Amazed by life

Many amazing things have happened since I’ve been on this adventure. Generally they involve people…people who were one human connection away, who relieved some loneliness or isolation, who offered advice that opened my eyes a bit wider, who had had an experience that changed my understanding, who were the solution to a problem or in more euphemistic terms, the answer to a prayer.

I’m writing this while en route from Brussels to Dakar, Brussels Airlines 235. It departs daily at 11:25 and arrives in Dakar at 3:25, continuing on to Freetown, Sierra Leone. A month ago today, I was flying from Amsterdam through Brussels back to Dakar, just as today I am flying from Warsaw through Brussels back to Dakar. On the flight a month ago I sat next to a man with whom I had no intention of having a conversation. But we did. He is the ambassador to the European Union from Sierra Leone. He is an economist who worked at the World Bank before volunteering to be his country’s ambassador. He has a PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois, and because of that, he has been to Central Kansas. With unaided recall, he recounted that his studies had taken him into the triangle—Salina, Hays, Great Bend—that surrounds Hoisington. That alone was amazing.

Because I'm so bloody impressed with credentials, I should mention that he is also ambassador to Spain, Portugal, Belgium and The Vatican. His title is actually "Pleniponetiary for the Republic of Sierra Leone". Cool title.

Last night in Brussels, we had dinner together. Our friendship started with seat assignments on Brussels Airlines 237 to Dakar in June. He was in 18 K and I was in 18 H. We emailed a few times between then and now. Last night we laughed about a recent exchange. He sent a note apologizing for having not responded quickly when I emailed about traveling through Brussels. His reason was the best excuse I have ever received: He had been with the Pope. Yes, THAT Pope. He serves as an international aid adviser to The Vatican. [I'm practicing restraint: No political commentary about the guy in Rome.]

Last night, I brought him up-to-date on progress with the Hospital of Hope, the breakthroughs and the new supporters we have added over the past month: Chris Atim at the World Bank, Assalane Abou at the Pamecas Foundation, Madji Sock at Focus Africa and Assalane Sylva who is a structural engineerthe Then, our conversation turned to the future possibility of working together in support of Sierra Leone and development projects in his home country.

I asked how he saw me as a potential team member. I was surprised by how quickly he observed and understood one of things it has taken me a long time to appreciate about myself: “You know how to speak with passion and hope about the vision that other people have.” Then he smiled and chuckled, adding: “Every team needs someone like you because we economists don’t do that so well.”

It was a moment that will stay with me for a long time. The future? We’ll see. But it is beginning to include possibilities of which I never dreamed.