Harmattan

People are filtering back to the city after being gone for Christmas and schools will be starting up again this week. So we were finally able to visit a couple of literacy classes, although lightly attended, it's given us a glimpse into what's currently going on. 

I was most impressed with the adults desire to learn to read and they appear to be doing very well!!  This class often has about 10 participants I understand. 

They are making progress on the "road" to the church near us, I think!  At least more of it is dug up this week than last week. So we took the alley way again past the laundry and goats.

We are also exploring the possibilities of PVC, Portal Video Conferencing to help facilitate training leaders and teachers in outlying areas. There are challenges of course, especially with internet and electricity. But it is being done in other programs of the church here when people can get to a church building. Just need to keep those generators handy. Even in our office building we get interrupted service each week.

Another class that we attended during the week one night (no picture) was especially neat. The teacher, Eric was awesome and there was such a good feeling there. One lady came in a bit late, with her baby wrapped to her back, she probably walked. When she let her toddler down he came right over and reached up to me to be picked up. It made my day I have to say. I entertained him as best I could with my magnet badge and anything else I could find in my purse while she learned. 

At the end of their class they asked if we wanted to share anything, and acted like it was such an honor that we came to visit. We felt honored to be there with them. I had been inspired to look up a scripture one night, shortly after we arrived and felt to share it with them as it applies as much to them as it does to Chuck and me.  

Doctrine and Covenants 64: 33  "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."

I hope they are catching even a glimpse of the "great work" they are doing by taking this step to be literate. 

So, now on to the weather. We arrived during "harmattan," and we hear some years it can be pretty bad. The Harmattan is a season in the West African subcontinent which occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by dry and dusty northearterly trade wind of the same name, which blows from the Sahara Desert over West Africa into the Gulf of Guinea.

It is just hazy outside, kind of like the smoke haze with the fires this summer in Washington. But the car says otherwise. It missed a week getting washed when we weren't sure if we would be keeping it. They replaced the battery and it will get washed again this week by the gardener who has a side job washing the cars in the apartment parking lot. Wish we could bring him home.

The pictures all look a bit blurry, it's just the sandy haze not our lousy photography! Not really a problem here this year so far. It's worse inland I understand as we get a bit of off shore breeze to blow it away. And hey, it cuts down on sun exposure so less need for sunscreen. 

We're getting the hang of shopping here. People are very creative at selling whatever they have to sell.

You will see lots of containers usually used for shipping, set up as shops. We are learning where to get all the various items that simple living missionaries still seem to need to buy.

Do yourself and a loved one a favor tonight, snuggle up and read a good book together. It will be a blessing for both of you.