Still Learning

This week had been more language learing for me. It is going well but is still frustrating. They lack good teachers here but everyone is trying to help so it makes it fun. I sat in on Tinana's tutoring this week because they were working on vowels and numbers. I felt like a baby but it was good. Her teacher is the 14 year old girl that I am going to live with. It makes for a somewhat akward relationship but we will figure something out.

I went with Sam to Savanne Plat for a T-4-T class. This class is a Bible study which trains ordinary people to be leaders. It teaches them that they have everything they need to be a leader in their relationship with Christ. It is an excellent study which is being used in different forms all over the world.

After class we went to the mountain to work on putting in pvc for a well that Sam is helping them build. It is hard work. We could only work 3 hours. They don't get enough food so that is about all the energy they have. I wore shorts with a skirt over them. I definitely jumped in and worked but it was hard because we were on a steep hill and there wasn't room for very many people. Wherever I went my little entourage of girls followed. They were sweet. School had been let out because someone in the community died and the kids were walking home from school. It was a long walk so Sam picked up the kids from Savanne Plat to take them home. We had 23 people in the jeep. Many of them came to help us on the well. The old men fussed at me and told Sam I needed to sit still because I would be covered in pwakongo a bean that makes you itch really bad. I had gotten bored and was climbing around the ravine- bad idea. But we got some good work down and I had a good time.

Out cow finally calved and was seemingly doing fine but she prolapsed today. The guys had a hard time but got everything pushed back in. We gave her stitches using dental floss and a embroidary needle. The stitchs looked great and we sent the cow home but the owner came back and said it had happened again. The cow is definitly going to become meat but now they will probably loose the calf too. There is no such thing as a calf bottle here, baby bottles are a rarity. But we tried, there was little else we could do.

We are worried about our little burnes boy. We told him to come everyday for a week. He came 3 days but we didn't see him today or yesterday. It's sad. He is a sweet baby.

I got a mosquito net put up in my room today. I hadn't worried about it because the mosquitos aren't really bad this time of year but I killed a tarantula in my room last night and decided it would be a great time to put it up! Every night I ask God to keep me safe from bugs.

We still aren't exactly sure where my luggage is. We were hoping Friday, that's what we'd been told but then they said Wednesday. That came and went but we still havn't heard anything about it. We have a man in PAP who is going to pick it up for me and take it to Missionary Aviation Fellowship. They fly to Hinche a couple of times a week and will take in when they have room. I am doing fine without it for now but will need it eventually.

I had a yummy pizza and "apple" pie for supper just in case you were worried! The pie wasn't really apple but is made with a squash. It tastes like apple though when it is finished. It was all yummy! Tomorrow we will "eat out." That means we go to a ladies house and eat rice and beans. The Hatians sit outside wherever but she invites Sam and Delores to eat in her bedroom. It's a little strange but it tastes good. you just have to watch the meat. They cut it with a machete so the bone is shattered. Sam says sometimes it's like they killed it with a hand grenade!

So don't worry about me I'm doing fine! Pray that my language would improve every day with leaps and bounds and that I have plently of good help. And pray for all the people who come here everyday seeking help that we can meet more than just physical needs.

Serving Him with Gladness,

Lindsey