Sun, 10 Jul 2005

Since it is so difficult for me to get to the Internet I am having my parents send out these emails. They are also reading me your emails. Thank you for all your prayers.

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To get around here we climb into the back of a big truck. At breakfast we get one roll to eat. Sometimes it is older so it is a bit hard. We get tea to drink with roll and sometimes with milk. The tea is made from the well water which is salty so we have to boil it. For lunch we might have rice with fish which have heads and all. We might have an hard boiled egg with potatoes and this green stuff that looks like Spinach. We eat everything with our hands. I don't use silverware. After being sick I ate out twice because of being so weak. It seemed so strange.

The other day we went to the village and bought candy for the kids and some peanut butter for the breakfast rolls. It will be nice to have something a little different.

I sleep under a mosquito net each night. As a little girl I thought it would be nice to have a canopy over my bed. I find I don't really like it much, it gets in the way.

The mosquitoes don't seem to be too bad. It is not mosquito season here now. I have only been bitten a couple times on my hands and feet.

Someone was saying it was 90 degrees the other day but it seemed cold to me. The climate is so different. When it rains it pours. Everyone runs for shelter but we from the Northwest run into it and love it!

Everyday we are under a canopy roof for the school and church. It is filling up for church. Each day we go and love on the people in the community and invite them to the church. They are coming.

One of the pastors needed a hair cut and I was able to buy him a haircut. It is so wonderful to bless these people with just little things. It is so fun to watch the excitement of blessing them.

Life is difficult here. Some of the people who came for the school have left because of the difficulty. The bugs, the dirt, lack of sanitation as we know it. It is a very difficult life. Not everyone is called to the third world countries. We bless those who have come rather they stay or go for each have had their lives changed in a wonderful way through Jesus Christ.

Here the cars have the right a way. I was walking down the street and one of the pastors grabbed me and placed me between him and another pastor. He told me that if anyone got killed from the car it would be him and not me. They are so protective of us. It is wonderful.

This next week some of us will go into one of the oldest villages in Pemba. A lady makes candy and sells it in Pemba. We are going to go and help her make the candy. I also will be going to this other place to learn how to cook the food they eat here. A couple of fun things God is blessing me with.

Please hold me in prayer. The next step. I really don't know how I will be able to go back to where I was before. It was such a dead-end. I am really asking Father what He wants me to do. Heidi has been teaching us about the cultural eyes of here. Of being a missionary. One thing she said was anyone who feels God is calling them to Iris to let them know. I felt the Lord is asking me to do this. I gave them my name. I just know I am called to Africa. I am asking Lord where. They are going to be setting up meetings to speak with us.

Today the church service was so powerful. So beautiful.

People think of Africa as having so many miracles. But you need to know there are many miracles that do not happen. The life here is very hard. The people grab hold and do not stop praying until God answers.

Heidi has been saying that God is going to bring people who God is going give great favor that will be bringing huge containers of food here. Containers of food, of vegetables and fruits that is so needed. She has seen it! We are praying for the answer to come quickly.

I am trying to get as many pictures as possible to bring home but it is very difficult because of the peoples beliefs.

Thank you for your prayers,

Blessings and much love from Pemba,

Ashlee