So Many Donuts!

Picture of the sky here I borrowed from Dr Myrhe.  He takes wonderful photos.

Hello All,
We managed to make and sell about 2706 donuts from cream filled to apple fritters to just plain, we had them all!  This was an event that RVA calls "store."  We (the Junior Class) just took it over from the Seniors and made it through our first one.  We make and sell American style donuts on Friday night and then again on Saturday morning along with egg Mac muffins, crepes, passion juice and later in the day, bacon cheese burgers, pizza, chicken tikka sandwiches, chicken fingers and more.  We made about 1000 food items and sold almost all of it.  This is the first of 9 events like this we will do to raise money to go on Senior Safari next year just before graduation.  It is fun but exhausting.  The kids did a great job and I am sure will get better and better at it before we are finished!

making 2706 donuts!

The roads are still a problem since the flooding/mud slides.  Our main route into town for materials for the project has been taken away with the bridge.  Here is a picture of the temporary foot (and piki - motorcycle) bridge that the local people built.

They used 2 felled trees and some lumber and it really is sturdy.  We have not heard when the new bridge will be built.  Our contractor has essentially taken some time off to evaluate the situation and see what they can do.  Our only option is to carry about 1/4 loads of material up the steep road from Mai Maihu.  Here are some pictures of the site this week:

We are hoping the new bridge will be built in the next few weeks (please pray for that) and that the project will get moving again.  It is now about the middle of May and that is when the rains are supposed to stop.  I just heard some thunder and we have had rains almost every night for the last week.  We are grateful for the rain, but we also need to dry out for a while!

We went down to the town of Mai Maihu last Saturday to visit a man and his family (Joseph, Dorcas and their daughter Lucy).  Lucy was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.  That was almost 3 years ago.   She now has a new wheelchair (thanks to some friends in the states) and she is starting pre school this week!  She is such a lively little girl and her parents are very nice.  Dorcus cooked us a wonderful meal.  They live in a very tough situation.  They have a small apartment on a second floor with a bathroom down the way.  The wheel chair doesn't even have room to move in the living room as it only about 14' x 14'.  That serves as the dining room and sleeping room too.  Joseph has been out of work for a long time as there is very little prospect where they are.  They came up with the idea of selling popcorn in small bags to the ducas (stores).  They flavor it a bit with honey to make it sweet and sell a small bag for 5 shillings (about 6cents).  He is trying to get this business off the ground, but they are struggling.  They were going about 20 miles down the road to another town to get the popcorn popped for them!  I showed Dorcus how she can do it on her little charcoal stove (or jiko as it is called here).   She was so excited to know she can pop it at home.  Here are a few pictures:

Joseph and Lucy

 Lucy loved to be next to Sallie

 

Lucy

Showing Dorcus how to pop corn on her jiko.

 

The whole gang!

 

We are almost ready to finish a small project.  It is the remodel of a house that will function as a dorm for some students from South Sudan.  They were selected to be here by their government to train as anesthesiologists.  Their program is about 18 months long.  They have been moving from place to place since finding space here is difficult to say the least, but their house will be finished this week!  Here is a picture of the bathroom remodel:

This will give them 3 showers, 3 sinks and 3 toilets along with another laundry style sink to wash clothes in.  They will be so happy to finally settle in one place!  Please pray for these 14 women and 1 man, that they will complete the program here in a place far from home (where most have left families) and they will be able to go back and serve their people well.

One last picture:  Mom this is for you!

This is a picture of a horned viper that Mr. Hovingh took near their place in Naivasha (right where we stayed Mom)!  He apparently killed it soon after this so no worries for the future, right??

In His Hands,
Jullie T.