December 30. Slept in ‘til 6:30 this morning. This morning was cool, and we had the fire going until late morning; but the day turned warmer than it has been. There was no rain, but still lots of clouds.
The girls came early and did dishes. Then they went off to the other side of the mountain to load firewood for the mumu for the special meetings. But the guys never showed up to cut the trees down so the girls came back empty-handed.
I was just finishing my breakfast and still having quiet time when the girls came. After they got started with dishes, I finished my quiet time. Daddy went down to try out our own generator again. He had left the fuel line open for a few days to see what would happen. Apparently just a wee bit of fuel had seeped through as the generator ran for 13 minutes and then shut down. He is pretty certain now that the problem is just a dirty fuel filter.
After the girls left, Daddy started helping me get the cupboard door put on the school bookcase. We had barely gotten started when Matthew came to the door. He wanted to “story” with Daddy. So I came and did some work at the computer while they talked. Later David came along. It was 11:00 when they got done talking. I hadn’t realized it was so late. I hadn’t even had my morning snack yet. So I grabbed some Jackfruit, and Daddy and I went back to work on the cupboard door. Then Daddy went for a walk to check out the airstrip again, and I started making spaghetti for dinner.
We haven’t had much rain the past couple days so the strip wasn’t soggy like it had been, but it was still quite soft.
I had a fairly long nap today, I guess. Don’t really know what time I lay down, but it was after 2:30 when I got up. Daddy went down to see if he could get the fuel filter out of the fuel tank of the generator and try to clean it out. He drained the fuel out of the tank first, but he could not get the filter out because he did not have the right tools. Supposedly the filter is not supposed to have to be changed until after 1,000 hours, but the generator didn’t live up to that claim. I guess the generator didn’t read the book. So he is going to try to take it to town and see if someone can help him.
When he came back in, he cut a piece of plywood for me to fit across the bottom of the cupboard between the two support posts. I got that nailed on and then started putting the students’ books in that cupboard. I thought I would easily get five across, but didn’t account for the fact that the poles on the ends and in the middle would make the books stick out too far. So found I could only get four across. Now what will I do? We had one piece of plywood left, just the right size for another shelf. The top shelf area was big enough to be divided in half. I just needed something to hold the shelf up. Found a couple small pieces of plywood just the right size for end pieces. Glued some wooden blocks on them so they would stand up. Stacked and glued some other wooden blocks together to support the middle. Looks like that might do. Will need to paint that shelf tomorrow.
Matthew came back late this afternoon, and got one window put in at the end of the addition. That helps bring in quite a bit of extra light.
After supper, I finished cleaning all the students’ books out of the old cupboard and getting them put into the new one. Now I can use the old cupboard for storing other things.
We are not running the generator this evening so am working by solar power.
“13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross….” Colossians 2:13,14
December 31. It’s been a busy day. After 9:00 now. Just finished choir practice. Now the youth are singing by themselves. David is not here tonight. He went to Gimi to find out how Silvia’s mother is doing.
After breakfast this morning, we started laundry. Bonita came and started dishes, and Sunny came a little later. They were done and gone by the time we finished washing clothes. It was a hot, sunny morning. We were thankful for a good morning for drying clothes.
After hanging clothes in the hot sunshine, having a refreshing Emergen-C drink, and relaxing a bit, I put undercoat paint on the added shelf in the school bookcase. Daddy put undercoat on the window frame that Daniel had made. Then I finished cleaning things out of the old book cupboard, swept it out, and put the boxes of library books in there. There was a nice piece of lumber in there for making a little table to put my books on next to my chair in school. So later I cleaned up that piece of lumber and found some pieces suitable for attaching it to the wall and making legs for the front. Daddy made holes for me to put nails through, and he helped me do some of the nailing too. The wood was really hard, and it was hard to get some of the nails in. We finished that job this afternoon. The tabletop is somewhat stained so I will put some fresh paint on it later.
Neomi came by while I was in the middle of washing clothes this morning and wanted to spend some time with me and read the Word together. Neomi said that she and Jeremy plan to come to the special meetings.
This afternoon, after finishing the little table, I got some verse posters set up in the computer with the theme verses for the meetings. This evening, I printed those out, as well as some ads for the community notice boards. Also photo-copied Philemon’s transcript from nursing school.
Just before supper, I threw together some chocolate peanut butter cookies (not much chocolate in them though - just threw in what was left).
“1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3