2 Pierce children, sleeping in late after their three days with the Masso family

5 staff members, showing up in our living room by eight

350 students, assembling at 8:30 to voice their grievances; to listen and to be heard

100 students, staying on in the assembly hall for the weekly “fellowship” church service

1 David, preaching (by surprise - who knew he was the guest speaker?) to said students

20, big boys gently mocking the service from the back row

1 Annelise, getting in their faces

6 adorable staff kids showing up to play dress-up on our front porch after lunch

2 team leaders coming to lend moral support

25 boys, girls and staff playing volleyball with the novice annelise while all around students kick footballs, jump rope, read, study, chat and giggle

100s of hacking coughs from the my still thick-with-yuk chest

2 meals eaten by David in the student meal line — waiting patiently for his portion of sticky cahunga with beans; checking for quality and quantity, listening for complaints.

3 staff members, David included, “on duty” for the day, supervising students through their evening preps (homework)

Dozens and dozens of dishes, washed and dried and put back away

2 meals, cooked from scratch and eaten with gusto

1 frog hopping through my kitchen as I finished evening dishes in the almost-dark
1 scorpion, hiding among the goods in my pantry as I returned things to their places

1 ice-cold shower in the coldness of the African night - somehow fortifying me for the day ahead

And I hope, I pray, that hundreds of prayers are going up for all of us who live in this place . . . . .