Tuesday, May 29, 2012

SUMMER!!


While making breakfast this morning, I was wondering why I was feeling so hot while standing in front of the waffle maker!  So, I checked the temperature.   97 degrees...at 7 o'clock in the morning!!  Yes, it is summer here in Punjab.


When living in, or visiting a "strange" country, people are often wondering about the weather.  April, May, and June are the summer months for us here.  Most days during May the temperature will be 100 or more.  The weather forecast for next week shows the temperature reaching 115!!


One thing I have observed about the weather, is that it affects daily life here, more so than it does in the US.  Let's face it, mostly in the US, in the summer, people go from their air-conditioned homes, into their air-conditioned cars, to drive to the air-conditioned church, school, office, or Wal-mart!  There are exceptions of course, such as people whose job requires them to work outdoors, but you get my point.  In this country, homes, churches, schools, the majority of shops and businesses do not have A/C.  Even places with A/C have to deal with power cuts, which happen frequently in summers, sometimes for hours at a time.  ((((In the interest of full disclosure, we do have an A/C unit in our bedroom to help us get a good nights sleep...as long as the power stays on!))))

So, what do we do when the temperature is over 100??

1. Get up early and do all jobs that require physical exertion.  I try to get any laundry, cooking, and cleaning done before 10am.
2.  Stay inside during the heat of the day.  The hottest part of the day is between 11:00am until 4:00pm.  If you have to go outside, make sure you take plenty to drink, and wear shoes!  When Ethan was small he ran outside barefoot on a searing hot day, and he came back in with a burn on his foot from standing on the cement in front of the house!  Ouch!
3.  Eat lots of fruit!  When it is so hot, no one has much of an appetite, but we do get delicious fruits here during the summer, like mangoes, watermelons, and lichi.  OK, I have no idea what lichi would be in English...I never saw it before coming to India.


4.  ENDURE!!  This is my summer motto!  Many people have told me, that they could NEVER live in India (or some other place) because of the weather..it is too hot.  The Lord knows that I can't bear the heat, you may say.  I am living proof that we don't have to choose our place of service based on the climate.  Any of you that know me well, know that I do not bear the heat well physically.  I have suffered heat exhaustion many times.  I suffer frequent migraines during the summer, but....BUT..."The will of God will not take you, where the grace of God cannot keep you."  "...My grace is sufficient for thee..."


And...if all else fails....eat ice cream!!!!


2 comments:

  1. In Australia our summer is November through April. It reaches over 100 all the time with humidity. So I know what you're going through! Although May through October it's just beautiful. It was 70F today. I was a. It cold!!

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  2. Eat ice cream! Always a good idea :)

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