February 7

I keep looking for pictures to bring you that are not the “why-must-people-visit -foreign-countries-and-come-home-with-such-heartbreaking-scenes”   pictures. So far......nothing! The reality of being the poorest country in the world is everywhere! I have enough landscape and scenery pictures to last a lifetime!
    I have been teaching classes now for 2 days. The road is 1 hour 10 minutes of washboard, each way. I teach from 8:00 until 12:00 with one 15 minute ‘coffee break’ (translation = 30 minutes for tea) They now make a pot of coffee for me. Not Tim Horton’s, but very thoughtful! Walungu is a large village, very nice, with a few nice buildings. My Bethsaida friends are going to take turns accompanying me each day. My translator is great, very fast, and accurate, so I hear. He is not feeling well right now (I suspect he has a Canadian malady......the not-so-common-here cold) Isn’t it nice I could bring them a little something? The weather is hot and holding. Pastor Raha & Mapendo have given me the household fan.......I take it everywhere (in the house, I mean)
    My Swahili is progressing........I can now say....”I am going to Bideka” (nina safiri kwenda Bideka.....are you impressed??)........pity that has such limited usage! Culturally......I drew an ‘x’ on the blackboard and told the class this is their question. Then I drew around, and around, and around it in a large circle, saying this is how you ask your questions. Next I drew another ‘x’ and an arrow straight to it, explaining that this is how we as questions in North America. We all shared laughter (they find our manner quite aggressive). However, I noticed the translator pointing to it several times as questions were being asked!
    They now have ‘speed bumps’ here. (hardly describes the jolt experienced on impact). I asked the Swahili word for them, which Pastor Raha kindly gave me. I then asked what that word means? He said “speed bump”! .....I’m learning....