2021 June

 It is June 2021 and honestly only the 16th of the month.  For the last 11 days I have really been on the very bottom, snapping at questions and crying at the drop of a hat.  I just have not had a break in a long time and this camping lifestyle in the dirt and without so many western comforts is hitting me.   The last time we left the compound all the boys (four at the time) and us was June / July last year.   We had others working with us that we could leave the animals with for the day, just the day and we took off for the entire day.   We had a wonderful time, hiked and experienced things we had all never experienced before and it was refreshing - even though it was more than 4 hours in the car that day and Hope threw up on himself (inside of his hoodie) because he didn't want to get it on any of us or the car.     

I have recently received another notice by email that my flight was again cancelled 9the round trip back to the USA) and no idea when another one will be possible.   

Although the roads have finally opened from the second and much harder lockdown we have been reserved.  So far only going into town for recycling items and for supplies.  It has been nice to ride in the car but also a bit of a stressor to wear a mask that pulls at my ears all day.  

The vaccine, AstraZenaca, a renamed version of that one,  has made it here and the President has finally allowed it - there is such a stigma about it though that they can't find enough people to inject.   I have gone back and forth about it.  I strongly dont want to be a test subject with my health issues and low immuine system it just isn't smart.  Narindra doesn't like the idea of the vaccine either so for now we abstain.  They have only now made it avvailable to 18 and older so we will see if we have opportunity for the boys to make that decision or if we have to make it for them.  That is one of the harder decisions for me.  I don't look forward to.  We don't feel comfortable about it and are staying closer to Grace Ranch...  

On May 10 Voanjo (Peanut) had puppies, only two survived but God knew that is all we could really care for.   She is a great momma dog and is really looking out for the puppies...   They are one month and one week tomorrow and boy do they have so much character and bounce so far.   Taquito and Voanjobory (round bean).   These puppies have given me something to throw myself into during this time of deep darkenss.   They love to sleep in between two layers of jackets that I wear to keep warm. I love it also as it helps keep me warm.  The locals surely think that I am nuts - who cares. 

Although my times with the Lord have been amazing - leading the devotionals for the boys have been a challenge from time to time but seeing them grow in the Lord has been a deep joy too!    My prayer times have really taken off, I have a few spots that I can go and just pray outloud for the workers, our boys, this land, the future and all the people that will come here for love and enfolding - I feel the pressure of Satan folding in on top of us all the more and I can't shake it.  It is hitting me hard and I just don't understand.  God is doing so many incredible things with us here, allowing us to build new housing for the 5 women and girls that HE (GOD) has told me are coming.  Telling me who is a planner ahead of time about the women (I feel He did this because he really loves me!)  God gave us the funds to buy more land adjacent us with our access road to our property, and even supplied the funds for the fencing for that land.  Space for them to have their own space and make it their place of peace.    So, during this time it means we need to find beds, mattresses and bedding and curtains, dressers or shelves, chairs and tables...    Speaking of tables 

The whole month of May and all of June so far I have been the only woman at the dinner table.  sometimes 14 men and just me, lowest number so far has been 9 men and me...  It is overwhelming when they all come to me to look for things, to ask for snacks or what is to eat.   They all want their clothes mended and washed and all of that is just the household items that we go through.  Our boys are growing like weeds so during lockdown I went through my clothes again and tried to find - gender neutral clothes that they could wear to get warm.   Some things went faster then others and I am left with a pile of large girly clothes to alter to fit me.  Thank God for that skill.   So, back to the dinner table - it is time to move some of the more comfy chairs and couches out and into storage so that we can put up folding tables to eat...   I refuse to be squished in all that manly madness (they fart more and more every night) and I like to have a little space when I am eating.    

Lets talk about the land again - that same family wants to sell off the remaining land connected to us - this would add almost 3 acres to our current property and allow us to build homes for the people coming to live with us, a machine shop, a bottle shop and show room, a larger home for the babies that will come to us and maybe even a chapel and garage or rice smacking shop?   I would love to see a hospital close by that we could work with...   not on our property but something...   So many things this property could be used for and we are getting ready as we can and as we see and hear the Lord leading us.    

2016 May

May, 11,2016 

This is the year and month everything changes...

We have most of the training center up and operational.  The outside toilet and wash area is being completed as I type this.  We have a friend/worker living on the top floor which helps with security and gives him his own space.  He works on things here Monday - Friday and on Saturday will be in the 2 hour class learning English, along with two - three times a week joining us in practice sessions (when he is ready of course).  We have an English class scheduled to start next Saturday, May 14th with 3 students.  We have raised half of the monthly support to pay the teacher for this class as she travels to us and prepares during the week after her first job, we will also be feeding her after session is over.  We still need to raise another $30 a month in order to pay her to come and teach.  I will be taking care of the practice sessions during the week, Narindra will supervise and assist where needed on both Malagasy and in English.

We have taken in a cousin 18 yrs of age (Marius) to help with the physically intensive chores around the house; taking buckets of water to the third floor, filling the three water basins (drawing that water from the well) for showers and to filter the water for cooking and in return we pay for him to go to school, clothe and feed him.  He loves to learn about manners, the English language, movies and especially how to cook different foods.  Over the last month I have been able to let him make banana bread, Zucchini bread, Carrot Bread or any combination of those breads on his own. He is also learning to look into the fridge and see what we should have for lunch that day.   So he is comprehending or memorizing cooking terms and most importantly asks when he has a question. He lives with us, in the big house on the second floor.   He studies for his classes from dinner until 10 pm and then is awake by 4 to study again before the daily chores and getting ready to leave for school after his early lunch.  He attends school every day Monday - Friday and will also be in the English class here on Saturdays.  I find his constant cheerful attitude contagious.  He enjoys being greeted first thing in the morning (must be a morning person) and is willing to help with any task.  He is always so thankful for the guidance and assistance that we have been able to give.   He is the oldest of many children and his parents came to us asking us to please take him in, as they would not be able to provide for him along with their other children.  He calls me Aunty even though Narindra is a cousin.  They don't really have words for cousin, niece or nephew in Malagasy. You are known by your children or the child of so and so.

April 18th we had a visit from a young mother (Nomena) of a 3 yr old desperate for work.  She is a friend of our good friends and neighbors.  She knows we don't have much but is willing to do anything to provide for her little girl.  We have been able to share some stray pieces of clothing that have been sent to us with her for her child and have already been able to pay for necessary medical attention as her little girl just caught that virus so we asked her to take a couple of days off and take the baby to the DR.  She is cheerful, quiet and a great worker.  She doesn't talk much but I think she might after she warms up a tiny bit.  We have already cooked meals together teaching English/Malagasy to each other.  I have taught her to to sweep and mop the house, use the vacuume on the hard to reach spaces, iron the laundry after it comes in from the line (to make sure it is intact dry, with more than 60% humidity we have to be diligent against mold) and make the beds. She is teaching me patience in learning her ways (she doesn't like extra blankets left on armchairs or the couch).  It is nice to have her here with us until about 1-2 daily.   For now we feed her and have paid for her medical expenses, we hope to be able to give her more than what we can afford right now.

As you can imagine I am now surrounded by boys and enjoy the morning hours with our newest friend and house helper.  The guys are not the most detail oriented when it comes to their living quarters, basic needs (dirty pillow cases, dusty floors, stinky clothes and looking for things.)  They will glance over and area and state that it is not there, I will get up come to the area and say in Malagasy "Mijery mitovy ny vavavy"  Translated "look the same as a girl"  Pick things up, move them over and really search for what it is you are looking for, it will not scream, "I am here".   So this is now the house joke.

So far this has been very difficult to do on our limited funds.  Lets face it, we don't have any supporting churches back in the USA and we have roughly 8-10 individuals or families depending on the month sending in one time donations or monthly donations, for a total of about $250 a month depending on follow through. WE COUNT THEM SAINTS as we could not survive here and get things started without them.  The packages that have come have also been perfect as we share 60-70% of everything that we get and only enjoy the remainder...

We go through batteries, candles, matches, tea, coffee, breads (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and some other ingredients) faster than we can replenish them.   When there is a new activity close by (building a wall, a toilet, moving a pigs house, etc...) with the neighbors we try to offer breads and coffees as our way of support.  This village community is really there for each other.   They will leave their homes to come and help you if you need it, and when they need it, it is expected in return.  Our neighbors are fun, lively and love LOUD MUSIC.  Sometimes I feel like I live close to a Dance Hall as the music is usually specific to these three families likings, played over and over and 3 mile radius on hearing the music.  Makes it hard to sleep or concentrate at times but we love the "camping feel" this creates (sometimes I don't but that is this areas customs, lol, I just smile and adjust my tasks at hand.) Recently though the tunes have started to change and there are more French and English speaking songs included, and I am starting to hum along with the Malagasy ones...

Our personal money is non existent and we have to pray hard as soon as the kitchen is bare and we are in need, about every 10 days or so.   Talk about living and eating by faith.  We feed 7 people now on a daily basis at least one meal and two snacks along with water, coffee, juice or tea.  For the other meals we are feeding 4 regularly and sometimes more.  We go through 2 sometime 3 pots of coffee in one day now that the cold season is upon us and we go through a 70 lb bag of rice in three weeks.  Food is never wasted as everything has something that will eat it close by.  We have our 3 dogs, 3 bunnies and a chicken along with the neighbors pig that eats most of what the other animals can't.  We really don't create much waste.  We have started paying a local young boy about 9 yrs old to come and haul out the trash we do have each Saturday.  It helps him provide for his 3 brothers and single mother.  We also call on him when we have something extra we need that he is physically able to do.  Now paying him about $2 each time he comes to help us is a huge blessing for his family yet we would like to give more.  We often send him home with breads and juice, he brings the bottles back to us and we can refill them another time.

We are so very thankful for the land we are sitting upon and the fact that we have been able to grow some foods.  This changes periodically as we are learning and growing with he property.  We generally have green onions growing somewhere, pumpkins, chayote, Okra and some chilis.   We did have for a short while zucchini and that was amazing but we were not ready to tend daily to over 50 plants in that section of yard as that plant tends to leave a long trail (would be better suited for a trellis or fence situation).  We are looking forward to planting and growing Artichokes (they take over a year to grow 3 heads) so this will take patience.  We are hoping to grow garlic and ginger along with planting a papaya and a citrus tree in the yard, the trees will also take time.

I have started going through my clothes, jackets, shoes, scarves and hats giving them to the people that are working with us.  We are very thankful for the many donated items in the container and we will be dipping into that this coming week to see if it will help. There are two local guys that take all of the shoes we have given them out on the town on Sundays trying to sell them. They are very serious about this and after three weeks of not selling but a couple of pair of flip flops they are still at it, cleaning the shoes and talking about them with locals, getting the word out.  The biggest issue is that I am much taller than most malagasy.  Where I would typically wear an 8-9 depending on the shoe, most Malagasy women would wear a 5.5-6.5 or 7.  The Men really like a few of my shoes and some have gotten away with wearing the tennis shoes or boots.   Nothing gender specific unless it is a high heal.

The weather is amazing here but when it is cold it is to the bone and frozen nose cold.  Last week it was hot and then cold at night, this week, however that has all changed.  The highest projected number is 65 F and lowest being 54 F (13 C).   Imagine, stone or brick homes with a lot of concrete, no wall to wall carpet or home heaters, small area rugs and lots of blankets, socks, Ugg boots, beanies and LAYERS, a lot of LAYERS.  Since I do a lot of work on the computer I have taken to staying in the bed under a couple layers of down comforters to stay toasty and get a few things done. I have also started drinking a bit more Hot water or Tea after the morning coffee.