It’s about time I wrote an update – and it’s kind of a strange position I’m in because I get to announce what many of you don’t know yet … I have moved to Philadelphia. Yes, I returned from Africa June 15. I didn’t gather any moss and rolled on over across the country to Pennsylvania.It may sound random or shocking to some, but the decision was a long one in the making –one of the many things I was considering and processing during my 7 months in Africa. I was pretty set on applying for a graduate program in community development at Eastern University here in Philly. Though I leaned away from that while in Sierra Leone, Philly still felt like the ticket. East coast, urban area, history, diversity, and boyfriend ;)
Yes, Ted is now a first year law student at Drexel University, which is in Philly. I live in a bright pink house in West Philly, an area known as University City – very funky, colorful, filled with yummy ethnic food and parks. My three housemates are wonderful; we’re all about the same age, and two of them are even West African. Just a park with a bi-weekly Farmer’s Market separates my house from Ted’s studio apartment.
While looking into some graduate programs in the area, I’ve found a full-time job working in academic affairs at Penn Engineering. It’s about a 45 minute walk from my house, or a 10 minute trolley ride, and it’s a lovely location (crazily enough, it’s just two blocks from Ted’s law school.) My co-worker is very involved in the African Diaspora community in Philly; she is a wealth of knowledge. Apparently she knows some Sierra Leoneans in town – can’t wait to revive some of my Krio for those encounters!
I’ve been here for 6 weeks now. I am still moving in – it can be a little tricky to acquire what you need without a car – and I’m really enjoying my neighborhood and the city of Philadelphia as a whole. I have pictures of the Lighthouse kids pinned on my cubicle wall –still think about them often and hope the best for them. I found out a couple weeks ago that some of the kids I met in Chennai, India in 2006 are now benefitting from World Vision’s work. Wonderful news, as we’ve prayed for a long time for Christian aid to come to the bus park where several of them live.
As always, if you would like to know how you can support the Lighthouse kids in Freetown, Sierra Leone, or any child in the grip of poverty's destructive elements, you can always ask me about child sponsorship. :)
