Oh! What a busy day! We have been going nonstop since we got up this morning. We have gotten quite a few things marked off our list but have a long way to go before we will be ready to leave Yendi. But somehow everything always seems to work out.
We have been trying to pay the “stool tax” also called “ground rent” for several days. This is the first time we will be paying for it in Yendi. I guess that the Ya-Na thought that he was not getting his fair share of the taxes because he set up an office in Yendi. We wanted to pay it in advance for the next 3 years but the man in charge of collecting the taxes has waited so long to get back to us with the price that we are now running low on money because we already sent the surplus to the bank for safe keeping. We did not want to leave any extra money here at the mission house. The stool tax has tripled in the past 3 years. We asked if we could appeal the increase but the guy gave us some song and dance about how he had already negotiated on our behalf and he got them to reduce the price already. We asked if we could go back to Tamale and pay the tax there because it is cheaper. He said that he is actually the guy that used to work in Tamale and that their rates have increased too. He is supposed to come to the mission house tomorrow and collect the money. We will just pay for one year this time.
We got 3 of the 4 suitcases packed, weighed and loaded into the van. We are holding onto the other one for last minute items that need to go home with us.
Steve has been trying to get phone numbers from the brothers at Niliyuundo Church of Christ all week. They are trying to build a new church building and Steve promised to match funds with them. They got the sand and now need cement to raise the walls. Steve needs phone numbers from at least 2 of the men so that he can send them mobile money. Timothy is acting as our mediator because the brothers do not speak enough English for Steve to talk to them directly. Maybe we will hear something from them tomorrow.
Take care and enjoy the rest of your holiday!
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
I am 100% better! I am back to my ornery self! Mom says I have been eating like a pig today; I say I have been eating like an adult monkey! I spent the morning outside playing in the big mango tree. The mango tree is beautiful right now! It is covered with fresh new green leaves! The leaves are delicious! I bite the soft leaves out of every branch I can reach. It is amazing that we have not had any rain for almost 2 months and the mango trees are putting out new leaves. They will start blooming soon and by February or March the trees will be full of fruit. God is too wonderful! How can a tree bloom and bear fruit when there has been no rain for at least 4 months?
This afternoon I played in the house while the parents were packing suitcases. You know that the packing of suitcases is not a good thing for this baby monkey! I know it means that I am going to be suffering through a big dry spell myself! I did very well for most of the afternoon. I only played with the things I was given to play with and I dined sumptuously on all the tidbits of food that came out of the kitchen. Mom and Dad are still preparing fruits and vegetables for the food packets they will leave for me when they go away. But late this afternoon Mom and Dad got busy in the other room and I went wild! I destroyed a roll of paper towels; that was actually very fun! I pretended that the paper towels were my arch enemy and it was necessary for me to destroy it in order to survive! Mom had left some calendars on the edge of the table. She did not think I could reach them but if I stretched with all my might and pulled very hard on my leash; my fingertips could just touch them. When Dad came into the room and saw the mess, I knew I was in trouble so I started making monkey noises and apologizing for the mess I had made. I was afraid that Dad was going to send me back to prison so when he sat down, I jumped in his lap and started grooming him so that he would know how sorry I was for making the mess! There is no way he could stay mad at me when I was apologizing so nicely!
Do the deed and ask forgiveness later!
Love, Skeeter
