(Pictures: Ally & smiling Peter; Grace on the drum; Walking the narrow streets on old town)
1) There is Disney music playing in the background. Grace is c
onstantly singing and mostly Disney songs! Some of the most popular songs (and also most requested to be sung by Mama Grace!) are “The Lady Song” (aka “Sing Sweet Nightingal
e” from Cinderella), “Baby Mine Dry Your Eyes” (from Dumbo) and “The Baby Song”
(aka “LaLaLu” from Lady and the Tramp). Disney definitely provided the soundtrack for the
visit!
2) You go to Team Day and the biggest worry is that they may not have enough conflict. Seriously! That was the best problem they could come up with! ;) It is obvious how much everyone on the team enjoys and respects each other and that they work together really well. It was great to be able to put faces with names and see them interact and talk about what’s going on here on the islands.
3) You pass houses on the street made of everything from thatch or mud, to tin and cement. What is most interesting is that you can have very nicely-kept houses made of mud or thatch, even though the tin or cement houses may cost more. The different types of houses are all in the same neighborhoods together and nicely-kept houses can be fo
und right next to dilapidated shacks. To give you an idea of the range of tin houses: some tin houses are shiny and made of brand ne
w tin and may have big-screen TVs inside, while others are constructed of pieces of used tin patched together to form a crude shelter.
4) You take a harrowing walk over a path of black volcanic rocks on your way to the market. One of their neighbors (who speaks English) gave me this piece of good advice: “You need to pick up your feet when you walk, otherwise the rocks will know that you are a foreigner and want to come up and greet you!” (ie trip you!) haha!
5) You find yourself in one of the following situations: Standing next to a cow’s head at the market or showering out of a bucket.....and it’s not that bad!
6) There is great and general rejoicing when Peter gives anyone one of his ridiculously adorable toothless smiles. You thought they only pinched cheeks in the movies? Not true; his cheeks are just begging to be pinched and kissed. :)
7) You are met by super friendly people everywhere you go. Tom and Meg took us on a walk through the neighborhood to greet their friends. Everyone was very nice and they especially got a kick out of us trying out a few words of the local language. Each time you greet someone there is a sing-song exchange of pleasantries and you notice how much children are really loved in this culture – everyone says hello to and admires little Gr
ace and Peter.
8) You find yourself struggling to string together a variety of consonants that you thought weren’t allowed to go together while singing a newly-translated version of “Lord I Lift Your Name On High”.
9) You are sweating profusely, even though everyone insists that it’s winter.
10) People want to practice their English with you. Tom and Megan are definitely meeting a need here, and doing it well. At one point we were walking through a part of town where the homes are very close together in a maze of narrow streets, and a man overheard us talking together and struck up a conversation. It’s easy to make friends when people want to talk with you before they even know your name!
PRAYERS ANSWERED
It has been great to have family here! They have all been healthy and handling the challenges of island living very well. We had a wonderfully relaxing long weekend on the small island with our family.
PRAYERS REQUESTED
Peter is still stuffed up at night, which makes it hard for him to sleep well. Continue to pray for him. Pray for our family (parents & Ally) as they travel home to the States (they leave tomorrow, Thursday). Pray for us as we get back into our normal routines, and pray for Peter and Grace as they miss the extra love and attention from grandparents and auntie. The religious month of fasting is almost here—pray that we would be prepared for the extra challenges that time of year poses.
