Where Are the Duke Power Trucks?

Sept. 20

This morning we awoke to a bright and optimistic day filled with hope and excitement as we continue our bridge building with Jayden. It is moving day again. We are moving into a new hotel in town. We are staying the weekend. (Our G & R has not yet been set. Please pray for this as we need to do this Monday or Tuesday in order to make our scheduled flight home on Sept. 30) Thouc just discovered this beautiful hotel. It opened only six months ago. And best of all, we are staying in the suite or should I say "Sweet". It also is very affordable. I had just said goodbye to the "Geico Brothers" when suddenly and without any warning, the power went out. All the power in the hotel, All the power in the town. We learned that this occurs every Saturday in order to save money on energy. As our hotel manager told us, "we are a very poor town."

Now understand. It is only 8:00 AM and already it is stiffling and no breeze is blowing. To make matters even worse, our new hotel room has not been occupied for weeks and no air conditioning has been turned on. So it is extra stuffy!!! At breakfast, (more PHO) Thouc informed us that the air would be off untill 5PM. Nine hours in this heat and no where to find relief. Now for those of you who do not know my wife, I am in for a long day. It is too hot at the baby home without air so we have been quarentined to our hotel room. Thouc will pick us up after the power is back on sometime after 5PM.

I thought about what we would do back home if this happened. First we would declare that our rights had been violated. Then we would tie up the phone lines calling Duke Power and demanding immediatel attention. Here, they just take it in stride and go about their day as if nothing has changed.

I will not try and explain in detail the ways Angie and I kept cool today. Suffice it to say, clothes were limited. Angie had brought two portable, hand-held battery operated fans with us and they stayed on us all day. At about 4:00, Thouc called us and asked if we wanted to go to a cooler place and drink tea. Praise the Lord!!! Soon we were sitting with Thouc, Jayden and his best friend Dat and of course Tom our driver in little red chairs around a table next to a pond beside a pavillion. We sipped on pepsi and coconut. The top of the coconut was shaved off, a hole made, and straw inserted. We had another first. The juice was warm but flavorable and I am sure very nutritious.

It was a nice relaxing time as the sun begin to set. Thouc picked up some broken brick pieces and taught Jayden and Dat how to throw them into the pond and watch the water splash. The boys did this to their sheer delight. Soon, Jayden was throwing everything into the water; spoons, glass, paper, bottle caps etc.

Oh what simple pleasures a little boy can find who has not seen much of the outside world. This week Jayden has ridden in a van, been in an elevator, thrown rocks in a pond, been in a supermarket, all for the first time. Oh and don't forget....met his Mama and daddy. His little world is expanding. I keep thinking to myself he has no idea how large his world is about to become.

The power is back on!!!. We went to the baby home for an hour or so to end the day. We played ball, made up games all to the delight of these precious children. We ended this day with a trip to another restaurant with Thouc and Tom and had yet another bowl of, lets all say it together...PHO!