Settling in

As I told you, our dear friend, Nu, gave me orchids to bring to Soyo....this is how I received them from her. I packed them carefully in my bag and when we arrived in Luanda, I took them out and put them in my hand carry.  Because the charter flight to Soyo is so small, it is probable that most of our bags will not make any flights with us.  Therefore, I carried them.  Upon arrival in Soyo we go through another 'customs' baggage examination.  When the customs agent saw the plants he said they would have to be confiscated. This could not happen since they were a gift from Nu and because they will be so wonderful at our home and as we pass new ones around the community.  There was both a male and female customs agents examining the bags.  She saw the packages of panty liners that Nu had also given me and she asked what these were.  When the Angolan woman helping Bryan explained to her the use, she requested one packet.  Bryan gave this to her.  The man said that the plants would still need to be confiscated.....and Bryan gave him a packet of panty liners too.  He then let the plants go through.  I'm not sure what he thought when he took the packet home but I'm thankful that the orchids have arrived at their final destination.....our back yard.

What a surprise when we arrived home.  We are blessed with a fabulous gardener.  He turned the barren red dirt into a garden of vegetables and fruit.
We have corn, watermelon, winged beans and green beans from one of the nurses I worked with before, coriander, spinach, gimboa (another leafy green veggie like spinach but much stronger tasting), bananas, chili pepper, cucumbers and cassava growing.  It is amazing!!!  The gardener is fascinated to watch me put the orchids tied inside of coconut husk to grow.....he is eagerly awaiting the blossoms to see what orchids are.

I will be sending pictures of the changes in the garden in the future.  This is so exciting for us.....to see red sandy dirt with a layer of black sandy soil on top (the Soyo version of topsoil) becoming a beautiful and purposeful garden.

Returning to Soyo is such a pleasure and I cannot believe how at home I feel.  Then knowing that I will grow as I watch the garden grow.....is such encouragement.  It isn't easy here......but how these beautiful flowers have made their way through and the vegetable and fruit garden begin to grow....we can be fruitful where we are planted here too.