Roping Toilets

I have shared before that it is customary that just before we leave the US for Burkina, after we arrive, or before we leave Burkina for the US, or just after we arrive things fall apart. In my case it has most often been something with a toilet.

I have become so adept at quickly repairing toilets that I am reminded of a calf roper launching after a calf released from its chute only to be wrestled to the ground with its hooves bound by a rope in what the wrangler hopes is record time. I even raise both hands in victory as I flush the repaired toilet for the first time. I brought a wrangler’s hat with us to Burkina this time so I can more closely resemble my missional avatar.

This time it was an electrical connection in the main circuit breaker adjacent to the meter—it smoked and cut off the current last evening. I was not inclined to work on the problem in the dark, so we ran the generator until midnight. I “pre-cooled” the bedroom as much as possible before we hopped into bed and tried to fall asleep before the room heated to ambient. It worked, almost. When the room temperature rose above 85-degrees I awoke as if a large metal platter had fallen onto a concrete floor. I spent the remainder of the night repeating my prayers until the sun laser-beamed through a slit in the curtains screaming that the night was over.

The circuit breaker reset this morning, although I measured its temperature to be over 160-degrees with my IR thermometer. I have a call into Daouda, our very friendly and capable Burkinabé electrician. We are using as little electricity in hopes of keeping our electrical load as low as possible. While I wait for Daouda, I can see if the voltage regulator for the refrigerator can be repaired and then find the source of the short circuit in the living room lights. Later I can replace the burned-out spotlight and exterior light fixtures. Once I get the two dead batteries in the trucks recharged.

The toilets, so far, are okay.

Daouda has arrived. It will be a good day.