making new friends in the village

My host man with his youngest child (girl at left) a granddaughter on his lap, and grandson behind right.

My third trip to the village...  I was on my own.  I left home at 7am and arrived a bit after 8.  I hadn't met the wife the first time because she was at the market.  I heard this and thought she went to get some food and would be home soon, but then she never showed up.  I asked again before I left where she was and they explained to me that she sells vegetables from their garden/fields at the market so she stays there all day.  So we made plans that the next time I would come early and go with her to the market and spend a few hours there with her.  I thought that would give good opportunity for chatting and maybe I'd make friends with some of the other seller ladies there as well.  But when I arrived and met her, the wife didn't seem in any hurry to get going.  After a while I asked if we were going to go.  She said no, there weren't vegetables ready to be sold today.  Um, yeah, another example of being flexible and just going with whatever happens.  I sat and chatted a bit with the family members who were there, and I walked around the courtyard to check up on the animals: chickens, a dog, 2 donkeys, and about 10 pigs. (they definitely aren't Muslims!)
I was excited to learn that "my" family in the village is a Christian family!  So there is only 1 wife, but they have 9 children 3 grandchildren (so far.)
The wife asked if I wanted to go to the garden/field.  She warned me that it was a long walk.  I thought it would be good to see the family business, and the husband was there working so I'd be able to see him again, too.  I'm not exactly sure how far it is, but I'd guess about 2 miles.  Maybe you think that doesn't seem too far, but imagine walking that on rough sandy dusty roads in flip-flops in 105 degree heat and sun beating down on you.  And then doing it again to come back after.

Here is my host woman at the family's garden/fields.  They have a lot of mango trees there and we picked the ripe ones and she hauled them back to town in a big bucket carried on her head.

When we were trekking out to the garden/field we passed some huge chicken barns.  Some of them are for eggs and some raise chickens for meat.  This is the scene we came upon around one corner.  That is a big pile of plucked dead chickens, see them there?  The guys were getting them ready for someone who going to have a big party or event.