Dachshund Project…the proof is in the…puppies!

We are about to find out if our idea was a good one or not!

While in the States this summer, we invested in some dachshunds to bring over to Cambodia with us when we returned.  Our thinking was this:

1.  Dogs are very poor in health in Cambodia (just like the humans) and so ex pats, business families, missionaries, or even Cambodian families are not able to find healthy dogs to buy except there are pure bred German Shepherd’s, Labs, and Golden Retrievers.  The people breeding those dogs are able to sell them and add to their income with each litter.

2.  Crime is on the increase and apartment dwellers don’t have the room for those bigger dogs, so we feel there might be a market for small, healthy alert/security dogs.

3.  If all else failed, we still have dogs that our own family enjoys.

Well, we will be the first one to admit that we didn’t think this thing through as well as we should have.  Both of our females came into season at the same time.  I thought that our male dog was going to die.  He wouldn’t eat…he wouldn’t rest…he had only one thing on his mind!  We didn’t even want our short hair dachshund to be bred in her first season, but we underestimated our male’s determination!

So both came into season at the same time, and both were bred.  That also meant that we had two grumpy, cranky females at the same time.  We even had some rip roaring fights!  Mark solved most fights by CAREFULLY picking up the snarling females and putting them both into the fish pond.  chuckle chuckle

We studied and prepared as much as we could.  We have never had a litter born like this and so it was all new territory.  We read in our Dachshund handbook that the average litter was 4 and then on the internet it suggested that it was quite common for one pup to be stillborn or to lose one.  Mark also had to go to the metal shop and have whelping boxes/kennels specially made.  Nothing like that is available for sale here.

On November 29th, Windy Day, our short hair dachshund gave birth to five healthy, chubby puppies.  All of them were perfect and precious!

Then on December 5th, Dubby Day, the long hair dachshund, was not to be shown up and so produced an identical litter of five perfect pups!

So we found ourselves with 10 puppies…when we were thinking that we might have 5 or 6 total.

Trouble increased when Windy contracted Tick Fever.  Medicine was available for her but it made her milk toxic and the pups had to be weaned immediately.  We found ourselves hand-feeding five little bitty pups.  It was fun for only the first feeding!  Windy wasn’t in the whelping box to keep it clean so we were doing all the duties of momma dog.

Windy then had further trouble when she developed mastitis and an open abscess on one of her milk glands.  We almost lost her.  Are we having fun yet???

Trouble increased again when Dubby Day developed a bladder infection and now her pups had to be weaned.

Today we took our pups for their first shots and for deworming.  Both litters are weaned off their mommas and so we figure that a new owner can take care of them as well as we can.  So we have put up our first flyer at the vet’s office with cute, cute dachshund pups for sale.

Please pray with us for 10 good homes for these pups!  Proceeds from the Dachshund Project will be used to support the ministry.  Coincidentally the annual rent on the Bykota House dorm is due on February 1st.  God is able to bring the needed rent to us in any way He chooses, but 10 happy homes with a new puppy is one of those ways.

Breathing in, Breathing out,

Rhonda

 

Crying over kitten food

Having just got back from a visit to the States, I must confess to you all.

I went to WM the first time in Kentucky. I am walking along there with my good, good friend and we are chatting away. I am staying at her house and she keeps saying, “ANYTHING…anything you want or crave…throw it in the cart. ” But it was like I wasn’t craving anything. Finally at the register, I threw in some peanut butter cups. Big WOW! I was doing fine.

I enjoyed how lovely and clean it all was. The choices…it was almost like I had forgotten that some things even existed. I noted that prices were higher and such. But I wasn’t overwhelmed…I was fine. I thought “What are those international missionary gals talking about? For heaven’s sake…I did fine. Just fine. This is just a big much ado about nothing.” Previously, all the other missionary women had told me to expect that going to Walmart was going to be a big, big upset. They told me to expect to wig out. Then 3 days later, my friend is at a meeting and I am in her van and going to WM by myself. This time, I am over the jet lag and I am armed with a shopping list of things to buy for my teenage girls. On the way to WM…I realize that I may not have had some trouble with the speed my dear friend was traveling…but when it is ME behind the wheel of the van doing the driving…WOW! It seemed alot faster!

 So I was much relieved when I got to the store. I pull in and start right off in trying on a belt for myself. That is AFTER I found the belts. I was a little confused and kept thinking…belts are normally right by the purses….okay, purses are?????? Finally I ask and then I get there. I try on all the belts…glorying in the fact that they have them in my size (I am size 12 but that is HUGE for an Asian) and so I pick one out. It never even occured to me to buy another. One was enough. Now that I am back in Asia, I am thinking….”Why did I buy just one!?!? I was there….I had the chance.” But no…I can’t explain it to you.

Then I step over to the make up aisles to get DD 18 some foundation and powder because they don’t have our colors here. She has even saved the packaging of what she needs to make it easy for me. Well, it didn’t make it easy. Even in a WM there are many make up brands, different types in the same brand, and then there are colors to pick through. My mind felt about to explode over it all. But finally, I find the TWO items that I am sent for and then can’t get out of that section fast enough.

Then I try to find the Ladies undergarment section for DD 16. Again I get lost and have to ask direction. (What has happened to my WM radar??? Why can’t I find the things I need?) I get over there and BOOM! There are all sorts of different brands and specials. Well, I quickly toss the idea of getting the best price. I just want to find the item that I need!!! There are bikinis, briefs, hi cut briefs, packaged thongs, sporty bikinis, hipsters, (what the heck are hipsters????) and they are all in the assorted sizes. I have been instructed to find size 4 bikinis. Well, I find size four in all sorts of styles but not bikinis. Then I find bikinis in all sizes but four. FINALLY…FINALLY (where are all those employees in blue vests…no one is offering to help me!) but I do find them. I buy them. I get almost out of that section and I turn around like the store is on fire and rush back to buy another package. Don’t want to leave without enough of that item.

 (Subsequentely back in Asia, my dds both say to me…Why two packs of underwear, one would have been enough…but the other dd says, you only bought me ONE foundation????? Can’t make some folks happy no matter what! Geez!!!)

 Then I remember that right before I drove off, my friend’s daughter came running up with a new kitten. My DF asked me to pick up a litter pan, litter, and some cat food. “Something cheap” she says. I then go over to the pet food aisle and try to figure out those things. Cat pans are easy…there are two…one big, one small…so I get the small one. Then I turn to the food and first off I read signs about deaths due to bad cat/dog food and all that. About 15 minutes later, I have made my choices and THEN a person in blue walks by and I realize that I am sniffing. Omigosh! I am crying…tears are going down my cheeks and I didn’t even notice. I try to get myself under control. I start scolding myself left and right. AND I realize that I think my blood sugar is dropping and I need some food.

 I then hobble to the corner of the store but I don’t find the Deli. Instead I find nothing but donuts. I ask and find out that the Deli is in a totally different corner. I come up to the Deli counter and because of my red hair and coloring, it is obvious to all that I have been bawling. The Deli lady comes up and asks for my order. I order some chicken tenders and she packages it while exchanging some concerned looks with her co workers. Then she hands it to me and asks quite gently, “Is there any other way that I can be of assistance to you?” No telling what she is thinking. She may be thinking I have been abused in some way. How can I tell her it was the kitten food? I vacillate between telling her I am just in from Asia or just saying “No, thank you.” “No, Thank you” wins out and I make my way up to the front of the store.

I get up to the check out line and I think I am almost done. Then a lady in charge tells me that with my low number of items, I must go through the self checking aisle. I gaze at all the buttons and procedure check list and about melt into the floor. I try to go to another aisle and she says, “Please Maam’, this aisle.” I quickly just mumble something about I forgot something and go dodging down the checkouts and then duck into a different one when her head is turned.

 Out in the car….I eat my chicken and wait for my shaking to stop. When the view in the rearview mirror tells me that my red whelps are fading and I go back to my friend. I only make one wrong turn and get there and by this time, I look completely normal. No one is the wiser. During my time in the car, I asked forgiveness for my prideful attitude. I have learned out to be content (most of the time) with little…but I have only begun to learn how to be content in abundance.

Breathing in, Breathing out,

Rhonda