Through Hives and High Water

Here are just a few photos of recent days to tell with a few quick words some of what's been cookin' here! While Tim has been in Dar es Salaam, the girls have been busy with extra things like a Swim Club BBQ, a School Fair, school production rehearsals, parent interviews... so keeping up with the changing car pool schedule for thirteen kids deserves a gold star here!

Back into beekeeping ... in Kayenze before Tim left, we were able to work on the beehive that never made it into a tree! We coated the top bars and hive with beeswax and honey and into the tree it went. I wasn't completely happy with how things ended up, as things (i.e. the hive and Samson) moved rather quickly and dramatically HIGH into the tree. The idea was to have low hives that were easily accessible to monitor and manage... even for women in skirts. But this hive is now pretty much out of reach for the season! But it is in the tree and the bees will love it up there! Come on, bees!

See Samson in the tree!

Oops! A bit too high!

We stopped off at a friend of Amon's before leaving Kayenze. His freshly caught fish were still squirming and twitching! Took a big 'un home for tea!

Miss Tilapia

The heavy rains here have created all kinds of trouble on the roads, all around our house, inside the downstairs of our house and even closing the airport runway when Tim was trying to fly home from Dar es Salaam!

Our "road" now after the rain. It becomes a real river when it rains!

Roads are disappearing! Louisa took this photo on our way home from our market.

We are on mopping duty throughout the day, every few hours every day!

Mama Penina is absolutely thrilled with some reading glasses! As we were talking about eye care for the children, I realised when Penina tried to read her Bible aloud, she really couldn't do it! Thanks to some reading glasses left here by Greg Whittick, she can now read (and manage her job as a teacher) much more easily! Little Maria was amazed when she snuck a pair of the glasses on! These were simple adult reading glasses and not suitable for her more complex needs, but she loved trying them on! I am so looking forward to the day she can see a specialist and get some prescribed glasses!

Meanwhile, Mama Saidati and Mama Wilson have arrived safely in Dar es Salaam after their long bus journey and are enjoying the Albinism Conference!

Penina with her beautiful girls, Dora and Maria

And I am off to meet them! I fly to Dar es Salaam early in the morning and have a day at the Albinism Conference. Then I am off on a bus to Morogoro on Saturday and looking forward to seeing the Dixon family before my seminar begins. From Monday to Friday I will be learning about the cultivation and usage of medicinal plants. Learning how to extract natural oils and make high-quality soap! And then it's a long 12 hour ride on a squishy, hot bus to get home again next Saturday. Prayers for no rain on the roads would be much appreciated! And prayers also for Tim holding the home fort and viewing all the aforementioned productions and performances!

So until then, through "hives" and high water, we persevere...!