Single? Look No Further!

Single??? Look no further! Here on the lovely islands of Vanuatu, you can have yourself a bride at a very low cost!

The other day in language class, our instructor, Falau, was explaining to us why Santo is such a civilized island.

"Here," he said, "you can buy a bride for 100,000 Vatu (roughly a thousand dollars), which is better than some of the other islands where you trade for a bride."

On the island of Pentecost, for example, you can get a bride for the incredibly low price of one woven mat. On Erromango, all you need to do is find a few Navelak. Navelak, it turns out, are rocks pushed up through the soil by unknown means, which are used for currency.

Brings a whole new meaning to the term "rock bottom price!"

Some of you single men might say, "I don't have 100,000 Vatu, nor do I have any woven mats and I can't find any more than "small change" gravel." Well, worry not! In the Big Bay region of Santo, (where Steven and Kara Jaegar are stationed), all it takes is a promising hunting dog!

If you happen to have a spare pig lounging about, you can trade it for a wife on Ambrym or Paama.

"No livestock," you say. Well, you need look no further than the Banks Island group in Northern Vanuatu. There, you can buy yourself a wife for a simple necklace of seashells!

So this is a call to all you single men seeking a wife: Come to Vanuatu!!

Disclaimer: all prices include the wife only, and do not include the wedding feast or gifts to every uncle in her family and her brothers. All sales are final until the wedding is complete, which may be called off if any person in her family disapproves or wants to hold you up for more money . . . . or pigs!!

Nathan

Domesticated

Well, it has been a while since I have written everyone. For all of those I have done such a lousy job responding to, let me say I appreciate your letters! Now let me explain my lack of response.

The last few days I have been "domesticated". Nathan and I went from a quaint little newly-wed couple to a pretend Mother and Father for what was supposed to be a week but turned into two. For those of you who have not heard, the Webb's had to go to AU for some medical testing and such, leaving all four of their children, ages two to sixteen, with us. I am thankful God doesn't give you four at a time!

While alone, Nate and I rarely eat breakfast and we cook enough at supper for lunch the next day. With making bread from scratch, tortillas from scratch, basically every thing from scratch, cooking can be very time consuming! However, the past couple of weeks we have had three full meals a day, and come to find out, no matter how much food you make for four kids, there WILL NOT be leftovers! LOL!! I made a pot of soup big enough to feed China last night and watched in horror as it disappeared! I guess I have a lot to learn about kids! You would think I'd remember since it hasn't been that long since I was one myself!

The laundry, the apartment flooding from the rain, the never-ending cooking, well, it leaves little time for writing all my buddies. But don't worry!!!!!!! When I have kids of my own I plan to ease into it so as to learn a balance. So you won't all be forgotten!

I hope you can forgive and just remember how I handle stress and imagine what my blond self has been up to trying to balance being their fun friend to the big ole meanie who makes them do school work and go to bed. Discipline is hard for a people pleaser! I guess I have found several things to work on with my own life and character. It is a never ending job keeping myself in line!

In other news, the night before last we had lamb for supper. The 16 year old made it. So we ate outside on the balcony, as a treat. I had been sitting down no longer than two minutes, when from the roof, a huge drop of . . . um . . well, feces feel onto my arm! The worlds largest gecko decided to poop on me! Needless to say, I will NOT be switching to Geico car insurance!

The "real" parents will be back tomorrow, so after a few days of recuperation I will try to sit down and remember all of your names!!

Jen