July 16. It has been a busy day. Rainy and cold too. Wood stove has been going all day to help us keep warm and keep the chill and dampness out of the air. How thankful we are for the wood stove!
We were both up chasing the rat last night. I could hear it chewing, but couldn’t figure out what it was chewing on. Daddy found it chewing on the plastic buckets that we keep our flour and other grains in. At first he thought about putting more rat poison out, but then he decided just to try the glue trap first. He put the glue trap in the storage room on top of the plastic buckets. He didn't think the rat would come back, but it did. It went into the glue trap and when it tried to get away, the glue trap fell onto the floor and closed up on him. Daddy got up and helped him out of his misery. We are so glad that pesky rat is finally gone.
All the students came late for school today, except for Graham. So I said to Graham, “You and I can have school.” He was fine with that so we sat down and started school. I had just finished praying when Bonita and Sosthenes walked in. So we sang a song and started learning the new Bible verse. In a few minutes, Esau came, and then Steve a few minutes later. Bethuel didn’t show up until we were ready to start reviewing for the test. By the time we did the review and then had the test, we didn’t have time to start the new lesson.
English and Math classes both seemed to move along quickly today. I gave them a little extra time for recess since we finished English early, and then we did an extra lesson in math class since we still had plenty of time.
I worked on grading while Esau was finishing up his math work. (Everyone else had gone.) Also put the rest of the soup on the wood stove to warm for dinner. Added the leftover pumpkin so there would be enough soup for today.
After nap, I finished grading papers, recording grades, and getting everything together for school tomorrow. While I was doing that, Daddy ground up rice for rice cereal and corn for cornmeal.
Eugene and Francis came to cut firewood.
Praise the Lord that a young girl brought us some lemons today. I had been praying for lemons. Maybe they will help with the respiratory problems. I quit taking the amoxicillin because I figured out that it is the amoxicillin that makes me get a really bad sinus cold. I had thought that the last time or two I took it, because the sinus problems went away as soon as I stopped taking it. But this time my sinuses got really bad, and I felt even worse than I did before I started on the amoxicillin. I am thankful that we do still have one bottle of Clear Lungs left and one bottle of echinacea. So have been taking extra of those to see if I can get this stuff out of my chest.
About 4:00, I went to the kitchen to clean up the grinder, put away the cornmeal, and then start baking. (I had put away the rice earlier.) Daddy needed more cookies so made oatmeal raisin cookies today. Then used up some of the old bananas and made banana tea bread. I think I will send it out to Jason’s family tomorrow. The twin otter is scheduled to come and do coffee shuttles. Jason said he was going to bring his two sons in with him and they can stay here for a short time while the pilots make one round to Aiyura. Also made granola since we were getting low on that. So with all the baking, there were quite a few dishes tonight.
It is just about 7:30 now, and I just got out of the kitchen. I am thankful for time to sit down and relax.
“For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 12:3
July 17. The Lord gave us a beautiful sunny day all day today. A perfect day for the plane to come and do coffee shuttles. Jason said the coffee run was still a go and was for “community” coffee, anyone who wanted to send coffee out. They were going to shuttle between here and Aiyura. Matthew hollered out to let people know that MAF would be coming and to bring their coffee. It was around 9:30 when the plane came. We had just started English class. Four twin otter loads of coffee went out all together. People have been waiting a long time to get their coffee out. I guess there is still lots of coffee around too.
Jason and Philip were the pilots today. Jason’s two sons, Caleb and Carter, came in for a short visit between shuttles. Matthew took them around the village, and the school kids wanted to go too. So I let them out of math class today so they could follow the two boys around. They were excited about that.
Jason brought us some fresh carrots and broccoli, tomatoes, and mandarins from the market. He also brought some items we were running low on. He had called Daddy on Saturday to see if we would need anything. We did — matches (to take the place of the ones that don’t work), noodles, Ritz cheese crackers. Seems like there was something else, but I can’t remember what it was. Oh yes, milk powder. Daddy paid him for the things we asked for, but they wouldn’t let us pay for the veggies. That is their ministry, they said. I gave the boys the banana bread I had made yesterday and told them to take it to their mom.
Since I let the students out of math class, I was able to make our dinner at noon — spaghetti, and broccoli and pumpkin. Had a half pumpkin in the cupboard that needed to be used up.
I was thankful for a good nap as I didn’t sleep well last night. Couldn’t stop coughing until I finally propped myself up on more pillows. After nap, I washed my hair. Then I got things ready for school tomorrow.
“5And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Hebrews 12:5,6