Journal Entry 3

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Tuesday

I slept well last night and I got ready using the collected rain water this morning. I heard ‘Trouble’ the chimp this morning during my Bible study time, I’ll take her a treat later. Another great breakfast.

Time to go. Our first driver had car trouble. The second driver lost a wheel, not a tire but a wheel just yards from the compound. The pastor, from the church where we were to speak this morning, left the ladies at the church and came to pick us up. We made it to the church just before the rain began to fall heavily.

Since the ladies had been singing for the 2 hours before we arrived, we went right into Leah’s speech. Leah had been battling a cough for weeks but she never coughed once during her speech. God is great!

A snack was served before craft time. I gave my speech and then we went to work on the flip-flops. The ladies seemed to enjoy decorating them even though the humidity slowed down the drying time of the glue.

When Ginger’s time came to speak, torrential rain began to fall. Out came the buckets for the leaks in the rusty tin roof. Ginger had to stop speaking because the rain was pounding down so heard on the roof you couldn’t hear anything at all. The noise was almost deafening. We prayed for the rain to stop or slowdown and then sung some praise music. The rain slacked off and Ginger was able to give her message to the ladies. By the time we left, the rain had stopped.

It’s very hot and sticky and still no water for bathing or hair washing. If you know me, you know that I’m a very girly girl. I love to be clean, I hat to sweat and avoid it as much as possible. There is no electricity for fixing my hair and any make-up applied will be sweated off in a matter of seconds. I’m hot, sweaty, stinky and yet I love every minute of it. I’m so glad I’m here, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!

I decided to take a fully clothed shower in the monsoon and learned that rain can beat you to a pulp and you can do your laundry and take a shower at the same time. I also learned that it’s hard to shampoo your hair when all the shampoo is getting washed out before you even have a chance to lather up your hair.

I got a surprise tonight! I noticed movement in the neighbors courtyard below me. Expecting to see a wild animal of some sort, I turned to look. It was a full grown man as necked as a jay-bird taking a shower in the rain. I turned and went back in to rinse off privately with my little bucket, but he had not seemed to mind sharing a shower with a stranger. Oh well. TIA!

Frankie

The ladies who cooked lunch for the conference today.

Working hard to decorate their flip-flops.

Here I am talking to the ladies.