This week finds us all working like busy beavers. After getting word that we now have 17 students waiting in line to come live with us in May, and noting that the money had not come in for a dorm, we decided to build the necessary housing out of bamboo. The very next day, Travis and Seh Doe noticed that the neighbors were clearing the mountain right behind our property, so they went over to chat with the owners to find out what they were going to do with that part of the mountain. They came back with the exciting news that the owners had planned to just cut and burn all the bamboo in order to put in a rice field, and that they would give the bamboo to us for free! So, this seemed very providential to us. Bamboo does not last very long, but we are perfectly willing to build with Bamboo if that is what God’s will is for this place.
I am not all that great with a machete, so I have been working on clearing a path to the new house site, and also clearing the ground for the house. This is absolutely necessary over here in order to prevent hideous creatures from invading your personal space. I love the bare look now! The only problem is that it is so hot, that I can only work until around 9:30 a.m. But…this is just the beginning of hot season…it will get worse!
We all worked really hard this morning, and now we all plan to go to the river to swim. Â We spend our leisure hours doing more practical activities, like teaching the kids to swim! (leisure hours=hours too hot to work) Â Last night we had an impromtu celebration…Pearl made sticky rice with coconut and black beans. This was put into pieces of bamboo and roasted over a camp fire. Then, we all feasted, and it was really good. I don’t know what the celebration was about, but I think that maybe they were thinking of the coming day when some will be going home for the hot season vacation. They will be gone for two whole months, and we will miss them a lot. I am so glad that they are not all going!
We were talking last night about the potential great influx of students for next year, and it didn’t take us long to figure out that we really need more help. There are so many of us here, but in order to give each child the attention they need, we cannot do everything on our own. So there are a lot of details to work out in the next couple of months, but I am sure that with God leading the way, we will get the job done.