After shopping for chocolate at the Brussels airport, we left in the wee hours (4 am Eastern) and arrived in Newark shortly after Noon yesterday. We made it through customs with relative ease, collected our luggage, rechecked it, went through security and enjoyed a lovely meal together as a team before our departure for home. It had been over 30 hours since any of us really slept and we were quite punchy while we waited! Finally, after a gate change and a trek to the other end of the terminal, we boarded our final leg of the journey and landed in Cleveland around 7:00 last night.

At home I savored each moment of a long hot shower and enjoyed another one (just because!) before church this morning. It was great to be back leading worship with my congregation today and I even solicited (with some gentle nudging) some hearty Liberian-style “Amens!”

I am surprisingly not too tired today, though I know that jet lag will surely hit on Wednesday when the high temperature here at home is to be -3 F! I guess I’ll just have to succumb to it that day and snuggle under the covers in the warmth of my house!

The temperature difference between here and Liberia is stark. Though I am not sure it was completely accurate, as we were riding to the Monrovia airport on Friday, the electronic temperature gauge in the car said the outside temp was 107! It was definitely hot there!

In the days ahead I will write more about my experiences, but for now, here are some more of my favorite pictures.

Until next time, peace …

Enjoying the moment with some of the junior high Girls of Promise from the public school

My buddy Charles who stole my heart and my lap on a regular basis!

Roselyn, the Girl of Promise sponsored by the Women’s Fellowship at my church

Blowing bubbles with the kids outside the guest house

More bubble fun!

Singing songs at recess with some of the children at St John’s UMC School