bits and pieces...

~I look toward the area of the house where the cooking takes place and I hear a lot of racket- like someone else is in their cooking.  The woman of the house says casually- "c'est la souris", "its the mice." It happened again on my next visit and my face showed my curiosity/confusion again- she explained that mice come into the kitchen, and that's where they live. 
 
~As close to 'fast food' as it gets around here, our neighbor sets up a table and a coal fire to cook for her customers each night at dusk. We tried it and it was great! When we eat food that our bodies aren't used to, we pray, asking for protection and strength and health as we introduce our body to so many new things.  These are beignets (which we usually think of as sweet) but they are made with beans that they grind into flour, mix with water and then fry in oil.  She also fries white yams and serves them both with a little tomato sauce.



~The man who guards our house at night complained of back trouble last week- I asked how he was feeling today and he explained to me that the pain has been with him since childhood when he worked in the trees (picking mangoes or cashews).  He said that when he worked too slowly the boss hit him on the back with a stick- hard.  I couldn't find the words- in any language- to tell him how sorry I am for his pain today and every other day since he was beaten with a stick as a child.  My eyes puddled in sadness. 

~Someone has been having chickens stolen from their courtyard- when I apologized for the hardship that this poses on their household, the guy responded ''that's ok- I know some magic and I will use it on the thief.''

~For people who don't regularly ride in cars, seatbelts are a new thing.  We recently had some people in the car who looped the shoulder harnesses around their necks- every day we are surprised by how much we assume. 

Jesse's ingenuity made me a hanging produce basket from a broken fan!

~We borrowed Get Smart from a friend (remember agent 86 and his shoe phone?)  We've enjoyed having a genuine "escape" from the heat- but every time that I escape I wonder if I should?  My ability to escape isn't available to most of my neighbors, yet we as a family are still learning to cope. Coping is good, but empathizing is vital if I am to be of any use here. 

~We are weak in the heat.  We have fans most of the time- and our neighbors don't.  Talking with a dad who's 7 year old daughter just couldn't sleep the other night, he told me he used a notebook to fan her until his arms couldn't do it anymore.

~By 8:30 a.m., I've fed my family, hung laundry on the line and spent some quiet time with the Lord. My neighbor, with the help of her two daughters has made 4 trips to the well already.  We joke back and forth (in jula and sign language) because she knows that I couldn't do what she is doing- even though I'd like to. This particular woman uses the biggest basin I've seen- we estimate it to weigh at least 80 pounds when full of water...

 Cotton as it's brought in from the fields- sorted, cleaned and prepared for export

 I would appreciate prayers for my family- I have one older brother, one younger sister (19) and one younger brother (12) who all love our dad very much.  My dad is doing a great job of dealing with a really bad health diagnosis, but he is really sick.  He has a full, wonderful life and has always been healthy and active.  He knows the Lord so we aren't sad about his future, but none of us are ready to say goodbye yet.  Please pray with us for his complete healing.  Pray also for strength as we navigate the hard days and try to support one another from very far away.