Friday, February 26, 2010

Friday, 26 February 2010

Hey there.  How are you?
 
We are fine.  Have a few who are under the weather, me included, with little things like upset stomachs, fatigue, etc.  So, we've just been laying low and not doing too much. 
 
We just finished with a group of 16 people who were having their yearly retreat.  They work for one of the missions in Chad.  Nice folks.  Even paid to have the generator operational during the first 3 days of this week.  My kids were thrilled.
 
2 days ago was the twins birthday.  In what has become sort of a Flude family tradition, one of the twins got sick and threw up 3 times.  I think she's the second or third kid to do that on their birthday.  Anyway, to honor the event we sang her "Happy Barfday" to the tune of "Happy Birthday".  Keturah had a great attitude about it and we all had a good laugh.
 
Today there are several electricians here.  We've got a number of electrical related problems (nothing major) and they're working to get all our lights and A/C units working.
 
Fridays are normally the day that Janice and I go to town on our weekly date.  We go shopping, have lunch, hit the post office (which is a surprisingly important part of the routine) and generally just hang out together.  Today, however, is a Muslim holiday so nothing's open.  We will go tomorrow, though, and enjoy some time away from the excitement of the family.
 
Hope you all have a great Friday and a fabulous weekend.
 
sf


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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Wednesday, 24 February 2010

Well, today is the twins' birthday.  Happy Birthday Emma and Keturah.  You guys are terrific and mom and I love you so very much.  Thanks for making our lives fun and interesting.  Our family wouldn't be the same without you.
 
In celebration of their birthday, Janice and I took them out to dinner last night.  We had a great time.  At one point, I must've sat and just listened to the conversation for a good 10 minutes or more.  No lack of chit chat by the 3 women at the table, that's for sure.  My heart was swelled with pride as I listened to the new teenagers converse with their mother.  It was so much fun.
 
Later in the evening, Janice made some sort of rude comment about me.  You know, the kind of sweeping generalization that NEVER is true.  (OK, it wasn't rude and she was probably right.)  Anyways... after she got done insulting me (Ha!) I said, "I think I've got a bum rap".  After a few seconds, Emma pipes in with, "Dad, you've got the weirdest insults!".  Janice and I both started laughing.  And, I said, "Emma, I said bum rap not bum wrap".  Emma thought I was insulting Janice by making some sort of reference to a diaper.  Janice then explained to her what "bum rap" means.  Too funny.
 
Hope you all have a great day.
 
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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Sunday, 21 February 2010

One of the neat things about living in Chad is that several of the local hotels let non-guests use their pools.  Most charge a fee and most, if you close your eyes, actually look and feel a little bit like outdoor pools at a U.S. hotel.  There is one hotel, however, that does not charge a fee.  It is about 1 hour out of town, along the river.  Yesterday (saturday) we took a little family trip to this hotel and had a great time.  Before we went, we decided to go to something called "Elephant Rock".  It is located by a rock quarry about 1 hour away from the hotel.  Now, as you've probably guessed, it is called Elephant Rock because it looks like an elephant.  I was a little bit skeptical.  But, I can confirm that it does, indeed, look like an elephant.  Pretty cool.  We spent about 90 minutes crawling in, over, and around this very big rock.  We discovered that the rock is home to quite a few bats and one of our group (we went with 2 other families) even found a monkey skull.  Cool.
 
This rock is literally out in the middle of nowhere yet by the time we left, I think there were 20 or 30 Chadians (mostly kids) "helping" us by guarding our cars.  They also talked to the kids a bit and laughed at us whenever we did something that they thought was funny.  (I'm usually not quite sure why they laugh at me since I don't think I'm doing anything funny, yet they do.  It's sorta the same thing when my kids laugh at me, too.)
 
So, to get to the rock we needed to travel the last few miles on dirt roads.  Well, actually they were more sandy road than dirt road.  At first, the going wasn't so bad but eventually two of us needed to put our cars in 4WD.  No problem.  After we finished with the sight seeing tour and had made it back to the paved road we stopped so I could get our Land Cruiser into 2WD.  (We drive a 10 year old LC and anyone who has ever driven one of these older models knows that getting it back into 2WD can be difficult and frustrating.)
 
Now, picutre this....  The paved road started right at a village.  So, we stop a few yards after getting onto the pavement.  As I try to muscle/finesse the car into 2WD we are slowly gathering a crowd of Chadian men.  After about 3 or 4 minutes one of our friends backs his car up along side ours and asks what's the problem.  So, I tell him that I can't get it into 2WD.  About that same time one Chadian reaches into my car and begins to tell me what I'm doing wrong and that if I'd pay him 2,000 Francs and move over, he'd have our car in 2WD in no time. 
 
You really need to get a good mental picture here....  Imagine a Beduin-looking man with his white (I mean, dirty white) turbin and "dress", dirty face and hands, and the blackest teeth I think I've ever seen sticking his head in my window telling me that he can get the car into 2WD.  Now, if your like me you're thinking, "The only thing this guy drives is a camel.  Why in the world would I let a guy who doesn't drive a car get into mine?  to drive it?  to "fix" it?"
 
So, after repeatedly telling him "No thank you" he slams my door (yes, he'd opened the door by now) and storms off.  I then continued with my efforts which proved ever so futile.  Eventually, my friend in the other car asks if he could give it a try.  I said, "Sure, go ahead."  So, now he gets into my car and as I'm standing next to my car the group of Chadians comes back.  Of course, they're lead by my good friend the Chadian Mechanic.
 
Well, Greg (my buddy) can't get it into 2WD either.  Mr. Goodwrench says, "Hey, scoot over, I can get this car into 2WD." Greg says, "Don't ask me, it isn't my car.  Ask him (and he points at me)".  This goes on for a few minutes.  I am, of course, telling my new best friend, "No".  Finally, Greg says, "What do you think, Steve?  Should we let him try?" Before I can get any words out one of my kids says, "Only if Greg stays in the car!" (Found out later that Gracey, who was sitting right behind me, was already visualizing how she was going to choke Mechanic Man if he tried to speed off with the car!)
 
I finally relented, Greg moved over, and the guy gets into my car.  He shuts the door, revs the motor, and then proceeds to make the car "convulse" (that's the only way I can describe it) by performing a combination of simultaneously putting the car in reverse, popping the clutch, and forcing the car from 4WD to 2WD.  This he did 3 or 4 times. 
 
OK, so I'm thinking, "We're doomed." Greg's thinking, "He's gonna ruin the gear box."  And, my kids are thinking, "This guy's gonna steal our car or kills us or both!"
 
At the end of the 4th time the car turned off.  I thought he'd killed the car.  Turned out that Greg reached over and turned the key because he'd was afraid the car was gonna be ruined.
 
Then, Greg and Mechanic Man start to argue a bit more.  During this, he restarts the car and points to the dashboard and says, "See, the 4WD light is no longer on.  The car's in 2WD!".  You know what.... he was right!  He had fixed it.  Unbelieveable. 
 
His next words were, "Give me my 2,000 Francs!"  I gladly paid the man.
 
This story is humorous, true.  But, it's also illustrative of how the Lord takes care of us.  He doesn't lack for anything and He can, when He so desires, even produce an uneducated, simple man who can get a 10 year old Land Cruise into 2WD.  Janice and I have a friend in Fergus Falls (Don Raun) who told us on many occasions that when he and his family were living here whenever they got into problems the Lord always (always without fail) provided something or someone who fixed or helped solve the problem.  The Bible tells us that He knows how many hairs we have on our head and that not one bird falls to the ground with Him knowing about it.  With a Lord like that, I shouldn't be surprised when helpful people "magically" appear out of thin air who can help us.
 
The lesson also is this:  I needn't be so "afraid" to accept help from strangers.  Just because I've never seen them before doesn't mean they can't help.
 
Hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse into a typical day in good ol' Chad!


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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

Hello Everybody!
 
The weather is really starting to heat up.  Monday it was a little over 100 degrees.  Yesterday it was just over 101.  Before long it'll be 120 or so in the sun.  Makes for some incredibly beautiful nights as you can see so many stars.  Amazing.
 
Kids all have been working overtime on their homework.  Emma and Keturah are especially motivated since they have decided that when we go back to the States for our home assignment in August of 2011 they don't want to do have any schoolwork to do.  So, they are in the midst of cramming 3 years of homework into this school year and next.  I think they are both on target to finish their work which is great.  I've only heard a few complaints about their work and most of those are focused on "those boring books you are making us read, Dad".  (Yeah, they are the same boring books I had to read when I was their age.)
 
Janice and I are going to a "ladies only" birthday "party" today for a friend of Janice's.  Ordinarily I wouldn't go but this woman is apparently dragging her husband along (lucky guy) and since he's gonna be their it is apparently my responsibility to commiserate with him.  Maybe we can find a place away from the women where we won't hear the inevitable discussion about birthing children and pregnancy.  (Going to a "ladies only" party falls right next to going to a baby shower on my list of least favorite things to do - BTW, I've never gone to a baby shower!!!).
 
Hope you all have a great day.
 
sf


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Monday, February 15, 2010

Monday, 15 February 2010

Well, another typcial Monday here in the land of perpetual sun.
 
Lots of activity.  Let's see... There are a few guys digging a 75 meter long trench from the generator to the Welcome Center.  It's one meter deep and is for new electrical cable for all of the A/C units that have been installed.  The original cable isn't big enough.  There is also Gaston, our carpenter, working away on Welcome Center furniture.  He's back after having been gone for 3 days because of some sickness.  Then, there is my wife who is cleaning our room.  She tried to take a nap but said, "I decided that with the 3 or 4 flies that were dive-bombing me I wasn't gonna get any sleep.  So, I might as well clean the room." OK!  The girls are busy cooking and cleaning.  And, then there's the 2 oldest boys.  Both of them are playing:  Ethan with his toys.  Patyon is reading.  Emma and I (and Gracey for a time, too) spent about 2.5 hours earlier today working on the generator.  No, it wasn't mechanical.  We just changed the oil, cleaned the batteries, and then cleaned the generator.
 
We have a group of 18 people coming on Saturday for a 5 day conference.  Should be fun.  It is always great to see the conference room filled with folks.
 
Hope you all have a great week.
 
Until next time.
 
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Tuesday, 9 February 2010

Hi Everyone!
 
It's been a while since I last blogged and since Alex has been dropping me "subtle" hints like, "Dad, blog already" via Facebook I thought I'd spare her all t he anxiety and take her advice and post something.
 
Well, everything here is ok.  Welcome Center is very busy as we're pretty consistently over 60% occupied and things are rolling along just fine.
 
Most everybody has been healthy save for a few of the girls who've suffered from sinus infections.
 
We entertained a team of 16 people from the States who went to Cameroon for about 10 days.  It was great to help them "come and go" so to speak.  Good times.
 
Well, that's it for now.
 
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