As the title of the blog suggests, I will be recording my reflections on my trip to Sierra Leone during January 2010. Over the course of two weeks (with the help of a local guide), Brad Sliz (friend and classmate since grade school) and I will be conducting a comprehensive water and sanitation assessment program for several rural villages in northern Sierra Leone on behalf of Village Hope, an NGO led by Dr. Jonathan Bart that has been working in the country on a number of projects including microfinance, school and well construction, and agricultural development.

I have finished packing now and will be heading to Chicago Sunday afternoon. On Monday morning, we will begin our trip to Sierra Leone: Chicago to Detroit to DC to Brussels to Dakar to Freetown to Kamasando (our base of operations in Sierra Leone). Since there is only sporadic (at best) electricity in Kamasando, and since access to the Internet will be even more unreliable, I will unfortunately have to update the blog once I get back to the United States around January 20th (Freetown to London to Chicago). School begins around that time as well, so if I am slow to follow up with these posts, do not be alarmed.

In any case, I am absolutely excited about the adventure that is now immediately in front of me, despite the possible dangers. Now matter what happens, I think it would be appropriate that we take to heart the words of J.R.R. Tolkien: "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." Though I know not the road ahead of me, I will always know that I have the best of people behind me. I love you.