We wake up with the sun this morning. After having what will become our daily breakfast, oatmeal and fresh fruit, we have a tour of the base. We see the rapids of the Zambezi River, the gorge carved by God, and across the gorge is Zimbabwe. Prayer point is so beautiful but my special place will be off the back of the main building on the third step overlooking the river.
We head out to the strorage trailers to organize school supplies and clothing. Wezi and Paul help us. I was able to sit and do the clothes so each time I found a baby hat, someone on the team had to wear it. We took so pictures of them as well as the trailers, before and after our hands at work. Bev has us prepare school supplies. First we laminate animal pictures. Then glue them on the outside of cereal boxes and cut them out. That way, no advertisement is seen on the finished pieces. Each set is a matching game for preschoolers.
Mariel asks me to help her cook dinner so I can adjust to the kitchen for cooking Easter dinner. My thank you to people at the base, and Mariel and Bev, is to give them a day off from kitchen duty. I will cook Easter Dinner for all. The kitchen is a great big working kitchen, but the only electric appliances are a toaster and a hand mixer. Lunch was grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and fresh watermelon. So our dinner tonight is mashed potatoes made by hand with the biggest masher I have ever seen. Also green beans, BBQ chicken, salad, and scratch cheddar cheese/scallion biscuits. YUM!
Kevi, the gardener at the base has a great garden. He will pick beautiful eggplant for me to use for Easter. Many plants and bushes new to me grow there as well. I will prep food tomorrow after we pack the vitamins for distribution to the villagers on Monday. Tuesday we head out further into the bush for three days. The Village there is called Sitchalobe.
We have separated to have two per tent which is really nice. Benita is my bunkmate. SHe and her husband Howard are pastors in Philipi West Virginia. They have two girls, 11 and 13.
After showering with water that is wood fire heated, we head back to our tents to journal. I feel teary eyed tonight. Similar to how I felt when I saw the Acropolis in Greece for the first time. Benita and I both wake up at 12:30 AM for a restroom call. Then she has trouble falling back to sleep. It was warm in the ten but we wake up at 7 ish to a nice cool breeze. Gary, thanks for encouraging me to buy a silk sleeping bag liner.. I slept inside it, on top of my sleeping bag most nights until it cooled off enough to pull my sleeping bag over me and zip up. The liner was the most used item I brought, next to my head lamp.
