Oops! There Goes Another Rubber Tree Plant...

Hi.

Well, here we are, week three of being out of touch with the rest of the world! Our satellite dish has not been working. It is Monday evening, September 29, and today we were supposed to receive, via DHL, new components for the dish. But this is Africa, and so “the plane for DHL did not land today”...whatever that means! For us, it means still no easy internet access. Difficult to find a high-speed internet café in Monrovia.

Let’s see…what is new? A couple fellas from the Department of Forestry came by on Saturday morning to plant 55 trees. Very exciting, as this place can use all the trees it can get! Counting the ones they stuck in the ground, over 135 trees have been added to this site since we arrived in May.

The gentlemen arrived by taxi. So did the trees. It was pouring rain (of course) so we did not get a picture, but the yellow cab contained two large men and 55 trees. It was just something that you don’t see everyday!

The rainy season should last for about another month, so all the new plantings have four more weeks to get established before the faucet turns off. As we walk past the new trees and bushes, we say encouraging things, like “looking good” and “hey, you have some new leaves.”

Unfortunately, Dave has been overheard threatening some of the less aggressive plants that he “will pull them out by the roots if they don’t do something!” And then we have to go back over our sensitivity training and remember that plants have feelings too, and some are just a little slower than others! Yeah, same as people.

But we are wishing some of these trees would become full-grown overnight because we could really use the shade in the dry season. The sun is intense here at the equator!

So that is about it from Monrovia today.

Wishing you a great day!

Dave & Babs

A Vegetable Order to Remember!

One of the cooks called me into the Village pantry to show me something. As we were peering into the darkened pantry (the electricity was off), I suddenly realized that she was telling me there was a snake in there! "Exit, stage right!" As I slammed the door of the pantry shut, I said in my most adult voice, which was sounding oddly shrill, that I would get Mr. Veneman.

Dave asked the important questions...size, color, etc. Well, it was small (18 inches long) and skinny (about 3/8" diameter), just a baby snake; those were the good qualities. Unfortunately, it was bright green, which meant it was a green mamba. All the staff (cooks, cleaning girl, guards, laundry girl, and groundskeepers) agreed it was poisonous and said "be careful". Suddenly, everyone became very busy (most industrious anyone had been in days!), and no one could help Dave. Sure, let the white guy deal with the snake!

So Dave donned his boots and gloves, and welding a bonifide snake-killing stick (old mop handle), he entered the pantry. As Dave rummaged through the buckets of bananas and bins of fresh produce that had been delivered the day before (yes, that seems to be how the sneaky snake came to reside in the pantry), he suddenly realized that the bugger was behind him, skulking behind the rice bin. It was probably waiting to catch Dave off guard! Snakes are so devious!

But Dave fought a valiant fight and emerged the victor, holding the limp snake aloft. As my still rather shrill voice was voicing concern if it really was dead or just sleeping, Dave took it outside and disposed of it. I then calmly climbed down from the kitchen counter, and proclaimed Dave the hero of the day!

Just another day in Liberia!

Wishing you all a reptile-free day (except for you, Loren, and may all YOUR reptiles be non-poisonous.)

Babs Veneman

"A Time To Weep..."

This is a hard country. Life here is not easy for the Liberians. Access to healthcare is often limited, and any infection has the potential to be life-threatening. Malaria always is a concern, as is safe drinking water, clean produce, and fresh meat.

We have been in Africa four months now. In that time, four of the national staff here at the Village have experienced the death of a close relative. Two workers lost their brothers. One brother was 42 years old, and the other one was 45 years old. Our laundry girl's sister passed away and left four little children, the youngest being only 6 months old. Two weeks ago, a groundskeeper's daughter fell and died. She was just over a year old. No ambulance, no medi-flight, no trauma center available to those out in the bush.

We have had the privilege to hear several of these people pray during morning devotions, and usually they begin their prayers by thanking God for "waking up this morning." If you ask someone how their night was, they will respond by saying, "I have life, thank God." These sayings are not trite phrases, but come from a realization that life is tenuous. Only by the grace of God are they alive today.

A thankful heart in the midst of hard times...that must make God smile.

Wishing all who read this a day full of thanking God for life.

Dave & Babs Veneman

"A Time to Plant..."

Hi. Here are a couple pictures we took today when we got back from another expedition into "Jungle Land". We wear boots when we tromp around in the wild, grassy area at the west end of the site. Just in case of sneaky snakes. Very brave thing to do, I might add, walking in snake territory. Or stupid. Could go either way....

We were in search of the illusive "paw paw" tree (papaya). We were trying to find some seedlings, but only found big trees, too big to transplant. We have a small paw paw orchard planted (two rows, four trees in a row) behind the house, but we need a couple of replants. Two trees, which showed such promise at first, just up and died. Sad.

We did find a few crape myrtle bushes and transplanted them in front of the school. The timing was perfect! Thirty minutes after we finished digging them into the ground, the sky opened up and watered the new transplants.

This soil is very humbling for a couple of Californian farmers. Our garden seeds got washed away in one of the first rain deluges in July. Total crop failure! And the orphanage is built on a sand hill, which is just beach sand; few nutrients and the sand gets hot quickly. If something grows here, it is one tough plant! So some of the plants and trees we had high hopes for did not make it, like the paw paw trees. (sigh)

Dave located fertilizer in Monrovia; not an easy feat! He has sprinkled some by everything we have planted. All the plants smile and wave when Dave walks past. Dave is their friend.

Dave has a little nursery growing next to the house. He found some old wooden boxes, and hauled them to the house. They are now filled with good dirt from "Jungle Land" and are under the eaves to protect them from downpours. He has planted tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peas, and, of course, bell peppers. We had to purchase a red bell pepper to get pepper seed, and they are growing quite well. The challenge is to keep the ants and beetles away from the baby plantings, and believe me, in this country, that is a huge challenge!

Hope everything you plant grows!

Dave and Babs Veneman

"ALL HAIL, LIBERIA, HAIL! (ALL HAIL)"

Today is Flag Day in Liberia. Actually, it was really yesterday, Sunday, August 24. However, as the holiday landed on a Sunday, today, Monday, the 25th of August, is the celebrated day. The president requested all institutions and schools to observe the holiday with a program, so at 8:30 am we all gathered at the flag pole. Even though there was no school today, the children arrived wearing their school uniforms. They look so good in their uniforms; so neat and tidy and orderly. Uniforms can be very deceiving!

The kids all wanted to stand in front of us and we were feeling rather loved, until we realized that they just wanted to get out of the sun and stand in our shadows! So much for that warm, fuzzy feeling of being loved!

All national employees working today were also invited to the Flag Day program. We said the Liberian Pledge of Allegiance (very close to ours in the States); sang the official flag song (yes, there is an official flag song); and then we sang the national anthemn (nothing like ours!). Prayers for unity in Liberia were offered by some of the children and staff. We ended by singing the first verse of the national anthemn again. A nice little celebration, all in all.

The mommas took the older children on a walk to the beach this afternoon. The beach is about a half a mile from the Village. That was a special treat, a walk to the beach! This evening, to finish the special day, sardine sandwiches were served for supper. Babs did not care to sample the cuisine, but Dave really wanted to taste a sandwich. He asked Martha the cook for the recipe. Guess we will be having sardine sandwiches some evening...well, maybe one of us will just have a nice salad while the other one scarfs sardines.

Wishing you a Happy Flag Day, too!

Dave and Babs Veneman

Bugs in Liberia...

Well, we are learning that things are different here in Africa. Back in California, butterflies are happy little creatures, flitting blissfully from flower to flower. Here, the butterflies are scary, the praying mantis's look like they have been taking steroids, and the beetles have claws and seem rather aggressive!

The butterfly in the picture was hanging out around a neighbor's front door. I guess the snakes on it's back are part of it's natural security system, as it's predators will think it is a snake and leave it alone. Worked for me; I left it alone! I do feel rather badly for the butterfly, though. How sad to go through life with bad tattoos, just for protection. Just doesn't seem fair. Even the life of a butterfly is hard here.

The bodies of the African praying mantis are about 6 inches long. Add the length of their spindly legs to that number, and you have a formidable bug. Not a big fan of any bug, but large, formidable ones kind of creep me out!

Which reminds me of the beetle that stalked me yesterday morning. It was waiting for me in the dining hall. As I walked around unlocking doors, it followed me. No matter where I walked in the large dining hall, he was scurrying toward me. I would walk behind him (wa-a-ay behind him) and he would turn around and head right toward me again. Creepy! Straight out of a Stephen King movie. All I can figure is that the fella' could sense fear, and knew it was a sign of weakness. He was going for the big kill! Man, I do not need to end up as a trophy on some beetle's rec room wall! And people wonder why I walk around with a can of bug spray!

Wishing all who read this a wonderful, bug-free day!

Babs

PEOPLE SWARAY FOREVER!

Hi, Friends.

Liberia is a interesting place, especially if you think you have a good handle on the English language. As folks who have always maintained that words mean something, the sayings we read throughout this country make us wonder about that truth. Many times we have scratched our heads, looked at each other in confusion and said "What does THAT mean?"

It is the custom to write a statement about life on your taxi....or maybe after too much happy juice, it seemed like a good idea to make a public statement! Either way, we are enjoying reading bumpers here in Africa! Makes driving much more an adventure. And we are re-thinking our earlier stance....maybe words really don't mean anything at all!

Wishing all who read this a fabulous day! And remember: A Wacted Pot Never Boil!

Dave & Babs
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