Wednesday, August 5
Breakfast in the Triplex with Luke & Sarah and we played a few hands of Uno.

Rained again today for a while which is unusual during the dry season. Dave & Luke spent some time with the fish researchers from Cornell. Painting in the afternoon with Luke & Nathan working on the shutters.

Sarah & Grandma did some serious coloring. Keir attended the weekly staff meeting in the evening while we visited with Joanna.

It is great to be able to put Luke & Sarah to bed every night! What a blessing!

Thursday, August 6
The heavy duty painting resumed with Michele, Erich, Luke & Dave. Finished up the yellow on three sides of the house.

Dinner at the Barack Obama Cafe was a bust due to lack of bottled gas. Ate at the Coca Cola Cafe instead and dined in what Sarah described as "... cleaner than the Barach Obama Cafe..." We had the standard Thelander fare of chicken, fish, rice and this time we had French Fries too.

Stopped by the "basket man's" popcorn machine and bought what we call kettle corn in the States as we left Lebamba. We had to wait in line because he was doing a brisk business with his little table top antiquated device. The popcorn was yummy! We checked on the progress of our basket order and were told "... they'll be ready on Thursday..."

Friday, August 7
At 9 AM Dave, Michele, Erich, Luke and Joanna started painting the lower portion of the house (notice a theme here?) Joanna left at noon to help with lunch, Luke left at 2 to play with Nathan, Michele and Erich left at 3; Dave finished painting solo at 5 PM.

Efusa, one of Joanna's Muslim friends, stopped in while we were having lunch. Joanna served her the first peanut butter and jelly sandwich she'd ever eaten. Efusa declared "C'est bon".

Joanna, Sarah, Meladee and Diann shopped in Lebamba with stops at the Pink Store looking for tomatoes (none), the Island Store for apples, onions and garlic - no apples, Peter, the tailor, to check the progress of the ensembles for Independence Day (August 17); stopped at Ose, the tailor, to put in an order for napkins, adjustments on a gift dress of Diann's, and some gifts. Meladee & Sarah "talked" with the goats while they were waiting in the air conditioned vehicle; bought milk from France that has a shelf life till December, butter, powdered milk, pamplemousse and some canned tomatoes and tomato paste; at another store we bought baking white potatoes from Cameroon and yogurt.

Headed home to make dinner and get ready for the presentation by the Cornell fish researchers. About 24 missionaries and residents and spouses gathered at the Kellys for a great educational power point program. It is exciting to know that one of the recently discovered electric fish is being named after Bongolo! Chatted with folks at the gathering , had dessert and left for Thelanders about 9:15. Luke & Sarah quickly prepared for bed. We visited with Joanna & Keir till 10:30 pm and discussed the goings on in Libreville today with the 10,000 demonstrators and government officials.

We continue to be grateful that the Thelanders of Gabon seem content to be in this place at this time.