Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Friday, November 28

Brennen opening coconut
Brennen has jumped into life in the village with both feet.  Edi immediately taught him how to open and scrape a coconut. 
Brennen & Benjamin scraping cassava
When Edi learned how to scrape a coconut, she was wearing a purple band-aid on her finger.  This time she was wearing a beautiful gold band on her finger.
Edi's ring while scraping coconut
I love these two visitors!  Sharing life with them seems so very normal and good, and I'm so thankful they are here.  This morning, we took a much needed trip to the garden to chop firewood, weed, and harvest cassava.  We hoped to burn the brush piles, too, but things were a little bit too wet.  Advent starts on Sunday, which means our neighbors aren't allowed to work.  They can harvest food but not dig new heaps to plant food.  They can't work on building a new house.  I'm not exactly sure what qualifies as "work", but I want to be sure and honor their ways.
Brennen & Benjamin painting the house
After we worked for several hours in the garden, we came home, drank lots of water, and rested for a little while.  Isabella gave me a big heap of umalau as I walked past her home.  I think it was a thank you for the meds I gave her this morning.  A huge portion of the village (including our family) has a nasty cold.  Fever, aches, huge sinus headaches, coughing, lots of snot.  Whole families have been laid low with this virus, and we've been asked for lots of meds.  The clinic is closed right now because the nurse is in a different village.
Benjamin painting
The afternoon's work consisted of Brennen and Benjamin painting the house with old motor oil to deter termites while the rest of us got out Christmas decorations.
painters
When the guys had finished the southern side of the house, they headed straight to the ocean to rinse off.  The girls were already there playing, and I was working with my friend, Margaret Rasol, on deciphering the handwritten translation of Daughter of the King.  Margaret and I watched them all splashing around, Katherine hanging around Brennen's neck.

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