Dealing

There have been a lot of ups and downs these last couple weeks in the capital. My group and I had our in-service training, which made for some long days. Yet we worked hard during our training sessions, for we knew that once it was all over we would get to enjoy a nice Christmas break!

Christmas Eve was a lot of fun! The US Ambassador invited all the volunteers to his house for dinner. We also watched A Christmas Story on a large, inflatable screen. That made for a fun night. On Christmas morning we had a large breakfast at the transit house. Some of the volunteers worked hard to prepare it, and they did a wonderful job. We also had a gift exchange game that we played. Later in the afternoon some of us decided to go down to the beach. This I really enjoyed, for I never thought that I would be swimming in the ocean on Christmas day. We ended the day with an open mic night. For this event some of the volunteers prepared certain acts to perform for everyone else. Some played guitar, performed skits, or recited poetry. I decided to tell a story, which everyone seemed to enjoy. All this made for a wonderful Christmas in The Gambia.

Two days later I received bad news. I found out that my grandfather had passed away. This was hard to hear, and the fact that I was thousands of miles away made it all the more difficult. However, I received a tremendous amount of support from the other volunteers. I was really glad that they were around when I heard the news, rather than being alone in my village. There were other circumstances that I was thankful for as well. My grandfather was at his farm and had loved ones around him, he also went peacefully. I miss him, and I do kind of dislike that fact that he will not be there to welcome me home in a couple years. However, I believe he is in Heaven now, and I will get to share everything with him some day. I know he would want me to stay strong and keep on doing what I am doing here. So I will do just that.

Now I will be returning to my village soon, which I am actually really looking forward to. I will be able to get back to my routine and continue with my work. The last couple weeks have been very eventful, in both good and bad ways. It has left me feeling somewhat exhausted, but I do have a renewed focus and determination. The new year is upon us, and I intend to accomplish much throughout it.

Rest in Peace Grandpa, I love you very much!