We got rain! We got a sprinkle around lunch time but then we got a very nice rain that started about 2:30pm and continued until after 4:00pm. It was wonderful; the temperature dropped and now it is nice and cool! Steve got caught in the rain when he went up to the GRA (IRS) office to pay the tax on the apartment/hotel that we stayed in when we were in Accra. He said that he did not care because we needed the rain so badly and he was not going to complain. The crops will be happy as well as the women. This morning the ladies that work in the Child Center were complaining about the cost of buying dirty water. This rain should have filled up all their containers.
Kwabena, one of the night watchmen did not come to work last night; he called and said that he was not feeling well and that he felt very cold which probably means he has Malaria and has a fever. Hopefully he will feel well enough to come to work tonight. If they take the Malaria medicine it doesn’t take long for them to feel better.
Today was payday for the employees; some of them have had a long dry spell. The workers that are Muslims asked to get their pay early so that they would have extra money for one of their major holidays. They took their July pay on June 4 which meant they got no additional pay from June 4th until July 31st. We told them that if they took it that early they would be suffering by the time July 31st rolled around. They said that they would be able to manage. They said they would not ask for July’s pay early. As predicted, they have been hurting for money. Both Mr. Iddrisu and Donkey asked for their money early but we held them to the deal they made. We would hope that they have learned something from this mistake but we doubt it. Needless to say they were happy when the pay packets came out today!
Zorash’s son has finished his fire service training and has been posted to some village near Tamale. He came home on leave. He left this afternoon to go to his new post. Zorash left work a little early because she wanted to take him to the bus station herself. I am not sure how often he gets time off but at least he is not too far away and she could go visit him if she wanted to.
Today was the last day of the clothes distribution. We are not sad to see it ending! The mothers were very happy to get the clothes. Yesterday the patients at the clinic near the mission house found out about the clothes and the mothers took their children out of the hospital, several of them with saline locks, so they could take advantage of getting a new set of clothes for their children.
Enjoy your weekend!
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
During one of the lulls at the Child Center Mom decided that I needed a little extra protein so she took me out to the small mango trees and we hunted for termites. Well, she hunted and I looked on. I ate everyone that she caught but I had no interest in pulling off the bark and digging for termites. That is a good way to break a fingernail! Besides why would I dig for them when she was willing to catch them and feed them to me?
This morning Mom said that I smelled like poop! How insulting! Mom tried to make me smell better; she washed my hands, face, butt and tail; that was embarrassing! Afterwards she put some stinky lotion on my hands but still she said I smelled bad and that I was going to have to endure another bath! I hate being given a bath but I love being dried off; I love a nice fluffy towel! Something about the whole thing makes me want to attack the towel! Then I get wild! I jump all over the place; run to a high place and then dive bomb into the towel! It almost makes the bath worthwhile; notice I said almost? At least now I smell better! I have had no new complaints!
I was happy that I was inside with Mom when it started to rain! The rain does not frighten me as much as the wind, thunder and lightning. We did not get any of that this afternoon; this rain was a quiet rain.
I am happy the weekend is here so I don’t have to work in the Child Center. I need a day to rest!
Love, Skeeter
