Monday 4/15: First thing this morning, Trevor and Jared went off to the visa office so Trevor could sign some papers for his new work permit. Once you finally get a work permit it’s not hard to renew when it expires. Things are slowly starting to open up now after Eid and New Years. Lisa and I decided to take the children and go to Jamuna Mall. Lisa drove their van so we each picked a window to watch and alert for motorcycles and buses out of. The children played in the indoor play area there for two hours! It’s $6 for 2 hours and it’s well worth it. It has a huge ball pit, slides, a mini trampoline park area, a petting zoo with hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, fish to feed, a big screened in area that’s supposed to be a sand box but instead of sand it’s plastic beads, etc. It looks like something that every child would dream of! We just sat and watched and talked. The men came later when they were done at the visa office. The kids time wasn’t up yet so the men went and did some shopping for us at one of the imported grocery stores. Jared found some cashews, almonds and lemonade and Koolade. Lisa and I were trying to get our herd of children rounded up when two moms had quite a verbal dispute. It’s humorous watching two Bengalis get mad. Eventually we made it up to the food court. Did some more shopping then came home. Whitney loves to shop so I told her to get Shania some bigger summer dresses so she was quite happy to do that! When you’re inside that mall you feel like you are back home in the states, but all it takes is to go in the parking garage and you are quickly reassured that you are back in Bangladesh. Exits are blocked off, signs are in Bangla script, the humid dank smell, plus thousands of motorcycles parked everywhere. Took some good naps. Later on Jared worked on some papers for Shana. I did laundry and those sorts of things. Layton gave me a list of food that he wants on his birthday.😂 It never changes… it’s the same every year. Mac n cheese. Except this year he wants meat mixed in the Mac n cheese. I said what do you think I should buy you? He said “an electric toothbrush.” He has always had an obsession with electric toothbrushes for some reason! I said “who should we invite?” He said “just you mom.”
Tuesday 4/16: Jared had clinic today. Trevors went to a furniture store in Gulsan to look for some storage cabinets for the kitchen at the guesthouse. There were kitchen cabinets in the guesthouse kitchen originally but they were in such poor shape that they had to be taken out. Everything was very expensive so think we might hire someone to build some shelving instead. Shania spent the morning randomly screaming. Not crying just sudden screaming outbursts. I sat at the table to eat something and she screamed because she wanted me to pick her up so she could eat what I was eating, Layton went outside and she screamed because she saw him leave, Layton wanted me to hold him and she screamed because mama was holding someone other than her! I told her “young lady, the Regehr household is a quiet house.” After some discipline over the screaming she seemed to have caught on. She is little miss independent! She is so different from her brother. She is not afraid of anyone and will let anyone pick her up. Layton holds people at arms length and he told me the other day that “it takes me awhile to know if I like someone or not.” Listened to church for a while this morning. That was so enjoyable to hear. Layton wondered if God lives in our church at Hesston. The afternoon was the usual. Jared came home and worked on paperwork. A rainstorm came through and caused the power to go out for a while. Spent the evenings with Trevor’s. The men tried to go to an American style hardware store but by the time they got there it was closed.
Wednesday 4/17: Trevor and Jared took the boys and went and ran some errands this morning. It’s so good for the boys when they can go with their dads. Seems like that doesn’t work out very often. Now that we have a yard with real true live grass Jared bought a weed eater. The yards men here will mow your yard if you pay them but once they get in your yard they start doing all kinds of other things and then expect to be paid for doing all the things you didn’t want them to do. Layton came back with his eyes shining! “Mom you will not believe what that store had! They had generators, vacuum sweepers, a lawn mower…”. I enjoyed the quiet morning at home. Held Shania while she napped. Spent the late afternoon and evening at the guesthouse. Ridoy came into Dhaka and rented a big truck and loaded up some things from the guesthouse that we didn’t need. They are taking them back to Kulna. Sounded like they might sell some of it and give some away. Shanto’s like to get clothes and things and hand them out to the poor people in the village. Often Lisa gives them my children’s wore out clothes and her kid’s old clothes and they hand them out. At Christmas Shanto likes to make food packets and hand them out as well. It amazes me how generous and hospitable they are. Around 9:30 pm everyone decided they were hungry. Nathon was with us too because he was bored at his house. We all piled into Trevor’s van and headed to Herfeys. We didn’t get home until after 11… the food was good and the laughter was so great! A rainstorm came through and knocked the power out all evening. We feel so pampered with the community generator here!
Thursday 4/18: Jared, Trevor, Nathon and the boys left around 10 and went to Mirpur. Nathon knew of a shelving place that can custom build shelving for much much cheaper than the furniture stores that we have all been looking at. These have a painted steel frame and then wood for the shelf. We have to be careful what materials things are made out of here. Things rust and mold and warp so easy here. Getting the shelves all ordered took them quite sometime. They ordered a book case and some shelving for the kitchen and shelving for the pantry, Jared and I designed some shelves for the toy closet, the utility and then a clothing system for our clothes. It will be done in 15 days! Was not expecting that soon. Later afternoon I happened to glance out the window and saw Nathon Brock and Kylie flying up and down the street on a red scootie. I ran out there and Nathon yelled “Brianna here is Jared’s scootie. I want to teach you how to drive it.”😳 So I got a riding lesson and took it for a spin! Pretty simple to drive. Lisa and her girls all came out and drove it too. We need to buy several helmets yet because “safety first,”says the nurse. Jared and Trevor got home and barely 5 minutes later we in the van headed to Farmgate for singing. We usually have singing Tuesday evenings but we are going to have it Thursday evenings. Josna works every Friday but she has off Thursdays. We want to start having singing on Thursdays so that she can come. She loves to sing! She came to the guesthouse the other day to help clean and after Trevor went outside she started to cry. Lisa asked if her if it would be ok if Nathon came and interpreted and she could share what was bothering her. She said that would be ok. It took her awhile to open up and serval times she stopped and said “I’m not talking.” And Nathon said “Didi, you must talk you can’t hold anything inside.” Three different times he told her that. She poured her heart out… cried and cried. someone in her village is taking land from her family, several long held offenses were brought up, the plight of her families financial state, how much CSI payed her when she worked at the clinic, etc. Some was quite personal so I won’t share that. I was so thankful she could open up. She says she misses church and the missionaries and being with everyone. The way jobs work here is that you can’t ask for time off. If you do when you come back your position will have been given to someone else. Some of Josna’s offenses go back years and years and previous missionaries tell us they dealt with the same things with her. That’s comforting to know that it’s not just us. She always says she feels comfortable with Nathon in the visits so that is wonderful. Otherwise we aren’t able to understand everything. Anyways singing was enjoyable. I made some cinnamon rolls this morning and took them along. Jared thought I would be a good idea if I made something special to bring since we haven’t seen Josna for awhile. Lucky came as well as one of Sumita’s friends. Trevor’s let Dhaka at 8:45 this evening and headed back to Kulna. Poor Whitney thought she was never going to get back to Kulna again.😂
Friday 4/19: Trevor’s got home to Kulna around 2 AM. Had church this morning. The first time in quite awhile that we had church by ourselves. However, two of Sumita’s friends came so that was neat. After church some patients needed some money and milk so Jared took care of that. The two mamas that brought their babies in for cleft palate surgery looked so so young. Scarcely more than 15. Did our usual shopping afterwards. The rest of the day was uneventful. Jared took the new scootie for a spin. I was going to as well but there were a bunch of police around Pink City and I don’t have a helmet yet. They really enforce wearing a helmet here so didn’t want to take any chances. Even the guys that haul people around on the bikes always have an extra helmet strapped to the back of their motorcycle.
Saturday 4/20: Jared and Layton left at 9:30 to go pick up Lucky. She has been begging to come cook for us but things have been “et tu besto.” (A little busy) Finally today it worked out great! She was so excited to come. She was wearing a kameeze that I had given her and she had her daughter do her hair all up. The food she made was so good! Chicken curry… I had bought some sweet pumpkin and she fried it. Oh my …. Heaven on earth. Shania ate and ate the pumpkin. Jared was a busy beaver this morning. He weed whipped the lawn, then him and Layton cleaned out Layton’s little pool. We have been trying to figure out what to do with our floors upstairs. There is still cement grime on them from the tile mustris. It’s made the floors dull and gritty. Jared found a strong tile cleaner and poured it on the areas. Didn’t dilute it in water like normal. He used a putty knife and it literally wiped off! It looks like new clean shiny tile instead of dull dirty flooring. We were very enthused!!!! Now we need to do the rest of the upstairs. Jared and Layton took Lucky back to Farmgate. Tonight they had a Eid celebration in Pink City. They were giving free horse drawn carriage rides up and down the Main Street here in Pink City so the children and I went for a ride. Jared spent the rest of the evening doing honey do projects.
Sunday 4/21: Jared went off to clinic this morning. Jon told Jared that legally now we are supposed to call the clinic “an office in a facility.”😂 First we are supposed to call it a dispensary and now an office in a facility. The children and I had quite a relaxing morning which was much needed. Feels like life might be slowing down some now that the moves are over. There’s still a lot of things that need to get done at the guesthouse but nothing with a pressing deadline. Trevors and Doyle's will help accomplish things too when they come into town. Anyways… Shania took a long morning nap this morning so folded laundry. I love listening to church and folding laundry at the same time. It’s therapeutic. I’ve always wanted to work in laundry at the Manor just so I could fold and fold and fold clothes to my hearts content. Something about folding a messy heap into neat little categories never fails to please my soul. Layton wanted to make cookies again so we did. Jared found some Bengali chocolate chips the last time we were at Jamuna Park. They are basically chocolate almond bark. Not much flavor but they work in cookies. This afternoon I practiced driving the scootie😀 it brings me such joy! I wear pants under my dress when I’m on it so I don’t terrify these people by showing too much leg.😂 Shania gets very nervous anytime she hears it start up so I can’t drive it unless Jared is home. The first time I drove it Lisa held Shania and Shania wouldn’t even come to me for awhile afterwards. Jared’s more confident on it then I am. This afternoon I was resting and Layton suddenly came and brought me his tooth he very calmly pulled out all by himself. Brings this is his first tooth to loose the excitement is quite high. The tooth is now in a bag awaiting the tooth fairy’s arrival tonight. The owner of the guesthouse is in Dhaka now. He hails from London. He met Jared at the guesthouse at 5. He was a very interesting man. He works as an interpreter for the Mets police Department in London. He didn’t stay long. Well I better get this published… Shania is spending the evening practicing screaming.😱
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