Preparing

I'm not sure exactly how to begin this blog, since for me, this journey is not really beginning. It's actually more of a continuation that began seven years ago when I agreed to become the chair of the education committee of the Child Rescue Centre Partnership without really knowing what that would mean, and how it would transform and enrich my life.

The Child Rescue Centre, for those of you who don't know of it, is a 70-child resident orphanage located in Bo, Sierra Leone. The CRC provides safety and nurturing to these children, and my role as the chair of education is to do my best to ensure that they receive the best education possible so that they can grow up and become the future leaders of their nation. You can find out more about the CRC here.

In less than two months, I will be making the journey back to Bo, the second largest "city" (I put "city" in quotes because by American standards, it would probably more accurately be described as "village" or "wide place in the road"). This will be my third trip to Bo, and my first as the leader of an 8 person team. It will also be the first time I'll get a chance to observe in the classrooms and schools attended by our resident orphans, and the first time I'll travel to Bo with a student of my own; a GMU senior earning three credit hours for her work with me in Bo and in the months leading up to and following our trip.

As my student's instructor, I'm charged with giving and grading assignments. One of the things I'm requiring of her is writing a regular blog about her experiences related to this trip. In the spirit of never asking a student to do something you're not willing to do yourself, I'm also planning to keep my own blog.