Ganta, Liberia

It's been a week since I've made my way home back to Cleveland, Ohio. On March 5th I began my travels to Liberia, Africa for the first time. Truthfully, I can't say I had much of any thought going into the trip. As everyone would say, time came and went so quickly leading up to the trip. Even leading up to getting on the plane to go, it never really felt real.

The first night in Liberia is a bit of a blur, I was so deliriously tired that the only thing I remember is waking up in the middle of the night with my nose ring caught on the Mosquito net feeling confused as to why I was stuck. 

The first day in Monrovia set the stage for how the rest of the trip was going to feel. The hospitality of the Liberian people surpasses anything I've ever experienced. Honestly speaking I don't ever remember having a thought remembering I was white.... which obviously stuck out among the natives. For complete strangers to treat us like royalty it was a confusing feeling.

The hustle and bustle of the American everyday life of trying to make something of yourself completely dissipated. The feeling of having your worth on the line at every moment was gone. Fear dissipating of which left you with the feeling of warmth, creativity, and generosity. The ability to create and connect and witness truth was all thriving at the simplicity of accepting the life we are given.

We traveled to Ganta to only feel overwhelmed with welcoming spirits.We started every day with chapel, I find that the worship was so renewing and freeing. Nothing was based on circumstances. Nothing was based on what God can give to us, but that we can and need to give everything to God. Chapel started us everyday drenched in love, the centering awareness of all of our worth and connection to God. The day started centered, every day.

Finding ourselves with not actually much hard labor to do other than relationship building with the community. I found myself fitting into any where I was needed. Never knowing the littlest of talents I have were worth gold to someone else. Never having a clue that in 7th grade my typing class would prove to be something to someone who has never looked at a computer long enough to know how it turns on. The children would gather and my heart would leap a bit more and more each day. Always being a homebody, it's always interesting the places of which I feel myself most at "home". On the third day in Ganta, I saw a head peak through my window screen. I heard a squeaky kissing noise that I've heard before when someone was trying to get my attention. I looked and saw this head quick duck below the window. I left my room and went outside to see what was awaiting me. It was a young girl named, Ruth. Her young face astonished me with her beauty. She was quiet but had a deeper voice with a heavy accent.

She said hello to me, and said "we are friends."

I then said to her, "yes we are, would you like to walk with me?". That afternoon our little friend and fearless leader Caleb wanted to take us to the mountain to see over all of Ganta. Ruth walked with us towards the mountain but then needed to go fetch water to bring home from the well she told me she would be back the following day. After an intense hill up the mountain all I could think about was Ruth. I wanted to know her story. The next day she came and I brought out some card games with music and we spent the evening playing games and eating pineapple. She invited me to her home in Hope village to meet her grandmother and siblings. I have to say I was a bit nervous, I wasn't sure how far back into the villages I wanted to go alone. I was happy to have Karen, another member of the team, at the house to invite along with us. The walk was only about 15 minutes away and when we arrived at her home I saw her grandmother outside washing her dishes. She quickly got up as we approached their little clay home. We began talking about Ruth and I's friendship that had only started a few days prior. Soon, many children gathered around Ruth and I playing on my phone. Showing pictures of America and my family they were all so interested and many asked if they could come home with me. I saw in that moment that we are all so connected by one single heart beat. I had never felt more love and acceptance in my entire life by people who look to me as royalty. When it began to get a bit dark we decided we needed to head back and Ruth's Grandmother, Olive, ran inside to bring me out beautiful African fabric to take home with me. I asked her if I could hug her and before I finished my next breath she was into my arms with tears, she said, "You are my dear daughter and mother to my grandchild."

Ruth of Hope Village put me back into why I came to Cleveland, one child. One quiet girl who captured my heart like Katie did back in 2009 that sent me on the adventure to Cleveland that then led me on the adventure to Liberia. One girl. The impact of the one is powerful. The impact of one sent me back to my roots of "why" I was created. Soul searching is an endless road and sometimes feels somewhat quite hopeless... but in the darkness, poverty, and trials there is the one who can set your feet back upon the solid foundation of who your very being is. Sometimes the same thing every day makes you lose sight, I'm finding that when we take each day as a new day to be grateful, you can't lose sight.

Through meeting Katie I started my life in Cleveland with the large Liberian refugee community, after 5 years, I was able to finally meet Katie's mother. When I say it was the most "romantic" type of meeting I've ever experienced I wish I could have seen it from the outside. As I watched Katie's mom, Mamie, walk through the compound doors my heart leaped and I couldn't contain but run to her as she ran to me. The woman I have been communicating with as the connection to her children for the last 5-7 years I finally had in my arms and wanted to take into my suitcase. It was humbling for me on my restart of my heart to have to go back home to be the only connection to her mother and her children for the last 13 years.

The last night in Liberia I felt extremely homesick, but not for America. Homesick, that I was leaving Liberia. I returned home one week ago, I can tell you my heart is still calling to Africa. I am unsure of the future, but I do know my heart in Cleveland is here and I am amazed at the journey's God has allowed for me through is faithful servants to experience at the young age I am at.

Brussels put me into an even greater feeling of gratefulness for my life. I will say that made me miss America. But to know the amount of support and prayer from those I haven't seen in a while, those I see everyday, and those whom I've never met all became family the instant you reached out to me letting me know you wanted me home safe. To see the community formed around me humbled me to the breaking point when I finally returned home. I am forever grateful for my life and for many of your friendships and love you give me that I could never earn or deserve. With that I end with, I love you and I cannot wait to experience life even further with you.



Peace and Blessings,
Becky Trout