I’ve been busy writing letters to the matrons and the children: a family is going over to the orphanage next week and have agreed to take and distribute my letters. I am so happy; I have really been having some hard times missing the kids. So I’ve been writing like mad and haven’t really given a thought to the blog today until now. So today you’ll get two new entries… 🙂
The family going over is adopting two children: Henry and Angel Toe. Henry is the little boy who broke his leg the day before we got to orphanage, and I had no idea he was getting adopted. I have no pictures of Henry but there is a picture of him from a year ago on the blog of the family who is adopting him (www.rutledge6.blogspot.com). I only met him once and he was immobilized the entire month. Once I took him some medicine and read him a few stories. He was very interactive and interested in the stories. I’m so glad that he’s getting adopted.
I’m sure some of you may be wondering about the practical issues we faced at the orphanage like what we used for drinking water and how we took baths. Today I’ll focus on some of those things.
Instead of buying water bottles, we would buy small packs of water. They resembled a sealed plastic baggy with water inside. They fit nicely in the palm of your hand, and when you wanted a drink, you bit off a corner and sucked away! I think one bag of water turned out to be half of a Nalgene water bottle. I had to drink at least four a day to stay hydrated.
At the orphanage there was no running water or electricity, but there was before the war so all of the fixtures still exist. There is a full size bath tub and sink, a perfectly good toilet, and mostly good well-water.
There was a big Rubbermaid storage tub under the sink and next to the bathtub. Every day we took turns hauling water from the well across the compound to fill this basin. It took about 12-14 good sized buckets to fill the storage tub with water, which was then used for toilet-flushing, bathing, hand-washing, and –once- I saw it used as drinking water!
Hauling water is not easy.
Redeemed taught me how to carry the water bucket on my head, and this proved to be much easier than staggering across the compound, bucket in hand, water sloshing all over the place. To haul water on my head, I had to learn how to balance my whole body, and make my steps small and slow, but it was definitely much easier. And the kids thought it was hilarious, need I say more.
To take a “bath”, you scoop up a bucket of water from the basin and lift it onto the edge of the bathtub. Then, to cleanse any unwanted bugs or parasites from the water, you add a capful of a special disinfectant called Dettol. Pour water over yourself with a cup, wash your hair and rinse your body. After the heat of the day and coming into contact with all the bugs that wanted to lodge themselves in your skin, it was great to be nice and Dettol-clean after a long day.
With no running water, we used a small bucket to flush the toilet. When enough water was poured in to the toilet, it created a flush. On the whole it was a very good system, just not as easy as pulling the handle like we do at home.
Hauling water is not easy; neither is taking an icy cold bath after a rainy day, neither is heating water in the rain. But I am so glad that I got to be a part of that culture and experience things the Liberian way.
Hey Ellen, I have two great boys from Dixville and we are totally lovin’ all the pictures and stories! I found your blog through Renee. And we are hooked.
In Him,
Tabitha