Founder Andy Perkins with kids and staff at the BESTWA center in Buchanan, Liberia
Photo credit: Bestwa.org

As you might imagine, we’re not visiting some resort in Italy or Greece, which would be simple, but the relief center in Liberia. This area has no grid (but they have a generator), no clean water supply (we’ll bring our own bottled water), and virtually no doctors or medical supplies in case of illness or accident. I expect to find only two things in abundant supply:

1) Kind, friendly people
2) Disease-carrying mosquitos

As I filled out paperwork and shopped for my gear and supplies, I discovered several previously unknown superpowers:

Proofreading for only one type of information. When we got our group itinerary, I checked to make sure all four of my names were listed (First, middle, maiden, surname). Then scanned to make sure I had a seat assignment and baggage allowance on every flight. However, I failed to notice my middle name was misspelled. After all, it only appeared in the itinerary, like, FIFTY TIMES.

Taking lousy passport/visa photos. Having someone stand patiently in front of me with a camera makes me overthink my facial expression, which brings out that deer-in-the-headlights look. I much prefer hit-and-run candid shots. On the bright side, I figure by the time we complete two 8-9-hour flights and reach the airport in Monrovia, I’ll actually look like that.

Hmmm…. now that I think about it, taking lousy photos is nothing new. I guess we just confirmed it as a superpower.

IRP–or, Insect Repellent Perfectionism. I wasted untold hours in stores’ camping aisles, pondering % DEET vs. size of bottle/can vs. type of lid.

I may make fun of myself, but I’m honestly excited about the opportunity to visit the center and write up some of its history.

And hug children. 😀

So, wish me bon voyage. When I return, I’ll report on our work there.

Meanwhile, you can pray for us if you’re so inclined. Candi, our assistant Director, is assembling a prayer team. The idea is that every hour, someone somewhere will stop for a moment and pray for our safety and effectiveness.

You can sign up by emailing Candi here. For more information, visit the BESTWA website (link at top of story) OR click here to visit BESTWA on Facebook.

Thanks for reading… and praying…
Jan