Hot days, Dark nights

I am finally able to write about our week without electricity- because it has returned and we can charge up our laptop now! Jason wrote on facebook that it is amazing when you go with out it- you realize you really do not need it. Sure, need it no but I really really like it. My confession is one of my favorite things is lights. I have always heard a money saver =  make sure lights are always out in the rooms that no one is in. That is an understandable concept. I can still remember the days when Jason and I were first married and he worked the 10am-midnight shift at applebees serval days a week. On those nights I had every single light on in our small house- yes even in the rooms I was not in. I guess I found some kind of comfort in having them all on. I failed in saving our money in that way.

Now how does this fit in to the Lord calling us into missions? In the very beginning, when we were still in America and I was just imagining what it would be like when we moved overseas, I thought quite highly of myself. Surely I could live in a remote village, without electricity, without running water, in a one roomed "hut". Then I searched my heart, could I do all that? I could, but all my time and energy would go into living without those necessities. I would not be able to do many other things besides surviving. There are many people who do live this way and have gotten accustomed to it but since I have not, it would take that much longer for me and be that much harder. After thinking thru and considering all this, Jason and I started having children. Once they came into the picture there was more of a confirmation of what we could go without and what we could not. 

As most of you know we live in the semi-desert in Kenya. Our climate is usually always around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Presently it is around 110 because it is the hottest time of the year. We do not have air conditioning in our home but we do have ceiling fans in every room and also stand up fans in our bedrooms. Last week when we had no electricity the nights seemed to take forever. I am so grateful we do have a generator. It last about 4 hours. We were using it for 2 hours every evening when we put our daughters to bed. That way they would be fast asleep when we shut the generator off. We had a problem with plugging the generator into out home, it blew fuses of many electrical things including our laptop, coffee maker, cellphone charger and some ceiling fans. We have 3 running refrigerators because of African ants as well as allowing food to last the longest in this kind of heat. We have learned how many items do NOT need to be refrigerated. Such as mayonnaise, A1 sauce, and eggs to name a few. The key to mayonnaise it to only use a clean utensil when getting it out that way no bacteria will grow inside. 

I did have some saving grace throughout the no electricity. First of all glowsticks can be so much fun in the pitch dark. They provided so much entertainment for our family. Also we were able to go to hotels that had huge generators for their businesses and they always had cold drinks available. There is nothing like a cold cup of passion juice, nothing like it. It is gone in a matter of seconds. Lastly, I count it as such a blessing that my children have wild imaginations. They can take a little bit of water and add some sand and make me a cheeseburger with a milkshake. They also can cut up a plastic bag and make dresses and capes for their dolls. With our long days they have gotten so creative. All in all we can do without electricity, but I would never choose too.

Jason was invited to speak at the medical training college in our town

Samara with one of the medical students

Making all sorts of meals outside

The dresses and cape made out of a plastic bag

Even the days we do not have electricity we do do have dessert

Jason and the kiddos fixing the ceiling fan than "blew" from our generator

The new fan waiting to be put on.