After a 28+ hour journey, Salem State's 2019 Liberian Peacebuilders returned to Logan Airport.

There was excitement being back coupled with another long wait for luggage.  And then there were the goodbyes as everyone headed home after an amazing 12 day journey.

Going through airport security is never much fun and that's especially true in Robertsfield airport where airport security is very extensive.  But the group made it through security and now has a couple hours to wait for their Brussels bound plane to depart.

The group's  last morning in Liberia began by sitting on the balcony overlooking the United Methodist Compound where they've been staying.  

Later in the morning the group visited the church where Sam, the van driver, serves as an associate pastor. While Sam and his family currently reside at the compound, he is building a house near his church.  

The group leaves Monrovia about about 9:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. here in Salem) tonight and will arrive back at Logan Monday evening at 9:20 p.m.

As the group heads off to do some sightseeing on their last full day in Liberia, perrhaps there are signs of tiredness beginning to appear. The group has sure done a lot during their trip.

On there way into the center of town they pass the JFKJ hospital.  This picture depicts a mural that promotes both traditional West African and Western medicine that is at the front of the hospital.

The final picture is of the beach at Mamba Point.  This portion of the beach is below the Capital Building. The posts mark the area where President Tolbert’s cabinet members were executed during the 1980 coup.

Today the group has gone to the Samuel Kayon Doe National Stadium where there are a series of events  and activities for people with Down syndrome.  The event was organized by the Down Syndrome Association of Liberia.

Today the group was working at the school in Ganta.   One task was to update the software in the XO computers which are used primarily in the lower grades.  Angela is working on this task in the photo below.

Since the computer teacher has left the high school, Greg and the students are providing some training for high school faculty on ways to use the Raspberry Pi computers in the high school computer lab.

Now that the computers are up and running, Theresa and Lauren  are collecting survey data for their IDS capstone projects..

So how's the weather now that the group is back in Monrovia?  Today's temperature is 93 F that feels like 107F.

But the group looks comfortable meeting with Administrators, faculty and students at the United Methodist University.

There was much important work to be done at Ganta’s fish pond before the group headed back to Monrovia.  

Angela and Charlie were carefully measuring the shape and surface area of the pond.  Nearby, Lauren and Theresa were measuring the length of some fish. I’m  sure that they know “first hand” that it’s an African Pike! 

On Sunday the group went up to Ganta Mission station in a van.  The road up to Ganta is in excellent condition but public transportation is still being  developed. (The picture below IS NOT their van!)

The  next two photos are of the School of Nursing.  The Nursing School has moved into the repurposed Ebola treatment facility that was put up by USAID.  You can see USAID traps in the background.  The second photo is the computer lab in the School of Nursing.  Each workstation is run by a Raspberry Pi3 micro-computer but you can't see them in the photo.

The group arrived in Monrovia Friday evening. Today, Saturday, they are doing some sightseeing.

Among other sights, the group visited the J.J. Roberts Memorial.  By chance they met with a group of students who received scholarships to attend the J.J. Roberts school in Monrovia.

Here are a few photos as the group prepares to go through through security at Logan Airport.

After all the planning and work behind the scenes, we are only four days away from flying out of Logan.

We have done well so far, but we are still short of our goal of $4,000.

While I would like to take the message of the photo - use what you have and make it work, that said our plans will be a circumscribed if we are not able to reach our goal.

No we won't be travelling on the back of motocycles, though it is common to see 3 or 4 plus the driver scooting around Monrovia and Ganta.