October 26. No rain again. Not quite as cold this morning, but did not get quite as hot today too.
After nap this afternoon, I worked on correcting a sermon for one of our friends while Daddy was still sleeping. After that, I cleaned the chalkboard, swept down spider webs and swept the floor. (I had killed two good-sized spiders this morning when Manila and I were having class. They were right over his head. So I figured I had better do something about the spider webs that were being spun in the schoolroom.) Then I put work for tomorrow on the chalkboard.
Around 4:00, Daddy and I took a walk to the other side of the village to see Epekio’s mother and also to see Daniel. Epekio’s mother does not look very good. Daddy read John 3:1-18 to Epekio’s mother and prayed with and for her. Epekio said that the other night her mother had prayed and told God she was a sinner and asked him to make her clean with His blood.
Got back to the house around 5:15 and started fixing supper. Had only eaten a few bites when there was a knock on the door. Erisapet’s mother came with greens and pumpkin so spent a few minutes with her. Then Sakias came to get Maggi (noodles) and lollies. He got the rest of the lollies — there were only eight left. Finally was able to finish eating supper. It was after six when we finished eating. Then I got stuff put away, did dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, washed up the greens Erisapet’s mother brought and got them ready to cook, along with the ones Frina had brought yesterday.
There hasn’t been any water late afternoon and all evening. Daddy went and checked the taps, but all were off. Only a trickle coming at the main tap. Not even a trickle here. Jevin came by later, and he went and checked too. Then he and Daddy went together. Jevin filled up a couple buckets for us from the trickle. Someone said that there was a landslide into the dam at the source and that is why the water has been stopped. Wonder why they didn’t do something about it when they saw it.
It was going on 7:30 by the time I started work on the computer. But there wasn’t a whole lot to do for tomorrow so I was thankful for that. That is how we had time to go for a visit this afternoon. It was good to get out and visit with someone. There are others that we need to see as well, other sheep who have gone astray.
“8Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? 9When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. 10In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. 11In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. 12Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. 13For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” Psalm 56:8-13
October 27. We hadn’t been in bed long last night, when we heard the squeal of the rat. He was stuck in the trap already — good and stuck.
Daddy completed the teaching this morning on “Knowing the Will of God,” finishing the applications from the story of Abraham’s servant.
Couldn’t do laundry today, as there was still no water. Jevin and Nuanda and George went up early (before lotu) to the water source to see if they could find the problem. They thought they found out what was wrong and got it fixed, but there was still no water, except for a trickle throughout the day — enough to fill up some buckets again. Bosip and another guy and Janet and Lucy went up later. They worked most of the day, digging up pipes between the airstrip and the water source, but couldn’t find the problem. Bosip and the other guy filled up some buckets for us at the village tap, until the tap ran dry. There hasn’t been any water since.
Neomi’s mother came with kaukau when I was in school with Manila. She came again at supper time, and I sat with her a little while and read to her from the gospel of John.
“1To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.” Psalm 57:1-3
October 28. Praise the Lord for a good night’s rest after a difficult day yesterday. There was still no water today, and it looks like there will not be any for a while. Tomas worked on the lines a bit today, bleeding the air out. However, it appears that the problem is at the source — due to the long dry spell, the water level has gone below the level of the beginning of the pipeline so is not getting into the pipes. The last time we had rain was last Saturday. Then this afternoon, the Lord sent clouds. We emptied one of our 55-gallon drums and put it out under the downpipe at the corner of the house. We asked the Lord for rain. It wasn’t long before the rain was pouring down upon the roof. The drum filled up and over-flowed. Jevin came by just when Daddy was going out to dip water from the drum and carry buckets of water into the house. Jevin took over and brought full buckets of water to the door. Daddy dumped them into the bathtub and also filled up all the buckets in the house. The rain kept refilling the drum so it is full too. We thanked the Lord for showing His love and bringing us rain at this needy time.
Manila was ready for school long before 7:30 this morning, but I wasn’t. But we did get started at 7:30, a little earlier than we had been lately, and Daddy and Max started Bible school at 7:30 also. We finished school a little before 12:00.
Had leftover spaghetti for dinner. Then nap. After nap, I worked a bit on checking Luke, until Daddy got up. Then we had our Bible reading and prayer time before going out to the other room and opening the door. There have been a lot of interruptions lately so that seemed like the best time. After that, we had snack. Then I walked around the school room and prayed, as I didn’t get to do that this morning. Then Daddy and I went for a little walk to see if we could find out what the story was on the water. We went up to Janet’s house, and then Nuanda came by, coming down from the pig mumu at Opo’s house. He took some tools and said he would go up once more and see if anything could be done about the water. It was after that that I emptied the drum and Daddy put it out before the rains came. Not long afterward, Nuanda came back down and said he didn’t see any way to get the water level up to the top of the pipes. We will just need lots of rain to bring up the water level.
Worked on school materials for a while before supper. After supper and dishes, there was time to play the keyboard before getting into the computer and getting more school materials ready. I needed that time at the keyboard and was thankful for it. I’m so thankful for the comfort and encouragement and challenge of so many of the hymns.
“The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.” Psalm 118:14