And you think we've got it bad.

This is my work:

One of the really cool things about my job is that I get to do research about a foreign country (Nigeria) all day long. Sometimes I get tired of doing google searches, but I must remind myself it's quite a privilege really, and besides, I'm working for the Lord. For example, I spent the bulk of Thursday researching endemic diseases (one of which, schistosomiasis, is caused by snails carrying the disease that attach themselves onto dams. Wow!) and oil spills. I was appalled by what this National Geographic article reports:

"On land, there are oil spills, polluting groundwater and ruining cropland. The government documented 6,817 spills between 1976 and 2001 -- practically one a day for 25 years -- but analysts suspect that the real number may be ten times higher. Old, improperly maintained equipment causes many of the leaks, but oil operators blame sabotage and theft, speculating that disaffected community members deliberately cause oil spills to collect compensation money." http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/02/nigerian-oil/oneill-text

The Niger River Delta in Nigeria is suffering immensely because oil spews over their fields and water sources. Ican't believe that no one is talking about this.

This is my weekend:
I am now two days into my "high-iron diet." Saturday morning, I had quinoa with blackberries. I'd say quinoa is probably the rising star of trendy grains. You know how couscous made it onto the stage a few years ago (at least according to Cooking Light)? I'm pretty sure quinoa will be making it big in the next year or two. It doesn't taste great, but it's definitely palatable -- and it could be that I just don't know how to fix it tastefully. It looks pretty cool anway!

This is a picture of my kale+banana+1/2 apple+orange juice smoothie in the making...

It looks a little weird, but it actually tastes good. The funniest thing about drinking these smoothies is it requires more than just swallowing. I mean, it is made with mashed-up greens so a little bit of chewing is necessary. I made a few popsicles with this stuff and they were quite tasty (if oddly-colored). Yum.

And this is a picture of my eating the prune juice popsicle. The funniest thing about prune juice is that it's brown. I have never drunk any brown fluid other than coke. It's weird.

That is probably the reason that people are turned off by prune juice -- not because of it's taste, but it's color.

I went to Wal-Mart twice today because I got a few of my pictures printed! (--some of which I included in a letter to our friend, the Alaskan chef David! ) You cross under these bridges on the way to Wal-Mart, and I think the vines are pretty cool.

This is my life:

Jesus, Lover of my Soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me O my savior hide,
Till the Storm of Life is past;
Safe into thy haven guide;
O receive my soul at last.

Plenteous grace with thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound,
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of thee;
Spring thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity.