Grandma's visit

Here are some pictures of when my mom was here. Unfortunately, I didn’t get as many as I would have liked. But here’s what we got nonetheless.

My friend, Sali, whom we’ve talked about in our update letters, came to greet my mom while she was here. Greeting is a big thing here. Big. I mean, you greet when some family visits, for a death, for a wedding, for a baby, and even for sickness. Anyway, so Sali walked 2 hrs one way to say hello to my mom. Her daughter, Wasa, really took to my mom. I must say I was kind of glad because as I walked in from the hospital that day and saw Sali in our yard, she was trying to wipe Wasa’s bottom from the poop she had just done, yes in our yard. And Wasa didn’t have underwear. And no her bottom wasn’t cleaned really well. So yes her poop got on my mom. But at least she got to play with the pretty little girl. I have so much trouble with the holding of kids here because they don’t have diapers. When I visited before I would think- who cares if they pee on me? No big deal, I’m showing love if I let them pee on me. But now, living here, and having kids pee on you on a regular basis, I feel like there’s not much showing of love in it. I mean, the moms get peed on every day, multiple times a day. They don’t see it as a bad thing so they don’t see the “sacrifice” I’m making to let their kid pee on me. But it’s not even that really. What really got me was one day I was visiting Sali and holding Alasain (her twin boy that died one week after we took them back to their village). The chairs here aren’t great and it was one that leaned back very far. So he peed on me (every time I held him he would pee on me) but this time because of the angle of my seat , it when down my legs and right into my underwear. (can I write that on a blog?) But it was all I could do to sit there for a few more minutes and not just get up and run home. So I sat and then I did run home and jump right in the shower. Peeing on my shirt is one thing, but going to my underwear just reaches a new level. And since then, I can’t hold babies much. I know I need to get over it. But anyway, this was supposed to be about my mom.  So we had a nice little visit with Sali and Wasa…and then sanitized all the toys that Wasa had sat on…

There’s a pool on the way to Bamako, about 2 hrs from Koutiala. So often we stop there during trips to get a break. It’s nice to have a time of refreshment in between the hrs in the car, especially when the A/C goes out, like it did on our car ride.

 

We are so thankful grandma came and can’t wait for her to come back!!