Overseas Living

Living overseas often involves changes in one’s daily habits. Activities that before were routine now consume a large part of your day. One activity that I do every day is prepare our drinking water.

We use faucet water to drink, but cannot drink it directly from the faucet. First the water must sit for a minimum of 6 hours to evaporate the heavy content of chlorine, then it is brought to a boil, and after cooling is ready for drinking.

Grocery shopping is also different since we do most of our shopping at the open market instead of a grocery store. There are several grocery stores available but their prices are generally higher. Two or three times a week, I walk to the market to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, cheese and eggs, bread, cleaning supplies, etc. I have to gauge how much to buy since it will have to be carried up the hill back to our apartment.

Once at home, fruits and vegetables are soaked and washed. Some countries have special solutions in which to soak the produce. Here we have been using a solution of freshly squeezed lemon juice and vinegar.

In spite of the precautions, we do occasionally get infected with parasites and have to take pills to eliminate them from our system. For the most part, we thank the Lord for the good health with which He has blessed us. We are also thankful that, in every country where we have lived, our bounteous God has always provided for our needs.