Last week we had a couple of surprises.  Gary went out to look for something in a little room out back where we keep tools. etc.  He came back in to tell me to go out and see what was in our tool storage room.  I went out and imagine  my surprise to find 2 little red hens, pictured below:

Our gate guard Dieudonne got them about 2 weeks ago and neglected to tell us about it.  He hasn't decided whether to eat them or to keep them for eggs.  You never know what you will find!

Two more surprises.  Saturday night, the 10th, we left the house a little after midnight to go to the airport.  After we left, our other guard, Fabrice, saw 2 monkeys in our front yard!  I would have loved to have seen them!

Second surprise was not nearly as fun.  One of the guards saw a red snake in a tree that overhangs our yard.  A venomous snake.  He asked permission to lop off the fronds that overhang our yard so the snake cannot "drop in " on us.  Permission granted.

At the missionaries apartment, they killed a bright green snake, a viper,  that was about 4 feet long.  That is the second snake in the last few months so I think we will look for them a new apartment.  They back up on a wooded river area that is probably a great habitat for the snakes.

Gilbert, the last one of the orphans we brought to Bujumbura, was baptized last week!  We are so happy for him---he is a really a likable young man of 18.  He and his sisters have been a blessing for the branch.

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One of the sister missionaries got ill,  and we had to take her to see a doctor.  She became quite melodramatic and had to be helped to the car.  After tests at the clinic, we discovered she has a parasite.  She is now on meds to kill the "beasts."  We learned that when we leave the mission, we will be given a combination of drugs lovingly called "The Bomb" that will kill any inner critter we may have picked up.