The Bucket Bath

First off…guess what we had for dinner? Yes, the fish although I believe that they started to realize that most weren’t touching it so they prepared chicken as well. We also had the tradition cassava plant tonight. Most eat the leaves as a kind of green, but the root is a starch similar to potatoes. They make a flour from the roots of the cassava plant and then use it to prepare a kind of very thick porridge. It was very good.

I have so much that I could write, but I’m wasted and it would go on for hours if I tried to cover everything. I know some of you are looking for more pictures and tonight’s internet connection is better so I’m going to try. Unfortunately Molly, YouTube videos probably won’t happen.

The reception at the orphanage was amazing. The kids had prepared a series of special songs and dances and they even got us doing it – Ashton bravely stepped up, danced, and sung his name in the traditional Lingali dialect…as then did we all.

Most of the kids speak only Lingali while the educated citizens speak both French and Lingali.

The orphanage has grown already from when Father Gabriel (Gabi) was here last. It is good to see the new facilities under construction in order to house more kids once more regular funds are pledged.

We brought one suitcase with us that had all of the toys and candy in it. The kids thoroughly enjoyed it and would spontaneously break out in song and dance while waiting for their goodies.

One of the younger girls (I’ll guess around 10) wanted to ask a question, and rather than a question, she had a request. She asked if we could manage to provide a desk and chair so she could get more serious about her studies. Wow. No shoe request or ipod request…a desk and a chair. We’re going to work on that for her.

We also got a complete tour of the 14 acre orphanage and managed to visit the river in the process which the locals use for bathing and drinking water.

The villagers there were somewhat entranced and it soon turned into a performance or show in which they mimicked anything that the kids (including Zach) would do. We had a blast and the kids didn’t even notice that they were naked.

So we’re back at the city mission where we’re staying and last night we had a mono-temp shower that kind of dribbled water. Tonight, the city water supply isn’t quite providing enough pressure to push the water to a 6 foot high shower head, so we marched to the mission spigot to fill the 5 gallon buckets we had been provided. So instead of a shower or bath…we had a bucket. Worked out fine though. We’re clean and ready for bed.