Blog February 10 to 12
Just discovered that our February 7th blog never
made it through the cyber space channels…. So, this morning after waiting for
at least 10 minutes for the connection, I still don’t know whether it went… The
best time slot to “connect” is between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Of course the waiting means too that your
credit steadily eats it way out and I know we’ve got to get more credit
tomorrow which means taking the laptop to a little Tigo kiosk (Tigo is the
internet provider) – ask for an x amount of credit, then stand there until the
computer tells you it has been added to your account – then you pay. We are
grateful we at least have that available.
Since our last blog which I tried to get through, we do not
sleep outside anymore. During the second night the wind started howling –
blowing so hard, it actually got too cold and gritty to be there as we only
have bed sheets, no blankets. Under the bright shining moon light we moved half
way back inside: we put our bed in the screened porch which gives more airflow
than the bedroom.
Our city water that fills our 8 barrels has not been on
since over a week, we heard there are fuel problems with the generator of the
city….. So this morning I am waiting…… for the guy who delivers water in jerry
cans on a little donkey drawn cart.
Henk is back at the water project – the piping to reroute
the water is not available neither are the tools. He just sent a text message
to someone in Ndjamena who is supposed to come out for two days and possibly
have him bring it. So Henk is waiting for that.
Another project on
the go is to put a ceiling in “our” bedroom which is prepared for a new arrival
sometime next month. Since there are hardly any tools at the center due to the
fact that several families who owned tools, have left and taken their tools,
progress is slow and the word “patience” gets a new meaning. We managed to pick
up a wood saw for about $7.-. The same
‘hole in the wall’ was able to supply 4mm plywood and 6 meter long ‘2x4’. A lot
of “sweat equity” will go into this since Henk has to saw all the pieces by hand.
Removing the woven mats that had been used as a ceiling was dusty work for sure
resulting in some bites on his leg.
February 12
After finally successfully sending off our February 7th
blog, we can now continue the one we started on February 10. The water DID
arrive at 12:00 on the 10th – 10 jerry cans filled up one and a half
barrel, and the price for the ten units was $1.50.
What else DID arrive? After Andrea pointed out that Hazel
the cat that disappeared over a week ago was an excellent mouser and much
needed in the place where we live, made us more determined than ever to catch
the “beast”. It was howling behind the screened kitchen window last night. Henk
grabbed his miners headlight and went behind the compound to catch Hazel. Since
the cat was hidden between barbed wire and mosquito screening we had to bribe
it to a standing position. Henk grabbed it and we got it back in the compound.
Henk has a few scratches to show for his dedication ……and determination!
After devotions we
listened to the church choir across the street from us. At 10 o’clock city
water started to trickle out of the faucet and we were able to collect some six
pails over the next two hours – “all in a day’s work.”
Another project materialized yesterday: Andrea had tried to
do something about her dripping tap in the bathroom: it having been there for
some twenty years it decided to snap right off! Hopefully the odds and ends of
the plumbing supplies Henk had requested (plus a pipe threader) will be helpful
in this situation otherwise I don’t have a plan B yet.
On Friday Andrea finished a few weeks of recording ten Bible
stories in one of the local languages.
The two translators took turns reading. It will be a tremendous tool in
the near future as people can listen to the stories, especially for those who
can’t read (yet).
It is late afternoon and we just came back from the roadside
kiosk that also sells Tigo credit. Tigo is the national cellphone/inernet
provider.
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