Third World

For those of you who have not lived in a third world country let me tell you of a typical day. Before bed last night the electricity went out so we had to use flash lights and climb the pitch black stairwell to our third story apartment. It was a good thing that we purchased wind-up flash lights so we can see in our apartment and the stairwells

We lit candles, cooked on our propane stove and ate our dinner. The electric power was out for the remainder of the evening until we went to bed. The water also had stopped flowing so we had to use a water pail to bath with after heating it up on the stove. Yes, we do have to store water in plastic jugs just in case the water is out, some to bath with and some for cooking and drinking. In the night the power went back on and we had a few light switches left on so we had to get up and turn the lights off. The water is not pure that comes through the pipes into the apartment so we run it through a three filter system, or boil it. The water stops running sometimes multiple times a day and other days it is running all day long. It is the same with the electricity.

We woke with the electric power off again this morning and it was out for 4 hours before it came back on.

We have electric heating and cooling units on the top of the wall so when the electricity is out we are without heat/cooling. But we also have a portable propane heater and the stove is also propane. They have small tanks and we have to carry the 8 and 12 gallon (my estimate) tanks from our apartment, down the stairs and a block away to get the tanks filled. The propane station is a little hole in the wall place that we get the propane tanks filled. The man who runs the store also lives next door on the second floor. Once when we went to get a tank filled there were some other people shopping at the clothing store next door and they yelled up at the propane service man’s apartment until he came down and filled the tank.

Oh, we also did our missionary work in the mean time. We went with the missionaries to teach some lessons, several. Did a little grocery shopping at the treag for fresh fruit and vegetables (they are really good) and other items at the small stores. Elder Smith worked on the Church finances, it is tithing settlement time, and emails to the YSA Coordinator in Germany and the Maintenance Coordinator for the Center for Young Adults in Kosovo. They are helping us get the Center a computer, internet, heating and cooling, furniture, games etc.

By the way we came home after being at the church, and the electricity was out again but went back on in an hour but then the water was off. Not sure we will get a shower before bed in 30 minutes.