July 24 - July 30, 2023

Monday 7/24: Jared was really busy at clinic. It was quite hot today! So sitting under the fans and not doing much was the priority. In the evening after the sun went down behind the apartments and it had cooled some, Layton and I went down to the courtyard. I needed to walk for awhile to clear my head. Really looking forward to the cooler weather so I can walk every day. When I was younger I always thought my mom was funny for taking a walk every day but now I understand why she did it!🫢Anyways one of Layton’s little friends has been into making little parachutes out of plastic bags. He’s given Layton several, so he likes to come up to our veranda and drop them over the edge and then the kids below catch them! It’s fun to watch! 

Tuesday 7/25: Jared had clinic this morning. He’s been letting extra patients come. Makes up for the months of Eid and December when not as many come. So far he’s been seeing about 200 - 300 a month. Most are just simple things… need a med or something like that. He had a set of 1 year old girl twins come in that were just cute as buttons! Both had cataracts. Right after lunch he left and went to pick up Doyle’s. Kelly brought them to the Padma Bridge and then Jared picked them up from there. Got back into Dhaka at 6:30 and then I fed them all supper. I was expecting them to take quite awhile to get back as they were coming into Dhaka right at rush hour and there is two roundabouts that we go through to get home. Those roundabouts are always horribly clogged up. But I was pleasantly surprised when they suddenly were only 30 minutes away. Made honey garlic meatballs, cooked carrots and cut up some apples. Since Jared was gone most of the day I decided to do some mending. We have a Singer sewing machine here at our apartment that usually works great. However today by the end of my mending session, it was obvious that someone needed a reconsecration. (Someone not something) The tension was all out of wack… In the back of my mind I could hear my mom telling me that rethreading a machine can sometimes fix the problem. So after several rethreading attempts and adjustments we were in business. Got my mending done which felt good because I’ve been putting it off. It was too menial of things to take to the tailor. Layton sat beside me and wanted me to take the plastic off the outside of the sewing machine so he could see how it worked. Then he wanted to push the reverse button for me. “Mom whenever you need to go backwards just let me know and I’ll push it!” Then after that it was “why can’t you use your hand on the pedal instead of your foot?” And then “mom when can I sew?” And then “when we get back to Kansas, can I use your serger?”  Help us all… 

Wednesday 7/26: This morning I decided to try to give Shania some rice cereal! She spit out the first bite or two but then started swallowing it and smacking her lips. Didn’t give her too much as I didn’t want her tummy to hurt! But looks like something we might continue. Her stomach isn’t nearly as sensitive as Layton’s was that’s for sure. Jared put an apple slice by her mouth yesterday and she was licking it so seems like soon she will be ready for the first stage of baby food maybe?! I feel like a first time mom all over again when it comes to knowing when to try all these firsts. Did laundry and the usual mom things. Been trying to have 1:1 time with Layton while Shania naps in the morning. He seems to really enjoy it. Usually play Uno or draw. When we were down riding bike this evening I noticed something that made me grin. One of my friends was out with her daughter. She was wearing western clothes! Usually she is wearing kameeze of some sort. I wonder if she woke up and thought she wanted to feel more American so she donned her western clothes?😂 I’ve been noticing that some of the women here in Siza Court kinda go back and forth between their “native” garb and Western wear. These people here in Siza Court would definitely be more from the upper crust here in Dhaka. Maybe that’s why they can afford western clothes and regular clothes. Mid morning Jared went to the passport office and picked up Layton’s new passport. He asked if Shania’s was ready also but it wasn’t. 30 minutes after he left he got an email saying to come back in two days and pick hers up.😂 Went to the clinic for lunch. Poor Doyle looked miserable. They have been sick with some sort of bug since they went to Golpagange. Felt so sorry for them. We were sick alot when we first came and now to see them ill makes me feel bad for them. We remember those days all too well… feeling awful and then trying to take language class at the same time and plus trying to work through jet lag. Made a person wonder if we were sane or otherwise. But we got through it…  Jared spent the evening doing bookwork… he’s been working on getting ready for this years audit. 

Thursday 7/27: This morning Sumita came to clean, otherwise we had a slow lazy day. We’ve been turning our AC on while we nap and rest in the afternoons and it makes the rest of the day so much more bearable if you can lay down and completely cool off for a hour! Bought a big thing of Gatorade powder. We drink so much water and sweat so much that I figured the extra electrolytes would probably be a good idea. Jared invited Shurov to come over this evening to meet Doyle and to visit like old times but he never replied to Jared’s message. We try to reach out to him but seems like our efforts are in vain. It’s grievous to us… how much do we continue to try when it’s rejected? Prayers for the situation are appreciated. Jared wishes Shurov would come over so they could talk face to face instead of over WhatsApp. Seems like when you try to discuss soul matters via text messages it’s easy to be misunderstood or take things differently than they were meant. Sometimes it feels awkward to be trying to be a missionary to these people when they are all older than us. Bengalis have very sensitive feelings so that adds some more challenge to the situation. This evening Natun messaged and wondered if he could come over so Jared said “absolutely!” Natun was enthused to share with us. He has been asking God that an opportunity would arise that he could share his Christian faith with a Muslim. Recently he has found a colleague that is Muslim but is open and interested in other beliefs. So he feels like God is answering his prayer. He’s so enthused and excited. Jared gave him a Bangla Bible for when Natun feels like his friend will be ready to accept it. Natun wants Jared to tell him what verses would be the most important to read and then he will mark them before giving his friend the Bible. Jared told him to suggest to his friend to start reading the four gospels as Muslims follow the Old Testament. This is why they still slaughter animals once a year at Eid. Natun was telling

us that since Mohammed had four wives that his friend feels like he could have four wives too instead of one. It was refreshing and so encouraging to see Natun so enthused about sharing his personal faith. 

Friday 7/28: The political rallies that were supposed to be held yesterday were canceled and changed to today. We weren’t sure if we should still go to Gulsan for lunch and groceries but the rallies were  on the opposite side of the city. Even though they weren’t in Gulsan sometimes they can still affect traffic in other areas. The good thing is is that they are usually later in the afternoon so we can come and go before they start. The parties are really ramping up their marches and rallies since election is only 6 months away. We aren’t afraid of them but are careful to avoid parts of town where the crowds are, just so we don’t suddenly find ourselves in a bad situation. (They always announce in the paper several days in advance as to when and where they will be.) Like any political crowd there is usually arrests and clashes with the police. The last time there was a rally it was supposed to be a “peace rally.” The next day in the paper there was an article that said two people from the same party started hitting each other chairs because of a seating issue.😂 We sure get our jollies out of that “Daily Star” newspaper. 🫢😀 Anyways we ran our errands in peace. Wasn’t as many people out as sometimes. Noticed quite a few police and guards were stationed at corners and intersections. 

Saturday 7/29: This morning was busy. Had all sorts of people coming and going. Jon came to help Jared with some paperwork. Sumita came to clean. Lucky came to cook… Jared bought some shrimp  for her to make this time. Shrimp curry is our favorite and Krystal loves it too! Haven’t had it for a really long time. Lucky made pilau rice to go with it and it certainly did not fail to disappoint! Jared worked on paperwork for visas in the evening. He still doesn’t have a security clearance or a work permit. He’s starting on paperwork for Doyle’s security clearance and work permit for when his 3 month visa expires. 

Sunday 7/30: Jared had clinic… 25 patients. I moved Shania into Layton’s room. Layton is beside himself with excitement that now he doesn’t have to sleep by himself! So we will see how it all works out tonight. Set up the baby monitor so I can hear if Shania fusses. With a sound machine, fan and AC at night it’s quite a roar. 😂 She’s been sleeping all night so hopefully the change in bed doesn’t upset her. After lunch Jared went to the Argagyle metro station and bought metro passes. Now we just have to put 1000 taka on each card and we can ride without having to wait in line for tickets. He said This time the station wasn’t so packed. He rode to the first stop just for fun and then came back.  Jared hired a motorcycle to take him to Gulsan and then he picked up Shania’s passport while he was out and about! He said he won’t ever take a CNG again now that he knows how to get a motorcycle to give him a ride! He has an app that you put in where you want to go and then the driver calls you to verify then comes to your location and picks you up. Basically a Dhaka version of Uber! Jared was quite pleased with himself. 😃 Little discoveries like this make navigating this crazy city easier. I have to laugh sometimes when we are knee deep in traffic because my one coworker told me that if she had to come to a complete stop at the Hesston four way stop that there was far too much traffic. I wonder what she would say about Dhaka?! 

July 17 - July 23, 2023

 Monday 7/17: At clinic today Jared saw a 6 year old girl. Her legs were so skinny he thought they were a bit bigger around than his thumb. Obvious malnutrition… she also had cerebral palsy. Dr Elizabeth referred her to a children’s hospital here in Dhaka. Spent the day getting ready to leave to go to Kulna tomorrow. Made a cookie sheet of bars, some baked beans, then packed up and got the freezer stuff ready to go in the morning… all the buns, hot sauce, boxed Mac n cheese, yogurt, meat etc that the other ladies needed me to bring them from UniMart. Did laundry and made sure nothing wet was left laying around so that it won’t mold while we are gone. Jared was taking off his leather belt this evening and he noticed that there was mold on his belt!!🤢 welcome to a tropical climate.😂 Both the children woke up from their afternoon naps on the wrong side of bed. Grumpy and owly… Layton went down and played with the kids for awhile and that seemed to help his frame of mind immensely. Shania got a dose of Tylenol because it seemed like her gums were bothering her. She just crams her little hands in her mouth and chews on them like it’s going out of style!! She only wanted mama this evening so I spent the rest of the evening walking around with her until she fell asleep. 

Tuesday 7/18: Left the house at 7 or so and stopped and picked up Doyle’s and their luggage. Headed out for Kulna! They are harvesting jute in the villages now so was fun to see the big shocks of dried jute out in the fields. Some would have their jute bundles layered over a bridge banister to dry. It was so neat hearing what all Krystal recognized from 10 years ago! The kids did so well with the drive. Layton and Amaryllis sat in the back with the luggage. I just am not a fan of the no seatbelt thing here… if it’s just us then he wears it but when the car is full it’s not really an option. Got to Trevor’s a little before 12. Unpacked everything and then headed to Santos for lunch. I had a fun surprise when we got there. I thought Sotti was wearing something familiar and here it was one of my shifts from when I was pregnant with Shania!! It fit her perfectly, the tailor had to shorten it but otherwise it was like it was made for her! Lisa gave her two and then Pinky got one and one of their friends got the rest. They were so excited and thought they were “onek sundor.” (Very beautiful!) it made me really happy to see them so excited about my old dresses! Santo made chicken biryani and oh my was it ever good!!!! It’s pilau rice mixed with seasonings and the meat and/or eggs are usually mixed in with the rice. He put 1/2 kg of onions in it so no wonder it was good! Lots of big chicken pieces too.. Had egg curry on the side. Santo used to cook for a school years ago so he enjoys it. At revivals the beef curry was exceptional. Later we found out that Santo had tasted it before it was served and told them to add more salt and to cook it longer!😀We all ate and ate until we were stuffed. Santo just sat and watched us all eat with his giant smile on his face. Us, Kelly’s, Trevor’s and Doyle’s all sat on their cement floor with their family and all ate together. Santo’s rice pot was huge! After lunch, Doyle’s boy Jonas climbed on top of the lid on it and sat down on it. That really made Santo smile! After we got back to Trevor’s us ladies went on a long walk through the village and by the river. The walk did my soul good. Quietness… lush green grass, a quaint brick path, talking with the ladies as we walked, no harsh Muslim prayer call, no constantly dodging people and motorcycles, no strong diesel smells or mosquito spray… I enjoy our bustling city but to get out to the village once in awhile is a real treat! Anyways… The brick path abruptly ended into muddy trail but Lisa was not to be deterred😂 she trekked right through the mud while the rest of us opted to walk through the steep slimy ditch. Some kind village ladies offered that we could wash our feet at their pump so we cleaned up and continued down the brick path. While we were cleaning our feet, I happen to glance up and there was probably 20 ladies and children just standing there watching us!😂 Felt like Dorothy from Wizard of Oz and followed the yellow brick road! Saw where Trevor’s have their Sunday school. They have a huge group of children that come. I found it interesting that it was right by a bunch of Hindu idols. For some reason seeing the Hindu idols just leaves me feeling bothered and hollow. How could one find solace for their soul, praying to an idol that has octopus looking legs that is perched in a brightly colored house that is open on the front with metal bars protecting the gods? I suppose if a person left a big enough bag of sugar by the front of the building maybe one would feel a sense of relief or yet abit of trepidation and all you could do is to hope that the gods would be pleased enough to honor your request of forgiveness. After supper the moms put all the weary children to bed and then the adults stayed up and sang and talked until late. 

Wednesday 7/19: After breakfast the men had their CSI meeting. Much uproarious laughter occurred and I wondered if they got any business done?!😂 Lisa pulled out all her big black totes that they used to pack their belongings in when they came here. Each kid got one and then they took them out to the backyard and filled them up with water. We hardly heard a peep from them after that! They played and played in the water. Us ladies took the opportunity to sit and visit while the house was quiet. Had fun discussing the latest wedding details that we had heard about from home and just any little detail about clothes and food from the states.😀 The children were all so happy we delayed lunch just so they could keep playing. Eventually they all came in tired, hungry and sunburned!! After naps the kids all went back out to the big sand pile across the road from Trevor’s and spent the afternoon digging huge holes and making sand castles. Needless to say Layton was asleep in no time at bedtime. He told me that while he likes his friends in Dhaka he was sure glad to be with American children! We all did the “put the kids to bed and stay up late” trick again. 

Thursday 7/20: We all had breakfast together this morning before heading out. Layton was in tears that I wouldn’t let him go play in the sand again. Doyle’s went with Kelly’s to Golpagange for the week to get aquatinted with their new habitat. We got home around 4:30. The drive went well. Dhaka traffic wasn’t too bad but maybe we are getting used to it? Stopped a few times for awhile but nothing terrible. While we were gone both of the political parties had huge marches. They went down part of our road. The paper said traffic was stalled for hours so very thankful that we were able to come and go without being hindered by that. As soon as we got home Layton went straight to his Lego table and began to build. A man’s got to work while the sun shines!😂 Jared and I rested for awhile and then resumed our duties. Jared did some paperwork and I worked on the laundry. After supper Layton went down to ride bike with his kids. It was pretty quiet so I went and looked over the veranda to make sure he was doing ok. He was down there drawing a hopscotch game and taught the other kids how to play it! 

Friday 7/21: Headed to church this morning. Jared was worried his thoughts were too scattered. I told him not to feel bad because he hadn’t had much peace and quiet the past week to prepare! Natun and Jared visited for quite awhile after church again. They talked about the Hindus and their black magic. It amuses us that when Natun talks about the Muslims and Hindus he lowers his voice and talks quietly, almost like he is afraid of being overheard. We had quite a hilarious happening after we got back to our apartment. Collected our wits and cooled off and then headed back down to get in the car. The driver that parks in the stall in front of us usually leaves his car in neutral then Jared and the guard just shove it out of the way when we need to leave. Jared went to give the car the ole heave ho and here the driver had put it in park. The caretaker called the owner of the car to notify his driver to come move it for us. Meanwhile we trekked back upstairs because we didn’t want to wait out in the heat. Soon the guard called Jared so we went down. The driver was away so the owner of the car was trying to figure out how to put the car in neutral. He was frantic and said “BOSS! I can’t get my key.” Jared finally just went and climbed in the car and put it in neutral and got the key out of the ignition for him. It struck me so funny to see this owner all frantic and then to see Jared climb inside this car that was designed for a tiny Bengali man. We held our laughter in until we were out on the street. I asked Jared if most of the owners in Siza Court truly do not know how to operate a car and he said he was pretty sure most wouldn’t! We got our groceries and ate lunch then got back home. Naps were had by all. 

Saturday 7/22; Sumita came to clean. She hasn’t been here for over a week. One of her family members had an operation so she needed to go to her village for a week. Unfortunately I didn’t sweep and mop once while she was away so the floors were quite a mess. I’m glad we don’t have white tile floor like the Kulna and Golpagange houses! Bangla vegetables for lunch with some stir fry meat. Layton has finally started eating vegetables here. Spent the rest of the afternoon sitting under the fans or anywheres that’s cool. It hasn’t rained for several days so the heat is picking back up. Jared worked on audit paper work for quite awhile. 

Sunday 7/24: Just a usual day today… Jared had almost 40 patients at clinic. Spent the day indoors other than taking Layton out to ride bike to burn off some energy! 

July 10 - July 16, 2023

 Monday 7/10; Jared had clinic this morning. He was quite busy… did inventory on the milk and meds plus had 30 patients. While Sumita was cleaning this morning she very slyly asked me if I knew how to make pizza? I said I did! I knew where the conversation was headed after that.😂 Josna and Sumita LOVE pizza. She told me that Amber made it in a long narrow piece (Stromboli) and Duane’s wife made it round. I asked her which she liked best and she thought long and narrow. But she said to make “duy piece” (two of them) otherwise there might be a “Somosa.” (Problem) haha! So I told her we would have them for supper soon for pizza😃 It’s been something we’ve been wanting to do for awhile but just haven’t got to it I guess. Krystal brought Layton a Sunday school book when they came. He was so thrilled! He said “mom this looks just like the one I had at home!” This morning we spent a fair bit of time reading the lessons. Yesterday Jared and Natun got the Scorpio sold. Took most of the day. The men came and looked at it, offered a price then went to the bank and got the money… it dragged on forever. By evening Jared said he hoped he never had to sell another vehicle in Bangladesh again😂They had to settle for a lower price than they had hoped for. He’s glad that it’s taken care of now and so thankful that Natun could help because who knows how long it would have taken us to find someone. I told Jared it makes parking vehicles for sale at the Goessel corner look pretty simple! Later afternoon Jared grilled up a bunch of chicken for the freezer. Kept some out and made chicken fajitas for supper. Being up on the roof was just gorgeous tonight! Doyle’s came and joined us and that was so fun. There was a breeze and the humidity wasn’t that much. The visibility was great not much smog. There was a group of boys on a rooftop nearby that were singing at the top of their lungs! 

Tuesday 7/11: Had a busy morning. Decided to clean out the storage room as things had just been getting thrown in there from the doorway. Found a big box from the old washer that had been bought way back when. Layton and I turned it into a playhouse much to his joy!! Hopefully that will keep him entertained for a few hours. In the afternoon we had singing. Doyle’s came with us so we had a nice sized group. Was so enjoyable! Afterwards we went to Parktown for supper. Doyle’s children do so good with trying new things. Came home and took it easy before bed. Layton totally surprised us and wrote out some numbers using Bangla Script. It amazes us over and over how much he learns purely from observation. He is definitely a “noticer.” Not much escapes his attention. 

Wednesday 7/12: Sumita came to clean today instead of tomorrow. Several of her family members are sick in her village so she is going to go spend a week with them. Had lunch at the clinic with Doyle’s. I could just eat Josna’s vegetables and make a meal out of them. So good… turmeric and cumin just elevate vegetables into the next world. The evening was uneventful. 

Thursday 7/13: This morning Amaryllis, Raf and Jonas came over to the play for awhile while Doyle’s had class and studied. I was so glad they came over because Layton was having one of his bored days. He soon was very busy with them all. Had them all over in the evening again and I practiced making Stromboli so that when I make it for Sumita it’s half decent. Hadn’t ever made it before but it turned out great. The humidity here makes any yeast bread rise up beautifully. Jared and Jon went off to the auditors office to figure out some issues with paying taxes here. Apparently not everyone charges tax like they do at home. Some businesses charge it and some don’t. 

Friday 7/14: Church today! Natun has agreed to interpret for us since Shurov is not able to attend church at this time. It was so nice to have a normal service. Doyle had opening and Jared had the message. Natun is so fun to visit with so we stayed for quite awhile after church while the three men visited. Miriam was giving me an update on some recent patients that we’ve had at the clinic. One boy had a cleft lip and palate. He had one finger on one hand and two fingers on another. Both feet had only two toes, the big one and the small one. Miriam said he could use his two fingers great. She concluded that “God gave him extra brains to get by with two fingers.” This boy had come awhile back when he was a baby but they weren’t able to intubate since his airway was so small, now he has grown enough that intubation was successful and he was able to have surgery to fix his mouth. Another baby that we had last year passed away. Apparently the mother and grandmother thought the baby was the devil since it had malformations. Honestly, who could think such of such an innocent child?? Miriam said “Gods plan was that it would die, it would not have been taken care of.” Under her tough skin, she has a very soft heart for these village babies. After church we took Doyle’s to Farmhouse Burger and then showed them around UniMart. Doyle drove on the way home and did great! 

Saturday 7/15: Lucky came and cooked for us this morning. I was very glad… After naps we decided to take Doyle’s to the metro so they could get out of the guesthouse for awhile. We got to the station and there was literally a thousand people in there. Doyle and Jared finally found the line to buy tickets but they were turning people away as the metro was full. So we had to cancel that idea. We had some very very sad little boys over that deal. Then we went to a park to walk. There was lots of people there too but at least the children could run off their energy for awhile. Sometimes when we are at places like that park people are always trying to take pictures of us or selfies with the children or they will just stand right in front of us while we are walking and take our pictures. It’s gets really annoying! When we got home Jared and Layton were totally peopled out so the rest of the evening was spent relaxing and being quiet. Dhaka just is not the sort of place where one goes out on the town to have a leisurely outing. 

Sunday 7/16: Today our gas was shut off all day. They installed prepaid gas meters so now we will put taka on them every two months. When we were down riding bike the guard asked me if we had a “microwave oven” to heat up our food since the gas to our stove was shut off. I said no we didn’t! I didn’t bother trying to explain to them what a crockpot was. So I just said “ajke thanda khabar khabo.” (Today I will eat cold food.) The guard and the caretaker found this uproariously funny for some reason. Layton enjoyed looking at their parts and pieces and watching them from the veranda. Jared had clinic. He saw 30 patients. Three babies are currently having operations this week. The rest of the day was uneventful… 

July 3 - July 9, 2023

It’s been an eventful week… Doyle and Krystal Barkman and their three children (Amaryllis, Rafael and Jonas) arrived Wednesday morning! We were all so excited to see them. The poor dears had that same overwhelmed exhausted look that we felt like we had when Daniels picked us up!  They’ve been working on getting their days and nights straightened out and are doing really well! We’ve been really enjoying having them over for meals and visiting and getting to know them. Layton is tickled pink to have some more children to play with. Krystal taught in Golpagange 10 years ago so her Bangla is great. I told her I was envious that she had that part of the mission adjustment already under her belt! Doyle will take language class though still with Paninna or George. Having a new couple around makes Jared and I realize that we are more settled here than we think. The things they thought were exciting or unusual are things that we have already started viewing as normal already. It’s been a good feeling! Trevors, Daniels and Kelly’s have done so much to help us settle in and feel comfortable here so now it feels so good to be able to pay it forward and help Doyle’s get settled in. 

Friday afternoon we heard the horns blaring at the metro station behind our house at Farmgate!! Jared and Layton raced up to the roof and saw the tail end of the metro disappearing around the bend. It was the first trial run on this section of rail. It’s to be officially complete and ready for the public by October! We are excited to go on a spin.😃 Then we will be able to whisk from Farmgate clear to Uttara with no jams or traffic worries. Like the Bengalis like to say “Kube bhalo, jam ni!!!” If one doesn’t know what to talk about with a Bengali you can always bring up the traffic and the conversation will always end the same… “onek jam… jam bhalo na.” Or if you say you’ve been somewhere the question is always “jam? Jam ni?” There is also a major highway project that is supposed to be completed as well by next year. Seems like a lot of these projects are suddenly in a hurry and scurry to be completed… Jared wonders if they are trying to be done by the next election in January so the prime minister’s political party can brag about what they have accomplished for Dhaka infrastructure.

The beautiful rain continues every other day or daily. Some mornings will be quite hot and then afternoon rain cools it off. This humidity makes my hair curly!! The city smog is noticeably less. One day Jared noticed the air quality was considered “good” instead of “hazardous.” 

June 26-July 2, 2023

Monday 6/26: Immediately upon awakening this morning, the question of the day was… “Mom, how do crows not get their feet zapped when they sit on a electric wire?” No clinic this week due to Eid. During the first Eid no patients came. Jared had a lot of things on his to do list for this week so the timing of no clinic worked out well. The children and I went and stocked up on veggies and fruit today before Eid starts and the dokans all close. Jon came over and helped Jared with some things related to Kelly’s work permit, then they headed to the visa office. Layton was invited to a birthday party this evening for one of his little friends. Him and I went and we could not find their apartment so we came back home. I felt so bad for him, he had been looking forward to it all day! Jared forgot to ask them what their apartment number was and their phone number so we had no way of finding it out. We rang several door bells on the floor where we thought they lived but no luck. Layton was in tears so I told him the next time he played with him in the courtyard we could give him his present then and ask his dad for his phone number! Natun came over this evening. It was so enjoyable. He talks great English. He really liked my chocolate cupcakes! He wanted to know all about Kansas. I told him there were more cows than people. He threw his hands up and said “What?! How can this be?!”😂 He wondered if in America there were vendors all along the street selling food like here in Dhaka. Jared told him the closest thing to it would be a food truck maybe? Or a farmers market? We had a good laugh because yesterday Jared texted him and told him he needed to go the visa office for Kelly’s papers so Natun should wait to come until later afternoon. Natun messaged him back and said “ok, please find USA visa for me too.”😂He is going to help Jared sell Elwood’s Mahindra Scorpio. It’s a white elephant car in Dhaka so not sure if they will get much for it. He stayed until late. It was so fun talking with him. He explained all sorts of Muslim traditions to us. Makes one’s mind whirl… 

 

Tuesday 6/27: Woke up to two big Brahman bulls and a goat in the courtyard. Yesterday Jared saw quite a few rickshaws loaded down with hay and straw. Sure enough these cows had big tuffs of hay for their victuals. The goat spent the day voicing its grievances to us all. Jared wondered if it had a sense of foreboding as to what was coming. Mid afternoon two more bulls arrived. 3 were tied by the trash barrels and one at the far end. One lucky cow got to eat his meal out of a rice pot. We went down to ride bike and here were two more cows out in the street. The birthday boy (from yesterday) gave Layton a container full of Spider-Man birthday cake. Jared quick went down and got his dad’s phone number and apt number so next time they invite us we aren’t stumbling around like lost bedesis! I put some chocolate cupcakes in the container and sent it back over there with Jared. For once I had something on hand to give them! I’m not very good at keeping sweets and such on hand for hospitality gifts. Not long later another neighbor lady rang the doorbell with fruit and chocolates. So zip went the rest of the cupcakes! She wondered if we would want to eat some of their beef when they prepared it for Eid? Jared said “sure!” After she left I said “Jared, are you sure that’s safe to eat?!” He said “why not, it will be fresh meat and cooked right away!” It was cool and rainy all day. we very much enjoyed the coolness! Had a quiet relaxing day… felt good after everything that we’ve been doing the past week. This afternoon I was thinking that if you had told me two years ago that I would be LIVING across the seas and have BULLS in my front courtyard and partaking of the neighbors Eid goodies I would have thought you were crazy! God sure has a sense of humor. 

Wednesday 6/28: Three more goats have joined the Siza Court zoo. This morning it poured rain… was a roar for awhile. I just love going onto our back veranda and looking at the rain pouring through the mango trees. Been thinking about putting a chair there so I can just sit and enjoy the sight. For a minute one can forget the bustling city and it feels like we live in a lush green forest. Lisa and Lanae say this type of weather is the rainy season. Sounded like last year they never really had this. Kulna in particular is very dry. Empty ponds and such… Sumita came to clean today instead of tomorrow. She said she didn’t want to be out and about tomorrow when everything was “onek moyla” from the slaughtering that will happen. We went to the clinic for lunch. Josna made pilau rice, beef curry and vegetable mixture. It was so good to have beef curry again. Josna always manages to find such a good beef for the curry. Apparently you have to tell the butcher “no fat or bone” otherwise that is just what you get! Josna’s pilau rice just cannot be beat! We stayed and visited awhile since the rain continued then we splashed home. I told Jared that I’d like to get a sample of water off the street and put some in a pitri dish and see what type of organisms would grow! (Something we did in Microbiology class in college.) Along the sidewalk men were selling grass tufts and hay bundles for the Eid animals. The street traffic was significantly less today. (The other day when Layton and I were out the streets were jammed and sidewalks were full of cycles.) When we got back to our courtyard the cows were gone. I asked the guard where the cows went. He said it was too cold for them out in the rain so they had to move them “bhitore.” (Inside) I didn’t ask where they put them. I asked Josna why the people were spending so much money on cows and goats when they could buy cheaper meats like chicken and fish. Apparently now for this Eid, four footed animals are the requirement. Now by the end of the day the animal count is up to 5 cows and 8 goats. 

Thursday 6/29: Today is the 2nd Eid. It is the bigger of the two Eids. (The first one was back in April when the Muslims all fasted for a month.) Jared did some research and this is what he found out… It celebrates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Since God sent a ram in a thicket for Abraham to sacrifice instead, Muslims butcher animals as their sacrifice. Part of their meat is consumed by the family that kills the animal, while the rest of the meat is distributed to the poor and the needy. Sweets and gifts are given, and extended family members typically visit and are welcomed. A lot of people from the cities will leave and travel back to their villages. It reminds me of our Christmas at home! (Minus the butchering.) Woke up to the sound of pounding and banging. The slaughtering had started. It was pouring rain, so they were cutting up the meat in the garages. Everything was kept very clean. They were constantly sweeping and hosing off the courtyard. We watched off and on during the day. Very intriguing. A man dressed in white would go around and slit the throats of the animals. I had always imagined that it would be utter chaos and animals would be bawling. It was all very organized and quiet. Some families were down in the parking garages watching the slaughtering and processing of their animal and other families it looked like they had hired a butcher and the butcher and the driver were doing the grunt work. Layton got an A and P lesson on the organs of a cow. Mid afternoon some beggars came to the door and asked if we had any meat for them. Jared told them we didn’t butcher any today. Then later the trash lady came and wondered if she could put meat in my freezer to store. Well right then we were in the middle of defrosting the freezer so we told her no. Later in the evening the neighbor across the hall came and brought us some cubed beef. We want to have Lucky make beef curry with it!😀 After dark the courtyard had a strong aroma of bleach. Today it was so humid outside that nothing would dry on the clotheslines so had to bring it all inside to put under the fans to dry. 

Friday 6/30: The sisters had plans today with some friends so church is tomorrow instead. The traffic was wonderful today in Dhaka. So drove around abit. Went to Mohakali to find the travelers clinic where we will take Shania for her baby vaccines. It’s a clinic that has American vaccines for NGOs. Went to Lola’s for lunch. UniMart was closed so we went to Schwapno. They are a much much smaller grocery store than UniMart but I was still able to get the most important things I needed. While we were there a man was checking out next to us and we noticed he was wearing a K-State shirt. We just stared. He looked like a Bengali, so wonder if he knew about K State or what?! Since we’ve just been at home the past few days we went to North End for awhile just to stay out of the apartment a while longer. Love that place. It’s always so cozy. Even though Jared and I still aren’t coffee drinkers we like to go get their shakes. Barely got home and the rain started. It was a downpour for most of the afternoon. It’s so fun to see rain like this for hours. In Kansas the deluge never lasts long so this is quite fascinating to us. It just pours straight down literally like the Heavens have opened. (Some days when I’m feeling poetic I stand on the veranda and wonder if the pouring rain is like Gods grace washing over us.) We noticed today that wherever animals were slaughtered in the courtyard there was white powder sprinkled. Not sure if it was bleach powder or a deodorizer powder. Noticed this several other places too while we were driving around. 

Saturday 7/1: Lucky came to cook today. She told me last time she came that she wants to buy her own vegetables at Farmgate when she comes to cook. I never can find good enough ones it seems like that she approves of. So I was very very happy to have her come up with this idea. I had thought about asking her if she would do that but I didn’t want to be a bother to her. So I told her just to tell me how much money she spent and then Jared would pay her when she comes to cook. Went and did some tract work at the guesthouse this morning. Someone wanted 500 tracts. The humidity today could best be described as “smothering.” Mid afternoon the Heavens opened. Around 4:30 we left for church. The downpour had reduced to a heavy sprinkle, so decided to walk. We turned down the street by Ec Number Gate and ways down there the street was flooded with about 4 inches of water so we hiked up our pants and sloshed through. I was glad I had decided to wear a kameeze instead of a dress. Layton had the time of his life sloshing through the water. All during church he was so antsy because he wanted to leave so he could splash through the water again. By the time we had church and visited with the sisters and took care of some things at the clinic, the drains had caught up and the street was back to normal. Layton was so disappointed! Apparently on Green road where Pizza Hut is, the water was up to the tops of the rickshaws tires. 

Sunday 7/2: Left the house at 1130 for the US Embassy again. This time for Layton’s passport renewal! We left super early because wasn’t sure if people would be flocking back into Dhaka after Eid. It took 20 minutes to get to UniMart.😂 so had a lot of time to spare. Got the rest of the things I needed that I couldn’t find at Schwapno on Friday, then Layton ran off some energy at the play place. Didn’t take too long at the Embassy. When we left the line of people outside the building was very long… Jared thought they must be applying for visas. Since we are Americans and had an appointment we could go straight inside. After we were done there went to Chefs Table and got some smoothies. Made it home in record time. Hardly any buses out. Noticed there wasn’t a line at the gas station so went and filled up the van. Usually the line is clear down the street so Jared goes at 6 in the morning. When we get home it’s going to feel strange to be able to go places whatever time of day we want and not have to plan around rush hour or holidays or other unknown factors.😀 Unless Goessel has rush hour.😂

Some Eid statistics we found in the paper… 2 million animals were slaughtered  in Dhaka during Eid which created 18,000 pounds of “waste.” A little over half were cattle and the rest goats. 

June 19-25, 2023

 Monday 6/19: Kelly’s and Trevor’s left Dhaka this morning and headed to Mallumgaut and Cox’s Bazaar. They invited us to go along but we weren’t sure about having Shania out on the beach at Cox’s Bazaar in the heat and sun all day. They are going to be down there for several days. Another reason we didn’t go was its our turn to go to Kishorganj to see Michael and Monica. We wanted to go before Doyle’s come into Dhaka. Maybe next year us and Trevor’s or Doyle’s can go to the beach! It’s a 8 hour drive from Dhaka there. That’s where there is an American hospital. When we first came we were originally going to travel down there to have Shania. They were unable to get a visa for an expat American OB doctor so we stayed here and went to Square Hospital. (Which we were very happy with!) Kelly’s had Sally there so they wanted to go back one more time before they leave. We try to always have one couple on the field that knows the contacts and Nurse Mary there at the hospital. Just in case an emergency happens and one of us needs to go down there for care. It sounds like a really neat place! Anyways… our day was pretty uneventful. Jared had clinic. He was met by a happy Josna because they caught two mice overnight in the mice traps he had given them! The mice were starting to eat holes in their mattresses so hopefully these scoundrels were the culprits. Shania wanted to eat and be held all day so mama was quite weary by nightfall. 

Tuesday 6/20 : Jared had clinic… Layton and I worked on laundry and getting things around for our trip this week. We are getting good at packing! We’ve learned to always take towels and washcloths with us whenever we stay at a motel for the night here. Often they only have 1 towel available. We also take along pillows and blankets because sometimes the beds just have sheets. Had a beautiful rain for awhile in the afternoon. It really cooled things down so opened the windows to cool off the apartment. It was nice to wear dry clothes for a change instead of being so wet from sweat. These cool moments are sure savored! Singing at the clinic was as enjoyable. After we got home we got the sobering news that Casper and Janalee’s (Jared’s sister) baby girl Eden Rose had went to Heaven during labor. The rest of the evening was quiet and with a “pit in your stomach” type of feeling. 

Wednesday 6/21: Got up and got ready to leave. Our hearts and minds were in Carrot River with Casper’s and their angel baby.💗 But we felt like we should still go ahead and go to Kishorganj and see Michaels. Layton’s enthusiasm kept me going. He was ready to leave by 9:00 AM!😃 He loves to travel. His favorite thing is the motel. (When we were still at home he would often say “mom can we go to a motel again?”) He said “Mom just think of all the sights we are going to see!” Then after we had been on the road awhile he said “I just have never seen such beautiful sights!”😂 bless his heart💙 the drive went good! Drove by the airport, it was interesting to see how much had gotten done there on the new terminal since we came! Saw parts of Dhaka we hadn’t been to before. Words just fail me to try and describe all a person sees. It’s just continuous ebbing and flowing of people… Sometimes we weren’t sure if we were on the right road or even headed in the right direction but we soldiered on. So much road construction in Dhaka all over. Once we got out of Dhaka everything was so lush and green! It looked like PA… winding curves, so many trees… went by a big nursery that had thousands of potted plants. Bright colored flowers… Once we got closer to Kishorganj the road took quite a turn. Some was paved some wasn’t… huge potholes filled with water since it was raining. Wasn’t sure if the oil pan was coming or going as we lurched and banged through the potholes. Good thing our van is slightly lifted. Now I know why when we told Kelly we were coming to see Michaels he smirked and said “that will be a fun drive.” (Never a good sign!😂) The roads in Kishorganj are very narrow and barely two lanes. They are dirt and most often lots of trash on the sides. Lots of cows wondering down the roads some just meandering along and some eating the garbage. The cows look much more healthy than the ones we see here in Dhaka! A van our size and a CNG can squeak by with a few inches to spare. Parking was an awful hassle.  The hotel we stayed at had a parking garage but it was full. We didn’t understand the gentlemen at the top and so we drove down a very steep ramp to see a total of three parking spaces which were full. So Jared stuck it in reverse and barely made it back up the steep ramp. He told me later he didn’t think we would make it back up to the top. I sat there and prayed mightily that we would make it back up the ramp. We finally called Michael and asked him where we were supposed to park. He came and hopped in with us and we just parked the van at their place. Later on him and Jared found a better location to park at. The hotel owner let us park in his courtyard! As soon as we got to Michaels, Monica (his wife) made us cha and biscuits. Michael used to be a member and Monica and Marcie are currently members. We met Steven (Michaels brother) Steven’s wife (Lucky), Franklin, Happy and daughter Christiana. (Michael’s son and family) and Michael’s mother. They were all really friendly. Michael talks good English so it was nice to be able to converse with him easily. Marcie (Michaels daughter) is in nursing school. She was excited to hear that we were both nurses. She asked me tons of questions… how many courses did I take? How many years did it take? She showed me her books and notes. It was really enjoyable. The old grandma of the bunch was laying on the bed where we were all sitting. All of a sudden she sat up and peered at me and said “madam do you like our country?” I said “yes I think it’s beautiful!” She smiled and plopped back down and went back to sleep. Around 7:30 Monica fed us all chicken curry, rice and okra. It was good! I told her that Chelle didi missed her cooking and that sure made her smile.😃 Layton wouldn’t eat so later when we got back to the motel I made him a PB and J. I’m learning here to always bring something for him to eat later since he won’t eat if we aren’t at home. (Not sure how to handle this problem. He did this at home too.) Anyways we came back to the motel around 8. Shania was crying over every strange noise. There is a mosque right beside Michael’s apartment and when the prayer call sounded with great volume she just lost it. As soon as we came back to the motel she was happy as can be. The motel room was very nice! White walls, white tiled floors, two beds, AC… 

Thursday 6/22: Around 9 we headed over to Michael’s for breakfast. They live in a two story cement house. Open windows with metal grates over them. It is really nice! Each family has their own room. For breakfast we had ruti (type of tortillas), fried eggs and fried potatoes. The potatoes were slivered with onions and kaj morich in them with a-bit of turmeric and salt. After breakfast Jared had devotions. Afterwards Jared Layton and Michael went and saw where the old mission was here in Kishorganj and then stopped to talk to some of Michael’s friends. I stayed at the house with Shania and enjoyed visiting with Marcie and Monica. Went and sat down in their kitchen for quite awhile and watched them chop up their vegetables and things for lunch. Lunch was chicken curry with chichinga, green beans and potatoes. Michael and Jared visited quite awhile once they were back at the house. Since Michael’s were the first members here in Bangladesh they know missionaries from way way back! Very interesting to hear about. He told us about one missionary that had come here had taken a rickshaw all apart and taken it home.😀  After lunch we went back to our motel to rest for several hours. I was thankful we were able to have some alone time for awhile. I needed some time to just be in a quiet place to kinda let my brain rest after all the things that have happened this week. After naps we went back to Michael’s. Layton just loved playing with their granddaughter Christiania. He couldn’t wait until she got out of school. I was proud of him. It used to be that when we went somewhere new here he would hang onto my skirt and cry and not let me out of his sight. He played and played this morning and would occasionally come and find me to see where I was but there was no tears and no anxiety!!! Around 7 we went back. I sat in the kitchen with all the ladies while they made egg curry. I helped Monica peel the eggs and potatoes. After supper the majority of Michael’s family all came upstairs and we had a church service. Sang a few songs and then Jared had some thoughts. He encouraged them to get to know Jesus and if they felt like they already knew Him then to stay with Him. Before the closing prayer Jared asked them if they had any prayer requests. (Something we always do in our services). It impressed me what they asked for. Michael wanted prayers that his family could stay healthy, Monica wanted prayers for the pain in her right side, Steven said “boss, you remember I told you that I want to build my own house? Can you pray that I could?”  So Jared prayed and included the requests. It was really special. We told them bye. They were so appreciative and happy that we had come to see them. Jared told them how much we enjoyed being with them and Franklin said “it made us happy to have you here.” We assured them that we would come back and see them again! Jared took the children and I back to our motel. Then him and Michael went to see one of Michael’s Hindu friends. He runs a medical supply dokan. Even though this gentlemen was Hindu he still wanted Jared to pray with him. Found that very interesting! The guy was so enthused to see Jared coming to see him. One thing we found interesting was all the stares we got when we would be out and about in Kishorganj. We get stared at too in Dhaka but it was a whole new level in the village. I saw one man driving an easy bike. He stared the whole time he went past us then pulled his rig off to the side of the road and turned around and stared some more.😂 

Friday 6/23: We left from Kishorganj around 9 and didn’t stop until we were back in Dhaka at 1. Noticed many loads of cattle on the back of little pickup trucks coming into Dhaka. We wondered if they will all be sold for Eid? Mostly Brahmans… Wish my brother Clarke could see the cow hauling. He would think his red stock trailer was just pretty spiffy.😂 Traffic in Dhaka was busy but not jammed up. Layton made himself a bed in the back of the van with pillows and blankets and was happy to be back there. Usually I make him wear a seatbelt just like at home much to his displeasure. Shania was pleased to be held by mama the whole trip home. She’s been more fussy than usual lately. Just chews and chews on her wee thumb. Is she teething already?! Finally started giving her some Tylenol to help her settle some! Was so good to be home again. When we travel through the streets teaming with honking buses it always gives us a new appreciation for our quiet Siza Court! Came home and had lunch then we all napped for quite awhile. For some reason we were exhausted. Bless Sumita’s sweet heart, she had put away all the dishes I had piled on the drain board and folded all the laundry that I had left on the veranda. I did not expect her to do all that for me while we were gone!  I started in on all the laundry that had accumulated. Jared started working on paperwork to renew Kelly’s work permit. Even though they leave in 2 months and it’s highly unlikely he will get them, he still has to attempt to renew it. Just in the odd event they would go through then we don’t have to pay the massive exit visa fees. 

Saturday 6/24: Sumita came to clean and Lucky came to cook. Right when Lucky came in the door Shania was crying because I was dealing with Layton right then. Lucky picked up “Sania” and boy did Shania give her some big grins! These two ladies are becoming my “near and dears.” Sumita wanted to hear all about how Michael’s were. Jared went over to the guesthouse and checked on Trevor’s and Kelly’s since they were ill with various maladies after getting back from the coast. Layton was in tears that he couldn’t play with them but I told him we did not need to be getting bad colds, diarrhea and fevers from them. Plus one of Trevor’s girls had lice last week and we don’t need that either.😂 Had church this evening. When we walked out the gate to leave, the guard and caretaker said “BOSS! BOSS!” They were all excited that Eid is this week. They told us that will would soon be “onek goru” (many cows) in the courtyard. Shurov wasn’t able to come so didn’t have an interpreter. Jared read about Job and talked about patience. He couldn’t find what the Bangla name for Job was so that Sumita could read the verses out loud so out came google translate. Miriam came half way through the service so we did some extra singing afterwards. After the service Jared got some milk out for a patient. On the way home we noticed that in the apartment complex close to ours they had 10 goats tied up in the courtyard! The paper keeps saying how the cows for Eid are so expensive this year so Jared wonders if people will rather buy goats instead? In the evening Jared kept working on papers for Kelly’s. 

Sunday 6/25: Hustled and bustled this morning to get some things done before we left for the US Embassy. Since traffic is so busy now before Eid we left at 11:30 to give ourselves plenty of time to get to the Embassy for our 1:15 appointment. We got to UniMart to park the van and then took a rickshaw to the embassy. He wanted 500 taka and then dumped us off half way to where we were going! Oh the joys of white skin.😂 It wasn’t terribly hot so we just walked the rest of the way. Walked by Germany, Italy, France, Germany, and Canada Embassies. They were all plain brick buildings but Saudi Arabia’s Embassy was next level fancy!! We had to leave our phone and keys in a locker, thankfully they let us bring in Shania’s bottle. The website made it sound like nothing could come in. We weren’t sure how particular they were about bringing things in. The people there were really nice. Most of them were Bengalis but the gentleman that helped us was white and talked American English. I could have hugged his neck. Jared said it was so nice to just be able to talk and not have to first stop and think how to explain what we needed. Sounded like he was from New York. In three weeks we should get Shania’s passport and born abroad papers. Stopped at Chefs Table for some ice cream and then headed home. The traffic was awful. Took us 1.5 hours to get home from UniMart. Miriam said that a lot of people will be leaving Dhaka today to go to their villages for Eid. Definitely looked like that was happening! Our friend Natun was going to come over this evening but he messaged and said he was stuck in traffic and hadn’t moved at all for quite awhile! So hopefully he can come tomorrow… 

June 12-18, 2023

 Monday 6/12: Got news this morning that Jays had a baby girl! I think it’s neat that now at Hesston there’s two girl babies that will be Shania’s age. When Layton was born several other ladies that were due close to the same time had boys too! Anyways… When Sumita came to clean this morning her allergies were flared up. She went to my pantry and got a raw onion and ate it to try and unstuff her nose. Oh we had a good laugh together as she shuddered at the awful taste! I told her I was going to have Jared do that the next time his allergies are bad.😂 It rained this morning. A downpour for quite awhile. Layton was very sad he couldn’t ride bike. I rummaged in my bored box and pulled out some slime I had bought at UniMart. I keep random little things in my bored box for when he’s bored or needing a change of scenery. He LOVED the slime and played an played with it. Had a quiet afternoon. Jared helped me cut up all the mangos I had gotten last week for the freezer. After supper Jared worked on some CEUs to renew his Kansas nursing license. People have asked if we use our nursing skills here at the clinic. The answer is no we do not. We don’t have Bangladesh nursing licenses. Our Dr Elizabeth does all the assessing and treating at the clinic. The people that come to the clinic usually don’t need any sort of urgent care or dressings. 

Tuesday 6/13: Jared had around 20 patients at the clinic today. The RO system at the clinic has been having problems. Keeps getting holes in the tubing. He replaced it two weeks ago and now there’s another hole! He is suspicious it’s mice. One of the sisters said during the night she felt something nibbling on her toes. So needless to say, after lunch Jared went to Farmgate in search of mousetraps. Had singing this afternoon with the sisters. The last few times they’ve been teaching us Sunday school songs from their childhood. It’s been really fun learning them! I wish Layton was more enthused about singing them but he could care less. I’ve started taking along things for him to do while we sing. He gets awfully bored otherwise. After singing was over, Jared had some matters to tend to with a patient. Kelly had sent a eye patient from Golpaganj that needed some financial assistance for testing. (Kelly and Trevor send their

patients to Dhaka if they have done everything they can to help them.) Went to Hotel Shuktara at Farmgate for supper. Hadn’t been there in months! The waiter said “I haven’t seen you for quite some time!” Jared told him we had a baby that’s why! We got egg drop soup, garlic ginger prawns and spring rolls. Layton has taken a real liking to egg drop soup. The view is always amazing from the restaurant since it’s 9 stories up. Some smog this evening but not terrible. Walked home.. When we got home our neighbor man wanted to visit for awhile. His children are the ones that Layton plays with. He knows very good English. His oldest daughter is studying abroad in Australia. He was enthused because he got a visa for him and his family to move to the states to Mississippi so his children can get a better education. He was in the Bangladesh army for 17 years and now is a higher up in a bank close by. 

Wednesday 6/14: Jared let me sleep in as during the night the two hoodlums needed me lots. Sometimes I almost wonder if it’s even worth it to sleep in. I get up and everyone is out of sorts because mama hasn’t been up before hand making sure everyone’s morning is off to a good start. You know the little details… the precise amount of sugar a 6 year old likes in his cornflakes, just how Shania likes to be wrapped tight but not too tight so that she can still find her thumb… Daddy manages these things very well in fact just as well if not better than mama but for some reason MAMA is the special one! Went to the clinic for lunch. Chicken curry and then the vegetable mixture had okra, carrots and potatoes in it today. On the way there our rickshaw’s tire got caught in the drain grate on the street. Layton and I flew off and thankfully Jared and Shania stayed on! Layton hit his head good but he was fine after he collected his wits. That is why Jared always holds Shania when we are riding on one! The driver felt so bad and we assured him we were all just fine. Payed him good so he wouldn’t feel so bad. It was so cute he put his hands around Layton’s face after he was back in the rickshaw and in English said “I am so sorry!” While we were eating Miriam and the sisters told us what to expect at the next Eid. Muslims have two Eids… the first one was in March and now the second one is the end of June. The 2nd one is considered the “sacrificial Eid.” Sounds like we should have plenty to watch. Apparently they slaughter live animals right here in Siza Court. Stay tuned…. 🤢 Sumita and Josna weren’t too happy with one of the patient’s mother. She was chewing pawn (a big green leaf) inside the clinic and spitting it all over the floor. The pawn makes a red juice which stains their teeth and lips. We often see red puddles of pawn spit on the street and sidewalk when we are out walking. It’s a big no no for people to chew inside the clinic. I guess this lady took the bucket that the sisters have in the hallway and took it in the bathroom and spit in it too. Jared and I had to stifle our laughter at how underlying disgusted Josna and Sumita were by it all. They take great pride in how clean the clinic is so this was a horrible occurrence.😂 they took her pawn away and hid it until she leaves. 

Thursday 6/15: This morning people were in and out. Sumita came to clean, Jon came to get Trevor’s passports to get their work permit finished up, the caretaker came to get money for the electric bill, etc. Jared and Layton went to the guesthouse to change the water filters on the RO system. We are very diligent at changing the filters. If they go too long without being changed they don’t work well and we don’t want to be getting sick from bad water. Something Jared and I are paranoid about. We take our own water everywhere.   The rest of the day we stayed indoors under the fans. Layton was the only one brave enough to go ride bike in the heat with his friends. Until he had a accident. After supper Layton said “mom, I want to message my friends.” This is the first time he has asked to do that since we came. He had quite a list… Marcie, Kobe, Silas and Nixon, Stacey (his speech teacher at Goessel), Amber, Shantel and Raelynn! 

Friday 6/16: We changed our church services to Saturdays at 4:30 pm to see if this better accommodates our brother Shurov and his situation. So no church today. Went to Aarongs and got some bigger dresses for Shania. Then went to Farmhouse Burger for lunch and then to UniMart for some groceries. Layton played with one of his friends in the evening. He’s getting quite an assortment of people to play with. I have thanked God so many times for them all. A child just simply needs other children to play with. It feels something in them that playing with mom and dad doesn’t. 

Saturday 6/17: Sumita came to clean, and Lucky came to cook! Lucky told me that at her other cooking job that she has been so hot while she cooks that she can wring sweat out of her orna. Thankfully now the electricity has been staying on since the one power plant got coal in, so I made sure she had the kitchen fan blowing on her while she cooked today. She made sweet and sour chicken, okra, then a mixture of potatoes, carrots and green beans, and then fried pumpkin. Earlier in the morning, I had went and bought a significant pile of vegetables to eat throughout the next week. I told Lucky to make her yummy okra and pumpkin so she did but she also used up all the other vegetables too! Oh well, I can always get more! She loves to try new things with what I have on hand. She rummages through the fridge, freezer and pantry and concocts quite the assortment of things! At 4:30 we had church. Shurov wasn’t able to come until 5. Was worried he wasn’t going to show up. He always get a a ride on one of the pickups to come to church and he had to wait 30 minutes for one as the streets were quite busy. He said “now I know why we have church on Fridays!” His father has said he can keep coming to church as long as we don’t have services on Fridays. Jared had some thoughts on how God can use our small amount of faith and multiply it into something bigger. He always worried that his thoughts out scattered. I tell him I think he does fine. Being able to only say a sentence at a time then having it interpreted would really rattle me too! Came home and made mango smoothies for supper. After Lucky’s big meals no one feels like eating. Seems like the rice just expands and expands in one’s stomach. 

Sunday 6/18: Jared had clinic. It was a quiet morning at home for the children and I. Layton and I played some games then he wanted to be teacher and play school. He made me a worksheet and I had to practice my numbers from 1-5.😂 so at least I have learned something while we are here! A cloudy morning… with some rain. Shania napped off and on seemed like she was feeling kinda lazy! Jared and I have noticed the past week or so that it looks like her hair is starting to have quite a red tint to it! Wonder if it will be auburn like Janalee’s? She is starting to recognize the three of us and just grins away and screeches when she sees us. Yesterday I had her sitting on my lap while we ate lunch and she got so excited! Kicked her little legs like crazy and waved her arms. Lucky was pretty sure it meant that she wanted some rice! She told me when she is 6 months old to mash up pumpkin and potatoes to feed her. This evening the AC technician was at the guesthouse to fix the old AC unit. Jared went over there and called and said “Kelly’s are here you should come over!” I totally forgot they were coming into town, so that was a neat surprise! 

“Story time with Grandma” (I miss you Penner!) This little girl was the recipient of Jamesport’s Bible School Money. Jared wrote this up so thought I’d share! 

Johana is an 8 year old girl that lives with her family in a cement apartment building in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her father and mother own a small clothing business.

One day in December of 2022, Johana was playing outside in the rain. Nearby where she was playing, a pole was leaned up against an electrified power line. With the wet conditions, the pole became electrified and Johana accidentally touched it with her right arm. She was shocked by the electricity and got severe burns on her right arm. Her family rushed her to the hospital, where she stayed for about a month. After multiple skin grafts and surgical attempts to save her arm, it was decided that her right arm would have to be amputated about 3 inches below the elbow.

She has fought multiple infections and is now on daily antibiotic doses that cost about $10 USD per dose. Since December 2022, her family has racked up medical bills in excess of $7,000 USD. (This may not sound like a lot to Americans, but to Bangladeshis this amount can appear to be a large sum of money. The average worker in Bangladesh earns about $3,000 USD per year and many earn significantly less than that!) Her mother and father have had to go into debt to pay the medical bills.

As of May 2023, she has limited movement in her right elbow, but it is hoped that she will slowly regain strength in the remaining part of her arm. Once she regains enough strength, she will need an artificial arm or prosthesis.

Accidents like this are devastating to Bangladeshi families. Even though Johana is an otherwise normal little girl, this accident may prevent her from getting married or finding a good job when she comes of age.