Letter # 68 - April 16, 1979

We didn't get around to writing when we were in Freetown a week or two ago. Diana has gotten alot of postcards which she wants to send, but has not written on them yet.

It is the day after Easter. There was a big dance here in Kamiendor on Saturday night, which Diana and I both enjoyed. We don't get out to go dancing hardly at all any more. I guess it is just the married life settling in on us. We are in the midst of a 5 day holiday from work on my project. It began with Easter on Sunday, and will continue to Sierra Leone Independence Day this Thursday. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday is taken up with Bundu Society stuff. It is about all of the young girls who are now joining into womanhood. The town is all full up with people, and there has been native dancing all night long.

Work is progressing slowly and not too surely on my project. Well construction is coming along. It now has concrete walls sunk down to 12 feet deep with about 8 feet more to go. It looks like a big swimming pool. The only thing is that there is not too much water so far. The soil is all clay so far, and so the water comes in very slowly. I am still hoping to be able to hit some good sandy, gravelly soil, but there is no sign of anything like that yet. Work on the well should last for another month, and after that we could begin on the laying of the pipes. The pumping machine won't come until after we leave Sierra Leone.

Diana is out playing Bingo now. Every afternoon here in Kamiendor, all of the teachers, court clerks, and young village men, sit down to play Bingo. Diana wouldn't dream of missing a session. They play for money - 4 cards for 5 cents, with the winner taking all - usually about 60 cents. I usually don't play (because I always seem to lose) and spend that time reading books. They use the Bingo game that we bought in America, for which we get a cut of about 20 cents each day.

That's all for now.

Love,
Donny and Diana