We just got out of the back field. We waited until it was cooler to go back there; we almost waited too long; the sun was going down by the time we got back to the mission house. Darkness comes quickly here; I guess it is because we are so close to the equator. We were demarcating the lines for the new building. We had to stomp down the tall grass as we went to make a path so the guys will know where to cut tomorrow. I was not too happy about that; worrying and watching for snakes is not my idea of fun!
When Red made the gate to open the back wall of the property he made a solid gate. We like a solid gate but that means that the padlock either hangs inside the gate or outside the gate and someone has to walk around to open the gate. We decided to cut an opening in the gate large enough to get your hand in so that the gate can be opened from either side. Sounds easy enough but there is no electricity near the gate and the portable generator is not working so we went to “Plan B”; we took the car battery inverter that Steve uses to run his C-Pap machine to the back of the property. The electricity is so bad that it burned up the first C-Pap he brought over here. He now keeps a car battery charged and uses an inverter to run the machine. Anyway, we pulled the truck in front of the gate, opened the hood, hooked up the inverter and Steve was ready to drill the holes in the metal gate and hole with his battery powered reciprocating saw. We rolled the edges around the opening so no one would get cut when they opened the gate.
The father of the little girl with the hair lip called today and told us that they could do the repair surgery in Tamale and that the surgery was “free”. The family would be responsible for some of the medicine and of course the transportation to and from Tamale. They are supposed to do the surgery tomorrow so the family will spend the next few days in Tamale. We are excited that things are moving so quickly. This little girl can suck so it appears that her main problem is the hair lip. Thanks to our generous supporters we were able to help the family with the transportation and medicine.
Today is the Damba festival. It is not a national holiday; it is actually a pagan holiday that the Muslims celebrate as Mohammed’s birthday. I tried to find out what the original celebration was for but Mr. Iddrisu and Zorash did not know. Zorash is going to ask someone. Nazo was happy that today was his regular day off so he could go to the palace and pick rice (one of the traditional things that they do, they pick the stones out of the rice before it is cooked) they will also slaughter some cattle. In 7 days there is another Damba, the last Damba.
Thank you for all your help.
In His Service,
Steve and Kandie
