What Do We Do in These Times?

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I trust you had a good Easter weekend and found things for which to be grateful and happy in this unique and somewhat trying time. Some people cope better than others. Introverts and people who don't mind spending time alone probably cope better than others who like to be around a lot of different people all the time.

Taken mid-April 2020

Personally, I am finding the quiet and curtailment of activities easy enough to deal with and I am not going stir crazy.  I am keeping myself occupied and in good spirits.  I think it is a combination of being an introvert and also a by product of my faith in God and his plans for my future.

I am also finding that I do not have as much free time as one would think. I'm keeping busy enough just trying to find the healthy foods I want at a good price, keeping up with food and house essentials which are usually not at a good price and cooking and finding creative ways to use what is on hand or what is available.  Then of course there is the time it takes to cook and prepare for meals and snacks every day and all the clean up afterwards. I think the clean up part is the most time consuming and some days I am more on top of it than others.  These basic tasks are enough to keep me busy but of course there is all the other household stuff to be done, loved ones and friends to check in with, and keeping on top of health and other needs. These activities are not really any different from what I would ordinarily do, but for some reason they seem to be taking more of my time.

I also do a bit of reading, a bit of planting or repotting of plants and binge watching Netflix or movies and other shows I recorded from the television. I am happy to say that my sleep has actually improved.  I now mostly sleep through the night and since I no longer have to be out, I can sleep until my body says "wake up".   In between I am doing "projects".  Just a little at a time as the ones I really need to get to are not fun projects and they require a lot of  thought and attention to detail.  At some point soon I also have to plant the gardens.  A relative promised to bring some top soil for me this weekend so it will likely be another week or two before I get to gardening.  I am a little bit behind my hoped for schedule but that is okay.  I'll likely have more time this summer to tend to the gardens if we continue to be restricted in our day to day activities. So far that seems to be the direction in which things are headed.

This was my community plot at the end of March 2019

I am also keeping busy with the Kenyan missions. The needs continue to be great especially during this time of Covid-19. God promises that we can put all our anxieties on him and it has kept us going through the challenging times. I  always envisioned  getting others involved in helping out in Kenya with the very very needy in the small villages.  So from time to time I try to encourage others to get involved.  If any of you are inclined to help I would be happy to hear from you. You can reach me with questions, comments or donations at the email located at the top right corner of this blog.

When others make an appeal for my help I like to know what the most important needs are and how much it costs.  I've provided a short summary of this information for you.  There are always other needs in addition to these key ones so feel free to give for other purposes (fertilizers, medicines, help with school tuition, food for orphans and widows etc.).  There are always other needs but the ones I've listed are the key ones.  Just a brief note about school tuition fees. Students and their parents paid tuition and school fees at the beginning of 2020 but shortly thereafter the schools were closed to in person attendance. However most students have been assigned homework and in some cases submit their homework on line for teachers to review. This is not  possible for the very poorest who have no internet access and the government hasn't yet put a plan in place though they said they are considering what to do for the students in this situation. In the meantime, in another short while I think the schools will want to collect tuition again since learning and services have been provided albeit in a different manner.

Currently the key needs in the Kenyan missions are:  monthly diabetes medications ($60 Canadian) for Ernest, hospital provided vitamins ($35 Canadian) for Ernest & nutritious foods ($45 Canadian) to help keep his  health stable.  Many Kenyans have very poor nutrition and when they get sick the results can be very bad due to an unhealthy body and weaker immune system.  Eunice is still in hospital and also requires a special diet.  Each month the cost of the food provided by the hospital is $225 Canadian.  Medications to regulate her blood pressure and to thin her blood cost a combined $80 Canadian each month.  Last but not least, we need seeds and fertilizer to plant corn and a few other crops very soon before the long rains arrive (the rains help grow the crops). Corn or maize is a staple of the Kenya diet and they eat the corn and they also mill the corn to get maize flour to make a staple dish called ugali.  The planting costs are about $100 Canadian.  The harvest will help feel 3 households for 1 year.  A lot of people still don't know what ugali is especially if they have not travelled to East Africa. You can see ugali in the photo below. The way you eat it is you take a piece of it and work it with your fingers then you scoop some cooked kale or meat.

This is ugali made with white corn flour.

Please keep the nation of Kenya in your prayers in general. The government has imposed a curfew rather than a strict lock down.It is difficult to have a strict lock down when the majority of the population ekes out a living on a day to day basis.  Even the curfew and other measures put in place like social distancing, masks on public transport etc. are making it very difficult for the people to earn a living and to have daily bread. If you can help in any material way, your help would be a huge blessing and very possibly save lives. This is not an exaggeration.

If you like you can leave a comment telling me what you are doing with your time and whether you have more time for things, less time or about the same. Take care and please continue to keep yourself safe.