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| The Republic of Chad - Quilted |
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| Close-up of Chad |
Monday, December 23, 2013
Rag Doll Follow-up
On December 1, I wrote, "One Christmas project we are working on is creating rag dolls for the neighbor girls who come over to play. JoAnna and I were in tears laughing at how ridiculous our first doll turned out. Let's just say it looked more like a frog then a baby. With some hair and a face it improved a little, but we have continually tweaked the pattern. By the time we have enough dolls, we will have a proper pattern right! Once the girls and I finish the dolls, I promise to post pictures of their progression."
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Thanksgiving Break
Dear readers,
I must apologize for my lack of posting recently. We have been very busy although what we have been busy with has been with rather mundane activities. Our mornings were consumed with school, cleaning, and laundry (we were doing an extra thorough job with the cleaning in preparation for guests - like washing walls and ceiling fans). Once the electricity would go out our inspiration to be productive would cease. The afternoons tended to be nap time, reading time, or Christmas card making/writing time. Starting Saturday however began our Thanksgiving break.
Saturday morning brought about a busy day. Almost immediately after breakfast we began filling the swimming pool again. Now, our pool is only a couple feet deep and about 10 feet diameter. It is the variety that has an inflated ring around the top. Last year we filled it with a balloon pump (the kind you use to make balloon animals). This year however I returned with an exercise ball and so we used the foot pump that came with that. After about an hour and a half of pumping the ring was inflated and the water was flowing in. Then we decided to do some baking. We made 4 loaves of oatmeal bread, pumpkin scones, and pumpkin pie. We delivered some of our baked goods to the neighborhood missionaries and then continued with dinner and baths and really didn't sit until evening. That was our first vacation day!
We learned late Saturday that Moses would be returning with his sister on Sunday, so Sunday was made up of Sunday school with the kids (a lesson about being kind, apologizing, forgiving) and cleaning. The fun part was that the kids still believed that their aunt and dad wouldn't be returning for a few days. So the kids had just gone to bed when their surprise arrived.
Monday was a more relaxed day, allowing the travelers to get acquainted and rested. I spent time working on Christmas presents and helping around the house. The excitement of Monday was that it brought about the return of our guard's wife and new baby (well the baby is now around 3 months old). The baby is looking strong and healthy and even a bit chunky which is truly a blessing since her mom was sick for quite a while after birth.
Tuesday was a post office day and tortilla making. The kids were a little less eager to get into the pool because they have decided it is cold (especially in the morning). It has been reaching the frigid temperatures of around 70°F at night.
Let's see, Wednesday brought about a day of relaxing. We did do some baking like delicious rusks, but for the most part we spent our day reading and making Christmas projects. One Christmas project we are working on is creating rag dolls for the neighbor girls who come over to play. JoAnna and I were in tears laughing at how ridiculous our first doll turned out. Let's just say it looked more like a frog then a baby. With some hair and a face it improved a little, but we have continually tweaked the pattern. By the time we have enough dolls, we will have a proper pattern right! Once the girls and I finish the dolls, I promise to post pictures of their progression.
Thanksgiving day, we celebrated Kenyan style. We had a very traditional meal with an auntie to cook it for us. Thursday again was a pretty relaxed day - what we really needed.
Friday we had many great plans, but then the power people came and cut our electricity. Our five chickens arrived (yup 5 chickens to replace maybe 1/3 of a turkey). Without assurance that the fridge would eventually be turned on, we didn't want to butcher too soon. We had also planned to bake the pumpkin pies, so we had cooked our pumpkin in the morning. In an effort to use our pumpkin (because it also wouldn't last too long in this lovely Chadian fall weather) I made more pumpkin scones and we had pumpkin soup for dinner. Luckily Moses was able to convince the electric company, yet again, that the problem was not with us but with a company that worked from our compound a few years ago, so around 5 pm the electricity was restored and we frantically trying to make up for lost time. Something to be thankful for: a guard who is willing to pluck 5 chickens in the dark with only heads and feet as his rewards. Oh that and getting to see a little boy run around the yard chasing the chickens.
Saturday was feast day for us. Straight away after breakfast we began preparing for our meal. We decided to skip our craisin salad (you do what you can without cranberries) and just use guava sauce as an alternative. For curious readers, guava sauce is what we get after processing guavas through a food mill, cooking, and adding sugar and cinnamon. A Chadian equivalent to apple sauce. We had been slicing and drying bread all week for our stuffing (although we suppose it would be called dressing because it was not actually stuffed inside our chickens). We made mashed potatoes of course (and after mashing them I was simply dripping with sweat and had to excuse myself to get mopped off with a wash cloth). The chicken was pressure cooked to begin with (because Chadian chickens are rather "rubbery" as the children say) and later was browned in the oven. We made two large casserole dishes of what I call corn pudding but here they call baked corn. We made delicious rolls and our guests brought a large green salad. It was quite the feast and though it was a lot of work in a small hot kitchen, it was worth it for the good fellowship. We had five guests and there was much laughter and we got to hear many interesting stories. After pumpkin pie the kids went off to cool in the pool and the adults sat around chatting. It was a good day over all though I did miss our family tradition of a rousing game of pit with my oldest brother's random friends coming over. We also did not have turkey sandwiches for dinner that night as 5 Chadian chickens do not provide a lot of leftovers.
It was a great break with quite a lot of hustle and bustle, but it was rewarding as well. Work is always worthwhile if it can ease or brighten someone else's day. Tomorrow we return to our routine with school, but we look forward to the advent season. Today however, without power and the very muggy and hot weather I was wishing for some of the snow I was hearing about in NE Ohio. We are most certainly thankful for the fans when they work!
I must apologize for my lack of posting recently. We have been very busy although what we have been busy with has been with rather mundane activities. Our mornings were consumed with school, cleaning, and laundry (we were doing an extra thorough job with the cleaning in preparation for guests - like washing walls and ceiling fans). Once the electricity would go out our inspiration to be productive would cease. The afternoons tended to be nap time, reading time, or Christmas card making/writing time. Starting Saturday however began our Thanksgiving break.
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| Glad to have the pool back! |
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| New bed to share my house |
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| The 2 JoAnnas…. Well, we can't expect them both to smile for a picture! |
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| Though playing in different size pools, they both get cold in the water |
Tuesday was a post office day and tortilla making. The kids were a little less eager to get into the pool because they have decided it is cold (especially in the morning). It has been reaching the frigid temperatures of around 70°F at night.
Let's see, Wednesday brought about a day of relaxing. We did do some baking like delicious rusks, but for the most part we spent our day reading and making Christmas projects. One Christmas project we are working on is creating rag dolls for the neighbor girls who come over to play. JoAnna and I were in tears laughing at how ridiculous our first doll turned out. Let's just say it looked more like a frog then a baby. With some hair and a face it improved a little, but we have continually tweaked the pattern. By the time we have enough dolls, we will have a proper pattern right! Once the girls and I finish the dolls, I promise to post pictures of their progression.
Thanksgiving day, we celebrated Kenyan style. We had a very traditional meal with an auntie to cook it for us. Thursday again was a pretty relaxed day - what we really needed.
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| 5 = 1 right…..thanksgiving feast gobble gobble |
Saturday was feast day for us. Straight away after breakfast we began preparing for our meal. We decided to skip our craisin salad (you do what you can without cranberries) and just use guava sauce as an alternative. For curious readers, guava sauce is what we get after processing guavas through a food mill, cooking, and adding sugar and cinnamon. A Chadian equivalent to apple sauce. We had been slicing and drying bread all week for our stuffing (although we suppose it would be called dressing because it was not actually stuffed inside our chickens). We made mashed potatoes of course (and after mashing them I was simply dripping with sweat and had to excuse myself to get mopped off with a wash cloth). The chicken was pressure cooked to begin with (because Chadian chickens are rather "rubbery" as the children say) and later was browned in the oven. We made two large casserole dishes of what I call corn pudding but here they call baked corn. We made delicious rolls and our guests brought a large green salad. It was quite the feast and though it was a lot of work in a small hot kitchen, it was worth it for the good fellowship. We had five guests and there was much laughter and we got to hear many interesting stories. After pumpkin pie the kids went off to cool in the pool and the adults sat around chatting. It was a good day over all though I did miss our family tradition of a rousing game of pit with my oldest brother's random friends coming over. We also did not have turkey sandwiches for dinner that night as 5 Chadian chickens do not provide a lot of leftovers.
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| Chui gets jealous of the baby |
Sunday, November 3, 2013
A season for giving thanks begins!
Life this past week
has pretty much been more of our typical routines with school, laundry, meals,
etc. It was actually a slower paced
week, partially due to our electricity situation. It seems that Sarh is having difficulty
obtaining the fuel required to operate the generators that provide power for
the city (or something along those lines).
For us, that means that the power was going off at random times
and staying off for the majority of the day.
They have now determined a schedule or planned power outages. The electricity is typically on around 7:00am
and then is turned off at 12:00pm. Then
power returns around 5:30pm and goes off again sometime between 1:00am (like
last night) or 4:00am after morning prayer.
Having the scheduled times makes life a little easier, but nothing is
really very exact. Without power our
days slow down a bit due to not wanting to make oneself too hot (know there is
no fan to cool things off) as well as it being too dark to see in some
rooms. It is fun to hear everyone’s
sighs of relief as the electricity returns.
The other fun part about the whole town not having electricity is that
it also means the water stops coming. We
have all gotten pretty good at recognizing that as soon as the power goes out
we must quickly fill up the dish washing buckets and buckets in the bathroom
for flushing and hand washing. Again
predictability is very convenient for this added factor.
As November has started, the month of giving thanks, I have decided to write a few things I am thankful for each week. So to start it all off, I am thankful for family and friends who have supported me during this adventure. This week I am thankful for running water and electricity and a family who is flexible. I am thankful for the protection that God has for each of us. My petty thanks goes to the kindle my parents gave me which is backlit (meaning I can read it in the dark when the power is out!)
The other exciting
thing to happen to us this week is that little miss Chui has become a huntress. She caught two large field rats this
week. We are talking critters the size
of a cat that have been seen on the top of our walls, up a tree, or scurrying
amongst the pumpkin plants. It certainly
makes we think twice when I hear the dogs running outside my house at night and
then hearing clumping or scurrying in my ceiling. Speaking of hunting, cricket season has
started (although nothing to the extent of last year thus far) and little miss
Tigger has taken a liking to catching and sitting on these pests. It is actually quite entertaining.
As November has started, the month of giving thanks, I have decided to write a few things I am thankful for each week. So to start it all off, I am thankful for family and friends who have supported me during this adventure. This week I am thankful for running water and electricity and a family who is flexible. I am thankful for the protection that God has for each of us. My petty thanks goes to the kindle my parents gave me which is backlit (meaning I can read it in the dark when the power is out!)
Monday, October 28, 2013
Fall break was good ...
Well, our wonderful break has come to a close and I can honestly say that last Saturday felt just like a fall day back home. The wind was blowing and the leaves were rustling. We were also enjoying the cooler temperatures that the winds blew in. I felt as though I should be preparing to eat some fresh orchard apples and sit drinking cider after spending the afternoon raking a big pile of leaves. Unfortunately no orchard apples but we were able to create some delicious pumpkin whoopie pies. I must admit I am looking forward to seeing fall next year and that familiar change of the seasons.
As for our week it seemed to fly by! We practiced some crocheting, made delicious food, squeezed lemons, canned a variety of things, organized/cleaned closets and the kitchen and played a few games. Unfortunately part of the week was spent catering to a sick child, since Joshua's typhoid made a return. One of our great kitchen successes was funnel cakes. We also made some sweet potato chips. I also have been spending my week reading the Harry Potter series again. It was a good week, but it seemed like we had our days packed full.
Today we have started our school schedule which went pretty well. We are looking forward to the possibility of visitors so we are trying to work ahead in the assignments. I need to design a few projects for the kids to mix the schedule up a bit. For now the children are busy creating a "beaver damn" and I will help them create a solar oven project. I am certain that our time until Thanksgiving break will simply fly by….but hopefully I can also be very productive in my work!
As for our week it seemed to fly by! We practiced some crocheting, made delicious food, squeezed lemons, canned a variety of things, organized/cleaned closets and the kitchen and played a few games. Unfortunately part of the week was spent catering to a sick child, since Joshua's typhoid made a return. One of our great kitchen successes was funnel cakes. We also made some sweet potato chips. I also have been spending my week reading the Harry Potter series again. It was a good week, but it seemed like we had our days packed full.
Today we have started our school schedule which went pretty well. We are looking forward to the possibility of visitors so we are trying to work ahead in the assignments. I need to design a few projects for the kids to mix the schedule up a bit. For now the children are busy creating a "beaver damn" and I will help them create a solar oven project. I am certain that our time until Thanksgiving break will simply fly by….but hopefully I can also be very productive in my work!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Fall ...
Happy fall to one and all! It is true that my fall is not the type of fall that brings breathtaking colors to the once green hills, but the leaves are starting to wither and die. This coming week brings fall break for us in the Kariuki household. The beauty of homeschool is we design our schedule and when to take breaks. We shall see what sorts of projects actually get accomplished during this week of extra free time. It seems like we worked so hard last week that there cannot possibly be more things to do, but projects have a tendency to walk though our gate (like bushels of guavas for example). We will also have to keep the kids entertained so we shall see what sorts of shenanigans we can get ourselves into! I am pretty sure a surprise attack on the kids with water balloons is in store.
Aside from the normal everyday activities I have been thinking recently about some of the similarities between the U.S. and Chad. One similarity that keeps coming up is that many people I have met have college degrees and yet are taking jobs which they are over qualified for because there is a limit of employment possibilities. It is not something I would have assumed to be true, but there it is folks…..college graduates working random jobs because we have to do something.
I have also been wondering quite a bit about what comes next in life for me. It will be interesting to see how volunteering here in Chad for the last two years will affect my employment choices in the U.S. (well we shall see if I actually have any choices). I am currently planning to try my luck in Portland again, but we shall see. I am truly hoping that I won't simply settle into the way things were and be unaffected by my experience but instead I will be able to build upon it and share my new insights with others. If anyone has any insights to share with me I would love to hear them (or suggestions for employment opportunities especially in the Portland area I would love to hear about those also!)
I do hope someone will hop into a pile of leaves for me and embrace the chilly winds this time of year brings. Supposedly December here gets quite chilly (I am looking forward to what that actually means here!)
Aside from the normal everyday activities I have been thinking recently about some of the similarities between the U.S. and Chad. One similarity that keeps coming up is that many people I have met have college degrees and yet are taking jobs which they are over qualified for because there is a limit of employment possibilities. It is not something I would have assumed to be true, but there it is folks…..college graduates working random jobs because we have to do something.
I have also been wondering quite a bit about what comes next in life for me. It will be interesting to see how volunteering here in Chad for the last two years will affect my employment choices in the U.S. (well we shall see if I actually have any choices). I am currently planning to try my luck in Portland again, but we shall see. I am truly hoping that I won't simply settle into the way things were and be unaffected by my experience but instead I will be able to build upon it and share my new insights with others. If anyone has any insights to share with me I would love to hear them (or suggestions for employment opportunities especially in the Portland area I would love to hear about those also!)
I do hope someone will hop into a pile of leaves for me and embrace the chilly winds this time of year brings. Supposedly December here gets quite chilly (I am looking forward to what that actually means here!)
Sunday, October 13, 2013
YWAM Base Visit and More ...
Well folks these past two weeks have brought about a little less rain, a little less rash, and a birthday party. We also got the opportunity to visit the YWAM base that is currently under construction.
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| Clean water from a bore hole |
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| Dining hall being built |
Next weekend I will have a more updated blog, but today my plans were thwarted by the lack of electricity and my poor planning of not charging my computer. Also I just want to say that I got 3 letters in the mail this week and they made me smile. I love getting updates on people's lives! It is great to be connected despite the distance.
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| Proof I'm still alive and standing! |
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