Week 2 in Liberia

Well, the past week has been packed!! We have been struggling to get used to our new surroundings and make the needed adjustments to life on a ship and to life in west Africa. It has not been an easy week by any stretch of the imagination. It's hard not to just dive into work, but I'm finding that there are so many difficult adjustments to make for our whole family that just doing that takes most of my available mental energy. Jenny is already working regular days for the most part. I am spending most of my time with the kids and that is a lot of work as we have not really been truely together as a family much over the past three months as we were preparing to come here. We are re-learning how to be together and also how to function in this very different and unusual environment. I have been working on learning the ropes with my job as a part-time photographer for the ship and have covered a couple of public relations events so far. I don't expect to really be able to do much more than offer a little relief to the other photographers on the ship as they are constantly in motion. Perhaps as we get more comfortable here I can take on a little more work. I have to remember, though, that there is always far more to do here than can be done, so everyone just has to do the best they can not to push beyond what they can handle. As soon as I get over the shock of all of these changes, I will be on a quest for balance. I guess I feel rather like a juggler on a tight rope right now who is brand new to the whole thing. I know it can be done and it will be pretty cool when I'm practiced enough to shine.

Below are some photos I have made this week of the ship in the evening, the neighboring dock, ladies dancing in celebration in the hallway outside the VVF ward on the ship as a group of VVF patients were preparing to go home after surgery, and a boy on the ward with stickers on his face.

Love to All,

John