Merry Christmas from Chad!

 Merry Christmas Everyone!   Our Christmas day is coming to an end and yours is just beginning.  I hope that you have a fulfilling holiday and that each of you think of our Savior and what He has given up for us.  I hope that you too have been able to enjoy a little of the giving season as much as we have.  I would like to let you know what it is like having Christmas in Chad. This is going to be a two part letter because I want to give pictures to help show you as well as tell you how different it is here.     Our holiday really started Christmas eve eve.  Friday was an extremely busy day for us getting the house ready for the full weekend we had planned for the volunteers.  I also made a lot of goodies for all my native loved ones.  These goodies were only possible because of all of our good friends and family that provided us with all the means to do so.  I put together a plate full of goodies and some in little bags to hand out to those that came to the door.  Friday was a lot of work but so much fun too showing everyone that helps us out everyday how much we appreciate them.  Their faces showed so much surprise.  It was so much fun!   This is a picture of a little girl about 6 months old.  Her name is Temda and we have been helping her since she was born.  I have not seen her since she was born because they live far from Bere.  She just got out of the hospital after being sick for quite a while.  She is way too little for six months so I taught the grandmother how to make a nutritious porridge and provided them with all the ingredients to help them out for the next week.  She is so beautiful and sweet that I had to take some pictures of her and thought you all would enjoy seeing where some of your money is going.     Saturday morning I woke up to three little kids sitting on my bench outside my door holding an infant.  I knew the little boy for he is one that would come to work for baby food for his little brother but he has not been very regular lately.  After getting myself ready for church I walked outside to talk to them.  The baby was so small.  We ended up weighing him and he is a big 8 lbs at 7-8 months old.  Think about that, that is how much a newborn weighs.  Danae was walking by and she was touched by this as much as I was and we both wanted to just take the baby in for a month or two just long enough to fatten him up a little and give him a fighting chance at life.  The father is in Ndjamena but for how long the children have no idea and that is why they came to me cause they needed to feed him and had nothing.  I decided to skip church and take the baby inside and give him a very much needed bath.  I could hardly handle it, he was skin and bones, literally!  He was crying but did not have the strength for a very loud cry but I noticed one tear made it out of his eye as it rolled around his face toward his ear.  His legs were retracted into a fetal position as though he was trying to keep himself warm even though the water was warm.  His little body and loose skin tore me up inside.  I got a newborn outfit from my Samaritan center closet and as I put it on I wanted to just cry for it was too big on him.  I found a pair of socks to help him feel warn and a hat.  I rubbed his body with a type of oil they use on their skin here, for his skin was almost wrinkly.  I grabbed the bottle of formula that I had made and snuggled him as he sucked it down.  I stop and think about how stressed I had been feeling about the baby program for it has been growing and I don't want to have to turn anyone away that needs it.  But as long as God continues to lead me to believe this is a mission He wants me to continue I will keep doing it.  We pray that God will bring to us that day who He wants us to help.  It can be a heartbreaking mission but how could I not help after seeing this child.  God knows the needs of His children!    All of us volunteers here worked hard on Friday to try and create a lasagna meal for our Christmas sabbath together.  It turned out wonderful!  It is amazing how creative you can be when you really want something.  We were able to get all of us together at one long table. It reminded me of the table we are eager to sit at in heaven with all the many different types of people that are united by the same purpose in life to serve the Lord.  We invited the three hungry children to join us for our special Christmas dinner.  Four different courses were served starting with salad and garlic bread balls, then pumpkin soup, the main course lasagna and finally pumpkin pie.  We all felt American for an hour and it was great!  During this time we were able to talk about what we all thought would be best to do in this situation.  We really do want to take the child but decided it was not the best thing to do while the father is away.  We told the children to come everyday to get the things necessary to take care of their brother and when their father comes back we will talk with him about it again.     

Dear Friends and Family

Live life like there is no tomorrow.

Today I had a young girl around the age of 17 come to me with her 6
month old baby. She told me that she wanted to get formula for her baby
boy for she had Aids and heard that it was possible to give it to her
child through breastfeeding. It is true and I have been told that there
is a 6% chance but I have also been told that if it is going to be
transmitted it would be by the age of 6 months. I sent her over to the
hospital to get her baby tested. I figured if the child did not have it
I would provide her with the formula she needed. She waited all day at
our house for the results. She finally got them and waited for me to
read them to her. The results were positive. Her eyes just swelled up
with tears and she began to cry. I felt terrible for the both of them.
There is no father, as usual, and she is living with her grandmother. I
didn't know what to do to console her. I just hugged her and sat with
her until the tears lessened. She thanked me for my help and was on her
way.

There is another thing that I want to share with everyone. For those of
you who know who Naomi is, well her mother just died last Saturday. Her
family didn't call her and let her know until they were almost here with
their mother's body. They wanted to bury her next to her husband in a
village about 24 kilometers away from here. Her mother had been living
in Nigeria and got sick with malaria. Before she could get the proper
medication she needed the malaria had already gone too far and she was
needing blood but she didn't last long enough to receive it. Naomi has
been at home all week and has been doing the week long mourning that
they do here. Several people have come to her house to mourn with her
and support her. She is very strong in her faith and will get pass this
but anyone who has lost a parent can understand the pain she is
experiencing. Please keep her in prayer.

Love, Tammy

We are up to 8 children on the baby formula program now.

--
We are 100% volunteers and your donations are deeply appreciated, as are
your prayers, both of which will contribute greatly to our mission.

PLEASE SPECIFY IN THE MEMO AREA OF YOUR CHECK
FOR "THE BERE PROJECT" AND SEND TO.

Harrison Seventh-Day Adventist Church

PO BOX 969 Harrison, Tn. 37341

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Yesterday we received a box from a family member.  It is always exciting to get a box from America.  It is like getting a little piece of home.  But this time we got something so precious to us, a CD with all sorts of pictures and videos of family and friends.  It was really fun to watch it and see how everyone has changed but it is also interesting for us to see everything within the pictures.  Everything looks so perfect and shiny.  Everyone looks so beautiful and clean .  We can see all the beautiful houses and all the different fun things there is to do there.  There is so much in America. 

After looking at everything on the CD I found myself feeling jealous.  So many people in the states just seem to have everything.  When or if I ever go back to the states I will have nothing.  I was feeling sorry for myself.  I was feeling insuficient, a little depressed, and left wanting more than what this place has to offer. 

I immediately was reminded of what my priorities need to be.  A grandmother of a little boy that we are helping at the hospital stopped by before going back home.  She stopped by with her grandson just to say thank you.  She was thanking me for paying for the boy to get medical attention.  She didn't ask for anything else just thanking me.  This little boy is five years old and looks more like 2-3.  His mother left him shortly after he was born and his father is dead.  The grandmother is barely making it but is doing all she can to keep this kid alive.  I quickly snapped myself out of the jealous mode and looked at all my blessings.  God is taking care of every single one of my needs.  Shame on me for feeling like that when I very well know what kind of people are here and what their stories are like. 


This is little 5 year old Aaron


I think this Thanksgiving we all need to just realize what we have and thank the Lord for all the good things that He provides us with.   I don't know why some people have it harder than others.  I want to stop looking so much to myself and try and keep my thoughts on the big picture.  Today I am thanking God for the life He gave me and I will try and make Him proud of what I do with it. 

 

Love and blessings,
Tammy

-- We are 100% volunteers and your donations are deeply appreciated, as are your prayers, both of which will contribute greatly to our mission. PLEASE SPECIFY IN THE MEMO AREA OF YOUR CHECK FOR “THE BERE PROJECT” AND SEND TO. Harrison Seventh-Day Adventist Church PO BOX 969 Harrison, Tn. 37341

Survivor Sunday

Survivor Sunday

So here  are couple pictures of a few of the volunteers in the place behind Olen and Danae's house where we have set up Survivor counsel fire.  This time their challenge was to pound some of these little melon seeds that resemble pine nuts.  This is the way the locals do it.  We are going to be using what they pound for Thanksgiving dinner to make vegetarian chicken chunks.  The team that pounded and sifted the most was the winner.  The loosing team then has to make pancakes for all of us on Thanksgiving morning.  Team "Brichelle" won!  Good Job!

The commercial for breastfeeding will be continued until next time.  Both teams have great ideas and totally different but want to perfect it before they present them for the final judging. 






This is  Zane and Lyol with Jamie during the "no shave November".  This was the last day for him cause he couldn't stand it any longer.  He made it to November 20th.  I am so glad he couldn't make it to the end, this is the longest I have ever seen a beard on  him in the 20 years I've known him.

Dear Friends and Family,

An Update.

Time is just flying by and I can not believe we are almost to
Thanksgiving, it just doesn't seem possible. There is a lot of work
going on here everyday. We have about 8 new volunteer student
missionaries helping in different areas of the Bere campus and another 5
in Bendalay. The Bere Adventist School is well on its way. And I am
watching two little ones in our home everyday. Life is busy!

I am going to try and give you all the low down of the happenings and
yet try and not make it lengthy. I just waited way too long to get a
letter out to everyone and now I have to play catch up. I will do my
best but I was thinking that in the future I may try and write very
short stories as there are things happening everyday.

Jamie is working harder and harder everyday. His responsibilities seem
to continue to grow. Right now he has quite a few projects that are
keeping him young or old we can't decide. He is leading out in building
a new student missionary house. It is being built right here in our
compound. And for those that have been here it is over in the corner by
the basketball court. This is somewhere for them to take a normal
shower or use an American toilet, charge their phones or computers and a
place to cook a meal when one is not provided by their African family.
It will also be a place for them to lock up their valuables. The
building is coming right along. The building walls are all complete
along with the roof. The walls have been covered with cement to create
a flat wall over the brick, the septic has been dug and now they are
going to have to wait for plumbing supplies. Jamie left Wednesday this
week to go on a shopping spree in Moundou for the things that will be
needed to complete the project inside the house. He will be staying
with James and Sarah and working on the new Surgery Clinic and their new
house in between his shopping. Other than this house he still is
working with getting sand sifted for making bricks with the new brick
machine. He is working with people here and in the states for the plans
and pricing for the expansion of the hospital. A new maternity will be
going up, a new private ward, a new surgery room and bathrooms. This
will be a huge project for him to oversee so we will definitely need
your prayers. Everything here is difficult and takes so much longer
because you just don't have Lowes down the street to help you out. But
I know that God will help him. Jamie is also the one helping all the
volunteers get their internet for email working which has not been easy,
lately the internet has not been working for anyone and creating a lot
of frustration for some. After all of this he is still keeping the
hospital up and running. He is also still the dentist and I will see
him run in the house covered in dirt from working construction and go in
the house and wash up a little and change into scrubs. I know that he
is either going to be pulling a tooth or wiring up someones jaw or
sometimes he gets in on surgeries assisting where he can. But he is
also getting really good at casting broken arms and legs. Sometimes Dr.
Olen will come to the door and ask me if Jamie can come out to play.
That means one of the above or if Dr. James Appel is in town Jamie will
get in on putting a rod into someones broken bone and that means Jamie
gets to run the drill. Jamie never has a list that is complete. He
works very hard and I am very proud of him, he is definitely needed.
Thank you to everyone who has donated tools and money for new tools or
machinery to help make Jamie's job here a little easier, it has been a
huge blessing.

As for me, well I have been blessed to have two little ones bringing joy
to our home. Olen and Danae are both in full swing at the hospital now
and I am watching their 2 year old Lyol, and their newborn which is not
so new anymore and is already four months, his name is Zane. They are
both so cute! Lyol has such an amazing sense of humor for such a little
guy. There is so much to say about him that I need to leave most of it
for another blog all in itself. But just know he makes us laugh
everyday and he is such a joy to be around. You may think that I am
just being nice and just saying that but everyone loves Lyol. "Baby
Zane", which is what Lyol calls him, is just now starting to laugh at my
jokes and learn new things. He too is a joy but a lot of work. He is
my reminder that I am too old now to do it all over again. He was born
on the very same day as James and Sarah Appel's twins, Adam and Miriam.
Can't believe it but it is true. What are the chances of that
happening? They are all so cute together and it will be fun to watch
them grow up in Chad together.

Other then babies I am also working with quite a few families that need
baby milk. I have six families every week that comes to work to get the
food for their babies. This is another mission all in its own. It is
$6 per child every week. I feel like God continues to provide so I have
continued doing this work. Word is getting around about this work and
now I have women coming randomly that need help getting their milk to
come in. I am not a specialist in this area but I know that God has
given me ideas that I would have never come up with on my own. I have
had one mother come back and thank me over and over because she did
exactly what I asked of her and now she has plenty milk coming in to
feed her baby. If that was the only one it has been worth all the
work.

In the past you may remember a little boy named Apollinaire. Well as a
reminder both his parents died when he was very young. He was living
with his grandmother and she died during the time Jamie and I went to
Zakouma Park. We found his married sister and he has been living with
them for the last year but now the sister's husband is beating him. So
now he is living with another sister but her husband refuses to feed
him. First of all I know how crazy everyone's lives here must sound to
you but I promise, I am not making this stuff up. Life is super hard
here. I don't even know how they have survived as a people. But back
to Apollinaire he is eating with us two meals a day. We cook for at
least 10 people everyday. But again God is providing through all of you
so we will continue doing the things that we are doing.

I am still working with the public but am only open to do that on
Monday, Wednesday and Fridays when Naomi is with me to help. I do this
because there is so much going on around here that I needed some kind of
control of my own life. We have a guard now, his name is Mahamat. He
is my new best friend. :) He really takes care of our family. I don't
know if he realizes how important his work is to me but he has helped me
with my sanity. It is really working out good this way. He has a good
sense now to know that if someone has an emergency to let them in to see
me but that doesn't happen too often. As an example of this one day we
had three lepers come for help. Yes, it freaked me out, I didn't know
what to do. Everyone here shakes hands but honestly I was scared to do
that. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen and after talking with
them and listening to their story I turned abruptly toward my house for
my tears started just pouring from my eyes. It is just so sad. They
had just a couple stubby fingers and almost no feet. One of them had
bags wrapped around his feet but you could tell he had no toes and half
of his feet were just gone. They all had the worst clothes and they
were starving. I quickly got them all a little money which I try not to
hand out money but I made the exception. I also gave them cookies and a
few things they would be able to carry including clothes from my
Samaritan closet. But as soon as I gave them their things they all
quickly opened the cookies and started eating. I knew they were
starving. I tell you I have experienced more here in the last two years
then I have my whole life. At least it is more meaningful experiences
that are changing my life for the better.

Cory and Brichelle are busy trying to stay focused on their school.
They both also have a garden that they have to water all the time. They
both are also the captains of our "Missionary Survivor, Chad" meeting
that we do every other Sunday. We give their teams a challenge or two
that day for a reward (usually food). The first day of Survivor was for
the team to go and find or buy a charcoal wire stove and charcoal and
get a fire burning and get a pot of water boiling. The only things
provided to complete this task was a pot and water. The second week
they had to try and carry one brick inside a big bowl on their head the
way the locals do it. Each team member had to have a turn and the first
team with each member across the finish line won. After the Sunday
challenges then we give them a challenge for their team to work on for
two weeks. The first challenge for during the two weeks was to teach an
English class. It was a great challenge and they all did a great job.
They had so many come to learn and after the two weeks they had a huge
request to keep it up so now the two teams together, whoever is
available, teaches English two times a week. This last challenge was
for the teams to be creative and create a commercial to put on the radio
for breastfeeding. Why breastfeeding? There are so many things that
the people do that are harmful to the babies. As an example they don't
feed them right after they are born for a few days because they think
that the first milk, the colostrum, is dirty. Because it is a different
color. But they don't realize that it is liquid gold, God's gift to the
immune system. This can also cause problems for their milk coming in.
There are many problems here that Danae has to repeat several times a
day at the hospital. We thought if we put it on the radio they may
believe it. This is hopefully something fun for all the SM's to do but
also encourage mission work for the local people here. This Sunday is
the next challenge we will have to see who takes the lead for they are
neck to neck in the winnings. I will keep you informed on what happens
next. Our goal is to create a video of all the challenges and send a
copy of it home with each SM for their memories of "Missionary Survivor,
Chad".

So these are a few things that we are doing. We stay really busy but we
are receiving blessings everyday from the work we do. We want to thank
God for giving us this opportunity to work in this way for Him.
Sometimes we fight against the work that God has for us but once we give
up our own wants and listen to Him that is when we can be the happiest,
that is when we can be the most blessed, that is when we can have an
even closer walk with Him. He only wants what is best for all of us.
And only He knows what that is. Today I want to challenge all of you to
listen to what work God has for you. Listen and obey and you will
receive blessings that will last for an eternity.

Thank you!

Dear Friends and Family,

We have had an amazing response, yet again this year, for sponsors to help put kids into the Adventist School here in Bere.  So far it is over 200 students that have been helped.  The need is so great but your dollars have been able to help so many.  I just want to thank you all from everyone here for all the support you are giving.  That alone is a testimony to God's love for His children.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart as well.  In the past couple of years I have really given my heart to these kids.  Thank you for allowing me to be the link between you and the Chadian children.  Together I believe we are giving them all an opportunity to know God and a hope for their future.  We are letting them know that someone loves them and cares about their lives.  This could not happen if it were not for all of you.  Your financial support has spoken a million words to the people here.  Our school stands out because of the donations and the love that makes our school different.  Continue to pray for not only the students but also the teachers for they are the ones with the main responsibility on their shoulders.

This year we have handed out the new bibles.  One for every student that is in the upper classes and for the last class in the primary school.  We are also giving each teacher a bible in the whole school, a total of 280 bibles.  We praise God for this wonderful gift and for everyone who donated toward this goal.  This is the first new book that they all get to look at, they don't get books.  Here are a few pictures to show you some of the kids with their new bibles and some of the faces you help put in there. 

Thank you all!

Love and blessings,
Tammy Parker
 

Dear Friends and Family

The alarm went off this morning at 4:30 am to wake me and Jamie up from
our deep sleep. We have to pack up a few things to go on an overnight
trip to Ndjamena. We are going to pick up two new volunteers and James
and Sarah along with their twin 3 month old babies Adam and Miriam. I
have a feeling of anxiety just because I know that any time we leave
Bere there always seems to be an adventure ahead of us. What will it be
this time? Will the car make it? Will this be the trip that I actually
have to use a squat pot? Will we find a place to stay? Will we have a
mosquito net to sleep with? Will Cory, Brichelle and Tony be ok here in
Bere while we are gone?

Bags were packed and specific instructions for the kids were left on the
table along with some money for any emergency and some to pay workers on
Friday. We always say a prayer here before we go anywhere because we
know how dangerous it really is. We make our way through the gate and
pick up a passenger that has asked to catch a ride to the "big city".

I finally have some down time to just think about everything that has
been going on the last few weeks. We have been so busy. There are
about 9 young volunteers here right now and life has been busy keeping
them going in a new place. So many questions to answer and so much to
teach them. But what is really keeping us busy is the fact that there
is just not enough places to put them all so we (as in Jamie) are having
to build some huts for them in the village with their new families.

But as of today I have time to think about this place. We are traveling
from Bere to Kelo. It is an unpaved road and because of the rainy
season it makes it a very bouncy and a slow going process. It seems
like every block or so is a place that we need to slow way up and go
around another pot hole or a water hole that would be dangerous to just
go through because the van would just get stuck. We have already gone
through two herds of oxen with the ridiculously big horns that make you
think twice about rolling up your window. And you also have to watch
out for the goats and people on bikes or even walking. There was a lady
trying to cross the street before we passed by and she didn't know if
she should stay or go once she was in the middle of the road. It is
almost like the concept of a car going by was new to her and she wasn't
sure what to do. After an hour and a half we get to Kelo and check for
mail at the post office. We are surprised by two packages from a friend
of the family. I open the packages out of curiosity and find some
chocolate bars to help us on our 7 hour trip to Ndjamena. We are so
blessed to have people that do this for us. I open a small
Butterfingers and begin to enjoy it as I am watching Jamie try to
purchase gas for our trip. He is needing to get 110 liters and it is
taking forever but I am entertained by his French with the Arabs and his
charades. His French has really improved but I am afraid that with his
southern accent sometimes the people just don't get it. I am also
watching them put a hose down into a container and then they suck on one
end to get the gas to come out. We spend about 45 minutes there and now
we are off. I am thinking that from here it should be a lot better
because the roads will be paved. Wrong! The roads are paved but there
are pot holes everywhere. Jamie rarely can get the van going up to 50
mph and he has to slow down almost to a stop. He keeps his hand on the
horn to warn people everywhere that we are coming down the road. I look
out to the beautiful fields of rice. They are such a neon green and
with the sun beaming down and the wind waving them from side to side I
begin to see the beauty of this place. But then I see the huts in the
background which then makes me think of the people. I think about all
the sickness and poverty. I think about all the women that work so hard
every day just to get a few hours of sleep and wake up and begin their
work again. They wake up sweeping around their house on the dirt ground
to remove the sicks and leaves. Then they begin preparing food for
their family. Some then will strap on their babies and go out to those
beautiful fields in the hot African sun only to be bent over for hours
pulling out weeds. No rest is in site for now they have to prepare food
again for the evening meal. Wash the many children and herself if water
holds out. Make sure there is water drawn from the well. If the woman
is lucky she will not be beaten by her husband but it is almost a
guarantee they will be used by him. Then off to sleep to do it again
tomorrow. No wonder the women here are so angry. I don't know how they
do it.

As I think about many of the things that I have seen and heard it leaves
me with a lump in my throat. I could just cry for them. The people are
so naive and only because of circumstances are suffering. Someone asked
Olen and Danae, after working doing some construction changes in their
house, if they thought that God loves everyone the same? Their response
was of course, yes. The man just said then why do you think that there
are people that have so much and some that have so little just because
of where they come from. I can only imagine how we must look in our
nice home with electricity and running water. I can look at my house
here after being in America for a couple of months and think wow this
place is so dirty and nothing is comfortable. But then I think of how
they have to live.

My thoughts are interrupted by an almost accident. Jamie has picked up
speed and the road is making a wide curve going toward the left. Coming
around that bend are two buses side by side. They are going down the
road bumping each other. My thoughts are that we are going to die!
Luckily we have a gravel shoulder that we quickly move over to in order
to avoid being hit. I can feel that the van is going out of control and
I just scream "Jesus please help us!" Jamie was able to get our van
back into control and back on the road before the gravel was to run out.
I turn around to see what is going on with the buses and they are still
bumping each other trying to get their vehicles back into control.
Jamie is just flushed with adrenalin but we are both just so grateful to
still have our lives and be back on the road again.

We get to the "big city" of Ndjamena and I am always amazed at all the
people and chaos. We are both staving and can't wait to make it over to
this little cafe that we know of that sells pastries and sandwiches and
pizza. We feel like real country bumpkins in there with our wind blown
hair and sweaty worn out clothes. We are immediately hit with the now
unfamiliar feeling of air condition aah we never want to leave this
place. We look at all the different people and see more white people in
one place then we are use to seeing. Everyone is dressed up, some with
suits and some with American fashions. It is a weird feeling to being
exposed to tables with pretty linen with glass over them. The
refrigerators with glass fronts that have real butter, milk and cheese.
Another refrigerator has these beautiful pastry pies and cakes. I want
to go nuts and buy everything. We settle on just what is like a grilled
cheese sandwich. We would feel a whole lot more at ease if we knew
French fluently because now we are thinking about how are we going to
order what we want. We do as we always do and make a little of a scene
but with pointing get what we want. It was amazing too, to have melted
cheese with grilled french bread. What a treat! Unfortunately we have
to go back out into the heat. We get back into the hot worn out van and
make our way over to Team where James and Sarah are staying. It was so
good to see them. It had been almost a year since I had seen Sarah and
about 9 months since I saw James. They both look healthy and happy.
Their babies are so cute and the idea of them having babies is just so
new to us. Parenthood looks great on them as they beam from ear to ear
showing off their new babies.

There was a whole lot of running around to do so we all split up. James
and Jamie were going to just drop me off at the market. They asked me
if I was scared and I said no should I be? My attitude toward this
place has sure changed in the last two years. But instead of taking my
word for it they decide to get the male volunteer to go with me as a
bodyguard. We all get everything done that we need to. My stuff was
all fun stuff but James and Jamie had to check up on our passports, pick
up new brakes for the van and a few other business things. We all come
back together at Team where we pick up Sarah and the kids. James and
Sarah want to take us out for our anniversary. They heard about our
last attempt at an anniversary trip to Moundou. I was super excited. We
get to a beautiful restaurant that is all outside. One big African
pavilion with a grass thatch roof with a bar in the middle and
beautifully set tables all around. There are tropical plants
surrounding us with candles everywhere. The mood was set and they were
even playing English songs that we knew in the background. We felt like
we were at a restaurant in Florida with the breeze moving the plants
around and making for a cool fall night. Pizza was served with all
kinds of vegetables but the pieces with artichokes were my favorite. We
had a really good time just sharing stories of the times we were apart.
After a couple hours we go back to Team to get a little shut eye. There
was not enough room at Team for us so our romantic evening ended with
Jamie on the couch and me in a single bed and sharing a room with Marcy
the other new volunteer. I felt bad for her because I was up and down
all night starting from 3 in the morning. I had food poisoning, no fun.
All I could think about was how am I going to do this going back to Bere
in the van. They bought me a bucket and put me in the back of the van
so I could lay down. It was a great thought but it was so hot laying in
the sun and there were so many bags piled up almost touching the ceiling
that every turn we took I had to open my eyes and hold my arm out to
catch one that would attempt to fall on me and there was no air flow
what so ever. We did make it back without a scratch, back to our little
home in Bere. I stepped out of the back of the van and slipped away as
James and Sarah are greeted by all their old friends. Just another
adventure when we step away from Bere.