Please pray for us as we make friends, especially for  the children. I attend a ladies bible study once a week and this is a blessing to get together with other Christian ladies and study the bible and pray together and share life in Liberia. 

Thank you for remembering us in your prayers. We have many things to be thankful for as we continue to settle into life in Liberia and serve God in our work here. What a privilege.

Blessings,

Andrée, Hannah, Zack, Esther and Jacob.