Mon. July 20 Dhaka 🚙 💨

 Babysat a feverish Bud 👶🏼 thru the night and all day … We did discover the 3rd tooth on the bottom has come thru making a total of 7 currently! 9 months today. 

 After breakfast and van loaded, we were about 15 min late to our appointed time of 7:30 at Bisho road to pick up Kobid. And on to do Doyles’s clinic day in Gopalgonj. (They are still on furlough back in Canada) The girls and I stayed thru the 1st several patients so they could see what goes on there then we walked to Doyle’s house. Talked to the chickens and swung Annslie while their day guard, John, toted Gentry all over. When their maid Shima arrived and unlocked the door we went in where Annslie found the toys. The bookcase caught the rest of our attentions… keeping us entertained the rest of the morning.

A quick stop for a late biryani lunch before leaving Gopalgonj

On to Dhaka which was uneventful😌

Coming in to Dhaka, Kobid started talking about how terrible Dhaka is. He lived here years ago, or in the outskirts and worked in Dhaka.???.. anyways, he could not appreciate the city life, only seeing skyscrapers and smog, etc…“If I had to live here, I would die! I’ve got to be able to see the sky, and rivers, and green,…”

This is his 1st time coming to Dhaka since the mission and guesthouse have been moved to the gated community of Pink City.

It was a different tune he sang, when we pulled up to Pink City… “Unimaginable! This is like Batiaghata(an area in the country near us in Khulna) Unimaginable.”

We dropped a little girl that had been needing the bathroom for quite a stretch already off at Brian’s and went to the guesthouse to unload the van and make beds. Kaylee, Bless her, invited everybody to have supper at their place💛 The men all gathered for a meeting to discuss the shopping list for their upcoming “CDR” trip. Right after supper, they all went to the market to buy the supplies. 

Shanto and his 15 yr old Espondant stayed at Brian’s for the night and the the 3 single brethren, Kobid, Liton, and Ripon, spent the night with us at the guesthouse. We had 2 rooms ready for them, but they opted to all stay in the one little room with 2 beds

Sun. July 19

 Shanto’s have been wanting to exchange meals at each other’s houses, so they invited us for an 8:00 breakfast this morning. A very delicious and filling meal. Paratha(fry bread), eggs (whisked with or without hot peppers and onions) and fried individually in a wok of oil, dhal (lentils), and a shobji mix of potatoes diced small and borboti (green beans). We gifted a platter of fruit for the occasion and then it was topped off with dudh cha!

We didn’t even need lunch😅

Lonnie made a trip into town, taking our rocking chair in for a repair, since it would still be under a 1 yr warranty.

Couple loads of laundry

Dipti came in late, noon, because her new daughter in law’s parents and brother were visiting her

When she was leaving, she told me about the Chakrakhali Sun school boy’s(that has the liver problem that CSI helped earlier this year) father has died!

In the eve, we went back to Khulna to pick the rocking chair up, supper at Mambo’s, picked up just a few items at Safe N Save and Day-7, and then fruit at the market.

Back home, we packed for our trip into Dhaka tomorrow, I got several mending and alterations taken care of, and the big girls Really helped with getting a few hot spots back into organization.

Sat. July 18 Tala outpost

 8:00 picked Shanto up at the end of our road and Kobid at Zero Point.

In a little town not far from Harun’s there was another elephant!🐘 this time a very large gray one! It looked a bit dangerous there on a side street, towering above All the people right around and the flimsy dokans that the elephant would be able to cause Great havoc to if she got it into her head!

We drove thru rain bout the half hour before arriving at Harun’s. And I was thinking, it’s pretty stressful to navigate the mud at Harun’s and now we’ll add rain to the experience!😟 Thankfully🤍 the rain stopped just before we got there😌 Today, was the 1st time being there since Harun’s mother passed away.. it also was a better experience in a few aspects.

• Sister Joyanti didn’t spend the whole morning in her cook shack making lunch. She had buna kichuri already made

• the food this time wasn’t so spicy we couldn’t enjoy it.😊 Joyanti had me come in the cook shack, taste it, and tell her if it was too spicy

• Joyanti seemed more alive this time. Other times she goes about with her eyes half closed and sleeps thru the service. This time, she only slept the last part of the service.

•Had a good Sun School. Brother Harun had said we wouldn’t have Sun School because of the rain, but a local “handicapped” boy was insistent on Sun School and went thru the village rounding up children😊. He looked like a fine boy, I don’t know what his handicap was other than behavior. Bangali culture often neglects any type of handicap.. thus this boy was always picking a fight. He sat by Harun thru Sun School tho, who had a nice quiet way with him💙… when he would get distracted and start talking and pointing outside during the story…

On the way home, we stopped for dudh cha(milk tea) Shanto says this is the Best kind. Not made with powdered or canned milk, but fresh cow’s milk with cream and then boiled for a long time so it gets the scalded film on the top, #1👌🏽. I said, it felt like medicine (just what I needed) after the hours at Harun‘s … navigating mud with the toddler-taking her on bathroom trips,etc… sitting thru lunch, Sun. School, and church service cross legged on a thin mat on a dirt floor while holding and taking care of my 9 mo old.

While traveling, Gentry spent a good while with Shanto and Kobid. Reaching his arms out to them. Shanto calls himself kaka (uncle) (Bangali culture) to Gentry but I think he’s more of a Grandpa to him💙 it’s So sweet, I’m So glad Gentry has him in his life! He has been taking a real “shine” to our guard, Tulshi, also and vise versa😉 Gentry cries to go outside and when Tulshi sees him, he calls to him. Not the normal “Asho, Asho!” (Come, come) but “Gentry!” And then he holds Gentry’s hands while he walks/goes exploring… still Gentry’s favorite thing💙 somebody.?. I think maybe it was Pim (Peem) predicted that he will be walking by himself in a month.. Ami jani na, time will tell… 

I can hardly stand to think that we will leave all these dear people behind, maybe to never see them again😣 They are enriching our lives🤎 taking the “in person” place of uncles, grandpas, etc back home for this time, especially for Annslie and Gentry

We are currently in the middle month of our term.. 1/2 way thru our stay already!?!

Fri. July 17 Day Of Worship

 Kobid called at 7:30? and wondered if he should plan to come or not. It was currently raining and he didn’t want to travel in the rain.. without a personal gari, rain makes local traveling very miserable. So Lonnie said that was fine we could cancel.

By Sunday school time, the rain had stopped and there were children at the gate asking about Sun school. Lonnie went out and talked to them.. it was only 3.. he told them only 3? No Sunday School. So they left and pretty soon they were back. They had rounded up 2 more. Lonnie said Ok, give us 10-20 min. He came inside and called Shanto brother, who lives not far away, … he was not home but could be there in maybe 20 min. So they sang and prayed and Lonnie had Shanto tell the story… He’s a natural🫶🏼 and is very interactive,..having them repeat the character’s names, asking them if they understand, asking them other questions.. and then they colored the picture and got a small roll of mints for showing up.

Lunch of BBQ meatloaf, mashed taters, veggies and dip, apples and dip

Lewis, Purnima, and 8 or 9 yr old Leeza arrived at 3:00 for doctrine class. Leeza is So shy when she comes and despite all efforts, she remains firmly planted between Dad and Mom…

Church service at 4:00. Lonnie shared about “Vision” …. Where there is no vision the people perish…

After church, Purnima and Leeza needed a drink and wash room and Liton caught a ride with them in their easy bike. Lonnie asked what Shanto’s family needed as they were still at our gate waiting on a rickshaw van. …Nothing, but when Lonnie mentioned cold tea.. they Did need that!😉 So they came in for tea, chanachud, Antoor and Lonnie played a bit of carrom, and visiting.

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!!