What Arnie Said

He said that he's taken his motorbike far & wide to locate a working cell phone tower. He'll ride to a place on a mountain, but it doesn't work. They tell him, "Climb that tree over there." But he climbs it, and it doesn't work. Someone else says, "Whenever we stand on that stump it always works." But it doesn't. He renewed his satellite phone plan, but the company is running out of money, so they disabled their satellite. World Vision brought in satellite equipment, but it doesn't reach where he lives. When he learned some friends would come to visit, he sent them a text with his grocery list. They never received the text, so all he had to serve them was pancakes and tuna. He was out to the city right after Christmas, but the internet was down. He asked that I bear this separation and inability to communicate as part of his ministry calling.

He said it is very very hot. But the rains have come, so the planting has begun. There was a big thunderstorm that knocked down one of his cashew trees. Thankfully it did not damage his house.

On Christmas Eve, he went with his neighbor way out in the bush because the neighbor wanted to find a cheap or free goat. They started out on a road with dim tire tracks which narrowed to a slight trail, and soon they were climbing the mountain with no trail at all. No vehicle had ever been to this place. Once, they came upon a beautiful waterfall with pool above and a pool below. There was a smooth rock at the top, and kids were sliding down it and running back to the top again and again. They stopped to watch for awhile, but didn't join them. He didn't have a camera. After more climbing, they arrived at the relative's house where they could butcher a goat. They also gathered some coconuts and went back home.

Christmas morning he had intended to sleep in for a change. But an early knock at the door woke him to a man needing his mother-in-law taken to the hospital. While he waited in town for her to get her medicine, Arnie went to pay his respects (literally) to the local govt. official. The official invited him to come eat breakfast--fried eggs, french fries, bread with real butter! pineapple, mango; a true feast. He said that butter is like gold. There is a substitute to be had, but it tastes and acts like plastic.

Later at home, a village leader came over and asked Arnie to come mediate a fight between himself and his wife. Arnie protested that that was the leader's brothers' job; he couldn't do that. But the man insisted, and when Arnie got to his house, the man confessed that he wasn't really in a fight; he just couldn't think of an appropriate way to invite Arnie for Christmas dinner. So on Christmas Day Arnie enjoyed goat with a special small-intestine rub, boiled of course, but seasoned nicely with onion and hot pepper.

Some guys had gotten a generator and projector to watch a movie then drink and dance the night away. Arnie went with some non-drinking friends to the festivities for awhile.

The Moz. country takes an official atheist/communist stance against Christmas and calls it "Family Day." Arnie said that most people call it Christmas anyway.

In VI Moz, there was some sadness because a very special family was going on furlough, probably not to return. They were having a going-away party.
But there has also been such an influx of new VI missionaries that Arnie said he doesn't know them all. They will be spreading out regionally, and some plan to settle fairly near him.

Arnie wrote about some of this on his blog, but I wanted to remember all the details by writing them myself.

oatmeal

I love eating oatmeal this way for a change:

Boil water and add salt. Stir in thick-cut oats and simmer uncovered until the water is mostly gone.
Scoop the oatmeal into your bowl and add a dab of butter, a spoon of jelly, and your favorite toasted nuts.

Stir them all together and enjoy a warm, comfortable breakfast.