A Week in Africa - Tuesday

Our morning routine is pretty similar to Monday morning. Get up, start to get ready, feed the chickens, make more Guinea hen eggs and Ugi. Eat breakfast, do our Fighter verse.

Every few days Florencia comes to do our laundry. One of the houses we stayed at during our home-stay was hers. We have developed a good relationship with her and have now hired her to help with laundry a couple times a week. She has been very helpful in helping us learn the culture and just a good friend to have. Laundry uses a lot of water so Mat has decided that it's better just to go to one of the local water taps sourced from natural springs in the mountain.

Using his bike and three water jugs, Mat has the water we'll need for laundry.

I do dishes, wipe down tables and sweep

Once Mat gets back I head out to the Bafu for my prayer time.

9:30a - We finish getting ready, the kids pick up, someone stops by and we buy more eggs from them.

9:50a - Time for school!

10:30 - Snack time. I am out of flour so I can't make anything. I decide to go the "African" route and just boil some sweet potatos - it's a common food to eat during chai time.

Snack time is a good time to sort beans for rotten ones, rocks and bugs. It gives me enough time to soak them so they will be ready for dinner.

Mat sits outside to read. Have we mentioned how amazing the weather is? In the mornings and nights it is cool around 60s and can get to the high 80s during the afternoons but there is almost always a cool breeze and the shade provides the perfect relief for a hot day!

Some neighborhood ducks rest in the shade. Animals roam pretty free here. It's amazing people know which animals are theirs! Also, note Mat's footwear, they are Maasai, made from tires - great protection from the huge thorns here!

11:15a - Peter comes for one-on-ones. Part of the TIMO curriculum is to meet with Peter our team leader for accountability, cultural processing, prayer, etc. Shortly after Peter arrives, Florencia comes to do laundry. We offer both of them chai and chat for awhile.

One of our neighbors stops by. Since Peter knows the language we were able to find out this man was here for two reasons: 1. He wanted to know what to do for his wife who was having problem with her teeth. We had bandaged a few kids with some really bad (6month old) wounds and word spread. People think we are doctors or don't understand the difference between first aid, hospital care and dental care - leads for fun(ny) visits. Reason 2. He told Peter he has some snakes if we are interested. A little back story on that, there a rumors that we are here to find the big snake in the mountains. You know the one, the big one with diamonds in its tail, that glows in the dark... Yep. Some people actually think that is why we are here!

(Left to right) A neighbor, Peter, Florencia and me

1p - Just after Peter leaves, Jared stops by to talk to Mat about going to the Bombe (water source) to help fill Gideon and Rachel's water tank. There hasn't been enough rain so far to keep our tanks full so occasionally we have to either pay someone to fill our tanks or do it ourselves.

1:45p - I reheat the cabbage from last night and cook up some fresh Ugali. Florencia finishes as we finish eating so we insist she stays to eat. While she eats I lay Nia down.

2pm - Florencia leaves and I begin a game with Thailie. She is learning about the character quality Trust this week in school. To practice this we blindfolded each other and took turns leading the other around the house and courtyard.

Thailie loved this game and did a great job trusting me.

"Ok. Now go this way." Those we're the directions Thai gave me when I couldn't see. It was pretty funny.

While we did our game, Mat was busy doing what he does best - creating some new contraption to make our life in Busi more luxurious.

Here Mat has made a fly swatter out of a coat hanger, cardboard and gorilla tape. The flies have gotten pretty bad with the start of the rainy season.

2:45p - We decide it's probably best to avoid housework and play scattegories instead.

3p - A donkey begins to buck and bray right outside our window. FYI donkeys do not say, "Hee-haw"! They are so ridiculously loud and make such an odd string of noises; I'm really not sure who decided the whole Hee-haw thing. They maybe didn't have a donkey! Due to the loud nature of the donkey outside, Nia gets woken up early from her nap.

4:15p The kids need baths which involves heating hot water in the kettle and filing a large basin with water - add some hello kitty characters and you've got bath time! They have both been needing haircuts for awhile so I decided now was as good a time as any. Thailie's hair grows at random rates so it just needed to be evened out. Her top hair is straightening with the bottom still being curly, unfortunately, this makes it look messy much of the time. Nia's hair has been growing very quickly in the back but not so much in the front, this creates a fabulous curly mullet.

If you remember her nickname, "Nia the Tornado" you can imagine how much fun it is to try and cut her hair!

As I mentioned yesterday, there are a few people from TIMO headquarters at Pahi. They are coming to spend the evening with us so as we wait around to leave we play UNO.

6pm We leave for Peter's to meet up with the rest of the team to have dinner.

After waiting for Peter and the Tanners to arrive from Pahi, we decide to play a card game called Scum.

Some of our team just waiting around in Peter's houses.

 

It's almost 8pm when they arrive - this is not completely unexpected here on "African Time". Very hungry, we eat beans, rice, chicken, chinese (which is a cooked green leafy vegetable) and enjoy talking with the Tanners who are veteran missionaries with years of experience to glean from.

9:45p - We head home in the team vehicle; typically we walk everywhere but when something involves being out past dark we drive.

Once we are home we all go to bed!