July 8. Not quite as cold this morning -- 53º - and got a lot warmer by afternoon - up to 82º. A little bit too warm for our blood. I guess our bodies are happier with cooler temperatures. We probably wouldn’t even mind the cold temperatures if we had warmer clothing to wear and a house that didn’t have so many air holes.
Lotu actually started early this morning. At first it looked like there wouldn’t be very many there, but they kept coming in as the meeting progressed. Amos spoke this morning on Acts 18:18-23, stressing the importance of going back and strengthening the churches you’ve started or believers you have won to the Lord.
Since lotu finished early, we were able to start school earlier and get a bit extra accomplished today. The students have already finished three math lessons this week - one per day - whereas they usually finish three in the five-day week.
This afternoon, I only had math lessons left to correct and grade. Then Daddy and I went outside for a little stretch in the sunshine. After that, I practiced keyboard and then talked with Apekio for a while before getting supper on. Apekio had come to say the books of the Old Testament to Daddy (it is part of their Bible school requirements), but he was busy talking with Wan so she and I talked together while she was waiting.
She said that most everyone is going to be going fishing tomorrow. They have spent yesterday and today gathering the flowers that they use to intoxicate the fish. They plant the flowers (whatever they are) around their yards and in their coffee gardens. They gather coffee bags full of them, and then pound them with a stick or stone until they turn watery. Then they carry those heavy coffee bags full of that flower water down to the river and dump it into the river. Somehow it stuns the fish or makes them drunk so that they float to the surface of the water. The people have nets they have made with a long handle on them (her description of the net was something like a butterfly net). When the fish come to the surface, they use the nets to scoop them up.
The past few days, everyone has been out mutmut (a type of rodent) hunting, and the air is filled with smoke from all the fires on the mountainsides.
After Apekio said her Bible books to Daddy, she left and we had supper. Then I got some lemon squares made, and they are now in the oven.
“30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” Acts 17:30,31
July 9. Morning was quite chilly again, but still dry and sunny; warm again this afternoon. There has been very little rain for several weeks now, and we can see that the gardens nearby are starting to dry up.
After several of the students arrived for school this morning, they asked if they could go down to the river with the rest of the community and catch fish. I was glad I had already thought it over. Since they had worked hard the first three days and finished a good amount of work, I let them go. They were really excited.
It turned out to be for the best that I gave them the day off because I really needed to lie down and rest by the time the morning was half over. Wasn’t feeling well when I woke up this morning. Was thankful to be starting to feel better this afternoon.
It was a very quiet day with most of the village gone down to the river. The first part of the morning, I worked on the Bible school lesson outlines. Those are all completed now. Praise the Lord! I just need to do questions for the last one and add a couple more thoughts to the conclusion.
After finishing that, I lay down for a nap. Then Daddy and I started going through books, deciding what to keep, what to sell, what to give away, what to throw away. After lunch, I was still tired enough for my regular nap. Then we worked more on the books. Have four shelves cleared out and two more shelves to go.
Then we went out in the sunshine for a short while. After that, I put eggs on to cook for our egg salad sandwiches and then practiced music until supper time.
After supper, I transposed the music to one of the songs for the male voices to sing at graduation – put it in a lower key.
Sunny just came and is doing dishes. She said people didn’t catch much fish because they didn’t crush the flowers enough.
“9Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” Acts 18:9,10