LAMCO Water Tower

At the top of the hill behind ABC is the old Swedish mining company's massive water tower. The tank is 104 feet high (as high as a 12 story building), and held enough water for the company's 25,000 employees and their families. 

Levi and Annabelle were brave enough to follow me (Paul) to the top. The view was spectacular. On one side the abandoned company swimming pool, the other two sides overgrown tennis courts and golf course. Not too far in the distance, just a couple hundred yards is the boarder of Guinea - a French-speaking, former communist, now Muslim mostly country.  

Paul, Levi and Annabelle climbing the 104ft. Tower.

Monkeys in a cage.

Daddy at the top!

Annabelle and Levi on the top.

Looking over the edge!

Bessie's Posse

Bess has found some friends as well. Gracie, Princess, Caroline and "Whatusay" -- yes that is a child's name! And theres another little girl named, "Sayuname." Yes, SAY YOUR NAME!

The gang of girls comes every afternoon to pick up Bess to play. They visit the pigs, play soccer and eventually come back to the house to play "UNO" or cards. 

Bess was sick with a fever for four days immediately after we arrived in Liberia. We did a malaria rapid test before we left Monrovia last Friday, which  was false.  She threw up three times before the ten hour trip to ABC.  Mercifully she slept almost the whole trip from Monrovia to Yekepa. Monday she woke up with no fever and ready to play.  Thank you for your prayers -- everyone is healthy right now!

"Whatusay" is the little boy up front.

The girls after playing cards at our house.

ABC Liberia President

During our first week in Yekepa I've been meeting with the new President of our Liberia campus, Dr Amos Miamen, every morning in his office. Wonderful gentleman who graduated in our very first graduating class in 1983. He later completed his Masters at Wheaton Graduate School, and a few years later received his Doctorate from the University of Northern Illinois in Chicago.

Happy Fourth of July from Liberia

When we awoke this morning Dr. Miamen came over to bring us some fresh "country peas" from the ABC garden and to wish us a "Happy Fourth  of July".  Laytopoe (sounds like little-put) brought me fresh baked rolls as well - perfect for burgers. Annabelle organized a nice picnic lunch to celebrate the Fourth of July.  Cozz came back from the finance office early to mix up burgers.  We celebrated under a cool canopy of trees in the backyard of the house where Paul grew up!

Our Fourth of July picnic.

Cozz made burgers with Laytopoe's buns/rolls. 

We had burgers, fresh coconut, fresh pineapple, pickles, chili, fried cassava chips, butter pear (avocado), fresh limeade with chocolate cake for dessert. 

"Ping-Ping"

24 years ago, the only taxis available in the streets of Liberia were yellow taxi cars. This mode of transportation is still common today, along with thousands of motorcycles that line the roads daily. I haven't ridden one of these since I attended school in Uganda. Motorcycles seem to be that country's most popular form of transportation. And we've noticed that there are definitely more motorcycle taxis in Yekepa than vehicles. We couldn't figure out what the locals were calling these taxis. In Uganda they are referred to as "boda-bodas." Here, they call it a "ping-ping" - after the noise its high pitched horn makes. 

Our family was on our way to "P Market" and decided to hitch our way there on the back of 6 motorcycles. The Liberians we passed on the road laughed and waved as the entourage of 8 "white men" coasted through town. We had a blast. 

Big Mama's Palm Butter

There is a now a brand new little grocery store in Yekepa - the town where ABC is located. It has three aisles but Vanndel is excited, because it also has m&m's.  I'm very glad we did our shopping in Monrovia before driving "up country"!

Look close: the bright yellow and orange cans say, "BIG MAMA'S PALM BUTTER!"

Collard greens and SPAM

We had Liberian food for dinner tonight. On the menu was Paul's favorite collard greens with spam, rice, fried eggplant, corn on the cob, pineapple and bananas.  It was delicious.  For dessert we had a treat made by a friend -- peanut brittle.  The bananas, pineapple, corn, eggplant and rice were given to us as a gift from Dr Amos Miamen who is the President of the college, and his staff. All of the produce came from ABC's farming project just across the river from the college..

Homemade Liberian Peanut brittle.  Yum.