making Maandazi

 One Sunday afternoon, the electricity was cut off, as it often is at some time during the weekend. The trouble was that I had mixed up a batch of french bread dough, and now had no way to bake it. We have a solar oven, but it was cloudy that day. So...I rolled the dough out and cut it into circles. It was just I and Gil that afternoon; Bob was gone, and the two little guys were taking a nap.

This is how Force spent the afternoon! Apparently the wash
machine hadn't finished washing the sheets before the elec-
tricity was cut off! oops!

We made the dough into maandazi- a yummy local treat, which is basically balls of fried white dough! I had never attempted to make them before this. (Our neighbors usually keep us well supplied; should the boys get a hankering for maandazi, they go visiting at tea time! haha! ) They turned out ok- not as soft as they should have been, but they weren't bad;the boys ate 'em up, and the dough didn't go to waste!

yep, they are good enough to eat!

hey mister, are you snitching another??

please mama, may I have another?

oh, ok, I guess you can have one more...

There and away

Here we are on the ferry to the mainland.
We sat at the very front, and there was
even a movie to watch!

We went to Dar, on the mainland, last week. Crazy, traffic-jammed, smog-filled city of a few million people. Not my kinda place, let's just say. We had to get a new passport for Gilbert, since children's passports expire after five years. The child and both parents must be present, so it had to be a little family trip.

We took the ferry across the sea. It was not too rough that day, for which I was grateful; I am always the first one to get sick on boats! On this day, my stomach felt a bit queasy, but nothing came of it. Gilbert said his tummy didn't feel too good either, but everything stayed in (thank heaven!). So we made it to Dar, got a taxi to where our shared vehicle is kept, and were on our way to the US Embassy.

While sitting in traffic (which is the bulk of what one does in Dar) the van started to overheat. We made it to embassy anyway, got the business done, and went back to the van, which was still running hot. We found a place to fill it with water, but the radiator was leaking hopelessly. The van had to be parked, and we borrowed a vehicle from a friend. We wanted to do something fun while in the city.

We went to a new mall. Had some fried chicken tender fast food for lunch (fast food is definitely something that has not yet reached our island- I am not too sad about that, but I think the rest of my family relished the rarity!), and then went to an arcade/games center. We had wanted to go to a movie, but there were no kid movies showing. They had fun anyway, as you can see.

This was Elisha's favorite thing!

 They rode a little train, and helicopter swings, and bumper cars. And played in the little McDonald's-like play yard. I and the kids then went to a hostel for the night, while Bob went out to see about getting the van fixed. The kids bounced around the hotel room, enjoying the excitement of a new place, until I turned of the lights and made them be quiet...and they were asleep in five minutes!


Next day we went to the zoo. It's not a very big or fancy zoo, but they have some neat animals and the kids had a great time seeing them all and running and playing. I woke up with a headache, which continued to get worse through the day. After lunch, we went to the airport, and I and the boys flew home while Bob stayed to take care of the van and some other business.

And away we went, back to my island. We flew in this little 15- passenger plane, sitting right behind the pilot, with Gilbert asking questions the whole way. 

I was glad to get back home. I took malaria medicine straightaway, ran the kids through the shower, and we all went to bed! I felt bad for the next three days, staying in bed whenever I could, but am finally recovered. So thankful...to be well, and to be on my island, where I am supposed to be.

Muezzin gone mad

The neighborhood mosque has gone crazy. They are calling the faithful to prayer, not five times a day as is customary, but more like ten times! Especially the early morning prayer- they are calling at 4:30am, and as if that's not enough to have woken the whole neighborhood, they do it again at 5:00! With an electric loudspeaker, of course.

Tonight, around 8:30 pm, after they called for the THIRD TIME for the night prayer, I asked Bob, "What is going on with this mosque??? Why are they calling two and three times for the same prayer?!?!" He answered that it's because this mosque was a hub for the radicals who want to break the union, which caused all the trouble a couple weeks ago. But after their "protest" became violent and destructive, many of their followers fell away. Now they are not attenting the mosque for the daily prayers. In an effort to try get people to come, they are calling more that once for each prayer time! Hhmmm, I think they need a different strategy! the only result they are getting this way is annoying everyone!

Ok, my soap-box is finished.

This afteroon we went for a walk and met many of our neighbor children walking home from chuoni, which is their classes at the mosque where they learn to chant (sing?) the Koran. In Arabic, of course, which they do not understand. But no worries, the Sheik tells them what it means and gives them a good lesson in Islamic apologetics and the  Lord knows what else.

 They spend three hours a day there, five days a week. They are dedicated. These people know what it takes to make a child into an ardent disciple! If only Christian families could take a lesson! The well-being and faithfulness of christian children here really are a great concern to us. More about that later. Enjoy your weekend, hopefully without a cumpulsory alarm alfajiri, before dawn!

Weddings

Today my family will gather together from the north and the south, for my cousin Nate's wedding in Iowa. Last weekend they celebrated another cousin's wedding in MN. It seems to be a year of weddings, with several friends planning to tie the knot this year, and also two of my younger brothers towards the end of the year. It is sad for me to miss these big events.

When I was young, I always loved the family reunions. As a child, they usually centered around a holiday or birthday or graduation. In more recent years, it's been weddings mostly. I haven't been to any of the cousin's weddings, except Daphne's, since she married before we went to Africa. There will continue to be many weddings for the next few years ( there are 24 cousins in my generation!). Being so far away from those I love is hard.

 It was especially sad when my brother Jesse moved his wedding plans from December up to October- because we won't be able to go back that soon. Yes, I cried a little. I think it's very inconsiderate that he cannot wait for eight weeks or so, when we could come. When all of his siblings could be there together with him, to celebrate with him what God has done in his life. It's a big deal. But I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later- that we couldn't make it for a big occasion.

Giving up this family life hurts the most in choosing to obey God wherever He calls us. Yet, Jesus has promised, "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."

 Interestingly, there are also several weddings here this year. Later today several people will meet at our house to plan the wedding of a friend. (Bob was duly elected chairman of the wedding planning committee, ha! He hates weddings! But he does a good job getting people organized.) I know that we are blessed in so many ways, much more than if we would just stay in the US. He has given us friends and family here; our love is spread all over the globe.

Elisha is finally feeling better. The infection was deep in his leg, and it took several days for it to drain out. But finally, the day before yesterday, it all came out and the place started to heal. I gave him plenty of garlic just to make sure the it didn't flare up again. It didn't. But then yesterday he came down with the hacking cough that the rest of us have, and he was quite miserable all over again! But at least this is not so dangerous. He is a bit better today. Wil has also had the cough for several days, but today he was finally well enough to go to school- with handkerchief in pocket, instructed to use it as necessary! He was happy to go to school today. I drove them to school this morning (praying we would make it without an accident, when I discovered along the way that the car had almost no breaks!), since on Fridays I teach a lesson to each class at the school from the Injil (Gospel). Today I taught the story of the temptation of Jesus. It was riveting, I tell you! The kids were on the edge of their seats! It is an amazing story. It is so awesome to be the first person who shares the Good News with someone. The Word works in wonderful and amazing ways, and I never tire of being part of the miracle of someone learning it. 

This post is a little gross- just a warning!

It's been a tough weekend here. Well, at the house. Things in town are calmed down now, after some bold propaganda was spread all over town a couple days ago which basically told all those who want to break the union to go back to their own island and stop causing trouble! It seems most of that group are from the neighboring island, which is known to be more radical and conservative in their religion and politics (those two are pretty much melded together for them). Now they are being very sheepish and quiet! I am glad people here are taking a stand against them.

Bob had to go to the mainland for a couple days. Elisha got very sick while he was gone. He had a red spot on his leg which appeared to be a boil. (Nothing new about that around here.) But the day before yesterday his whole lower leg became hard and red and hot, but still it did not come to a head. He had a slight fever. This was strange. Also he had something like hives- small welts appeared all over him for a little while, then disappeared. This was definitely weird. Had he been bitten by some sort of poisonous African insect???  I tried pricking the center of it, but only blood came out. That night I put a charcoal poultice on it, and by the morning it had pulled some of the infection out. In the morning I took off the poultice while he was in the shower, and pressed the wound as it drained.  It was very painful for him. As I was washing it and pressing it, Elisha, pointing, said, "Dudu." I looked up and there was a thin, white, worm about three inches long. Oh, Lord, was that the problem? I am not sure, but I think that thing was in his skin. Absolutely disgusting. Oh, the adventures of living in Africa!

Later his fever increased, and by afternoon he was very sick. He began vomiting, and quickly became dehydrated. This was looking very bad. I called Bob, who said he was coming home, asking him to bring antibiotics. But when Bob tarried, I saw that even if he brought the antibiotics they probably wouldn't stay in him- he was puking up everything. I didn't want to bring him to the hospital for an IV- I would rather avoid those places, be it here or in the USA! I prayed and thought, and decided to try giving him a garlic enema. Yes, crazy. But I was desperate. He was so sick, that he didn't care much. He slept feverishly all night, and in the morning I gave him another one, with chamomile and catnip. That seemed to help him almost right away. The fever left, and we went to shower and wash off the charcoal poultice again. It had pulled lots of the infection out.
He drank some juice and ate a banana, and it stayed down. Hallelujah! He is drinking lots of herbal high-C tea today, and eating a little food. He felt puny, and is hobbling around on the sore leg a bit. I am still putting poultices on the leg, and it looks much better. It is softer and not so hot, but it's still painful. Pray for his full recovery. I am so thankful he is getting better, and did not have to go to the hospital. The Lord is good.