Boas Festa du Natal no Feliz Anos!

Lots has happened since we wrote last, sorry ‘bout that. We actually stayed at site from the time we got back from Thanksgiving until 2 days before Christmas. That was a very long time for us.

Things have gotten better, no doubt about that, but still not much going on. The biggest news is we found an empty house to move into and we’ve been cleaning it and fixing it up and buying things to fill it with. It’s really perfect. It took a while to find, but it was actually under our noses the whole time – almost in our host family’s backyard. And that was one thing we really wanted – to be close to the family we’ve already gotten, well, close to. It’s safer that way, too.

Here’s the picture.

You may want to laugh but it’s just what we want. Simples deit. Just simple. We got what we needed here in Dili and the rest we’ll buy in Same’s market when we get back. And hopefully the wardrobe we asked a carpenter to make for us a month ago will be ready for us on our arrival. Also, a couple sold us their cell phone (we need one each for safety reasons) and their propane stove for cheap (we actually said it was too cheap and gave them more). Unfortunately, it’s because they decided to go back home.

As I wrote in my little green journal back on December 5,

“We sometimes think, living in this big cement water + electricity fed house, ‘This isn’t at all what I expected.’ So, maybe fixing up a small house and sitting in bamboo chairs will make it seem more like it.”

We spent Christmas with friends in Ainaro. It was the best we could do without our family back home. Like my mom said, “They’re your family now.”

Yes, the island. We spent New Year’s there after we with 13 friends survived a nerve-racking boat ride over. But what an island. 3 volunteers live there, 2 from our group. Those two met us there and we stayed at an up and coming little beachside “resort.” It was a beautiful way to ring in the new year – with friends on a tropical island.

Here's the boat from the Dili shore and then view of the pilots. We were under that tarp.

Other big news – we’ll be the first to visit America from our group (and come back). All the cards fell into place for us to visit our families in March. Not looking forward to the long flight but definitely to the faces we’ll see once we land.

In health news, with the rains came Dengue Fever. Sounds rough, huh? It’s spread by those pesky little susuks, mosquitos. The symptoms are two weeks of fevers and overall crappy feeling. A few of our group actually got it but they’re all on the north coast. It’s dangerous mostly for the young and old. We’re wearing repellent all day long (and sometimes even inside the mosquito net at night), so don’t worry. Giardia is the other popular illness. Bek liked it so much, she got it twice in a row. It’s bad diarrhea for a week or so and the loss of appetite.

This is Bek around that time.