Electricity

When we began moving into the village we live in nearly 5 years ago, we had talked candidly about the idea of electricity coming our way…way in the future.  When we returned to the village this past summer Chuck was out in the bush with a man from here and noticed some concrete markers.  He asked what they were and was told that they are for electric poles.  We thought wow it might just happen within the next 5 or 10 years.  Then early in January we heard of a meeting that happened regarding electricity coming.  Again we thought ok maybe within 2-3 years it will come.  Often times there is a lot of talk and not much action going on here.  But another week later there was another meeting in the village about electricity.  Some of the ladies actually came to get Valerie and I to attend it.  We went along didn’t understand much as it was in the local trade language.  We could follow some of it and were later able to ask questions to the officials from the electric company.  When we asked them when the poles would be coming in they couldn’t give an answer.  It was all very vague.  Again we thought that it would be a lot of talk and little action.  Then just 3 days later these were delivered to the village!  And there were piles left along the road to the village.  Amazing to see the poles here already.  That was about a month ago.  Just this week poles have been moved to the last village on the line.  And just today men were in here digging the holes of the poles!  Just maybe it will get done before the end of dry season!

 

 

 

This will be a huge blessing and savings for the Easton’s as they build and set up their home in here.  If it gets installed sooner rather than later then they will be able to use the electricity to help build their house in the Fall.  But even if that doesn’t happen, they will be able to plan to use town electricity to power their home.  What a blessing that will be.  Electricity in the Philippines is often inconsistent.  There are often “brown out’s” (no power for the day) and times where typhoons cause damage to the lines.  But with a back-up system of batteries it will be a wonderful thing to have.

But we do know that it is going to change the lives of the Ga’dang people.  They already have access to generators and use them to power movie players and charge cell phones and flash lights.  But we can see it bringing more of the outside world in too.  We are praying the karaoke machine doesn’t return! (There was one that was run off a generator a few years back!)

Please be praying that the progress will continue in this project.

On a funny note, Chuck asked 2 of the guys today what is the first thing they will buy when they get electricity.  The first guy said, "a washing machine!"  He's single and doesn't like washing his clothes by hand.  The other guy said, "a robot cook!"  He too is single.  I think he needs a wife.  They sure got a chuckle out of the conversation!