Shopping is not like going to Walmart or Albertsons. We borrow a car, bum a ride, or ride the bus and go to Tamale, about 60 miles away. There we go to several small shops to get all the things we need. We can find some things, cereal for 6 cedi a box ($4), Pringles 4.50 ($2.75) or American cheese slices 6.00, but the choices are very limited. Vegetables and a few fruits are sold in stands in the market or on the street. Along the street are stands which sell everything from shoes, DVD players, used clothing, plastic wares, DVD's of movies and tv shows (a whole season for about $2)and designer sun glasses (also for $2). Yesterday when we went there was no power anywhere in town. So no stores had fans going and it was 106degrees (with a heat index of 115). But I did get a haircut for 1 cedi (75 cents). It didn't turn out too bad. 
But I am constantly reminded that my life is easy. This is the scene that I witness every morning. Women and children line up to collect water. They may do this several times a day. Then they must cook over an open fire or charcoal. They wash the families laundry in tubs of water collected at the tank or a borehole. Then they iron their clothes with irons in which they place hot coals. Some people have electricity, but not many. But the children at our school arrive every morning in clean, ironed uniforms (and white shirts!). The dirt here is red clay, so you can imagine how hard that is to get things clean, and our boys are messy!Yesterday, on the way home from Tamale, as I watched hunting parties return from a day of hunting, I was amazed at how hard these people work. Imagine working all day for a rabbit! One man, out of the 50 or more that we saw, had an antelope, most had nothing and several had a rabbit. So life is survival. I think of the times in America that I thought, all I do is go to work and come home, all so I can pay the bills. I won't think that anymore. These people literally work all day, in the heat, for a meal of rabbit and yams. Then they wake up and do it again tomorrow.
A couple of weeks ago I went to a small town near the border of Togo, to take part in a church planting. It is really something to see. They are currently holding services in a school room, which this day was very crowded. They are beginning a building, which we prayed over that day. The children, as is usual whenever a white lady comes to a new town, were fascinated with me. They watched every move I made. They tried to copy the way I clapped, stood up and looked at my notes when I wrote, and one sitting near me kept touching my toes. And they love the camera.
It is very exciting to see that God's word is reaching farther and farther and the people are so enthused about it. A group from our church went to Niger to a very poor area on a mission trip. They returned and told the church members what they had witnessed and how we in Yendi should be so grateful for all we have. The people they met had far less than the people here. I have a mental picture of God's people going out to people who in turn go out and it just keeps multiplying!
I walked into the principals office one day this week and caught two little boys walking away from the prize box, and one looking very guilty. I checked pockets and the guilty looking one had a matchbox car in his pocket, still in the package. They had to talk to the principal and we found out that there were several of them that had done this. The smallest one had 2 or 3 cars in his backpack. If you look at the boys (this was taken the next day and they did not realize why I was taking it), they are very cute and a couple are very innocent looking... and some look mischievious. So it was very hard to be mad at them, but I acted very upset. My favorite, Kayaba, the middle one, would not look at me the rest of the day. It is all very funny in some ways and has been quite a joke around here... the car theif gang. But honesty and integrity is a big problem is this area. It has been a disappointment, that even people who call themselves Christians have problems with honesty. As a sociologist at heart, I know that it may be a survival technique, or may have been for the past generations and now has become ingrained into society. We Americans have other ways of cheating and stealing I guess. So, it is another thing that we hope to address at the school. 
Stay tuned next month as I discusss turning 52, and some new responsibilities here. Prayer requests
that God will lead us in:
*selecting new teachers at the school, as current ones leave and for next year
*decisions that we both have to make (more on that next month too)
*how we teach God's love to these children
*how we teach integrity!
*in meeting the needs of those around us
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