Ummmmm, yum?

Have you ever seen M&Ms fall from the sky?

When our neighbor girls were collecting bugs at our gate, you would have thought by their enthusiasm that candy was falling from the sky.  Apparently these bugs come out for only an hour in the evening, and only if it has rained in the morning.  At any rate, they are a special treat to our neighbors who cook them into a sauce.  Thankfully, they didn't offer any to us.

Then, when we had our cleaning party, Emily came and whispered to me, "That little girl is collecting bugs in her pot."  She gobbled up her treasures until the big boys stole the pot from her and feasted on the bugs themselves.  They downed them so fast I could barely get the camera before the whole pot of bugs was gone.

This not just normal here, it's a treat.  Marie says with a little salt they are very good!

Cleaning Party!

The road home

Our wonderful house came with a lengthy to-do list.  There are no appliances, so we'll need to find a fridge, an oven, and if I'm really lucky, a washing machine!  There are holes in the window screens big enough to fit a small child through let alone mosquitoes, so those will need to be replaced; the whole house is painted in a hideous pastel green color; and it was absolutely filthy.

I say WAS because cleaning it was our first priority.  Our friend Marie and her three girls came along with us to help.  Within minutes of our arrival, our new neighbor from across the street showed up with brooms and buckets.  Following her came a dozen or so neighborhood children fighting over a turn with the mop.  It was quite the cleaning party and I was completely humbled by these friends who cleaned our entire new house in one day!  I was expecting it to take several long, hard, dirty days.  Africans know how to work hard and get a job done!  Of course, there was lots of laughter along the way.

 The borrowed broom

 Cleaning party picnic

 Broom races

 Helpers

Come look, Front Rowers

I want to show you something.......

This is, quite obviously, our bed.  We bought it from a departing family who had shipped it to Burkina over a decade ago.  Our sheets were care package items.  My pillow was purchased at Kohl's just before we flew out.  Our mosquito net was made by a local tailor.

We repeatedly thank the Lord for a good night's sleep.  We know we are blessed.

Now, do you see this straw mat Emily is holding?

This is the most common BED we have seen among our friends in West Africa.

A straw mat on a dirt or concrete floor.....

In moving to West Africa, we did not cease to be wealthy Americans.

We look it in the face every day.