Village Life! Chapter #1

It's so great to be back in Sri Lanka, although I will say that I greeted the Island differently, knowing now that it's my home! Yes Dottie, it is different! For me it's actually better. The pressure to "Get it done in 60 days", is off our shoulders. We are constantly reminding ourselves that we have time. No rushing around, no deadlines or imposed agendas! This is a good thing, because I think it will take until eternity to get internet and adequate phone service.

It's so strange to me that each time we come, everyone is so shy with us. I think we forget, just a bit, how we were with each other before we left. Coming to the village, we all, shyly reintroduce ourselves. There are small awkward glances and timid smiles. Small gifts of welcome are shoved into our hands; bananas, coconuts, packets of cookies, cucumbers, and rice. These gifts become our first meal and we are thankful!

At house #25, our new address, we had a family of uninvited guests living there when we arrived; of the fury four-legged rodent variety! Each night, David performs covert ops to battle the enemy forces! Of course the "ops" are performed with shoes tossed from the safety of our mosquito net covered bed! Surely we are safe under the protection of our mosquito net! He also has placed a delicious yum-yum treat for them in the kitchen and bathroom as well as a trap the size of your foot! Ah, village life!

I was amazed at the number of children that rushed to greet us that first day! My vanity had me believe that it was me that they had come to see, but I soon realized that with our arrival, the village library, housed in our spare bedroom was "now open for business"! The children checked out 31 books on the first day as pictured above! God is so good! We are grateful to be here.