Choices

This post is a bit of personal reflection.
Right now it's not clear to me how our time here in Liberia will pan out. Obviously, it depends to a large extent on how we choose to spend our days, get involved, and interact.

Already, choices we've made over the last few months are having radical impacts on our life - for starters, the choice to come here at all.
Also our choice of accommodation, the kids' school, and for me personally, the work I'm getting engaged in (I've just been asked to help out teaching the Grade 3 class at the children's school).
Come to think of it we've had to make more important, life-shaping choices in the last few months than we've ever had to do in a short time - I guess that comes with the territory of relocating. We've also had to make them based on very little prior information.

We may still need to make a few more big decisions (perhaps moving to another house, and for how long I should commit to teaching), and then there are all the little choices to be made every day. They really multiply when you are without an established routine and way of life!

The trick I suppose is to keep on choosing to make the best of every situation, even when it's a difficult one, or the not-quite-intended outcome of an earlier choice. And to stay grateful about having choices, in the first place, as most of the people around us have precious few.

At dawn

Early this morning, at the time when the sky becomes grey before dawn, I was sitting at my computer when I heard a man shouting in the street.
An order? a warning?
I've always felt totally safe here but when you are in a country that recently saw violent conflict, the sound of men shouting in dark streets can be scary.
More shouts, and the sound of feet running.
I opened the curtain...
In the soft rain, I could see a bunch of good-looking blokes in sports gear running up towards Benson Street (a favourite fitness-run route in central Monrovia). They shouted encouragements at each other.
Peace is a beautiful thing.