Installing the New Well Pump at Kokosa

July 26th, 2010 Shashamene-Kokosa

Last night I went to bed at 8:30 so when the dogs really started barking at 4:30 I had already slept well and wasn’t too upset with them.  I arose at 5:00 feeling great. I had a short scripture study and prayer with my family.  I was able to read several chapters of scripture before I went down to breakfast at 7:00.  I had a cheese omelet with onions and bread.  I paid for my room 563 ETB ($40 or $20/night) for two nights. Abera showed up with Gemechu and Mulgeta just as I was getting back to my room. They carried my suitcases out. I had one with clothes, one with animal supplies, one with food, a backpack with medicine and toiletries, the semen tank, the bag with my boots and coveralls, and my computer bag.  The Ethiopians must have really wondered what was in all of those bags.

The well for the houses and the "bucket" that was used to get water.

On our way out of town we purchased cement, food and water. I drove with Abera and Mulgeta in the cab and Gemechu, Jamal and Sultan in the back with the pump, cinder blocks and cement. We had a full load.  The ride was uneventful until we reached the farm turnoff.  Negeso called and told us not to even try and drive in.  I wasn’t looking forward to carrying my bags, and everything else for 2 miles.  I asked Abera and he said maybe Jesus will help us.  I was glad that I was driving because I have had a lot more experience with mud. I kept my speed up which meant we bounced through a few places.  There were a couple of scary places where we almost got stuck but in the end we made it through. Abera was right Jesus helped us through.

The new pump being installed for the well.

Abera and Sultan went right to work on the well while Mulgeta, Gemechu, Negeso, Nuritu, Jamal and I gave PGF shots to the Boran cows. We expect them to come into heat within 2 to 5 days and Mulgeta and I will breed them. Towards the end it started raining hard. Negeso jumped in to hold an umbrella over me until Jamal made it with a rain coat. By the time we finished a little while later the rain had slowed down to a drizzle. On the way over we stopped and looked at our water trough problem. Sultan had made a nice rock wall dam so when he finishes the trough should work alright.

We went back and helped with the well.  A couple of times they tried to have me go eat.  I wasn’t sure whether they were concerned with my welfare or wanted to get rid of me.  There were a few times that I caught some major mistakes before they had gone too far.  I think that we will have some amazed people when we try it out tomorrow.

Once they were close enough to finishing that I felt comfortable leaving I went and walked through the cows and cut thistles that were going to seed.  We have a really bad thistle problem here and I am just barely getting the crew to understand it.  I headed back to the house and had a late lunch of tuna on crackers and a smashed banana sandwich.  The bananas bounced around a little too much in the truck.  Abera didn’t like the tuna at all so he had avocado instead.

After eating we tried to get the tractor started but the batteries were dead again.  Apparently the shut off switch doesn’t work. The tractor is only about six months old but between its use on the Alyssa farm and going to get repaired in Nazaret it looks like it has had many years of use.

Mulgeta’s vegetable garden looks very good.  We harvested the beets and will take chard and lettuce with us to the market tomorrow.  I ate some peas, beans, cilantro and carrots.  None of them were ready to harvest but I wasn’t going to wait any longer to try them.  We also have a small yellow squash growing and will soon have tomatoes, onions, and corn.  I didn’t think about it until now but I probably should have cleared the seeds through customs. Oh well I guess the worst that could happen is some edible vegetables could grow wild in Ethiopia. It is 7:00 and almost dark so I will sign off since we don’t have electricity here yet.