In fact, it has been some weeks since my last post. Keeping things together on a daily basis, have been a challenge. Everything always seem to break at the same time. Vital things like a printer and Land Rover tyres (yes, I stopped counting how many tyres were ruined). After more than three weeks, Dries finally managed to get the inner tubes for the new tyres from Antananarivo. Our electricity is now cut for days at a time and the water situation, especially at school, is so severe that I will start carting some water from home this week to bring some relief.
Everything has turned to dust. I won’t have to bring the water on the quad though, as I now have the use of a friend’s vehicle a few times a week. It is a little pick-up of indeterminable origin which is held together with fibreglass. I am wearing my quad gloves to make the steering easier on my hands, but muscular arms will be a plus. Nevertheless, it has helped me tremendously. We are entering the driest month of the year, but all these electricity and water problems are due to the usual culprits; bad management and corruption on the part of local government.
Three weeks remain before I leave for South Africa and it is the usual chaos to get all my Ranger work and the Reading Rocket lessons finished in time. I started the training with the pre-school and Grade 1 teachers for the reading project. They are finding it more difficult than anticipated, so we’ll focus on the training part until they feel more at ease with it. Norbert found time to build some benches on the school ground. How he manages to do that in the heat and the dust, I don’t know.
For a merit with the Saturday Rangers, we decided on the Wordless Book. It is such a powerful evangelism tool and the Rangers have been learning and practising every week. During Elizabeth’s visit, she started them off with the gold page which talks about God.
Our rooftop garden is always in full bloom when it is the dry season. I always think that it is a picture of triumph amidst troubles. Please pray for us to not allow these frustrations to get us down.
Be blessed!