We got up about an hour earlier than we normally do so we could get outside and get started before the sun got too hot. We decided to walk the fence (cement wall) and re-hang the razor wire. People are still taking the razor wire down so they can crawl under it to come into the back field to poop. 95% of the people do not have their own outhouse so they go to the bush to poop. So many new houses have gone up around the mission house that they have to go far away to find a place to go. The mission’s back field looks good to them. Yesterday when Steve and Red were measuring the door on the well house they noticed that the razor wire was down right in front of Nazo’s house; not only was it down someone had placed a large stone on it to make it easy to climb on the stone and cross the cement wall without getting cut. We secured it back in place and asked Nazo if he knew it was down. He said he was the one that took it down so his nephew could pass back and forth carrying thatch to make zana mats. We told him that he is not allowed to open the fence but sometimes he does not seem to understand what we are telling him.
Later in the morning we noticed that Nazo had burned leaves right under one of the mango trees and had burned half of the mango. I told Nazo that he was not to burn under the trees; he said he knew he could not burn under them; I asked him who had burned under the mango tree. He looked confused so I took him to the Child Center and showed him. He said he had done that because he had seen a big snake go into the leaves under the tree and he was afraid to rake under the tree so he just set the leaves on fire and thought he might kill the snake too. Please, by the time he horsed around; found matches and started a fire that snake was long gone. He went on to tell us that the women who live near him said they have seen a huge snake and that the snake has been eating their baby chickens but the women are afraid to try and kill the snake! You had better kill that snake before it comes in your house and bites someone.
We tried again today to buy electric units but the computer was still down. We also do not have any electricity at the Child Center. While we were at the electric company Steve reported the problem. They said they might be out later today. By noon they still had not come so we went back to talk to them again; still no luck.
This afternoon Steve worked up new forms for the Child Center. We are not gathering enough information on the mothers/children that come to the Center. If for some reason we needed to locate them we would not be able to. The new forms should be helpful.
Thank you for the love, prayers and support. We really appreciate all you do for us and for the work.
In His Service,
Steve and Kandie
