Hey guys!

Things have been (comparatively) chill around here for the past few days. Lea and Karie have been painting the house and I got dragged into helping them for a while since Jesse isn't here to give me jobs. I worked on the school building, a big wall and some shelves. I had a small crew of teenage villagers helping me so I took the role of foreman and we got the job done. I was sitting here writing this post and I saw the 80 year old school teacher (who has been asking for the wall and shelves for years) go into the school house and inspect the wall - he got a big grin on his face. So that's cool.

It rained here yesterday afternoon, so Lea and I just sat on the porch swing and talked to some of the village boys. Donovan is 9 years old and he wants to be a pilot when he grows up. He also said that he will not want to come around our house after we leave because it will make him so sad. It is gonna be tough to leave them.

The villagers still suspect that Lea and I are either dating or married. We have tried to disprove this rumor, but I am standing next to Lea in every picture of our family we brought. The fact that my older brother's wife is in the most recent picture does not help either. The reason they think we are a couple is because brothers and sisters do not talk or joke around with each other. Lea and I have just been ourselves - teasing each other, joking, and making fun of things. The ones that believe we are siblings however, are taking note of our relationship. When I got back from my milling trip, I put my arm around Lea and asked her how she was doing. No big deal for us. But several of the villagers noticed and told Karie that, "When he got back, he put his arm around her to make sure she was okay. She was fine, but he wanted to make sure." So Karie said that people are taking note of how we treat each other and that we are being a good example.

Please keep praying for Jesse - I'm sure he is still grieving for his grandfather. Before he left he told me that he would really miss talking to his grandpa because "he was just such a wise man." I can tell he really respected him and that he is mourning for him.

On a happier note, we had macaroni and cheese for dinner last night. It was SO American.

-C.R.