Rainy Season or not?

We keep asking people: "When is the rainy season?"  We have been told:  July & August; November & December; January - March; definitely March.  We have come to realize that every season is the same.  It rains year around - sometimes really hard and our apartment floods again; sometimes just enough to make a car look even dirtier; sometimes at night and sometimes during the day.  It fluctuates from sunny to cloudy in minutes with the reverse happening as often.

So bottom-line:  The nights when the sun is down:  the temp is 82 with about the same number for humidity.  The days fluctuates between 88-94 with the humidity about these same numbers except when it goes to 100 percent.  If it has been raining really hard for at least and hour or more, the temperature has actually dropped as low as 78 degree for a few minutes, but as soon as the sun appears, it shoots into the high 80's or 90's.

We realize that talk about the weather is so boring and is usually done by those who nothing else to say or are really getting old.  Now, where does that place us.  Yes, you are correct!

Hurray - we so excited - The CMI Kitchen is finally completed.  We spent Monday from 8:30A-5:30P buying dishes, pots, pans, and all the necessities to run a kitchen that feeds 80 students daily; will be a classroom/lab for the Nutrition Class; plus open for outsiders who stop by for a nutritious meal. 

 

Arthur - keeper of the key.

New Storage room.

Kitchen with pass through window.

Another shot of new kitchen.

 As we were unloading the purchases for the kitchen, some of the CMI college students helped carry the items from our car to the kitchen.  We captured a quick picture of the students, plus Arthur, who has worked to make this kitchen happen and is the keeper of the key, so that items will not walk away.  Bego is the employee from CMI, who is over the kitchen.

Sister Preston, Bego, and students.

Bego, Students, Arthur, and one of the
new freezers.

 We had so many purchases that it took three car loads to take them to the college.

First car load.

Shopping all day.

Elder Preston - Payer of the bill.

Happiness is having a kitchen for the
first time at CMI.

Tanner, from the Wellness Center, wants us to join him in a project that would provide playground equipment (swings, slides, jungle gyms,) and basketball/volleyball courts in the most populated areas of Majuro.  I would love to see this materialize, for these little children have nothing to do except walk around, chase dogs, have play fights with sticks, and/or hope that someone gives them a treat.  Problem that I expressed to Tanner:  It is too hot for the children to play on the equipment when the sun is shining. He just brushed me off.  Elder Preston and I drove to Laura to see the newly installed playground equipment by Melgov, local government.  How many children were playing on it? None.  There were three young girls, who spoke English, who were sitting under the small canopy that covered a small part of the equipment.  Why were there no takers?  It was 93 degrees with full sun.  Elder Preston and I could not place our hands on the slide for more than a second - TOO HOT.  I talked to the three girls.  No one plays on the equipment unless it is raining, or the sun has gone done.

 

Three beautiful girls.

Fun playground equipment.  Too hot to touch.

Look fun.

Found the shade.

So much for daytime playing and so much for the use of the playground equipment that Tanner and Melgov are placing at the public schools.

I showed Tanner and Russell my pictures of the children and the playground equipment and shared what I had learned. Russell immediately listened.    Once again I mentioned the Sail Shades that are used in other hot areas of the world.  These shades are over playgrounds, pools, etc. They make a huge difference.  It would definitely add to the cost, but what a great contribution it would be for the children.

We had our weekly Outreach Clinic on Friday, but this week instead of posting pictures of the health care, education, and foot care, Elder Preston captured the beautiful children.

Children everywhere love to pose.
The health screening was their entertainment.

Note this little boys' homemade
cardboard baseball mitt.

Note how much he loves his baseball equipment.

Enjoy your plentiful life even more as you realize that thousands of people in 3rd world countries find joy in simple things.

Today, please count your blessings for you are listed among ours.

Love, Elder & Sister Preston