I'm tanner, but I still don't blend in...

Shout out to Kate Fields!
Yo Kate, I think you would like the food here, because it's mainly veggie. Though, you probably wouldn't have what looked like a live crab in my soup the other day. It looked like a belly up crab you'd see on the beach. I was told to each the whole thing, shell and all. I didn't. Also, I had some fish with what look like scales still on it and I got a bone stuck in my throat. It sucked and hurt. I had to eat a lot of rice and water to force it down. Fun.

Hey, you who have been in a class or Bible study with me know I can argue and disagree a lot, remind me not to do that when I'm in a Liberian Bible study... oh wait you aren't here to do that.
Yeah, went to a Bible study that talked about tithing and giving, big things I think about a lot, so I'm this new white boy guest, and I started asking tons of annoying questions and proposing different ideas, and even took the side of some renegade member. I apologized for being disruptive to the associate pastor who lead the study afterwards. He said he enjoyed it and it was ok. Still, I'd rather not be disruptive. I'm probably exaggerating.

I spent most of my time talking with John Harris, the guy who does all the driving for us. He's very old and awesome. He told me about all the fruits in Liberia and how to make them into jams. I also took a stroll with him down some street while he bought some grilled corn and he explained the market system. Sometimes he got to Liberian on me and I couldn't understand what he was saying so I nodded and made a 'I'm-listening-face'. He also gave me the Liberian history and told me about surviving the civil war. I also found out from him that lions and leopards are in the forest of Liberia (so someone tell Tradd it's true I indeed could be eaten by a lion).

Speaking of telling Tradd stuff...
Tell him that I found out that the Blood Diamond stuff happened in the country next door. Sirleon (something like that). And that the president in the movie was based on the bad civil war president of the civil war here. And Liberia indeed does have tons of diamonds, but it's illegal to mine them because they were the fuel for the civil war. So yeah, I'm kind of in the thick of it. The area at least.

I say tell Tradd, because he's not actually read this.

For those are interested in hearing stories when I get back, well I hit 60 pages in my journal today. Also today is the end of my first week here in Liberia. I'm gonna need to get another journal before the end of this trip if I keep up this pace.

I learned a Liberia game that the kids play. It was a lot of fun and I'll teach those who want to learn when I get back. I was playing with little kids like 10 years old, but they were whooping me. They play a lot. Good thing we were on teams. I got super hot and sweaty so I couldn't play too long. But we were playing under the shade of these mango trees, which recieves an awesome breeze. The best breeze in the area I'd say, and I've become quite a learner of breezes.

People, ask me questions so I know some things I can tell you people.
I don't have time to go into full stories, because I'm bad about taking too long to tell a story and I don't got too much time to type too much.

I've been having to go through Romans to come up with questions for this test/trivia thing for the Youth. I don't remember Romans being as crazy as it is... I want to do a study of it with some people when I get back. Remind me.

There were these two professors from California that I met today. They got in last night. Their luggage got lost. That stinks, but the church is doing what they can to help. Poor one guy was sweating buckets, it was crazy. Even though I had a fine conversation with them, they seemed so in the clouds (for lack of better words), that I didn't really feel like I had a moment of American comfort or closeness or anything. Oh well. They're here to teach some ESL classes even though Liberians first language is english, but they are doing to improve it. And one guy is a musician and is going to help english singing musicians in Liberia. But they are both mainly here to study. One the culture and the other music of Africa. I bet they would enjoy my journal haha.
I hope they find more than what they came looking for.

So I've been here for a week, but...

I still hit my head on the door ways because they are only about 5'10" and I'm about 6'1".
I still take forever taking a bucket shower.
I still can't understand them while they talk or sing (I'm getting better).
I still examine my food carefully while eating not. Not because I don't trusted, but just out of curiousity.

I don't introduce myself as Josh anymore, because they have trouble saying that for some reason. So I just say Joshua, which is what most call me anyways. Uncle Joshua is what the kids call me. It's a form of respect like Mister.
I don't wash my hands every second.
I don't reapply deet (bug spray) every other minute. Just at night time now.


OK bye. Send me some love on Facebook. I love love.

- Uncle Joshua