We were pleased that the men showed up this morning to take the thatch off the round houses. Only 2 men came; we expected at least 4. The guy that was in charge spoke very good English. When he quoted the price he thought that they were going to get both round house roofs dismantled in one day. Around noon the men had run out of steam because they are fasting and are not able to even get a drink of water. It was very hot today and there was no Harmattan. The guy said, “This is an exceptional round house!” “It seems to be very big!” “I thought that this was going to be like our round houses and be easy to remove the thatch!” He never asked for any extra money but we figure that was his way of letting us know that he under bid the project. They left around noon and said they would be back to work again tomorrow. They said they would be arriving at 6:00 tomorrow morning so they could beat the heat. The guy that is removing the thatch is going to take the usable thatch with him and the scraps were put on the front field to be burned. I think that the bush wood rafters we will save to use for firewood at the seminar later this year.
Zorash stopped by for a few minutes this morning to pick up the money for a couple pieces of fabric I bought from a lady who went to Accra on a fabric buying spree. She sells fabric in a small shop here in Yendi. Zorash also needed a few of the plastic containers that we put the diaper rash ointment in. She is going to a village to demonstrate how to make the ointments and she wanted to show them what type of containers they could buy to package the ointment in. She also wanted to know if there was a way to keep the Shea Butter from melting in this heat. Many of the market women float it in water which is just cool enough to keep it firm. It can be put in the refrigerator but no one in the village has access to a refrigerator; many villages do not even have electricity.
Donkey helped the men take off the thatch today; I knew that his back would be hurting him after all that lifting and carrying so I gave him a packet of pain tablets. I told him to take one right away before he started the work but he reminded me that he was fasting and that they were not allowed to take medicine while they were fasting. He said that he would take one when he broke his fast this evening. I hope that he remembers to take one in the morning before with his breakfast.
Steve went to town this morning to buy electric units for the main house and for the Child Center. While he was out he went out to Kulkpeni to talk to the chief about putting up a wall around the church property; not only to secure the property from squatters but to try to keep the neighbors from pooping on the church property; it is so bad that they even poop on the verandas of the buildings. The chief was not around but Timothy and Steve met with the chief’s elders. They did not have a problem with the wall.
Thank you for your help!
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
Mom is still determined that I am going to like water and playing in the water! I do not like the water; I do not like my fur to be wet; I do not like getting my feet wet; I do not like it and I cannot like it. Mom took a dishpan full of water outside on the veranda this afternoon. She thought that she could entice me to get in the water. She was very clever; she put things in the water that I love. She picked up some pretty stones, a mango, a fruit from the umbrella tree, a plastic coke bottle and a couple dates. Some of the stuff was floating and some was sinking. I was able to resist until Mom picked the dishpan up and put it in her lap and started playing with the things in the water. At first I just sat on the arm of her chair watching her and then I forced myself to reach in and grab one of the dates that was floating. I quickly ran up in the tree to eat the date. Actually I was afraid that Mom was going to grab me and give me a bath! I came back several more times to get things I wanted. A couple times I had to stick my whole hand and part of my arm in the water to get the stones that were on the bottom of the dishpan.
There were strangers in the compound all morning; they were pulling off thatch and kicking up lots and lots of dust. At one point I heard Donkey ask Dad for a pair of reading glasses because the dust and debris was getting in his eyes. Dad told him that was not what reading glasses were for. He found him a pair of sunglasses that sort of wrapped around his head like goggles. He was happy even if he looked strange; the glasses were a very peculiar shade of yellow! I could not play in the trees this morning because the workers were there.
I think I have aquaphobia!
Love, Skeeter
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