Reality vs Expectations

This has been quite a year and it is humorous how much things can change to make it such a sad goodbye. I came with a lot of expectations of my time in Liberia and with Mercy Ships. Some were unreasonably high and I can not blame Mercy Ships for failing to meet them. Some were reasonable but were still failed by the organization and/ or the community on board the Africa Mercy. Then there were things that I did not expect and they have made this year memorable.

I did not expect to fall in love with the crew and community here. I guessed I would make friends and even enjoy my time here but I never expected to meet so many amazing people and families here. This international detail adds character and, while it sometimes added challenges, it usually was wonderful. I have met so many people from around the globe and have increased my list of "countries to visit" ridiculously. I have learned that people really are the same no matter where they come from. I am convinced that Dutchies (people from the Netherlands) are the European cousins of Americans because they are so opinionated, sassy, loud and funny.

I did not expect to enjoy the families so much...even if it had to develop over time. One of the hardest things to get use to was the fact that living in community means sharing the lives of others...ALL THE TIME! It would be like moving into your neighbor's house and seeing the good, the bad and the ugly (and often having no escape and always having no choice). You are in a family's kitchen as they eat their meals, watching the kids throw temper tantrums, hissy fits and everything else. Sometimes, especially at breakfast on a Saturday morning, I would just want to ask the kids to please be quiet (some of us are actually trying to hear each other). Or in community meetings when I would actually want to listen to the speaker but the kid two rows over wants to talk...then he wants to skip down the aisle...then he wants to sing a song (you get the idea).

Living in community also lets you watch the children learn and grow. You see every milestone: crawling, walking, talking. It is so beautiful to look at the kids and be able to say "I remember when you couldn't do...". And being here for a year made me a part of the family because I become part of the community. So we practice a lot of grace in the petri dish that we live in and call community. We singles have to remember that most families do not have to raise and disciple their kids in front of other people and can escape the store or playground when their child throws the temper tantrum. It is a world that I do not know if I could live in as a family. The kids play on a concrete dock - they do not have grass to roll in or trees to climb. They really do not have anything to climb and the open decks are very limited in size. The children of crew sacrifice in different but equal ways.

As someone who is not fond of hospitals, I did not expect to fall in love with so many of the patients. I will miss being able to visit B Ward. One of my last evenings involved me going down for a quick visit to play with Prince and Kossi. Prince was sleepy and wanted me to hold him. As I played cars with Kossi he fell asleep in my lap. It was wonderful! As he lay there I kept thinking "I will miss this'. Where at home can you walk onto the ward, have the kids run down the hall once they see you, and play until they fall asleep? I even chastised the nurses who walked past and wanted to know if the boys would like to go back to their beds to watch the movie Annie. It was a sweet chastise, simply to remind them that I would only be able to snuggle very soon (and the kids have probably seen Annie at least 10 times). I think they understood...that is what being in community is about!