Report #17

Report 17 Monday April 13, 2009

It is a very wet and cold morning but it is not raining. As we were having breakfast we got a phone call to say that Meest would be delivering 30 boxes at 10 am !

Panic stations to try and make room! The walls were lined with boxes already but with a lot of juggling and stacking, we were ready when the two men sweated to bring then all in.

Tomorrow is meeting night and we are expecting Timothy and Rhoda Sloan and a visiting brother from Ireland. If the usual number comes to meeting we will have to sit some people up on the boxes. Either that or sit knocking knees together.

Well after “shopping” for some supplies we eventually got away to visit our favourite orphanage in Yosopowich and also see the Doctor Michaelo in Stri. On the way to the orphanage we were amazed at the flooded fields and swollen rivers and streams, just from the 24 hours of rain. It will be days before they get on the fields again.

We had supplies for Yosopowich and they were very thankful. As this is not a Government home, it is only supported from the little village and humanitarian aid. We were told that the pump in the well had quit and needed replacing, so there was no water, also the drain from the kitchen was plugged and broken and they had the fire department “blow” it out and the water came up through the ground, At least that’s what the lady told us. They need help and so we bough a new pump, one of the best in the store for $35 Cdn. With a one year guarantee.

We are getting a price to replace the drain pipe as the water from the kitchen is now running on the surface towards the well, not too healthy we thought.

We then visited our doctor come wood carver and his wife and 6 children, 3 girls and 3 boys, all living in 2 rooms with no tub or indoor toilet. One of the boys is mentally and physically handicapped. I don’t think anyone reading this letter can imagine the conditions. There is no door or curtain between the two rooms and 2 of the girls and 1 of the boys are teens. The place is infested with cockroaches, not because it is dirty but they are in the walls. The wall separating their rooms and the next apartment is wet because water is either coming up or through the wall. Mould is starting.

The father was a GP but resigned because he would not double bill the poor patients which is what most of the doctors do. He is an accomplished wood carver and tries to make a living with these lovely nature carvings. He would love to renovate the rooms but cannot afford to do so on what he makes.

We had a very good opportunity to talk to the whole family about not needing anyone to pray to God for us, but that we could go straight to God through the Lord Jesus. The mother is very religious, as she has been at church a couple of times when we went. I think she understood a little more by the time we had each spoken and Misha had read several scriptures to her. Michaelo said he reads the New Testament to the family every day and later told us he was a believer. We really hope this is true.

We came home and Flo made us hamburgers and soup which put up her rating to a 5+ star eatery. Eat your heart out McDonalds!

Flo is now trying to sort out some of the boxes that came today and get them out of the way for the meeting tomorrow.

All for now, our time will soon be over for this trip.

In Him.

Malcolm and Louis