Our Bricks Float!

No it's not that we went on a safari for the past 3 days. No it's not that we took a boat ride up the Nile River and saw HUGE hippos and alligators and beautiful birds. No it's not that I go to see a huge bull elephant simply explain to us that he was king of the road and if we did not back up the car he would have to demonstrate his rightful place, no it's not that I'm FINALLY adjusted to the time change and my bowels are overall behaving, and no it's not that, this morning, we went to visit an OUTSTANDING rehab center for children who were captured by the LRA and forced to do terrible things like kill their own parents - though this center is amazing and is a cause that sometimes feels even more important than our stoves, but we all have niches to fill...

OK I'll tell yuh... ... ...

OUR BRICKS FLOAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO!! Im not referring to the toilet again!! I'm serious, our bricks for the stoves we will be making float. This is great! You see they are not reeeeally bricks at all, but ceramic insalation. We went on the Animal safari because we had spare time, because our first batch of bricks hadn't been fired yet and we were just hanging around. So they got fired. The bricks are 2 parts rice hulls and 1 part clay. The rice hulls burn up in the firing prosess, thus making the bricks very porous and therefore insulative (sorry if I've explained this to already - I never have time to reflect on what I've typed after I've typed it). But because there is such a great amount of water-absorbing organic material and because it is the rainy season here, it took forever for the bricks to dry in order to fire them. So finally they were fired - with some coaxing. You see, the brick-makers are truely brickmakers here; they are only now starting to understand why these crazy white people want so much rice hull stuff in the clay, and why we asked them to fire the bricks an extra long time (to drive out allll the water). So after 2 days of cooling we took one of the bricks, in front of the UN (United Nations) even
and hefted it and wondered if it would float. Both my father and I thought they were too heavy. But then water was fetched, the brick was put into a plastic bag, and then into the water and guess what (well you don't have to guess - I already told you!) it floated. It floated sort of like an iceberg, with most of its body below the surface of the water but it indeed floated!
So now perhaps tomorrow we *might* start building stoves. We have also started another brick building site across the street from the rehab center. We will try to have a few bick places so it will be easier to trasnprt them to various camps. Here's the rundown - once again - as to why these stoves are great.

Less fuel therefore it's better for the women and children because they don't have to gather so much wood, also if they have extra fuel they will be more likely to boil water, and its good for the environment. Less polution - better for the women because smoke is the leading cause of blindness here, and it's also better for the lungs, and it better for the environment. Safer than an open fire - in these camps where all the houses are built close together and the rooves are made of grass, fire is a huge worry.

As for the Safari to Murchison Falls National Park - it was awesome and just what the Doctor ordered. I got to relax, read, see beautiful animals - including birds and butterflies, got to eat some good food, heard some wonderful live music played on traditional African instruments and even danced to it.

Every second is a sorry, so ask me questions and for details when I return!

Love,
Christine