Monday, April 9, 2012

Our First BIG Rainstorm In Grass Thatched Huts ... Yeah

Well
Our prayers have been answered
After about two weeks
Of “sort of” rains
We have FINALLY
Gotten a big rain

It was AWESOME
There is nothing like
A good African rain

It all starts as the sun sets
Let me just say
Looking out over the savanna
Seeing all the clouds slowly change colors
First bright yellow
Then the slow fade
To Orange, Pink and Violet
So beautiful!

Then the clouds really start in
The get darker as the sun sets
And you can start to see the lightning

Tonight it was fierce!
Lighting up the sky
Over and over
Sometimes in bolts
Others in sheets that go across the whole sky

Then of course
Follows the Thunder
Rumbles and loud bangs!
Loud and Sudden
Some days it is so close
You start out standing
And next thing you know
You are on your knees
Looking around
Wondering what happened!

Truly
Nothing like a good African storm
:)

Before all the water started
I was running around
Picking up laundry
That was flying off the line

I love writing down my life
It just makes me laugh!

Then I did
What I normally do
I sat inside my door
And watched the “light show”

This time however
I am in a grass thatch hut

I know
How cool is that???

The dogs come in to my room during storms
And sit with me
It was a super heavy rain however
So we had to back up
From the door a ways
To keep from getting too wet

After a bit though
I lit a candle
So I could see in my room

We have a bit of a problem
With cobras wanting
Shelter from storms
So if anything were to try
And come in my room...
Well I wanted to be able to see
Where to run :)

That was when I realized
There was a bit of a problem
Because there were puddles...
All around my room

Which are NOT supposed to be there
.......
Apparently
Grass thatch leaks

Now all of this
Totally made me laugh
The reason

I dreamt last night
That it was raining on me
In my bed
Drip Drip Drip
Right in the face
I’m thinking
It was prophetic

So I ran to my bed
Sure enough
Right over my pillow

So...
Was it a dream?
....
I’ll never know
But it was hilarious none the less

Since it is thatch
I couldn’t find one particular spot
To put a bucket
So I just figured
Let the dice fall where they will

Then I did what everyone does
When there is a rain storm
And their roof is leaking
I called my neighbors
:)
To see if theirs were doing the same

You could say
In a glass half full sort of way
Zane and Summer
Have a waterfall in their room
Conveniently placed
Right over their built in computer desk
And bookshelf...

That might be stretching
The glass half full analogy a bit

Once the rain settled down
Summer and I went and checked
On the girls in their room
And discovered
That the instep to their room
Was an inch deep in water

The girls were so excited
Apparently they were playing
Like it was the beach
In their room!
:)
They couldn’t figure out
Why we seemed to think
It was a bad thing...

I broke their hearts a little
When I cleaned it up
Which I accomplished
With a dust pan
Yep
Scooped the water up
In a dust pan
And threw it out the door...
I Love my life!

Needless to say
We will be endeavoring
To patch the roofs a bit more
And pray that the grass settles
So that we aren’t all living
In a pond :)

Summer likes to say
Living in grass thatch
Is like camping...
Africa style!

Love it
Blessings all!

4 comments:

  1. Great post! I wish I could be there to see a good African storm! As you know, we don't get good electrical storms here very often! And NEVER anything like what you have experienced there! We will pray for a solution to your leaking roof problem, or should we just pray for everyone to join in on the beach idea and enjoy it!:) Don't you just love a childs perspective?!
    Leah

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    1. i know the kids are hilarious! i can tell they have lived in africa all their lives :) the locals have been telling us that the grass just takes a few good rains to seal so prayerfully after the next rain or two it will seal and we won't be having the problems with rain anymore! the beach isn't all it is cracked up to be in your bedroom ;)

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  2. too fun ... how's it going today? any rain ... any leaking? Kampala is dry and hot. Miss you guys!

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    1. the storms are raging all around but no heavy rain here yet :)keep us in your prayers we are praying it holds off while zane is in the village!

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