I Felt Like a Little Girl Again

February 6th, 2009

What joy I had the second time around in the small village of Zeongehn, nestled in the forested hills of Nimba County, Liberia. I felt like I was a little girl again, growing up in the village of Beomi, Cote d’Ivoire from 1951-1960, my parents being missionaries. I loved the African life; in fact, at the age of four I had even asked my mother to let me leave home and live with my African friends. Well, I almost felt like asking my mama again!

The entire ten days that Gary and I were in Zeongehn, God kept me healthy and upbeat. I experienced, once again, my first time as a child, pounding rice in a deep wooden mortar with a large wooden pistol. To the delight of all the women, I sang and danced while pounding, another skill I learned as a child. I even got to eat with my hands and still be in good etiquette!

It was so much fun sitting under the outdoor thatched cook house, laughing with the ladies as the boiling water in their iron pots steamed away. Of course, I also enjoyed chatting with the villagers (men, women, and children) who immediately assigned themselves to the duty of teaching me fluent Geo in one day. When I dittoed their words, they remarked enthusiastically, “You are very clever!”

“No,” I responded, “It is a gift from God.”

One special memory of our visit to Nimba that will stay forever in my mind, was the respect those humble village people gave to Gary and me. “We know you and your husband truly love us,” they reiterated over and over, “because you live with us, share our food, and spend the day teaching our people.”

“Yes,” I agreed, “we do love you; but God loves you even more!” I smiled.