I have already mentioned this in passing, but we are beginning to realise that the first big challenge for us is water. Theoretically we are well set up in this house – we have running water, and even have a filter on one of our taps. However, this compound is at one of the highest points of the town of Parakou, and as soon as there are water cuts, we are affected. When we moved in on Friday (29th May) the water had been off for three days or so. Our neighbours on the compound (Swiss-German SIM missionaries who have been extremely helpful) told us that we didn’t need to worry too much, as we have a 300 litre reserve tank under our roof. “Well, if it were just the two of you you’d be fine,” they added, “with small children you will use a lot of water…”
Three days later and we still have no water coming through. We had a bit during the night last night, but it was probably only on for a few minutes. So we are being very careful about the water we do use. We’re having “African showers” – a bucketful to lather up, another bucketful to wash it off – and then using that water to flush the loos. But of course, in this heat we have to make sure that we do drink plenty … and we certainly can’t stop washing!!
The problem is apparently not to do with lack of water, as another missionary said she’d recently been to the lake which serves as a reservoir for the town, and it is full. It is more to do with problems with the supply – faulty pipes and so on. All very frustrating, and very little we can do about it!
To move on slightly, I just thought I’d explain the compound we are living on. It contains three missionary houses, a radio studio, Parakou Christian (Primary) School, and the boarding house which also houses another missionary family (the Swiss-German family mentioned above). It is pretty big – it has a small football pitch in the middle of it, and a deer living on it (which we only saw today for the first time). There are a lot of trees around, including fruit trees which drop heavy fruits from time to time with a muffled boom.
It can be quite noisy during the day, as we have a sawmill next door … and at night as there is a very musical (!) bar open over the weekends. Plus the normal chorus of crickets and, if it has rained recently, toads. It definitely doesn’t sound like Europe!
Three days later and we still have no water coming through. We had a bit during the night last night, but it was probably only on for a few minutes. So we are being very careful about the water we do use. We’re having “African showers” – a bucketful to lather up, another bucketful to wash it off – and then using that water to flush the loos. But of course, in this heat we have to make sure that we do drink plenty … and we certainly can’t stop washing!!
The problem is apparently not to do with lack of water, as another missionary said she’d recently been to the lake which serves as a reservoir for the town, and it is full. It is more to do with problems with the supply – faulty pipes and so on. All very frustrating, and very little we can do about it!
To move on slightly, I just thought I’d explain the compound we are living on. It contains three missionary houses, a radio studio, Parakou Christian (Primary) School, and the boarding house which also houses another missionary family (the Swiss-German family mentioned above). It is pretty big – it has a small football pitch in the middle of it, and a deer living on it (which we only saw today for the first time). There are a lot of trees around, including fruit trees which drop heavy fruits from time to time with a muffled boom.
It can be quite noisy during the day, as we have a sawmill next door … and at night as there is a very musical (!) bar open over the weekends. Plus the normal chorus of crickets and, if it has rained recently, toads. It definitely doesn’t sound like Europe!
2 comments:
Welcome to Africa! We are thinking of you as you settle in and get used to all the new joys and frustrations.
We pray the joys will be more than the frustrations ....:)
Was praying for you this morning, will continue to pray accordingly. Thanks for the great descriptions of where you are, noises etc... it really helps. I head south in 32 days, can't wait!!! xx
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