Thurs July 16

Tulshi had let us know last night that he would be late coming to work in the morning. Argentina supporters were having a picnic and watching the game in the wee hrs of the morning. They were serving kichuri (rice/lentil dish). He reported later that there were probably a hundred there at the picnic. There was another group watching the game in the middle of the night just up the road from us on their Bill board sized screen. It was an estimated crowd of 150 over there.

This morning before I got up, I was thinking about the day and the coming days…. Today, would be the last of those “carefree” summer days/ the calm before the “storm”. Our schedule from tomorrow on is full and we’re planning to start school Aug 2.. I didn’t want to put anything in the day that Had to be done beyond the normal survival essentials of cooking, laundry, etc. 

When I told Lonnie about it later while he was doing book work. He said “ya, that’s what I’m doing…” listening to his book while he organized files on the computer for the DC officer.

In the morning, it finally came to me what I could do for the young momma asking for milk for her 1 yr old. Later that evening, we took a walk to her mom’s house, taking the baby cereal and food that Gentry no longer eats but I still had around, wondering where I should go with it. Inconveniently, Lonnie’s friend from the repair shop was coming by just as we were headed down the road. And he was being very nosy, wondering what was in the bag and who it was for. Of course he followed us right to the house and stayed there till we left. Truly a different culture! He showed us what was in his bag tho, which was quite interesting! It was a baby shalik bird that he was taking home to have his hens take care of till it was bigger. These birds are special in the way that they can learn to talk. Anyway, I took the baby food inside and explained that our milk program was not for (healthy) 1 yr olds but I did have some baby food that my baby does not need anymore and she was welcome to see if her baby would eat it. And to be quiet about it so onek grame lok(many other villagers) would not be at our gate asking for baby food. She right away shared the instruction with her mom standing there… guess we’ll see if  there are ill effects from that scenario. I do try to learn what I can from previous missionaries but it also seems like a live and learn situation at times. Looking back/thinking about it now, we could’ve had our guard do the delivery with a little less ado maybe

Wed. July 15

 Lonnie had Eye Camp in Phultala. A good turn out. They stopped receiving patients at a count of 389. Lonnie says he doesn’t know the reason why the boss shuts it down when there is still a line of patients, but figures they have their reasons.. 

Here at the house, Dipti cooked a lunch of Maddie’s choice.. chicken curry, rice, and dhal. This summer,Maddie’s been having fun watching Dipti cook lunches. With notebook in hand, she writes what Dipti is doing.

In the evening, we walked to the T just up the way for dim chop, peyag patties, and spiced cha. We’ve tried dim chop other places, bigger towns. But we like this lady’s the Best! Like the others we’ve had, we wouldn’t even go back the 2nd time for🫢 Anyway, this lady takes a boiled egg, covers it with a seasoned potato mash and then dips it in a batter and fries it crisp🤤 Tonight a customer and then somebody on the phone was talking about somebody being sick… come to find out, it was the lady cookin, she’d stumbled upon a hornets nest and got stung 10 times😳

We walked out to the levee yet. On the way home, the 2nd to last tea stall before our house, the daughter (young mom) was visiting again from Dhaka. She was concerned about her 1 yr old who hasn’t been gaining weight. He used to be the roly poliest, fat, little baby! Now, he just looks healthy. Didn’t look concerning to me, he’s walking now.. But she says he only eats chira(flattened rice) and kept asking for carton of dudh(milk) Told her, “He can drink cow’s milk now” “Don’t have a cow” was the reply. 🤔 She is only here for a week then she’ll be back to Dhaka. Says the water is knee deep there with all the flooding.

Tues July 14 neighbor’s village homes

 In the evening, the 3 village girls that like to come by and give Tulshi a hard time, were here again, I was outside when they came by, so went and visited. Finally learned their names! Topu, who speaks some English, just turned 20 yesterday and her friends, Atoy and Nodi are 17. Annslie was being shy cause they kept asking for a selfie with her and like that’s the best way to Not befriend for her🤔 but these girls must’ve won her in some way cause she said she wanted to go to their house. We didn’t have anything else pressing and Lonnie was out and about doing his own thing so I called my big girls to join us. Having you to their home, seems to be the best thing for them, So they were delighted to guide us to their homes! 

We traversed a flooded road on sand bags and made a detour thru a few people’s yards to avoid another low spot. These 3 Hindu girls are neighbors, but live in vastly different circumstances.

At Topu’s place they have a normal dirt yard with brick stepping stones for monsoon season. They have a nice sized yard, bigger than some. S e v e r a l cages of baby birds.. chickens, ducks, geese?, and Maddie saw turkey, Topu says they have 2 incubators that they hatch the eggs in.   One place, but separated and shared with her uncles family. Topu says her family will be moving to a different place, bordering Tulshi’s, due to “financial problems”. It’ll be a year or 2 tho before they get their house built.. so the cows at the barn, 2 cows and a calf are Topu’s family’s and the other 2 cows and calf are her uncle’s. Their concrete home with dirt floor, 2 rooms for each, and out at their spacious covered kitchen area…2 separate places to cook over mud ovens on the floor. A walking straw pile delivered to the cows… Topu said that was her ma and we got to meet her a little later. She gave up her career as nurse to become a housewife.

On to Atoy’s home. A 3 level, concrete home with concrete floors! Atoy’s room was on the 2nd floor. A paper/plastic? floor covering that was s’pose to look like tile. But legit bedroom furniture.. a four post bed and dresser, her own adjoining bathroom with western toilet, shower head, vent fan,..

Right outside her room was a deep freeze and tucked back there was an honest to goodness kitchen! With sink, counter space, and 2-burner counter top cook stove! Outside, they still had the outdoor cooking area also with a table and chairs, fridge, mud oven on the floor that is fueled by poo sticks which Topu tells me are called Bori.

And then to Nodi’s home. 1st off, right there by the road/path is their cow shed with a couple cows and beginnings of a new house.. just the concrete foundation so far. Straight in is a guard’s shelter where her dad sleeps at night to guard their fish pond there. To the left of that is their cook house. And to the right is another building. As you enter, there is a wooden “couch” with a thin mat on the seat. I noticed hinges on front of it and they said, Yes, it opens up for a bed! Genius✨ Then it’s just this open room with a guest bed and another for Nodi and her mom. As we departed, I made a language goof up. We met Nodi’s dad at the cow shed and for small talk, I said the 1st thing that came to me… “ bhalo basha!” Which as one word means “love”🫣 Topu quickly explained, “Good house! Good house!”😅

When we were about back to the house, Topu tells me she will have to give me Bangali name because mine is too hard for Bangalis. And I’m thinking, I know what yer sayin’ girl. I have the same problem with so many of these Bangali names!!

Sun July 12 🧑🏾‍🔧 🚙

 The plan was to pick Shanto up at 8:00

So after breakfast, everybody loaded into the van. Lonnie drove out the gate and proceeded to shut the gate and untie the dog.Meanwhile, the van left battery mode and started missing like crazy with terrible exhaust.

The brethren were let know that we would not be going to Gopalgonj for service today. Everybody unloaded, changed clothes and Lonnie proceeded to see if he could get the van into Khulna for repair. Taking the back, round about way thru the village, it’s pass-ibility is getting to the questionable stage also! 

At Auto Dynamics, https://maps.app.goo.gl/hdzEFDzM7572nFUG7?g_st=ic

he was told it would be a 6 hr repair job. So Lonnie caught easybike home.

Dipti back to work after a week off over the wedding time and a couple all day rains

Life is different in her home with a daughter in law now🥰 Baroti had made Bangla noodles for them that morning and she likes tea Every Day! Fast forward: But then Baroti was back to her schooling, she’s in college. And then her college had a few day vacation and Baroti spent that vacation back at her father’s home! 

That evening, the whole family caught easy bike to Bissho Rd for a little supper. Tried the momos and had fuska. Then caught another easy bike to the repair shop

The girls were wishing for more easy bike adventure. But it was time to head to the house. We planned to just park the van before the bridge and catch rickshaw van to the house. Some of the bricks from the detour route, that’s now under water, had been moved to the new bridge’s sand approaches. They made brick paths wide enough for the easybikes and rickshaw vans but not garis. Now, tonight, when we came home the locals said yes, you can take your gari over. So Lonnie went for a look-see and he could see that a gari had passed over successfully and it looked doable although definitely a temporary situation. So over we went! 1st time over the new bridge… a project that has rocked on much longer than they had planned and has complicated travel to and from our house many times.

Sat July 11

 Our routine grocery run into Khulna City.

When we got to bridge just up from our house where we take the temporary detour while they build the new bridge. We see water flowing over the detour . Is it safe? Is there deterioration happening underneath that we can’t see? but bystanders say it is ok. So we prayerfully cross. Just as we get to the other side we scrape terribly on one side once we were on good road again, Lonnie got out to assess the damages. The sliding door still opens👍🏼

So on to get our grocery shopping, stopping by the tailor for the girls’ new dresses and Miss Christina’s 3 pc kameez, and Dominos pizza

At the vegetable market, Lonnie offered to take my list while I shopped for fruit💙

Back at the bridge on our way home.. water is still flowing over the detour, has deterioration progressed too much? The decision was made to cross again😱 Aaaaaaaand……………………………………………We made it safely to the other side🤍

Friday July 10 A Day Of Rest

 It rained all night… No thunder, no lightning, no strong batash(wind), just a gentle steady rain.

At breakfast, Kobid said he wouldn’t be coming because of the rain. It cont. to rain, so no Chakrakhali Sun.School either.  

After lunch, it was barely misting so the girls went out and entertained themselves by scrubbing the bricks in front of the guard’s shack that have gotten quite slick. Gentry observed from his stroller.

3:00 was suppose to be doctrine class, but that was canceled due to “heavy rainfall in Khulna City”

And 4:00 service got canceled also..

An all day rain, a day of Rest for us,..

We did invite everybody to join us in Gopalgonj Sun for their service.. travel expenses paid, lunch provided. One brother took us up on the invitation and our interpreter Brother said he was available also.

Thurs July 9 🐘

 Lonnie spent some time with the neighbor at his repair dhokan 

Late afternoon, we decided to catch a rickshaw van to go for some veggies. I was looking for cucumbers in particular for our “Sunday” lunch tomorrow. Nee-tie was our driver this evening… we didn’t see any cucs in Chakrakhali so we went on to Sausa Bunia. Successful. On our return trip, what do we see?! But an elephant! Walking down the road! With a man leading it. Nee-tie turned around so we could get a better look and visit with the owner. He had the elephant tell us “Hi” she obediently trumpeted for us🤩 he told us the elephant’s name,  but these Bengali names… some of them are just beyond us to remember. The smallish brown Asian elephant was 5 yrs old. Told us, for Taka, he’d give rides. Nobody jumped at the chance.. A motorcycle with man, wife, and child stopped to observe also. We both gave a little Taka which the elephant took from our hands with her trunk and gave to her owner😍 Then she obediently told us “Bye” 🐘