31. "There Will Be-There IS- Peace in the Valley!"

Well, it is peaceful. We had 45 for lunch and the French are now loading up and getting ready to go. I have tried and tried to tell them to go earlier this morning because it is a weekend afternoon and checking their bags in at the airport and going through customs, getting their $50.00 GO PASS- after they have boarding passes-to exit the airport by plane (Money for airport improvements) -for 24 people is a challenge in America and France- much less here! But they insist that three hours(quit laughing Montana group and Jimmy Shafe!!) before flight time is plenty of time to drive between MPH and the airport, do customs and checking in baggage and checking in and departure. OK!  So hopefully it works. We are full again here at MPH by six PM tonight! So no rooms in the Inn and we don’t have a manger for a bed to lay their head!!

So guess what the guys and I are now doing!! Yep!! Sheets and towels and turning rooms!  While they started the rooms, I went and got all of the tent and extra room mattresses down the halls to the storage closet area. They aren’t that heavy and I just pulled them. Then Ken unlocked the closet so Baba could put them all back in the closet after lunch. One of the two ladies-who is also staying in one of the dorm rooms-came to me this morning to ask when all the French were leaving. Their noise at night she told me only lasts about 15 minutes. But with 16 others trying to use three showers and sinks and toilets it is a big challenge – especially in the mornings when she has to leave for the evangelistic work she and her South African group are doing here in town right after breakfast. I apologized-because that is all I could do.

Today is Ken’s Birthday and we are going out to a Greek owned restaurant. Our Chauffeur is helping the guy- with the soccer balls going over the fence- Antonio Martinez- drive a Land Cruiser up country.  (Antonio will be working- through Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC- on the redesign of Pax - in Kananga -into a better clinical use.) Estimated time for the trip ranges from 3 days to a month! It all depends on the minor roads off the beaten track.  (Found out they got stopped by the police yesterday. Antonio did not have the pink paper. It does not come on a new car for months but they had all of the other documents. They knew that but were hoping for a bribe. So Antonio and Emanuel were taken to several police offices and Antonio was calling Larry. With not much French I am sure it was a hoot- after the fact- ! But not bribe paid and a delay they were back on the road.) So our Chauffeur’s twenty-two year old son, Francie, will be our driver until Emanuel returns. Don’t know our plans for the rest of the weekend other than I am going to have to have a bit of down time before Monday gets here. I can feel the – my terminology- “chipmunks running in my head”- so I know I need a break!  The internet is so slow most of the time that I can’t get my Kindle (have been trying for two days so far to get it all done!) to download my August issue of Southern Living. I am sure a good Southern Living fix would do me wonders! ;)) So, I may just have to settle for counted Cross Stitch. (Yes, I find that relaxing!) ;))


Birthday Supper, in Ken’s words, was” Outstanding!” He had fillet of sole with white wine sauce and topped with crab, lobster and shrimp. I had Pepper fillet. Both were delicious! Service slow but great for Congo. I ordered a Greek Mixed sort of salad and it was sooo good. Chauffeur’s son is not as aggressive a driver as his dad but was a great driver in this horrible traffic. I’m sure he did not want to wreck the car on his first day out! The restaurant is called La Piscine (The Pool) and is where an old swimming club used to be. Now it is a pool with a restaurant around it. Not sure how clean the pool was but in the dark we could not tell. Water Fountain- in the old Kiddy Pool was really neat! Sprayed for mosquitoes before we left but felt none. The Spray the Health Department in NC told us to get for our clothes is awesome!! Ken is a mosquito magnet and with this stuff he has no problems. I will get some for PK when we get, a Congo Cat roamed up. It had similar markings as Dave the Cat at Possum Kingdom Lake only in Khaki instead of gray/black. So I told her about Cousin Dave at the lake. She said he sounded nice- and spoiled!

 Well, I am done for awhile. I am taking the rest of the day off- sort of. I am sitting in the Dining area and still on my computer. Will get this done and then some signs for the pantry for Inge. Getting my office cleaned, getting more sheets and towels washed. They are scraping the side of the building outside of my office so it is noisy. Found out at that Francie will probably be the day chauffeur for MPH. Looks like IMA will hire Emanuel as a full time chauffeur. Great news for him sad for Ken because they have "bonded." Have a great rest of the weekend.

Love ya!  Me