Monday night, 7:45pm and we have our side of the apartment to ourselves again.

I forgot to relay a funny thing that happened to us yesterday. We were walking down our street and out of nowhere, 2 little boys maybe 4 or 5 came running up to us and laughing and pointing shouting "Tubaab, tubaab! " which is Wolof for "white person" and that gave them so much fun, if you could have only seen them laughing. It just struck us so funny that they were so young.

Today was a holiday and we went to the church school to work on the lights in the classrooms. On the way, we stopped by DouDou's shop and picked up a bookcase I had made for the director as a surprise. His desk was so cluttered and office had stuff piled on the floor, so I knew it would please him to have a bookcase. Well, pleased is an understatement, as soon as he saw us unload it, he grabbed me in a big bear hug, and said "I am so happy, I am so happy, you are my daddy now and your wife is my mother..Such a small thing can bring so much happiness into their lives and it is all because kind friends back home sent us here with the resources to bless others.

I must confess, my frustration level got a bit elevated as I tried to work on the lights in the school. They only have 3 or 4 single 40 watt fluorescent fixtures in huge classrooms and they are lucky if 2 work. The technology here is years behind the states as far as lighting is concerned and it is frustrating for me to troubleshoot the old fixtures. I ran into a dead end on one fixture, never could find the source for electric to the fixture and I looked everywhere possible. I am afraid it may be dead in the wall, since they run the wires in the wet concrete and there is no way to trace it. Will try again tomorrow.

We made an early morning run to the huge market on the mainland with Nelson and Mieta' and let me tell you, the smells and sights are indescribable..The vendors are all nice and helpful but it is wall to wall fish and more fish, vegetables and more vegetables, fruit and more fruit and people, people, people. The prices are cheaper than on the island where we live and selection is better also, but it is an experience to say the least.

Came back home late afternoon and went to see my hardware guy..What a jewel he is and it frustrates me that I can't communicate well. Yesterday we had given him money to buy cookies for the street kids, and the first thing he did was show me the cookies he had bought and he was so happy. We asked about his family and he had pictures of his wife, little girl, and little boy and all three of them are just as beautiful as can be.

 

 I guess I am getting to be such a good customer, he is beginning to give me some stuff for free. His picture is above.

Tomorrow we go back to the school to pass out vitamins to the kids, and hopefully I can fix a few more lights while there.

I almost forgot, I had bought some frozen hamburger patties from Argentina and for lunch I pan grilled them along with some onions. Slapped them on some good bread, with some good sliced cheddar cheese and mustard and I was in heaven. I think I may have found my meal plan for the next 2 months.

Thanks for all the prayers, today I am 100% better and feeling good.

Love to all,

Ken and Peggy