No news is not necessarily good news!

Six weeks into the power cut and we are still none the wiser as to when to expect the power back. I mentioned in a previous post that we would be looking into solar options. Well we did and having been quoted between 2.5 and 5 thousand pounds for a system that would run a couple of fans and the fridge for 4 hours a day, we decided to stick with the less green, but definitely cheaper, alternative of the generator. We did however invest in an inverter and a couple of massive batteries so that we can store some generator power during the day and sleep with a fan on at night. I'm sure that it's difficult for many of you back home to imagine right now what an enormous blessing this is to us but it is the difference between a restful nights sleep and waking up in a cool, dry bed or a restless nights sleep and waking up in a puddle of sweat (no joke).

Unfortunately, in the last couple of weeks our water delivery efforts have been forced to a stop. To begin with the van broke, requiring a new part that we couldn't get here on the island. Thankfully our team leader was in Germany at the time and was able to bring the necessary part back and the van is back in working order (apart from the rear windscreen which Rich smashed by driving into an open window at our friends house!) However, throughout the water delivery project, the water pump has been somewhat delicate and temperamental and finally last week ground to a halt. After several days working on the engine it was concluded that the pump would not work again. This left us with a dilemma; whilst we have enough money to cover the day to day running costs of the project (i.e. fuel) we definitely didn't have enough money to buy a brand new water pump. However, we discovered that someone, somewhere (maybe the American's?) is giving money to people who are distributing water for free to enable them to buy equipment - fantastic! So now we have a brand new water pump and hoses and are back delivering water around the town. Isn't it great how God provides?!

We have no idea when to expect power back and we hear that when it does come back it will be rationed. All we have to go on is rumours and gossip and we are learning not to listen to them as it gets your hopes up! No one who, one would expect, knows anything is saying anything so we are just persevering and lowering our expectations of power returning to our island anytime in the near future.