June 14, 2015 - Shelley

June 14, 2015

I’m sitting here wearing a sweater.  Even though it’s sunny outside, the temperature is a little brisk.  Not like June at home.  You will think I have lost all of my inhibitions in this picture because I have just had my hair cut at a new place – and I’m looking pretty snazzy – haha.  At least I’m not the gal

getting a facial!!!  These are two sisters from India who run a small beauty shop.  Their husbands are here to work in the mines.  Milly, the hairdresser, is on my left.  Besides cutting hair and doing facials, she reminded me that she also uses wax to take hair off of forearms – but I declined!

We paid a visit to the Peage School this week to see how they are doing with the sewing machines we provided.  In a six-week period, Odette and her students have made over 300 school uniforms for the next school year.  Many of the students now can’t afford uniforms, so these will be offered at a reduced price in the fall when the students return.  We felt very pleased with the work they have done.  The photo shows Odette, her husband, and her son and daughter.

Here’s just a random shot that I thought was funny – just a little local 7-11.

President and Sister Thomas’s son Zack is visiting here for a couple of weeks.

Zack is the tallest person in this picture.  He is a medical student in Arizona, so he wanted to see some of the local medical facilities.  Dr. Mikesell took him to a new hospital on Thursday – and we took him to four places that are typical of where the vast majority of people would go for medical treatment.  Our

hearts were all touched at this little baby girl who has been abandoned.  Someone dropped her off at one of the hospitals.  She has only three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot.  We were impressed with how hard medical personnel are working to provide good service with such limited resources – and totally hoping we never have to go there for treatment!  

One of the biggest events of our week was Steve’s (our former translator) official “dote” meeting.  A dote is an assessment that a prospective husband is required to pay to his future bride’s family.  It started out generations ago as a way of symbolically paying the bride’s family with these items:  salt, palm oil, a bowl for washing, and a goat, if the bride was a virgin.  Somehow, over the years the tradition has changed – and families have become greedy.  We’ve even heard of marriages that were called off because the young man couldn’t raise the money to buy what was being asked for.  With 90% unemployment here, it’s amazing that anyone has money to get married!

But Steve has been saving – and he has a job – so he was able to buy what was asked for.  Last night was the time that his family and Matilda’s family met so that these items could be given.

This is Steve and his bride-to-be, Matilda.

These are Steve’s parents and one of his sisters.

And these are Matilda’s parents.

We met at the home of one of Matilda’s sisters.  Steve presented the following items:  salt, palm oil, a bowl, $1,000 in cash, $300 to buy a suit for her dad, fabric for dresses for her mom, blankets – and two goats!

Matilda has 14 sisters and one brother.

Eight of her sisters were there – and her brother.  Matilda is not the youngest, but is one of the younger ones.  And these gals have fun together!

I sent our family a voice memo of this hooting and hollering part.  They also put on a little skit – and had spent the day cooking up a storm.  There were about 50 adults there, but the nieces

and nephews stayed out of sight – except for this cute little gal!

We hope you are loving summer vacation!  We love you and miss you all!

Love,  Mom/G-ma/Soeur Davis