The little homestead we were
situated at in the village was the home of a pastor, his wife and baby,
and his parents. They hosted us girls in their home. The guys stayed
with a church elder some ten minutes walk away. All things considered,
the overall effect of the house, goat stable etc. was decidedly
medieval. Thatch and stone were the dominant materials, though the main
house featured some wood construction and a corrugated tin roof. We were
in the squat little loft- all of us girls in a tiny room sleeping on
straw mats (praise God for quality cold weather sleeping bags). There
was an outhouse, and no running water besides a little outdoor tap used
for washing your face, laundry or dishes.
Besides in the afternoon for a
couple hours, we wore several layers of fleeces and jackets- the damp
cold permeated everything. The house kept out the breeze, but was an
unsubstantial structure. We used a ladder to reach our room in the loft.
Everything was low ceilinged and chimneys have not come into use- a
constant thick smoke filled the close main room where grandma spent all
day squatting on the mud floor over a a clay cooking pit. Our eyes
burned as we sat inside for meals, eating rice and lentils with the
family. It was a privilege to share life with this family and I know it
was an eye opening experience for my team to live alongside real people
in such a rustic life situation. It was much like camping in many ways-
but you realize that these people aren't living like this for fun, for
just a few days. For them, this is as comfortable as life gets.
We spent our days teaching in
the tiny church, some believers living in the area walking an hour or
more from their homes to join the sessions. It was such a privilege to
help these brothers and sisters who have so little instruction on how to
follow the Lord they love.
