Different but the same

Last week Chris and I had a friend, Arthur, visit from Liberia. We really enjoyed his company. He was a pretty easy-going visitor except I was constantly worried we were going to turn him into a popsicle. We usually keep the heat at 58 at night, which is probably colder than it gets all year in Liberia. So we had the heat running more than usual last week, and hopefully he was comfortable. It was fun being able to talk about a whole range of topics with him - from funny topics like African baby names and the wonders of hamburgers, to more serious things like differences between Liberia and America, faith, and how things are going in Liberia with an upcoming presidential election and war in neighboring Ivory Coast.

That I can recall, this was our first international visitor, and definitely the first person to stay with us from a developing country. It was kind of eye-opening to think about how my house would look to someone coming from a country where the average income is $1/day. Chris and I are middle class by American standards, but we are basically swimming in cash from a Liberian point of view. We have so much stuff we don't need, and so much money just sitting in the bank (again, relatively speaking!). Arthur's been living in the US since January, but I can't imagine the culture shock. And I think it would be frustrating to see the wealth of this country, knowing what a difference just a fraction of that wealth could make for my family and friends back home. On the plus side, he's here to get a job and further his education - both of which will ultimately help him and his family.

Anyway, his visit was great for us personally and furthered our friendship with him, and it also helped remind me that we are very fortunate to live where we do. It helps to get a more global perspective on life now and then. I'm glad we're staying connected with the people we met in Liberia. Some members of our church are returning there in June and we won't be joining them, but I would love to go back one day. Who knows what the future holds :)