A Lazy Day

Today was a lazy day.  'H' had some business in town and in the village, so we stayed here.  After he left, we walked several blocks to a store and bought some water and peanut butter :-)  After we came back, Steve took a nap while I went online looking for a company like the Gates Foundation or USAID that would consider providing a large pump for pumping water to the village.  To see the poverty, lethargy, and lack of nutrition is so hard.  To not have clean water is almost unfathomable, considering where we live.  If they were to have an adequate clean water supply, they could grow more food for their families and drink as much as they want without the worry of running out.  We know HE will provide one in HIS time, we just don't know if we are to be allowed to help.  So, we will head in that direction and see what HE does.

After a lunch of leftovers, we headed back to the store for rice.  As we were walking by the nursing school, an older gentleman stopped us.  He spoke fairly understandable English.  Turns out he is the English 'professor'.  As far as we could tell, he comes once every week or two to test the students on what English they learned since he was here last.  The test was to begin in 20 mins.  Steve had quite the chat with him.  I was surrounded by students asking questions.  "What are you doing in Tarutung?"  "How many children do you have?"  "How do you like the weather in Tarutung?"  "When will you come back?"  Sometimes I can understand them and sometimes I can't.  Sometimes they understand my answer and sometimes they don't.  One big plus was that the 'professor' told us the Indonesian term for rice.  'Paddy' means the rice directly from the farm, complete with hulls.  'Nasi' is cooked rice.  The one we needed was 'Beras', uncooked (refined!) rice.  Supposedly, he is going to invite us to speak on Mon. night.  Pray that happens and for the words to say!

'H' came back about 3 this afternoon.  He took us to a couple of shops so that I could get souveniers for the kids and grandkids.  I would think that us alone would be present enough, but as I am not sure, it is best to have a back-up!  After we got back, 'H' and I made dinner. 

We made fried fish, tempeh, greens and buffalo curds. Rice and pineapple were left from lunch.  Pita had to go to another town to report to her boss on her store sales for the week.  She sells sunglasses and reading glasses. 

That's about it!  I must either be boring or very descriptive as I have not had any questions about what I have written :-)