A Georgian Picnic

I used to write about "a day in Taiwan...", and now I want to give you a glimpse into our life here in Georgia, Europe. We had an exciting day on Sunday, spending the day with the church on a picnic. Here are the highlights!


Sunday morning at 9:30, we leave the house for church. The church is meeting at the building first, at 10:00, and then plans to leave together at 11:00 for the park. It is (what an American culture would call) "Sunday school picnic" day.

Arriving at the church only a minute after 10:00am, we find we are the second family to arrive. People trickled in between 10-11:30. About then, I'm asking Michael if we missed something, but he replies that it is just the Georgian way. -And so it is! At 11:30, the pastor's wife and son come in and direct everyone to carpool to the park.

This particular place was a national park, where we were told sometimes there are cows or bears. We did see a cow, but thankfully, no bears! Though there was a large group that arrived at the park about noon, the main food had not yet arrived. Pastor had left at 10:00 to go shopping and was still out. There was a creek that ran through the park, and Jude looked forward to playing in the water. Still, we kept the boys occupied with games, sticks, rocks, and balls, not knowing the plan. As it turned out, that was a good thing.

After staying at this lovely national park for an hour and a half, the group decided it was too hot at this location and moved to the cars to go up the mountain to another location. The boys got a few minutes nap in the car, which was great.

We arrive at the new location about 2:00pm. The group walks a ways into the woods to decide the best place to picnic. Here also, we are told that giant wolves frequent these woods, but only in winter; and I am very grateful there are no snakes! Everyone hangs out chatting, resting, listening to music, and snacking on bread, iced tea, and other side dishes. One of the men starts the grill. Pastor arrives with the meat at 3:00pm to a big cheer.

It takes about an hour to roast the pork and chicken, and then we gather to eat. Though a few plates were available, most ate Georgian style with their fingers or with a stick to hold the meat. The food was very good. (I very much enjoyed a kind-of potato salad that one of the ladies had brought.) It didn't take long to eat the food! Then, we had the Lord's table under the canopy of trees- truly the Lord's house, and a short service with singing.

About quarter to 5:00pm, a desert of watermelons are cut into and served. Michael, my husband, is put in charge of American style picnic games. The kids and young adults played the games while the adults looked on and laughed and cheered. For sure, the egg toss was a new idea to everyone, but they loved the bean bag toss and trivia questions.

At 5:30, we let the church know that, regretfully, we would have to leave, as the boys were exhausted. With looks of surprise that we were leaving so soon, folks got up to have another cup of my iced tea or grab the last of the cookies before we left. It was a quiet ride home, as the boys slept.

By the time we were loaded up, drove down the mountain, dropped off our car guests, and arrived at home once more, it was 7:00pm. The boys were exhausted and protested waking up to get out of the car. I decided it was an ideal time for a kids' Bible show (as I didn't want them going to bed for a nap now), and set the boys down so we could unload the car without the crying. Poor guys!

It was a full but satisfying day. We had a great time, and the food, as always was good. Now we can say we experienced a true Georgian picnic vacation. It was an enjoyable glimpse into the way that Georgians think and plan.

The Many Jobs of a Missionary ~ Septic Tank Builder?

OK, this one has a funny side to its madness.

Mixing cement by hand.

When we built our house in the village, we also had to build a septic tank. Most of the villagers have an outhouse, but we wanted indoor plumbing. You know, the benefits of being able to have indoor relief, then use one finger to flush away the filth from your house, are just soooo many.

We googled how to do it. That in itself is kinda funny.

We didn't count on termites eating the oil-treated poles that held up the lid to the septic tank. Well, what were we thinking??

Seven years and some heavy rainy seasons later, the grass over one section of the septic tank was noticeably sagging. We were worried about our kids and the village kids who always play here. We knew we would have to do something to reinforce the lid.

The Monday before Thanksgiving, Seth started removing sod and digging around the edge of the septic tank to fix the lid. He got some of the corrugated iron that was the lid away, and then...augh! Inevitable slide of concrete and zinc, and most of the lid fell into the morass of filthy water beneath!

Hundreds of pounds of cement and zinc just fell in there, and now how to get it out? Seth got some of it out through an ingenious, quick-thinking rescue as it was falling; but the majority will stay beneath the ground for infinity.

Cockroaches. Everywhere. These aren't the wimpy American kind, either; they're as big as your thumb. Thankfully, we had two bottles of cockroach killer in the house. Several escaped, but so far they haven't shown themselves in the house beyond their relatives already there. Like I would know the difference, right?

I kept the kids in the house all day. Thankfully, two church members helped Seth individually throughout the day. There was one period when he had no one with him, and I went out to make sure he didn't fall in. Obviously, a septic tank is what it is, but I was surprised that it really didn't stink. The amount of "gray water" in there from baths, etc., really diffused a lot of my imagined horrors.

Seth used lintels (concrete steel-reinforced beams used in building over doorways and windows on cement houses) this time as the basis of the lid, with two layers of corrugated iron on top of that, then a layer of poured cement, and finally replacing the sod when the cement dried.


We contemplated digging another one, but after some inspection, we think this one is big enough, even having some space taken up with the former lid :), for another few years. Either way, it had to be covered.

Caleb was so intent on helping! I let him help with the cement layer after the tank was covered.

I'd had nightmares of the kids falling in, or Seth getting hurt or sick while working on it. No one fell in, praise the Lord!

That is, until the next day, when the first church member who had helped came by to see the new lid, and stepped on the only weak, yet unfinished part--a small square hole opening (to get in later if we can ever find a company here that pumps out septic tanks), with a poured cement lid. His foot went right through lid and he fell in up to his hip--one leg in, one leg out! Poor guy! He was in the water up to his calf. Somehow he managed to keep his sandal on! He got pretty scraped up on that leg from the steel that reinforced that particular small lid. So we'll have to redo that now. :/ He's better now, but we sure felt sorry about it! He got through the former morning with no accident, only to fall in when it was safest!

You can see the size of the small lid in this picture pretty well. The zinc had been cut away.

I got a tickle on Thanksgiving Day out of hearing Seth recount to his dad and then brother, both professional plumbers and builders--geniuses in technical matters!--of the lid-falling-in, and hearing their surprised and somewhat stumped, "Oh! Oh my!" Yeah. Wow.

Live and learn! We've learned so much about building by being missionaries! Did you ever think? How many Americans have ever had to build their own septic tank?

Missionary Monday - A Day in the Life of...

Please meet Laura Consford and her family...
 

 

 

Is there such a thing as a "typical" day on the mission field? It seems there is always something unexpected that comes up, but we just learn to go with the flow.

We are the Consford family, currently serving in Ghana, West Africa. Joe and I first arrived in Africa in 2004. At that time, we did not have any children. We now have three children, Gilbert (7), Danny (5), and Bonnie (4). Each addition to the family has brought a little more excitement. There never seems to be a dull moment around our house. Our children say some of the funniest things. I do not know where they come up with some of their great ideas.

Here in Takoradi, Ghana, we have the unusual opportunity of being able to put our children in a Christian school. Another Baptist missionary started a school several years ago. They use the A Beka DVDs and have a teacher and a monitor in each class. Last year was the first year that our children attended there. They were a little overwhelmed at first since they were the only white children in a school of 250 students. They have just started their second year. They were all excited for school to start again. The school is only four miles from our house, but it sometimes takes almost an hour to get there due to traffic and road conditions.

When school is in session, a "typical" day begins at 5:30 for me. I get up, make breakfast, and get lunches packed to send to school. After I get Joe and the kids out the door for school by 6:45, I have time for my devotions and computer time. Then, I get started on my chores for the day - dishes, laundry, cleaning, baking, etc. Filtering water is also a daily occurrence. We have well water and rain water as our main water sources. So, the water has to be filtered before using it for cooking or drinking. At one point, we all got sick from the water. Since that time, we have stepped up our filtering system. Our water goes through a chlorination process and then four different filters before we drink it, and it takes constant care to keep the water moving along to the next step.

When the children are out of school, they are still up early, usually around 6:00. I still have all of the same basic things to do. They are old enough now that they can help out around the house. They clear the table, wash the dishes, sweep the floor, etc.

As is the case on many mission fields, there are not many "quick fix" type things available. So, meal preparation takes a little longer sometimes - making your own tortillas, soups, pizza dough, etc.

When the children get home from school, they usually swim or play outside for a while to get some of their energy out. They do not play much during school. They also like to help me make supper.

After supper, we like to play a game as a family. I grew up playing board games, and I still enjoy playing games. The main thing we are working on right now is not getting upset when we lose; it seems that someone always ends up in tears.

We have had "load shedding" recently. The idea is for the power to be off in different areas at different times, but the power in our area seems to be the first one to go off. We live up on a hill. Sometimes at night, the power is off in our area, but we can see lights all around us. We do have a generator, which is a necessity to keep food from spoiling and to keep the fans turning. It is a little frustrating at times because we never know when we will have "load shedding" or how long the power will be off. We do have a gas stove; at least the food keeps cooking when the power goes off. The other night, the power went off during supper. Bonnie said, "I guess we are having a candle breakfast." We sometimes get behind on the laundry because the generator will not run the washing machine. If the power is on, the washing machine is in constant use. That is better than doing it by hand. I know that I have it much easier than missionaries did years ago or than modern-day missionaries who are in very remote places.

Joe stays busy with sermon preparation, visiting, and transporting the children to and from school during the week. On Saturday mornings, he goes visiting. We also have Bible Clubs on Saturday mornings in different neighborhoods.

On Sunday mornings, I work with the children seven years old and under. I usually have around twenty-five in my class. Most of the children who have not been to school yet do not speak English. I usually have a Fante-speaking helper in my class. On Sunday nights and Wednesday nights, I play my clarinet as accompaniment during the services.

I usually go into town with Joe one day during the week to go grocery shopping. We have a couple small stores that carry refrigerated items. There is also a large market area that has a variety of items - fruits, vegetables, fabric, etc. We also buy some things in bulk at the market - flour, sugar, powdered milk. After we get our shopping done, we usually eat lunch somewhere before heading home. We do not have any fast food restaurants in our town, but there are some good places to eat; it just takes a while before the food comes.

My next goal is to learn Fante, the tribal language in our area. We have had difficulty finding a teacher. My husband studied Fante for six months when we were in Ghana a few years ago. (We started out in Ivory Coast but had to leave several times due to civil war.) So, he knows a lot more than I do. We learned French before going to Ivory Coast, but I have never studied a tribal language before.

Thank you for the opportunity to share our daily happenings here in West Africa. We have a blog which started out as a daily e-mail to family and friends to let them know what happens each day. You are welcome to follow along at http://consfords.blogspot.com/.

 

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Thank you, Laura, for giving us a peak into your life.  Did you enjoy reading this?  We would love to hear about a "typical" day in your life.  Please email us at baptistmissionarywomen @ hotmail . com (no spaces).

 

 

Missionary Monday ~ A Day in the Life of a Missionary Wife

 

 

 

Meet Jennifer and her family.

 

A Day in the Life of a Missionary in Argentina...

I get up around 8 and get dressed, unless a child wakes me up earlier. Change a couple of diapers (3 children, ages 4, 2, and 1, all still in diapers...the 4 yr old is slightly autistic), pass out fresh bottles, make my tea and have quiet time and devotions. :) :) :) My favorite part of the day!

The babysitter is supposed to be here at 9, so if it's not raining and the bus isn't too late, my husband and I leave the house around 9:15 to drop him off at the cafe at Walmart where he will have coffee either alone or with the other pastors from our church and use the free wifi to work. I go from there to language school in the center of La Plata, a city of about 1 million people. Most of the streets are one-way and the cars are stick shift, parking is either parallel or paid, so I'm still getting used to driving here. My sister says my tom-boyish ways have prepared me for this, since one of my favorite things growing up was racing go-carts! 

     

I am currently going to language school 2 hours per day, two days a week. I am on the home stretch of the curriculum! I do, however, think that the closer I get to finishing my classes, the more I realize how much more there is to learn! I love my teachers, you could not find more friendly, caring and qualified language teachers anywhere. 

     

When I get out of class, it is a race to see if I can get to the stores I need to go to before they close for 'the break'. In Argentina, there is a break in the middle of the day when all the 'negocios' or stores and businesses close for lunch from about 12:30 until 4:30 or 5PM. On any given day I may need to go to the lavadero (laundry), panaderia/confiteria (bakery), verduleria (fresh fruits and vegetables), carneceria (the best beef), pollejeria (fresh chicken), and either a supermercado or Walmart for all the other things on my shopping list. 

     

We are undoubtedly blessed with a lot of conveniences because we live in a larger city and yes, we have a Walmart, but don't be too jealous. You can not trust their meat most of the time and their fruits and vegetables look like they are from the bottom of the barrel. There have been many times I preferred a smaller supermercado to do my shopping! However, I will admit to enjoying the occasional Hershey's product that they import every once in a while. ;)

     

I pick up my husband from the cafe, either before or after my shopping depending on if there is parking where I need to go or if he has to drop me off and circle the block a few times. We go home to relieve the babysitter around 1 or 2PM. Our youngest son is asleep when we get home. I make lunch, we eat, I try to clean up and put the two year old down for her nap. Then the juggling really begins! My son, Joel, is in many ways your typical four year old and does not have the ability to be quiet for the other's nap time. With his slight autism rating and sensory perception disorder, he has a really hard time getting all his energy out. It is a fine line to walk, trying to keep him occupied and quiet during nap times! He loves to be outside when the weather permits, but needs pretty constant supervision, which means I get in my exercise. ;) I run outside to make sure he is ok, run inside and put away some clean clothes, run back outside to check on him, back inside to finish clearing off the drying rack, outside to make sure he is not breaking or eating anything, inside to hang the clean, wet clothes on the newly cleared drying rack, outside to make sure he is not throwing anything in the pool, then inside to start a new load of clothes. This continues with washing some dishes, prepping supper, and since we just moved again, unpacking. When his little sister Amelia wakes up, she joins the outside mischief. Rather than running from the front fence to the back fence yelling at the top of her lungs, trying to eat the cone-like things that have fallen off the trees, or throwing handfuls of dirt in the pool like her big brother, she normally occupies herself with a stick and a good patch of dirt. Then it's inside for baths and signing time (learning ASL is helping Joel begin communicate with words and signs, the others love it too), supper, and family time. Bedtimes vary from 9:30 for baby Logan to somewhere between 11 to midnight for Amelia to anywhere from midnight to 3 AM for Joel. His autism and sensory perception disorder keep him from being able to sleep much most nights. My husband stays up with him sometimes, but he usually wants mama. ♥ I keep the other children up later than I normally would so we can keep a decent sleep schedule and all wake up around the same time.

      

On church days, we are arrive at least an hour before service for my husband to attend to his responsibilities. We are on our first term here in Argentina, so the church we are working in is one that was started by another missionary and recently handed over to a national pastor that the missionary trained. Because he was fluent in Spanish when we arrived, my husband is already involved in teaching the seminary, preaching on the radio, teaching the teen class, preaching in a weekly rotation to the church itself, leading the choir, and heading up the music ministry besides being involved in all the church activities. I was quite a bit behind him in my language skills, as is pretty common for missionary couples, so thus far I have been able to participate in many activities but only serve by helping in the nursery, providing special music and teaching the 2 to 5 year olds class. Teaching the nursery class is a recent development, and is always an exciting time. You just never know what is going to happen with that age range! :) 

     

We would appreciate your prayers while we are finishing up our first term and planning our first furlough beginning in February of 2013. Thank you, Jen Bauer for this opportunity and this blog. Being in touch with so many other ladies who are living this missionary life has already been such an encouragement to me. Thank you as well to all the ladies who share your wisdom and experiences on the blog and Facebook page! God bless and keep you all!

  

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Thanks, Jennifer!  Would you like to share a day in your life?  Please email us at baptistmissionarywomen@hotmail.com or send me a message on facebook.

 

There is no theme this week to link up, just link up your blog!