Third week back at site

"Grow out your beard in a foreign land”


According to the Unofficial Peace Corps Theme song I'm to “grow out my beard in a foreign land”.  I wanted to wait until after the wedding, as Samantha has not seen me in a beard.

I had a mustache when she was just a baby. One day I gave her a kiss and she made a face. Theresa said I should shave, so I did (to her surprise) the next day. Theresa asked me several time over the next twenty plus years to grow back my beard and mustache if I wanted. I never did.

So – here I am now – there is a lot more gray in the beard than in the hair.

Working on growing my beard in a foreign land

Progress on the computer room and library


We got the computer projector. We had the option of two different models. One with slightly fewer features was on a great sale so we got it. If it had not been on sale I likely would have picked the slightly more expensive projector. (The projector we got was a Dell 1210S (and end of life model) as opposed to a Cannon LU-WX 300.)

The carpenter has finished the tables. The tables were custom made and were to be 2 feet wide.  Instead they were 2.5 feet wide – as I need 5 rows of tables they take up and extra 2.5 feet of classroom space – moving my table and projector to close to the front of the classroom. I'll just drop my table and use the first row for the projector.

The students went to pick them up and carry them back. About 1.5 miles from school. The carpenter is currently working on finishing the benches. Hopefully we will get them in the next week or two and hopefully they will be 4 feet long as if they are longer they will not fit either.

Carrying desks back to school


The electrician is working on wiring the building and we still need to connect to the power lines. That may finish up next week.

The projector and tables came in under budget so we have extra money. One thing we are doing is to install bars on the windows and doors. After we have made the room secure we will keep the computers in the room.

We still need to get the voltage regulators or UPS systems to help protect the hardware. Hopefully, I will be getting them within the next four weeks.


Funding for Peace Corps Projects


My computer room and library is fully funded and I don't need donations.  However, there are a number of worthy projects sponsored by Peace Corps Volunteers around the world that need support.  The website is at: https://donate.peacecorps.gov/donate/projects-funds/

 One of the projects is worked on by a volunteer near me - Kristen Vogel - also for a computer room 

Garden and rabbits.


I'm thinking about working on a dry season garden to grow things for myself and the rabbits. That means that I need to have a fence to protect the plants from free roaming goats and such.

 I don't have any rabbits yet. Roger and the other man have been busy with harvesting and so have not had time to purchase my rabbits which were to be already purchases except Roger's dog killed two of them. (Sigh – but that is the way it is.)


Health


I continue on planks and stretches; however, my shoulder pains remains at about the same level – some pain when holding my arm in certain positions. My cough is also stable – not extreme but not gone.



Love always,

John

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