Invasion!

One of the basic parts of life here by Lake Victoria is the presence of lake flies.  These flies are not present at all times, but there are days and times when they very much make their presence known.  Every so often we look out across the lake and see a funnel cloud – or smoke cloud? – hovering above the water.  No, it’s not God.*  At least, I don’t think so.  It’s lake flies.

Usually the house where I’m staying doesn’t get affected by the flies.  We’re further from the lake and not in the direct line of flight, I suppose.  But the other morning we awoke to discover them… everywhere. 

At school, which is beach-front property (can you say that when you can’t touch the water due to illnesses present?), everything was COVERED.  Desks.  Walls.  Chairs.  Floors.  We postponed class for a bit till we could get things swept out, but it’s hard to get rid of the ones still flying around your head!

Yuck!!!

Woohoo!!!

The kids, being extra-ordinary missionary kids who live into every opportunity presented them, moved from not wanting to touch the insects in the morning... to running through the swarms with mouths open during break time, competing to see how many they could catch in their mouths at one swoop.  Seriously!?  (I heard they taste like ants… and like candy.  Those two reports seem a bit different conflicting to me…)

I wanted to seize the opportunity for learning and study the little creatures, but due to power cuts I couldn’t print, show a video, or do anything else to help aid the process.  So we went on with our regularly scheduled programming planned lesson topics. 

The next day, though, when they were still prevalent, I realized I had my chance.  We collected the little buggers in containers and covered them with plastic wrap to observe.  Then we used magnifying glasses to draw them in detail.

Later we even learned about the life cycle.  The kids were amazed to learn so much about the crazy little things… and so was I, to be honest!  (How CAN an insect this small really lay up to 3000 eggs in a sac at one time during their one-day adult life?  Craziness!)

Turns out parents learned a lot too! 

Life is getting back to normal again – with a few more black dots littering the ceilings and walls of our rooms.  But I’m glad for working power (at just the right moments for printing), internet (for making little-known information available to kiddos), and for a God that knows what He’s doing.  Even if I don’t quite understand why we need these little creatures flying around our heads and into our mouths at every moment. 

More questions for heaven?

(*Genesis 1:2)