After VBS on Monday we did a prayer walk through Roche Plate. The poverty
was very obvious in the town. Outside of the church grounds many of the
boys were naked. Malnutrition was very noticeable too. As we walked there
was trash on the ground from the World Food Program packages. Many of the
children had the protruding stomachs indicative of malnutrition. Farming is
happening in the area, just not like in the U.S. It is all done by hand.
They grow corn, peanuts, and beans in the same field. This is sometimes in
the same field as coconuts, bananas, and plantains. There are also fields
of sugar cane and I saw one rice paddy. I also saw more pigs today than any
other day. During the walk we had to cross a river (no bridge) and Sharon
was helped across by a young man that had just accepted Christ. In some
parts of the town there is an aqueduct system that was built by the Germans
in 2006. It was a very eye-opening experience for the team members who have
not been here before.
Tom Estridge
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