We grow 'em big round here

Take a look at this rat that we killed at the mission. The house keeper, Botoma, at the guest house caught 7 of them in the attic in one day. On Wednesday evening during prayer meeting, we would hear something crawling around up above us so we told Botoma to find and kill whatever was up there. Little did we know that there would be so many rats and mice. The Malians working at the mission compound ate this rat. I really don't know what happened to the rest but I believe that they wouldn't let them go to waste. Anyone hungry?

Last week we put up the first trusse on the first of three buildings. The project is going well and we are getting a lot accomplished. Bob really keeps things rolling. He is a great project manager. Keep praying that the project continues to go well and nobody get hurt. Have a great week.

Picture of Termites

I did get a picture of the termites today that the Malians eat. Doesn't it make you want to eat some? Enjoy.

Termites. Yummy

Last week I walked up to the shop area to get a tool and saw a 3 ft.x 3ft. piece of metal with hundreds of large winged termites on it. Alex, my Malian apprentice, was standing there picking the wings off of them. I asked him what they were and where did they come from. He said they were termites and they came from our shop office. That was comforting. I then asked him what he was doing. He said they will soon die and the guys were going to eat them. He looked and acted so excited, I thought he was going to pee himself. He said "All I need now is some salt." I thought, All I need now is a trash can. I really wish I would have thought about taking a picture of the termites, but I didn't. They ate every last one of them. I take that back. Alex did throw one out because it was "bad".
We received a Samaritan's Purse container on Friday with a lot of medical supplies for our hospital. I believe there were over 950 boxes of things in it. We even got our first working X-ray machine. I just hope we don't need to use it on our boys! This will come in handy in a lot of ways. The only other X-ray machine in town is at the government hospital and it only works part time. Seems that when we need it, it is broke down. Samaritan's Purse gave us the 40 ft. container as well. We will use it as storage for the excess medical things that we are not using right now. We have to have duplicates of alot of equipment because if something breaks down, we can't get the new parts to repair it in a timely manor. It could take months to get parts. Bob said he was going to start making a "container village" and start housing people in them. Look out new missionaries. I think he was joking. A container sitting in full African sunlight get to be like and oven inside, but we do cut windows and door in them and use them as offices, workshops, and the like. Our "termite office" is a container. It does work well if we get breezes to cool it off inside into the 130's or even 120's with a good breeze (during hot season). The pictures are of the container being set on its foundation blocks with the cotton factory's crane. The good working one in town.
We I hope you all have a great week and don't eat to many termites. They might give you a belly ache.

Turkeys?

We had a new experience this weekend at church. We were sitting in our small church service that was spoken in French and Bambara (the native language) when I heard something off to my left. I looked up and saw two turkeys just wandering around in the service. They had come in through the side door from outside. I think that was the first time I have been in a church service with turkeys before (at least the animal type). I was not quick enough with my camera to get a picture to show you. Sorry. Happy turkey hunting!

New House

We have now moved from Veronika place to our new place on the other side of Koutiala closer to the hospital. Veronika is coming back this summer from her home country of Germany. Our new place is a beautiful duplex house with Berry and Terry Newman living underneath us. Our living quarters has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, living/dining, and a study. There is a large balcony with a place for Angela to hang up our laundry. The boys have a large place to play up on the concrete roof. We will be staying here for the rest of our first two years God willing.
I found myself at the end of this week not thinking to much of the Chinese manufacturing. I was trying to replumb the McClean's plumbing outside of their house. I bought all the supplies at the "plumbing supply house" which consists of a small room store. All the supplies I bought were Chinese made (which is all you can get here). By the time I had all the leaks and blown apart pipes and fittings repaired, I had spent two days just in repair of the NEW supplies. Unfortunately, the Chinese ship all their junk to Africa because it is cheap. They do not have to stand behind it and there is no "standard" the Malian government requires, therefore all this junk get brought into country. The pipe and fittings can vary diameter by the millimeters BOTH ways larger and smaller. So, when I try to glue the pvc pipe into the fittings, it sometimes is to sloppy or to tight. If it is sloppy, then the pipe will just blow out of the fitting and water does go everywhere and if it is to tight then it might not even fit together. I finially got things tight this morning about noon and as far as I know it is still holding together. I can't wait until my PEX comes in the next container so I will be able to to a better job and it will last so much longer than the stuff I can get here. Please pray for patience for me! I guess God is giving me the opportunity to be patient isn't He?
Well, I hope you have a great week and listen to God's voice.