February 16th, Monday

We finally made it to Liberia!!! And it finally caught up with me...today/yesterday...I can't keep track. I don't know what the time is, what the day is! This is crazy. I remember wanting to just cry on the plane cause I was so tired yet couldn't sleep, hadn't showered for 2 days and was sick of airplane food! We arrived in Monrovia today. There's just something about this place that puts a smile on my face! Everyone tells you, "you're welcome!" WE had no problems going through customs! Walked right through (ALL OF US! Got back to the ELWA and TOOK A SHOWER!!! It was cold but felt so good! We loaded back up in the cars and went to church to meet everyone. It was dark and I remember driving for ever adn all of a sudden hearing loud music and people singing. It was a mob of people! They were running next to our vans, beating drums, saying "Yahwey!" and "Welcome". They were singing and dancing and grabbing our hands as we drove by, I felt like a super star or something, but they were al praising God for sending us to them! (HOW HUMBLING!) I remember shaking people's hands and hugging them and all of a sudden feeling little tiny hands in mine. I looked down and was instantly captivated by their smile sand I couldn't help but think of our little ones when looking at them. How I long to meet them and see them! I love the children in Liberia, there's something about them that is intoxicating. They are so lovable and you just want to squeeze them all! ELWA is where we are staying. We have a guard who watches over our house 24/7 and it is a gated cummunity right on the ocean. It is nice, but if it was back in the States there's no way you would stay there...there are better options back home. But for Liberia it's a Hilton! Our shower is a trickle of cold water and we have AC, lots of bugs but not many mosquitos! They come out in the rainy seasson and lucky for us it's not the rainy season :) Matt got attacked by a sea urchin...Leave it to him, the first 1/2 hour here and he's already injured...THAT'S THE COWBOY WAY! I think I'm gonna fall in love with this place!!!