We thought that the masons would finish bath house #4 today but they did not. Dawda said that they could not finish because it was bigger than the other bath houses. It actually is bigger because we made it wheelchair accessible. He said that we were going to have to add something to the cost. I asked him how much and he said “unless they finish tomorrow” then he would tell me how much. They have one outside wall left to plaster. They also have to put down the cement floor and make the ramps. They would have gotten more plastering done today if Dawda had not stopped working on the building and started digging the soakaways for bath house #1. We talked about digging the soakaways last week and we told him we did not intend to pay him to dig them; we told him that Donkey needed the extra work and we did not want to pay a contract for the digging, we just wanted to pay day labor. We wanted him to be aware that digging pits is not skilled work so maybe he will not gouge us on the price. He is so afraid that we are going to give the job to someone else that he started digging the pits today. In case you are wondering, a soakaway is a pit filled with large stones that the bath house drains into; no septic tank needed.
Red stopped by this afternoon to let us know his men had finished molding the cement blocks and they had a little sand left over so he had them mold an extra 80 blocks. Naturally he wanted to sell the blocks to us. We did not mind buying the blocks; it will surely beat having to buy more if we run out when we build the toilets.
Late this afternoon we went to town to buy frozen chicken. Last time we looked no one had fryers and we had to settle for hens. Please I have struggled and struggled with those tough birds. I have tried pressuring them and boiling them for hours but the way we like them best is baked low and slow. Cooked this way they would remind you of dark meat turkey. I am in the process of cooking the last of the hens this evening! The only frozen chicken we can get in Yendi are leg quarters. Let me tell you we are happy to get them! When we first came to Yendi there were none available so we had to slaughter our own. We also used to kill and eat the guinea fowl that the village churches gave us but now we share the live fowls with Timothy. I am happy to announce that at the third cold store we found the fryer leg quarters! Life is good! We also bought cabbage, pineapple, q-tips, laundry soap, papayas, roasted peanuts and bananas. We planned on stopping and paying for the medicine that Steve ordered for the Child Center but the pharmacist was not around. Steve will try to catch him tomorrow.
Please keep us and the work in your prayers.
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
I had a very traumatic morning. I was minding my own business; I had just finished pooping when something scared me! I almost jumped out of my skin! I jumped down and my right hand landed in the poop! Now what was I supposed to do with a poopy hand? I tried to shake it clean but that did not work! I tried to rub it off on the ground but it was still there! After every attempt to clean my hand I would lift up my hand and take a whiff but it was still there! I started shaking and rolling around trying to get away from the smell. Mom noticed my distress and took pity on me! She quickly picked me up and grabbed the wet wipes and cleaned off the worst of it then she headed for the bathroom! She gave my hand a thorough washing and washed my other hand and my feet just in case they had something on them! Next came the hand-sanitizer. I want you to know that I did not complain, not one little bit! I was so proud to have my hands clean. Just between me and you, I am surprised she did not make me take a full bath!
Mom washed clothes for hours this morning. I love wash day! She started at 7:00 and did not finish until 10:30. She did not do all the work by herself; I helped too. Dad and Amama also helped haul water and Amama hung out all the clothes. If Mom had not had such good help she would still be washing clothes! Today the water that they threw out went on the verandas to wash off the dust. The septic tank on the mission house is small and has no field lines so all the water from the washing machine is collected in large plastic garbage cans and used to flush toilets, water plants and clean the verandas. Today the water was thrown out on the verandas. I decided that I like to jump in the water on the veranda; see I told you that I was a big help!
NO MORE DIRTY HANDS!
Love, Skeeter
