Rice (essentials for the skimmers):
- Watch our latest video: Episode 2!
- We're learning the language and have made some strides.
- Our son has been really sick, but is better now.
Sauce (extras for the more detail oriented):
Dear friends,
Since the making of the above video, we have made two trips to the "village" where we intended to do language learning. Both times the Enemy met us. Our son got sick... really sick. Sleepless nights didn't make for effective language study, so we dropped back and punted, so to speak. We are doing language study from our home in our base town. We seem to be more effective there anyway in language study, relationship building, and functioning as a family.
I was thinking the other day, "We're not in Tobaccoville anymore." Here were some clues that led me to that conclusion:
- The driver’s license office copied my information from my NC driver’s license to make my new one. I guess they got confused which info was my name and which was my old street address. Now my official documented name is Martin Ferry. (If you think it’d be funny to call me Mr. Ferry, just know that someone has already beaten you to the punch.)
- The plastic used to make our toilet seats is not too strong. When we first arrived in our new house the toilet seat in one of the two bathrooms snapped in two during the first sitting. Luckily, the other seat lasted twice as long.
- Many people here turn their vehicle headlights off at night because it wastes gas.
- I was taking a stroll in the village one day. I greeted a man i had never seen before. He offered his 15-year-old daughter to me in marriage. #1, gross. #2, i’m happily married. #3, i’m monogamous even though this culture is polygamous. #4, i’d like to keep #2 the way it is. So i shouted, “No! I’m married.” That had little effect on the polygamist father and daughter. The girl followed me for a couple hundred yards before i darted into the woods to hide. She couldn’t find me. I’m happy to announce that #2 is still in effect.
- My boss is a 59-year-old, white-bearded, 260-pound Brazilian with a button nose and glasses (He's kinda got the Shaun Connery-thing going for him). The other day some kids got confused and called me by his name. I guess, to them, all white people look alike.
- A very old woman asked my coworker and i for something to eat. She lifted up her t-shirt a few inches to show us her skinny belly, however in became painfully obvious that this woman had never seen a bra. We consented to getting her some bread as long as she put her shirt back down.
- A West African electrician who's doing some work for us is probably one of the best in the country. He's been doing work for our mission for 20 years. The only thing is that on hot days he strips down to his boxers... while he's working. The other day i found him fixing something in my garage... really sweaty... and wearing polka-dotted underwear.
- The village school teacher where we have done some language study doesn't speak English. He has a pair of second-hand black pants that say “MISS SEXY” across the buttocks in silver glitter. He has no idea. I think someone should notify the Salvation Army its screening process needs some tweaking.
Prayer ReQuests:
- Pray that we would be good stewards of our time.
- Pray that we would diligently and whole heartedly devote ourselves to learning the Usus language.
- Praise God for allowing us to "get better" at living over here. It's getting easier. We're learning.
'til the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass