Wednesday

Yesterday took me back in to town. I had my long list of things I needed. I started the day by attempting to get on the internet. It didn’t happen. I needed to pay a bill online. I am realizing that I can’t rely on it here and Christine has agreed to help me back home. Thank you! I knew that I needed to be pleased with any purchase on my list that I could make and set out to town with a boy named Paul. He greeted us warmly and told us that tomorrow was his birthday. His flip flop was broken. He kindly carried all my purchases and help me find what I needed. I could have done it on my own, but it is hard to resist their eagerness to help. I stood out and felt like a missionary in my below the knee skirt, Mary Jane tennis shoes, blouse and the black Jansport backpack I had in college. I would not be caught dead wearing that anywhere else. There are a few large Chinese ran shops in town. These are the Wal-Mart’s of Pemba. They sell everything, at a lower price, in mass quantities. Dad, they had all those products you can find on Meritline.com, incredibly cheap, horribly packaged, USB port fans, calculators and all sorts of the most poorly made products you have ever seen in one place. However, they are all we have and the only place to buy some of them and they are all in one place. I bought a lamp (that didn’t work), lightbulbs, a mirror, and an outlet strip with a surge protector. The line was not long at all for mcel so I went right in and bought the cheapest phone they had. It was about $34. It’s so old school. I love it. However, if I have to register my sim card. This means I have to take my passport there and fill out a poorly photocopied piece of paper with my information before my phone will work. Which means I have to go back again today. I actually made two trips into town yesterday. Paul’s shoe was fixed on the second round. I found pickled beets. I think the jar cost $6. I will ration them. 

The weather here is still really nice. It is not so miserably hot and there is a breeze. This is a huge blessing. 

The mission and pastors schools had church last night and that was wonderful and glorious. 

Laura, I got your email. I will write soon. Many thanks to all of you. I feel your prayers.