Rat Patrol

It's the middle of the night here in the country of South Africa as I sit on 'rat patrol'.  We are in South Africa to have our car repaired from the ravages of the trip to Nampula and back.  I've been generally satisfied with the Toyota dealer in Maputo with the exception of air conditioning repair, so we decided to run it to South Africa as we've had very good luck with a Toyota dealer there and we will be driving to Johannesburg next week for a world-wide church planting conference that we are participating in.  So, while we wait on the car (it's a couple of day job because we are waiting on a brake master cylinder from Durban), we are in Nelspruit to check the OMS mailbox and to run many errands to obtain things we can't get in Mozambique.  One example is motorcycle parts for our church planters in Gurue; those parts are on order now also but due in tomorrow.  

We're staying at Mercy Air, a missionary aviation ministry which has a number of nice places (guest houses) that they rent out to visiting people, mostly missionaries, who are in the area.  We have stayed here in the past as it is so very peaceful, the facilities nice, the people wonderful, and the cost is very inexpensive. 

Tonight I fell asleep while Ann was taking a shower, only to awaken when something bit my finger - I tossed it off and it was a rat!  It scurried under the door to the back.  Debate - tell Ann or not - the skin is not broken, fortunately, but the teeth marks are plain.  Ann comes out and there is a toad hopping along the edge of the floor and then she goes into the front room and there is a huge millipede.  I definitely don't want to tell her about the rat now or she won't sleep!  I do tell her to snuggle in under the sheets and make sure her hands are covered (she assumes it is about mosquitoes!).

So, about an hour ago (it is 244 in the morning here), she starts awake in her sleep (and I'm sleeping a little light also, with my hands definitely under the sheets) - something was nibbling her ear - the rat is back and it runs across her head, across the bed  - and I see it out of the corner of my eye and it scurries under the door again, leaving a little black calling card on the sheets.  She is really not happy and there is no way to make this funny now, so, I admit my bit finger and my dear wife is not too happy that I didn't tell her!  So, I find some metal baking sheets in the little kitchen area and block the bottom of the door - building a small metal barricade.  

It's a little disheartening to have rats trying to nibble our tired bodies a piece at a time!  In my old life we used to talk about big jobs and refer to them as elephants and how we would eat the elephant one bite at a time.  I guess rats know that expression also.

No, it was not a mouse - definitely not - it was a Sophie-sized rodent (Sophie is our precious dachshund - chihuahua dog now living with our oldest daughter).

So, a new experience for us.  I've seen rats many times in and around the city, but never inside.   I'd also never given it much mind thinking about small children sleeping on grass mats in reed houses.  I've heard stories of such things - people losing fingers in the night - but have always been a bit skeptical - not anymore!

Blessings to all of you this night.  I think I can retire my 'rat watch' as he hasn't come back through the door and I think my barrier will work for the night.  We hope to be heading back to Maputo tomorrow as the car is supposed to be ready then.  Ann is sleeping peacefully now - I know her breathing patterns so well after all these years.  I think I can sleep now - hands under the covers.  Ann has a towel over her head - I wonder if I can sleep that way?

"His eye is on the sparrow, so I know He watches me..."