It takes time!

I was reminded today, as I suppose I will be everyday in Sierra Leone, that patience is a necessary part of life here. When something needs to be done it seems to take much more time than I think it should. I needed to go "downtown" to get my cell phone reconfigured or something and it took us 3 hours round trip…we spent about 5 minutes at the cell phone storeJ Then we had to drive to the doctor's office twice. The first time he was not in, even though the sign clearly states that he is there from 8am to 8pm. Come back at 2pm they said. So we went back at 2pm to talk to the doctor and then back to the center again. And that was a full day! It takes so much time to go anywhere or do anything. It's going to be difficult for me to get used to accounting for travel time and all the extra time it takes to do anything.

I have many moments throughout the day when I have to remember that it takes time to adjust to a new country and a new culture too. I would compare myself to a young child again. I have to get a ride from someone if I want to go somewhere…no car or driving for me…I carry a huge stack of what seems like play money and it disappears as fast as play money too…I can't communicate with everyone…I understand pieces of what they are saying (which comes in handy when they are talking about meJ…but I am not always understood. I am not sure if it is the loss of independence that is bothering me today or just the reality that it is different here; that adapting to life here will not be as easy as I had thought and that it will just take time!

There is lots of time for relationships here though. It seems that people are always stopping to chat and share with each other. Talking about family and life comes before business and I like that. There is so much community among the staff at the center, they seem to genuinely enjoy working with each other and the children. The woman who we are staying with also works at the center and we have delightful conversations about the children every night when we come to dinner. She loves those children so much! Tonight at dinner one of the older girls from the center called her and asked her hoping that she was coming soon to help them go to bed tonight. These children need more people in their lives just like her…she makes them birthday cakes and makes them feel so special. She truly sacrifices to love them and I feel so blessed to get the opportunity to stay with her and know her better.

Well those are my random thoughts for today….