Well, we figured out the water pressure problem, and it doesn’t look that great. We are too close to the tank-there isn’t enough downhill to make the water move fast enough. Not much we can do about it. One team left a circulation pump that we are going to plumb in to see if something like that would help.
It doesn’t look like we are having puppies. We thought if we were, it would be early to mid-May but Eve is showing no signs and we can’t feel any puppies inside, so no go. That’s ok of course, we are busy enough, but it would have been kind-of fun (once!).
Last Saturday we went to a graduation for some students who completed BTCP training. I think it stands for Bible Training for Churches and Pastors. Davis said HE was graduating, that’s why we went. Well, he was just SPEAKING at the graduation, which, since I was the one who typed his speech, I knew what he was going to say! Oh well. Brian spent an hour of that time talking to our friends Aaron and Sarah in the States so that was good. It was a very long program, even by the African’s estimates! We did get a chance to talk some to Philip, who will be moving to Zambia in the beginning of the year to head up BTCP over here for his home church in Florida, so that was good to let him know a little bit of what life has been like for us.
The students came up again yesterday to play basketball. Cybil really wanted to teach them to play, so they have been playing PIG (haven’t moved up to HORSE yet!). Hailey had to bring out some of her games too so she could teach them something-so they had Candy land, Chess/Checkers, Go Fish, and Mancala out. I am glad they have been able to come and play and visit up here some. That is always partly how I saw things in my mind-they’d be comfortable to come hang out here a bit. We just really haven’t had time to do it much. I usually have a treat for them like popcorn or candy so they rub it in to the ones who didn’t come! This last team also made a ping pong table for the groups so they have been loving that. They also come up and have barber shop as the solar at the school still isn’t working right.
Two weeks we picked up 35 chickens from the teacher at Kaziemba. She didn’t have any more money for feed, so was selling them. Henry thought we could buy them for butcher, but these are great chickens and we are getting over 40 eggs a day, so we will keep them for layers for now. We still have our other 25, and the headwoman gave a chicken to Leah, Lewis’s wife this last week, so we have a full house outside! They are feasting on the leftovers from the teams-nshima, watermelon rinds, orange rinds, etc. When the gator drives up they run to the fence now to see what’s for supper! We also have four chicks in the other side of the chicken coop with the rabbits. Eve lost her babies.
The first American team is gone now. I think they had a good two weeks; they got a good taste of the happenings at the school, did hut evangelism, had a medical clinic and a bible hour at the school. I drove them to and from the school most days the first week. It was hard to get going then with the school work at home, so that often continued into the afternoon, so I wasn’t much help to Lucy and the other ladies cooking (they had plenty of help anyway). When the next teams come, everyone will just be at the school, so that shouldn’t be an issue and hopefully we will get all our school done in the morning and be done at the campus in the afternoon. They are also only there for 5 days, not 10. We also went to town with one of the gentleman one day and Brian was running around a lot, so we got a taste of the next two months, but gets a little reprieve here as there are only national pastors this next two weeks.
Mildred isn’t going to work for us anymore. I got a text that said, “Kelly, when are you going to pay me cuz I don’t want to work for you anymore.” Now, in the states I’d probably get all nervous and anxious about what did I do wrong, why…but I have learned that that this is just the way they many of the nationals talk. Very direct, so not a big deal. I explained to Lucy that if the man who told me “this (fishtail braids) is more attractive that what you used to have” said that to me in the States, it would be a big insult! I wouldn’t have needed Milded much any more anyway-just here and there to help wash floors or special things when I get behind. I have had no problem keeping up with laundry with the new washing machine. I am sure if I ask, she’d do it, she just doesn’t want to only work for me since I haven’t needed her that much.
You know, before I came, I was way paranoid about having to have a fenced in area for the kids to even be able to go outside and play. Now, I let Hailey go out in the bush with the other little kids. They have been going to see baby Greta down the road a bit. Theresa goes with them, and she’s 11, but the rest of them are 5-7 years old. Quite a change I’d say!
I am not doing a very good job learning some of my lessons. We keep getting behind in school because I am trying too hard to do it all. Not just the house work, but also all the admin stuff. Some of it I can easily do, others take more time. I really enjoy doing it all, but I am trying to limit myself so I can focus on being a mom. I know administration is my gift, so it is hard to not use it the way I think I should. I know I am suppose to be learning to use it the way GOD wants me to, which right now is to administer the house and school and the things here. Brian always used to get mad at me for being too involved in outside stuff back in the States too. Just because I CAN do something, doesn’t mean I SHOULD.