Day 4

We're behind on posting since internet service has been out for a day or two here. Thursday brought more rain in the morning — a welcome event that helped refill the depleted water tank. All of M&S's water comes from roof runoff and they've had an unusual dry stretch this month.

The rain slowed outside work, however. Michael and Eric put up screening on the porch and Susan painted while Liz did activities with the kids.

We all decided that we'd try a trip into the mountains on Friday, hopefully far enough to see one of the community development projects Michael and the Meyah church have been working on. Going to the interior means fueling the 4x4, checking fluids and functions, and charging the satellite phone. There will be plenty of commerce in pineapples and other produce along the way, but not gasoline.

Another project out friends are involved in here is water filtration. They are working with people in the Meyah community to help them setup kiosks to distribute a simple but effective water filter system. Water-borne illnesses are prevalent here and are a leading cause of mortality, often among children. Buying filtered water can become expensive on a typical wage, and these filters have a quick payback. The kiosks provide additional income to some in the community while establishing distribution points both in larger cities and in remote villages.