Month: August 2016

Life here has been going by slowly I guess. We had visitors from America last month and were very busy. It was good seeing our friend and we hated to see him go. We made new friends that we hope to see again.
Most of the bean farmers have their crops in, just a couple are still drying their beans. It was a very good harvest for both the beans and the peanuts. Just a side note about peanuts….
They are so abundant here and sell for a good price. They are mainly used to make a kind of sauce for over cassava or matooke. And I am guessing that not everyone gets to eat it because of the cost of peanuts. But they do not know what peanut butter is. Crazy, isn’t it? Becca, who works for me, went to the Dr last week and he told her she needed more protein. I was talking to her about ways she could get more protein and I mentioned peanut butter. I’m surprised, because I see people grinding it in the market that nobody knows peanut butter. But they don’t, she looked at me like I was crazy. So I opened a jar of our peanut butter (which we buy at the supermarket) and gave her and Sharifu a taste on a spoon. They thought that was the best thing! So I gave her a jar and told her to eat it on bread. She was very happy. I think maybe we should start producing peanut butter and getting it to the schools!
Rice is being harvested and dried right now. So far it is also looking like a great harvest.
Raelee and I had malaria again a few weeks ago, we are a little quicker now recognizing symptoms, especially in her, and got on treatment quickly. She was better in three days, I took a little longer to recuperate. I think there were a few factors that caused us to have it again and we are trying to change things. I had taken the mosquito net down from the front door because the dogs kept tearing it but now realize we really need to have it up. Raelee is going back on her original preventative meds and Christian and I have to take ours sooner than we were.
I think I have been struggling a little with culture shock again. I don’t think you ever stop, not as long as you live in a culture that is so different from what you know, and is so hard to figure out! We are getting ready to have a break, going to see our sons, daughter-in-laws and grandbabies. We will be gone for three weeks and I think it will be good. Get perspective back!
While we are gone, the dogs are going to be trained. For five weeks actually, and our workers think that’s pretty funny, the dogs going off to school!
Last Monday we took our good friend Salima off to University. She was so excited to have the opportunity to go to college. She wants to be a social worker or something in that area. She’s a great girl and very gifted in working with children. I will miss her helping me in Sunday School, she’s our singer and motivator!