October 2~9 2011

It seems a thousand things have kept me from this place of sharing with you. Alas, a quick check of facebook is a much easier way to peak into your life, while my days spin by unreported. I am happy to report they have been increasingly hot, full of fun (the Bontragers have returned from Indiana!) & full of sweat labor keeping the dirt & bugs at bay.
I feel as though I have lost my sense of just how little time there is until the holidays & the new year. Those thoughts are still triggered by cooler weather, apple cider & a new cardigan. Sigh. Not here. Wet or dry, hot or hotter.
Please enjoy that cup of cider and those long sleeves for us!
Missing from these views into our week are the preparation Jon is doing for the outreach/clinic team coming in November in addition to a pastor meeting & many phone calls. As he cares for the pastors, he works with them in many things from wedding invitations to broken toilets & dishonest landlords.
Also missing ( on purpose!) is the preparation we are doing for the team. Cleaning up the debris of life that seems to collect in every corner does not rate a picture! If you are one of the lovely ones we are to soon see, know we are excited to have you. The though of seeing all these Americans...and not just Americans, but ones we know & love!

Here are my willing helpers digging in to sift flour. Below you can see the results of sifting flour while sweating. It made a sticky mess. But I could not persuade them that there was anything else as fun as digging into that big bag. Please click on the picture & see the little friend we found in the bag. He wasn't alone, either! The children were very impressed. :)

So tech support can leave help desk, but help desk will not leave the techy. Jon & our friend Irvin are sorting out some issues Irvin was having. Jon has also done some small work for a mission in a town close by. What a confirmation that we serve a God who knows our every desire & delights in showing Himself...if we are looking!

The return of daily (almost) hot sun brings out the creativity. They are cooling off while making boats out of tinker toys.

Grilling chicken for supper draws a crowd. :) My apologies for the odd picture of Adrian. He may be taste tesing the chicken.

Richmond & Max love to make paper airplanes. Richmond is our neighbor & Max's good friend. They are usually found riding bike in the street (sound dangerous, it's really not!), skateboarding or playing ball.

This is the road between the Bontrager's house & ours. Several years of rainy seasons had left huge craters in it. This grader was a short distance away working on another road. Jon offered them minerals (soda) to make an extra loop to smooth out our road. We appreciate the wider road & smoother surface.