Our Life in Liberia

Are we are eating well?  Well, yes we are!  Today was a good day at the store.  There were good oranges, apples, peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, and carrots.  That's not always the case.  The apples cost $4.95/lb - the oranges were $3.24/lb - the red pepper was $4.95/lb.  Before we can eat them, we have to soak them in bleach water.  We also wash our dishes in bleach water.  We've been wondering just how much bleach we have actually ingested since we got here.  The silver cylinders are our 3-filter system for drinking water which we are grateful for.  Food is expensive - a box of cereal is about $8, a package of Oreos is almost $9.  You can find almost everything you need if you're willing to pay the price.  No fresh milk.  The milk is the kind you can keep on the shelf and don't have to refrigerate.  I've found if you put a little chocolate in it, doesn't taste too bad!  We're in search of a good loaf of bread.  Haven't found one yet.  

Here's our apartment building.  The Pink Palace!  We live in this guarded, gated compound with 2 other Senior Missionary Couples, both with the last name of Miles.  Two brothers and their wives are serving here.  One Miles couple are Humanitarian Missionaries and the other are the Office Couple.  Our apartment has 3 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths, a front room, dining room, and a kitchen.  We are very blessed to live in such a nice place. All missionaries in Liberia have to be in their apartments by 7pm each night - that includes us - because the female mosquito which carries maleria comes out at night.  We sleep under a mosquito net.

Elder Berrett took this picture of the Liberian money.  They only have bills, no coins.  Right now the US dollar is worth about 80 Liberian dollars or LD as they call it.  This picture shows all the Liberian bills which add up to $185 LD.  That equals $2.31 US.  Notice there are no one's in LD.  The stores will take US dollars.  If you have change coming, they will give you the cents in LD.  The other day we had $.35 in change coming and they gave us 45 Liberian dollars. Street vendors only take LD.  It kind of shocks you when they say you owe $160 LD till you remember that is only $2 US.

When we arrived, we had a brand new Toyota truck waiting for us.  It doesn't look so new any more!  You would not believe some of the roads we've driven on!  Pot holes so big that you are afraid you might not make it out the other side.  Elder Berrett has done a great job learning to drive like a Liberian - CRAZY!!  I'm still practicing.  Notice it says Missionary on the truck. That makes us TRY to drive courteously.

This is the missionary's washing machine.  Really!  The missionaries wash all their clothes by hand.  I'm so grateful we have a washing machine in our apartment compound, even if we can only wash with cold water.  A lot of Africans use these also.  They get their clothes so white and hang them on clothes lines or some put them on the ground to dry.