Drying Out

from Katherine
It is not the kind of drying out you might think of first. It is the drying out one does after the roof blows off in a storm.

It rained Thursday. It was heavy at times. The rain continued Friday, but fortunately slowed to a drizzle for our youth group braai (BBQ).  Saturday arrived with more heavy rain, gale force winds, flooding and COLD temps for our area. That continued into Sunday. The sun shown for about an hour Sunday afternoon then we had a repeat of Saturday night.

I am happy to say that it is Monday, the sun is shining and there is a steady “drying out” breeze. There are many homes here that have thatched roofs or corrugated metal roofs held down with cinder blocks. When we have a big storm lots of roofs blow away.

On my way to ministry this morning I saw many families (unfortunately, many children were kept home from school to help) taking everything out of their homes and setting it out to dry. Where does it dry? On a ladder that was leaning up against a building with no roof, a mattress placed on Coke crates, blankets thrown over fences and clothes arranged on any bush strong enough to hold the weight.

Interesting enough the folks I saw were smiling and waved as I passed. Neighbors who fared better were helping the ones who did not. Boys were hammering the bends out of the tin roof pieces so they can be used again.  The thatch will be dried out and retied. Nothing will go to waste. Just another day in Africa!