We wake up to the sound of cows and roosters making their respective noises signaling the beginning of the day. We crawl out from under our mosquito net (stained with the bodies of the unfortunate insects which got inside the net) which has kept us sheltered from the swarming mass of buzzing insects of evil that would love to feast on Colorado blood. Carefully, we close up the mosquito net for the day to ensure they don’t crawl inside and lie in wait for us. We spend the day going door to door and sharing the story of Christ, praying for healing and seeing lives awakened with the love of Christ. Our muscles still ache from building a new office and classrooms for the church last week, but the surprises of evangelism surpass our expectations as we witness to the local “illegal brewers” of the town. We are working and living with some of the most joy-filled and amazing people we’ve met. After returning home we eat an amazing dinner, usually including a chicken head or two as well as some livers, by a man who spends his mornings and evenings preparing amazing food for our group of 14.
When it’s time to do dishes or laundry we head out back to the well to drop the bucket down the red brick well and pull up icy cold water (makes for a freezing bucket shower which we take about once a week –Cath thinks that’s TMI). We wash the dishes with buckets set in the kitchen sink where there is a running faucet that we don’t use because, while the well water is safe, the tap water has typhoid in it. Showers are done with…buckets. Laundry…buckets. After gathering with the group for some evening relaxation and community time we head to bed, carefully removing our mosquito net and I usually spend 20 minutes or so killing every pest dumb enough to show it’s face. Then we sleep, drifting off to the harmonies of starving mosquitos outside our net and barking dogs in the distance.
Karibu (Welcome)
This is Africa
