News Letter January 13, 2008

Family and Friends,

Soaking vegetables in one cap full of bleach to 1 gallon of water does not leave a taste but it does bring out the bugs (if there are any) and sanitizes the bacteria that is lurking unseen. Talking about bugs last night in the bathroom I about had a heart ache when a big cockroach came running across the sink and counter. I yelled for Mike to get something to kill it. He was successful. We have sprayed for cockroaches and ants. Hopefully that will help with the ants and cockroaches.

Yesterday, we went for a walkabout and I got sun burned on my neck in the front so I have this pretty red v shape shining brightly. I forgot to put on suntan lotion. My arms are getting darker for no more than I have been outside. A little here and a little there will be the safe way to go. Temperature Saturday was in the 90s. Everyone was out enjoying the water. We walked to the Catholic Church on top of the mountain. Mike got some beautiful pictures. When we got to the church we continued up the mountain for awhile. We saw all kinds of gardens - pineapple, banana, kau kau, cabbage, passion fruit, etc. Walking along the river people were bathing, swimming, washing clothes, and filling containers to carry home. We saw some of the most unusual flowers. I don’t have a clue what the name was. The people just call them flowers. I want to look them up on the Internet and figure out what they were. We were gone with Lena (our language tutor) for 3 hours. When we got back to the house we ate lunch then went to the market. Saturday is the huge market day so lots and lots of people. We were making her nervous so we walk home. I think that she didn’t want us hurt was the main reason.

I tell you, walking around with Mike in the stores and market is a kick in the pants. He is so much taller than anyone here that they just look and stare at him. The kids follow him around laughing and talking. Since we are white that doesn’t help either. As soon as he acknowledges them, they will leave and go another direction.

Today we went to church in the morning. When we got home a washed another load of clothes because the sun was shining. The clothes got dry in a couple of hours. Yesterday, I washed 3 loads of clothes and got them dry before the rain started. As I write the rain and thunder is starting for the evening. We have had some rain but not what I was expecting. There have been a few nights that I thought we were going to wash away so much was coming down but we didn’t, we are still here.

Another task that I have been doing lots is making bread. I haven’t made bread like this before. We don’t buy bread at the store so I am making it. Do you know how hard it is to not cut into a hot loaf of bread when it comes out of the oven? My self discipline is being tested!!! I am finding that I am spending more time in the kitchen cooking than I did in Anchorage. You just can’t run down to the restaurant and grab something for supper. Also, better planning has to go into the meals. Wednesday was shopping day for the teacher. The children had the day off from school. Mike drove the car to town because we had to get our bank account opened. We took 4 other ladies (Erin, Mimi, Kathy, Joy) with us so that they could do their shopping. We were loaded down by the time we all got groceries for one month. We had our rubber Maid tote and 2 coolers tied to the top of the car.

Mike was very patient with everyone and we discovered some new stores that no one had been in before. The new stores are like department stores with grocery items. In fact they are cleaner than the grocery store that we have been shopping. We will be going back to them. When you look at the outside of the stores, they don’t leave much to be desired but when you walk in they are were clean. Erin did find a 15 speed bike for $100 that she bought. Mike found a small fan to use in his office. Everyone had a good day. Erin and I got drivers licenses. You go to the police station, fill out the paperwork, then you find out there is no photo paper. My driver’s license is the paper I completed with a receipt for payment.

School is going well. We are getting into a routine and learning what Aunt Diane wants when a paper is turned in for grading - headings, neat handwriting for starters. The fourth graders learned that they had better study for a spelling test or they are going to be writing their words every night for homework. Math tests were done very well last week. The children love to be with each other and have great attitudes. We eat lunch together everyday. I have included Bible Study, Music, PE and art into their day schedule once a week. They like the change of pace. There are no discipline issues. Multi grades is challenging to make sure that everyone is doing what they are suppose to be doing. The older children are going to start helping with the 1st grader by reading books and practicing math facts when they have completed an assignment. The high school teacher just arrived today from the states. She will be teaching in the high school house.

The hospital is going great. Mike is very happy with the workers. They work hard and not a lot of standing around. This past week the block layers were delayed a day because the project manager didn’t have his paper work turned into Mike. It only took one day for the paperwork and tests to be turned into Mike. The block layers were not happy to not be working. The block layers have done half of the walls on two of the buildings. The tribe that was causing all the trouble at Christmas time has been given the concrete sub work for 3 of the bays. Mike was in meetings for several days for that resolution to be agreed upon. There was a lack of communication between the general contractor and the sub work that was going to be given out to subcontractors. Now everyone has a written contract and knows what is expected. Mike is also very impressed with the the tribes work. They have been working everyday and into the night with the concrete finish work. In fact there has been 3 nights that they have been troweling concrete at 3 a.m. Saturday afternoon, Mike helped them with troweling one bay so that they could get finished earlier. Mike does walk the job and keeps an eye on what is happening. He has his camera and notebook. They never know when to expect him. He is known as the big white giant. We are praising God for the progress that is being made on the job this past week and pray that it continues in the weeks to come.

By the way we have received 20 of the 22 boxes that we shipped from the United States. We have found out that you better make sure everything is packed very tight and secure then put into a plastic bag, after that make sure that everything is listed in each box with an address attached inside the box, because the boxes look like they have been rolled down a mountain and jumped on. Some of them have been split open on the corners. But, we have everything that was put in the box.

I have gone on long enough for this update. Have a great week. We appreciate hearing from you and knowing what is happening on the home front. May God bless you. Thank you for your prayers.

Michael and Diane