If I may, I’d like to share with you a small glimpse into my life on the mission field - the everyday side of it.
While this may shock some of you, there are those who are inclined to believe "you two are on a two year vacation" or "you’re on the world’s longest honeymoon." I sometimes have the daydream of all 5’ 5 ½” and 120 pounds of me flying across the room and pouncing on those guilty of such beliefs, usually followed by a prayer of repentance for thinking such thoughts. So, for this crowd I will try to help you visualize some negative aspects of living here:
I walk across the cool concrete floor of my house. The day is so hot I am tempted to lie down and join our dog on the cool slab! But one look at my previously manicured feet, now stained with dirt from walking through the deep mud we call a yard during rainy season and the general dirtiness that accompanies living in a third world country, and I decide against it. I would really like to look nice for my husband today, but with no electricity, his favorite hair style for me is a “no-go”, so I choose two simple braids. I would like to wear something nice, but I know even if I walk softly, my steps will kick mud up on the back of my clothes.
One of the things I look forward to most about returning to the US is washed and dried clothes with dryer sheets and all! Here, with hand washing, it is impossible to get all the soap out of the fabric and after drying in the strong Vanuatu sun, they are so stiff you have to wear them a few hours before they finally get drenched with your sweat and loosen up. We are supposed to be going into our winter, but the last few days have been pushing 100 degrees.
We tried to go to town, but the truck we’re using overheated so many times that we spent most of the day on the side of the road instead of picking up school supplies. When we returned, it was dark. I opened our bedroom door and heard a hissing sound as a six inch venomous centipede charged me! Later, two more fell from the Natangora roof before we had the chance to get under our mosquito netting.
Since we have no electricity, we occasionally use a generator to charge our computer which holds pictures of our families, but with gas costing over $7 a liter that is a treat! So I gather all the pictures of my family I have around the house, carry them to bed with me and then cry myself to sleep. It is a restless night because of the unidentifiable black bugs that get through the netting. I have lost it a time or two with these little insects! I don’t understand how Nathan sleeps through them. I have seen them on him and killed them without him even waking up!
We both wake up at dawn. Our dog is going crazy because a couple men from the local village are here to see Nathan and she thinks they are after her pups. They are here to borrow a tool. They have probably been up since half past four and find us “white people” a bit lazy for sleeping until daylight!
And then there are the times we have been desperate for a competent doctor. Or, we have wished as we approach our thirties, that we could be doing the work here and building towards a secure future in the US at the same time. But, I guess we are just irresponsible enough to be laying in the lap of luxury here on our extended honeymoon!! :)
I can’t wait to get back to the internet store and hopefully message with my family. The last two times I went to town none of them were online. On the way, we see the ocean. It is so beautiful! It has been months since we have gone to the beach and even if we did have the time, we couldn’t waste the gas money. Finally, we get on the Internet. Mom’s not on. Dad’s not on. No one. Just a letter from someone saying they hope we are enjoying our two year vacation!
Disclaimer: This story is a combination of events that have taken place over the past few weeks. So, don’t worry, Mom. I’m not crying myself to sleep every night!
Jennifer
