Note: The last post was actually written on Tues. June 9th, but not posted until the 12th due to password troubles.

Saturday June 13, 2009

It has now been 4 days of village life. Lea and I are holding up pretty well, all things considered. We are making lots of new friends and doing all sorts of new things. Lea has been working in the clinic, teaching kids how to play basketball, taking fishing trips, making school supplies, and playing with the village kids. I have done so many different things this week. I sharpened chainsaw blades, milled lumber, built, assembled, and made a basketball hoop, weedwhacked, cut down trees, powerwashed screens and beams, taught village kids how to play knockout, picked rice, planted watermelons, and hung solar powered lights.

Yesterday, we dug a hole in the ground and put in a pole (part of a tree) to use as a basketball pole. Then we took one of the backboards we had built (using the lumber that we milled) and used the tractor to hang the backboard on the pole. Me and two villagers were in the bucket (sort of like a Bobcat bucket) holding and nailing the backboard. When we finished nailing it, Jesse told us to hang on because he was going to lower the bucket and let us out. I was hanging on, but he accidentally dropped the bucket about 18 inches. I lost my balance and fell out of the bucket. On my way down, my leg went in between rungs on the ladder that was under us. I got tangled in it and it sort of fell on top of me. Luckily, I was able to grab onto the bottom of the bucket and slow my fall, otherwise I definitely would have broken my leg. So I've been thanking God for his protection.

Lea and I are already realizing that life in the U.S. is very cushy and luxurious. We feel as though we haven't been really "clean" since we got here. We shower every night, but it is hard to get all of the jungle off with just a small trickle of water. I have accepted the fact that I will need to suffer through my own stank until we get back to town. I have given up trying to smell better and I'm just trying to get off all the dirt. Strangely enough though, I don't feel as gross as when I don't shower back home. There is no pressure to be clean around here, so anything we do is pretty much for our own benefit.

Over the past two days, I have made friends with a group of Jr. High age boys. We were out picking rice (or "cuttim raiz" in pidgin) and the whole time they were teaching me how to say things in their language. Pidgin is a mostly English with a wierd accent and atrocious grammar. I always feel like correcting them when they say something, but I have to stop myself because bad English is good pidgin. One of the town leaders told my "gang" to only speak to me in "tok pigin" so that I would learn it. After we were done working yesterday, I sat on the stairs and about 15 kids crowded around me and I just talked pidgin with them. They kept laughing at me because I was botching it so bad. I think i'm starting to pick it up though.

One thing I have really enjoyed is seeing how people everywhere are the same. Even though these people live under thatched roofs, their town is very similar to a small town in the U.S. They have the same problems - gossip/rumors, parent politics at the school, gambling, drugs, fighting/crime. Everything we have at home, they have here in some form. Take away all the money, clothes, cars, and the language barrier, and these people are just like me. It has been pretty sweet to see how humans are humans - regardless of where/how they live.

Lea and I really enjoy hearing from you all. We check email at lunch every day, and I always get excited when we have contact with the outside world.

We are getting along great with the Pryors. Jesse teases Lea a lot, but it's all in good fun. The boys and I are getting to be good pals. They like to hit and fight, but I've learned that I can just give it right back to them (Thanks Dad for "The Knocker" - it's working great). Judah is HILARIOUS. Last night, we were sitting at dinner and a mangy dog named Pilot was whining and scratching at the door. Judah yells, "Shut up Pilot!" And then shakes his head and mutters "I'm gonna kill that dog." We laughed for 5 minutes.

I woke up today and saw about 15 mosquitos on my net. I'm getting tired of just playing defense, so, with an indignant huff, I decided to go on the warpath. I started trapping them in my net and flicking them to death. In a span of 30 minutes or so, I killed over 25. I kept taunting them - saying things like, "Stinks when your prey starts fighting back, huh?" and "Take that you little blood SUCKER!" I felt much better when my killing spree was over.

Anyway, can't wait to get back and shower and scrape off with some steel wool.

-C.