Embassy, Warehouse and Chickens

My family is pretty cool.  Seriously, they are amazing.

Thanksgiving Family Picture

My sister wrote me a quick email this week with a Bible verse. Matthew 25:21.  She didn't write it out, so I had to look it up and amazingly, it applied perfectly to some things I had just been thinking about and been approached about.  God works in cool ways.

Woke up to a tray of food for breakfast.  French fries, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, and cold apples.

To the US Embassy to meet a contact we met from our UNFPA meeting.  We've tried to get in before and were completely rejected.  This time we at least have a name.  We went to the window and got further than last time, but alas, still rejected.  How can US citizens not get into their own Embassy?  I understand it's a safety thing, but still.

To the IOM Warehouse.  Picked up supplies for a cholera clinic and hygiene kits for each family.  They had five mosquito nets, so we will distribute those to the pregnant and nursing mothers.  This IOM Warehouse process always takes hours.  Only two this time.  When the van was full I turned to Kendra and said, "So, we run cholera clinics now?"  We laughed because those were not the types of things we expected to get but we know a few doctors who will be happy to use the supplies.

While we were waiting, Major Rodriguez called and invited us to lunch because it is a special Paraguayan soup.  Today, 13 men from an Advanced Team from the new group of 130 arrive.  The rest will come on December 24 and our friends will all leave on the same day on the same plane the new people come in on.

By the time we left the IOM Warehouse it was lunch time.  Colonel Casco walked us in and about 40 men were in line, but they let us cut right to the front.  I'm sure some people are not enjoying our visit.  Delicious soup lunch, then we quickly headed up to Russ and Sherry's.  The plan changed so Kendra spent time doing emails there while Sue and I met with a representative from the Haitian Chicken Broilers.  It is a Jamacian organization that works solely on chicken projects, but much larger than what we can do at this time.  Carl, the representative will visit our site on Friday.

Back up the mountain so Sue and I could pick up Kendra.  Talked more with Linda Adams.

Headed down to base about 7pm.  Ate with Colonel Casco and the Colonel of the new mission who just arrived today.  On the walk to the dining hall I asked a friend if he was going to eat with us and he looked at us like "yeah right" because they are usually never invited.

Every night our friends visit, but tonight only the Deacon because no one else wants to brave the weather.  It is raining.  We usually joke with them that we would not pass inspection because our room is such a mess.

After dinner Colonel Casco kept asking if everything with our accommodations were satisfactory.  When the Deacon came, he showed us all the things Casco sent for us water, snacks, Internet password. Perfect.

It was raining a lot.  Kendra and I ran outside and brought mud back to the floor of our container.  Carlos (the Deacon) left and came back with a mop.  He mopped the whole floor.  It will be hard to leave this place after being waited on hand and foot!

Talked late even though we have to be up early. Probably a mistake.