The bulb that changed our bed time...

As you all know there is not electricity where we live so we tend to live our days around the sun.  This means everyone heading to their homes around 6:30 pm when the sun is down, candle-lit dinners, using flashlights, and falling asleep around 8pm.  A few adults would stay up to an hour in our home after dark to visit from time to time, but it was not very common since it was by candle light.  We then awake around 5:30 am with the sun to start our day again.  We do very well on 9 hrs. of sleep we have found.  On the nights for church service we meet from 4-5:30pm to take advantage of daylight. 

The bulb that made a difference...

Well, our neighbors had the only solar panel in the neighborhood and one Aug. evening decided to extend a cable from their home to ours and instal one light bulb in our living room/kitchen area.  They have given us the gift of light in our home.  They turn it on at dusk and turn it off when we go to bed, since it must be controlled from their home.  This has brought many changes to our home.  After 6:30 pm we can cook without flashlights and candles and the house has become the hangout for many neighborhood kids/teenagers.  The kids that come are our closest neighbors and because the parents can see them playing in our home through our windows now that there is a bright light inside, they allow them to be there after dark.  The younger ones have now learned to play the card game "Uno" (thanks Dan and Vivian for leaving it with us) and come almost every night asking if they can play a round.  They sing songs, read story books, and some hang around long enough that they fall asleep. 

Teenage guys hang out playing games, discussing life issues, or just joking around.  All of this change of course has shifted our bed time.  We now have to kick them out when we want to have some family time and go to sleep.  They are always very respectful and leave right away saying thank you.  Instead of 8pm, it's much closer to 10 or 10:30pm when we fall asleep.  We see this as a very good thing, giving them a safe and healthy place to be in the evenings. 

Four bulbs that made a difference...
In late June a team from Mississippi, who came through the ministry Salt and Light, installed a solar panel and four light bulbs at the local church.  Erick was able to then move the services to 6pm and fortunately more people are able to attend because they now have the time to get home from work, clean up, eat, and arrive.  This has also allowed the teenage guys group to meet at 6pm on Wednesdays, stay after to work on their choreography, and meet again on Sat. nights at 6pm to work on choreography.  A teenage guys group would have been very hard before because of their return time from work and lack of lights to meet.  This also is a very good thing giving these guys a safe and healthy option for two evenings of the week.  Many of them are tempted from a young age to walk down to the next town with electricity and drink on Sat. nights.

We're sure these very development changes happened in your city, just perhaps long ago.  Imagine your current life after dark without electricity.  Adding something like electricity to a community, even in two small places can drastically change ways of life and begin holistic development.  Please be in continual prayer for the potential electricity project for the entire village of Las Lomitas, electricity can bring many good and bad changes to a culture.  Begin to pray for wisdom and balance in the life of the leaders and parents of the community as they may soon be learning how to manage electricity in their homes and village.