Trip Log Day 07

We haven’t had running water in a few days. The flushing and showers from the day Leana got sick depleted our reserve. Let’s just say it is a good thing we have two toilets because one is now for one and the other for sickness and well, the other. We didn’t realize it but the water tank that feeds the house is doesn’t run along the water line be fed directly from the spring, so it has to be filled manually. Manually means 8 men with two or three bright yellow water cans each climbing a lashed together ladder to pour in water they carried up the hill.

The spring empties at the church lot (where all the locals wait for water every morning) and starts way up in the hills, a two hour walk from our site. The ESKM application for EMI services mentions that repair is needed to bring the flow to maximum capacity. Johnny and Teddy (as they now fondly refer to one another) walked up to the source a few days ago. There is a lot of repair that needs to be done over hilly pasture land. Perhaps on another trip.


Bugs

I am so thankful for Leana and Tammy, they are really not afraid of the gigantic bugs that keep sneaking under the door and they smash them for me. Here is a detailed list of the ones we have encountered:

- The June Bug: We used to see these all the time on Mexico missions trips and they are here too! These huge 2.5 inches (or 65mm) beetle-like bugs fly around with a loud buzz noise and wouldn’t stay still enough for me to take a picture.

- The Fly: Almost the same as its North American cousin but these ones are less afraid of you. They just decide to hang out on your arm no matter how many times you swat them (maybe it doesn’t help that with out running water it has been a few days since we showered). The kids here have just stopped swatting at them all together; so on the warmer days the flies are just basking in the sun on the kid’s shoulders.

One new trick I have learned from Brian (who lives out in the Canadian country side on a farm) is how to catch them. The flies fly up before out so if you sweep your hand directly above them you get ‘um just as they try to escape. Brian is our resident catch and release or smoosh-er.

-Bed Bugs: I haven’t actually seen these but they are leaving their mark on me. I’ve got little red itchy bumps all on my ankles. I tried shaking out the bedding but that didn’t seem to help so my guess is these guys have hooks and sharp fangs, but I really have no idea. Leana has them way worse than I do, she has bites on her stomach from staying in bed all day when she was sick.

- Spiders: Also the same as in North America but just more frequent now. We’ve seen daddy long legs and little black ones but nothing too dangerous or scary, thankfully.

- Crickets: These ones are smaller and darker than any I have seen before and like to frequent the guest bedroom where I am sleeping. One totally freaked me out the other day by jumping just out of the corner of my eye. Leana smashed it for me.

- Heebie-Jeebie Bugs: These guys are especially prevalent here. You think you feel them on you, or see a movement out of the corner of your eye and yell, but then suddenly there is nothing there. This goes on till you become so desensitized that when an actual bug is on you, you don’t notice.

- Big crunchy tail bug: This one keeps sneaking in at night when we host the whole team for devotional. They love the light so when the guys open the door they jump from the porch one to our living room light. We have gotten in the habit of making answering our door with the lights off, but they still sneak in! This bug has a long segmented yellow tail and four orange-brown wings and it makes the most disgusting crunch when it is smashed with a shoe. Ewwie.

That’s all for now, be careful of those heebie-jeebie bugs!

As usual, images are here on my flicker account (don’t worry, no bug ones!).

Lots of love,
Cindy