Really... Really?

So this afternoon

The kids and I 

Decided to take some time

And relax...

We had slight reprieve

From testing

(non today because Zane had to go on a short trip)

So we decided

To bust out

"The Great Escape"

Classic!

Can't go wrong

With Steve McQueen ever!

Right :)

Anyway,

I got a cup of coffee

And we all settled in

About half way through

The movie

I casually glanced down

Into my almost finished

Cup of coffee

And what do you think

I discovered there?

A drowned spider

About the size

Of a silver dollar...

Really...

Really?

Is NOTHING sacred anymore :)

Bugs are even

Invading my coffee time now

Ew!

As for testing

Three down

Three more to go!

The kids are settling into the routine now

And seem to still enjoy it

For the most part

Please continue to pray for them

Some of the curriculum that they teach

Here in the schools

Is just memorization

And the students of the school

Don't really "understand" the concept

Which we aren't doing with our kids

We are taking our time

And slowly adding

Making sure that they really understand

What we are teaching them

Understandably

They kids get frustrated

When something comes up

That they don't know how to do...

Thankfully

As I have explained to them

That they just need to do their best

And skip the "hard stuff"

They seem to be doing better

Blessings!

Bri

Second Post... Same day

What?

Can it be???

Two posts in one day!

Outrageous!!!

However,

It is indeed true

:)

Sorry that I have been

A bit lax

In updating

Seems that there is a lot going on

When you are taking care

Of 11 children

Homeschooling

And generally

Keeping up 

With life

In an Africa Country!

However,

I am so blessed!

God has been so faithful

He reminds me constantly

That His strength

Is made perfect

In my weakness

That He is the author of all wisdom

And that

Without Him

I am nothing

Blessed be His name

All that said

Things are going well

Here at Lil' Village

Next week

Is Finals at the local school

Please keep that 

In your prayers

Praise the Lord

I feel 

Like the kids are ready

We have been studying hard

And the kids

Are really trying

To learn well

It is cute :)

I wish people

Could sit in on our classes

I can't believe

How much I learn!

And I am the teacher :)

So

Any and all prayer

For exams

Would be much appreciated

Needless to say

After all the prep

And extended class time

The week after exams

We will be taking

A bit of a break

:)

On the front

Of Summer's health

She continues to rest

Eat

And wait in America

Her return date is set

For early September

And we all await her return

With baited breathe!

 

Please keep the entire McCourtney family

In your prayers

For Summer's health

That the Dr's would have wisdom

In diagnosing

What is going on

In her body

And helping her

To regain her health

 That the time would go quickly

Until her return

As I am sure

You can understand

It is hard for all of them

To be so far apart

For so long

On another front

 The farm

Continues to grow

And change

It is so cool

To see everything green

And growing!

The rain has been coming

In the Afternoons

By rain

I am talking

Torrential downpours!

However

Being an Oregon girl

I can't help

But love every minute of it

Although

In the middle of the night

When I wake up

Because water is dripping on my face

I might not have

Quite that good

Of an attitude about it

Building around the property continues

Sorry about the lack of pictures

I just so happened

To feel inspired tonight

(Hence the two blog posts)

I will try and dust off my camera

And run around 

In the next few days

And take some pictures

Thanks you everyone

For your prayers

Blessings

From a little hut

In Africa

:)

Okra

So

I am not from the South

Which means

Until I moved to Uganda

I had never tried Okra

I realized last time I was here

I wasn't missing much

:)

It is a bit

Of a slimy mess

However

It is hard to escape

Here in Uganda

In Okra season

It is everywhere

And it is cheap

So once again today

It was time

To eat Okra

Well I did try to share with Zane

That I felt it was possible

The Lord might be

Speaking through me

That we should just sell it all

And bless the community

He however suggested

That I might be confusing

My own opinion

With the Lords...

I did after all

Say might... 

:D

So I was told

The ladies could make it for lunch

Or I could make it

To go with dinner

The house helper

Catherine

Who was cooking that day

Said she felt it would be better 

With dinner

Seems they didn't

Want to eat it

Either

:)

You know there is something wrong

If the locals

Won't eat it...

Right!

Elise

A friend who is staying here

For the summer

Informed me

That she had Okra once

In the South

Of course

Deep fried

She said that

It wasn't so bad...

So...

Battered

And deep fried

Sure,

I can do that!

So...

Evening comes

Okra is cut

And batter is mixed

At which point

It begins 

To torrentially

Down-pour...

Really?

Yep, sure enough

Don't know if I have mentioned it

But we have an

Outdoor kitchen

So I am deep frying

Outside

With a little metal roof

That just covers my head

Fortunately

The rain was pushing

The other way

So it wasn't blowing in at me

Stop for a minute

Run and get a rain coat

Shut all the shutters and doors

And it is back

To cooking

Yeah wind and rain!

So here I am

Deep frying

In the middle of a rain storm

All of a sudden

There is a

Bright

Light...

Goodness gracious!

Sure enough...

Lightning

And I am deep frying

Outside

Under a metal roof

That is built

Under a giant tamarind tree

In a rain storm

Did I mention

I might...

Have been barefooted

And standing in puddles

From aformentioned

Rain storm...

Points to me

For being so smart

What do you think

My next thought

Was...

"Run inside"?

"Put on shoes"?

"Turn of gas burner"?

Nope

My first thought

"I wonder what

Would happen

If I got 

Struck by lightning"

Yikes!

Sorry Mom

Anyway

I finally got the Okra done

And I had tons of batter left

So what do you do

When you are deep frying

And you have extra batter...

Deep fry it of course!

Yum

I am pretty sure at this point

That deep frying

Makes everything taste good

No wonder they eat Okra in the South

They probably only eat it

Deep fried

Which I am happy to report

Tastes amazing!

Kind of like a slightly sweet Jalepeno

Who knew....

So...

I survived

The Okra turned out

And on top of it

The kids liked it!

I even had

The house help

Try some

Before they left

Surprise

Surprise!

They liked it too

Yes!

Another dish to add to my 

Cooking abilities......

Score one

To the South!