Little Known Fact

Gopher Snake This snake would probably be killed because it seems harmful, yet it is a non-poisonous snake. It helps reduce the amount of rodents that fester around.  Click here to learn more about snakes

If you were going for a walk in the bushes one day, with a machete in hand (for protection) and you encounter a snake in your path, what would you do?... Kill it right!?! With what? The machete in your hand. Well, recently I learned that is the wrong thing to do if you are in the wrong position, especially if it is poisonous. The first half with the head has a high possibility of jerking forward and biting you. If it is poisonous the venom will still release. The best thing to do is let the snake go, because it is more scared of you than you are of it (no matter how scared you may be). If it is poisonous you can crush the head with the handle of the machete and break its back bone so it doesn't try to come forward to you. Cut it when it seems to be dead (just to make sure). And yes snakes have bones. Only try to kill it if you are in a life-threatening situation. It could be more dangerous for you to kill it than to just let it go on its way.

I did some research before I shared this information. According to MedlinePlus, "Be careful with the head...a snake can actually bite for up to an hour after it's dead (from a reflex)." I really don't want to ever have to test this fact for myself. I do write this for those traveling to the interior of Suriname or just your backyard to let you know how to handle a snake if there is a life-threatening situation that may cause you to kill it.

Staying away from snakes...

Drink of the Day

Among the variety of fruit drinks that are in Suriname, my favorite is Markoesa (Passion Fruit). When I eat the fruit fresh there is a burst of tangy sweet sourness that delights my taste buds. The drink is not as sour, so most people rather the drink. Below is a picture of me enjoying the delightful drink.

Drink: Markoesa
Brand: Coropina
Produced in: Suriname

Suriname Gospel

This song is one of my favorite songs. I don't know if it is because it was one of the first songs I learned here or if it's just the rhythm. The literal translation of the song is:

God is a good God. Yes He is. (twice) He lifts me up, He turns me around, and places my feet on high ground.

Lesplansie

Last week around this time I went to the interior of Suriname. As stated in a previous post the organization I work with, NAPS, has built a church in the village Lesplansie where we are committed to developing.  From Lesplansie we will branch out to other villages and lend a helping hand where needed. Everything is pretty much done with the church except the windows that need to be put in, a toilet needs to be dug out, and the church needs a good paint job. I think we will do some electrical work, but I don't know much about the details. I was there to cook. While the men were doing the digging I was in the kitchen preparing some good meals. The facilities weren't the best, but you use what you have. 

The Kitchen

The Stove

The kitchen got a little smoky at times, but I step out and get some fresh air so that I can breathe. The villagers work in this kitchen 24/7 and don't seem to be affected by the smoke that flares up from the firewood. The stove was obviously not conventional, but I learned the way to put the fire on high is to add a lot of firewood and fan really good. The way to turn down the fire is to pull out the firewood where just the embers are in the middle and the ends are not touching each other anymore. Life in the interior is simple, sometimes too simple. Over time hopefully through technology and education there will be advancements for the villages.

Enjoying the simple life...

She Is Missed

(source)

BANG!...and a car speeding away was the sound that I woke up to last Wednesday morning at 5:30. Jumping out of bed to find out what happened I saw Mrs. Broija (a dog) limping across the street. All the dogs in the neighborhood started to cry and howl for this crime that a negligent driver had committed. I watched her struggle to keep her head up as she sat on the side of the road. The neighbors came out to see what all the commotion was about. I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't I periodically looked out the window to see if she was okay. The last look was her final breath. She died. I never even pet her (because she was a stray) but I felt so sad inside to know that a dog who always sat on my porch was now dead. I felt that it was appropriate to write about it because her 'husband', Broija, who lives next door hasn't been the same since she left. The house I live in used to be Broija's. When his owners moved away there was a sense of loss. Now about 2-3 years later his wife dies I want the world to know that Broija is hurting too. Dogs do mourn and we should be considerate of there feelings. As for Mrs. Broija, we had a mini-funeral in the backyard. We dug a deep hole and laid her there.

Missing Mrs. Broija...

Sick Car

The entrance to the Academisch Ziekenhuis

Last Thursday the skies were blue, the sun was hot, and a baby was on the way. Of course as a pastoral couple my husband and I had to visit our church member that was due to deliver at any moment. She was in Academisch Ziekenhuis. We arrived at 4:00 p.m. There were practically no cars outside. We figured it was because of the holiday. The woman at the gate wouldn't let us go through. She told us to come back at 5:00 p.m. We found out the hard way that visiting hours are daily from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 5:00-6:00 p.m. If you want to visit someone out of these hours you will not be permitted to do so unless you buy a pass for 11 SRDs that allows you to visit outside of the visiting hours for only one hour. We'll come back!

When we came back it was raining so hard. The parking lots were all more than full. We got wet, but it didn't matter. The visit was really nice. We cracked some jokes, listened for any concerns, prayed, and were on our way. Upon reaching the car we noticed that the headlights were left on. (Uh-oh!) Tried to start the car and the battery was...dead. Realizing our jumper cables were not in the car we called a colleague.

After making the call I realized that there was a man in the car next to us. Of course I had to muster up some dutch, but I definitely mixed it with some sranantongo. I said, "Mi battri dede! Kunt u help me? Yu habi jumper cables?" He said, "mi no habi!" Finally, someone pulled over to help us and the car started. We were on our way. The car is still sick though. It is in need of a new battery. Hope things get better. It's ironic that the car got sick in front of the hospital though!

Caring the car to wellness...