If I were to sum up my first week in here Ochekwi-sipi in one word it would be: water. Most of the major challenges and/or blessings I have had this week can be linked to water. Not having been tested before I arrived, I was unsure for the first several days if I could even shower with the well water at the manse, let alone drink it. Thankfully the tests came back clean. Until I boiled my water or used bottled water for just about my every water related need, I never realized what a convenience clean tap water really is!
Another important water lesson: when there is a North wind, the wind blows down the lake and up the river so that the river rises a foot or two, this may or may not lead to my phone line getting wet and cutting out.
Final water lesson: when it rains, my front door expands to the point of my not being able to open it. This was sadly discovered when I went out in my pyjamas to rescue my plants from a strong-ish wind, pulled the door shut behind me and couldn't open it again. Since the backdoor was locked, I wound up hiking through the cemetery and down a very muddy dirt road to my neighbour's in order to discover that no one else has keys to the manse. (I could found that out in a less embarrassing way but that would have been boring) Thankfully someone was able to muscle the front door open to many guffaws from onlookers (who all tried after the fact to open the door and couldn't).
With all that said, I'm truly blessed. I've not met many people yet, but those that I have met are wonderful. I'm not sure how to qualify that other than seeing them work hard to make me feel welcome as I struggle to carve out a place for myself in this community. I'm excited to see how my first Sunday goes this week and then preparing for a tidal wave of baptisms in the next two weeks. ...and so it seems water will continue to be an important word for at least the next three weeks...
No comments:
Post a Comment