October = Suicide Month

Baking. Blistering. Boiling. Brutal. Burning. Cruel. Fiery. Flaming. Oppressive. Piping Hot. Red-Hot. Roasting. Scalding. Scorching. Searing. Sizzling. Steamy. Sticky. Stifling. Stuffy. Sultry. Summery. Sweaty. Sweltering. Thermal. Torrid. Tropical. Warm. White-hot.

They call the month of October in Zambia "Suicide Month" because the heat is so outrageously hot, and there's nothing you can do about it! Many have tried different techniques to become cooler in this dry, hot month. First, we PRAY. We pray for the rains to come and soon. Some have decorated their windows with aluminum foil to retract the heat. Putting blankets over the windows so the sun does not come in. Placing fans in front of the windows to pull in what little breeze may come by. Constantly taking a COLD shower to cool yourself off. Drinking at least 8 GALLONS of water! Laying on the concrete floor because that's the coolest place in the house. Going to restaurants just to get some air-conditioning. Putting ice packs on your body as you try to sleep. Taking another COLD shower cause you're hot again. Eating very little cause no one wants to turn on the oven. Changing clothes every few hours cause the ones you're wearing are wet from sweating. Staying in the shade when you're out and about. Keeping all windows open, but keeping the screens closed because of mosquitos.

Right now as I'm typing this blog, it is 86 degrees F INSIDE my house, and a cool 78 degrees F outside, according to our fancy, digital thermometer...AND it's 11:00PM (that's right, nighttime)! As we enter the month of November, we hope that the rains will begin soon. October was a loooong, HOT month!