Do you know how difficult it is to brush your teeth without using running water? I’m here to tell you it is possible, but not easy. While we are in Kenya we are very careful about the water. We purchase bottled water, yes it is available in Tala along with Coke products, weird but true. (We keep it stored in our room temperature bin, otherwise known as a refrigerator, but since the electricity is sporadic and the frig is about 20 years old and rusted at the bottom where bugs have been know to congregate, it isn’t used for keeping anything cold, only a place to keep our bottles of water. Kenyan’s like room temperature drinks, whereas I prefer mine ice cold and with lots of ice! But that’s another story)
Our gracious sister in Christ, Pauline, is also very careful with the water on our behalf. She will make sure glasses are wiped out before serving us tea, plates are dry before putting food on them and when we visit people she makes sure the water has been boiled before we drink the tea – thanks sis!
So for teeth brushing purposes we use bottled water instead of the water from the tap (we only use tap water to wash our hands and shower with and only when the well is working and water is pumped to our compound. At the end of our last trip in 2008 we were without running water for approximately 6 weeks so we had to buy water and use it sparingly for bathing).
I’ve gotten my routine into somewhat of a rhythm in the morning and at night:
- Pour a glass of water – we have cups similar to this one
- Put toothpaste on my brush
- Dunk the toothbrush in the glass of water – one of my many quirks comes out a bit here, I like to put the toothpaste on first then get the toothbrush wet before brushing!
- Brush my teeth
- Spit, rinse with just a bit of water, spit again
- Brush a bit more
- Rinse well this time and spit one last time!
- Then swish my toothbrush in the cup with the remaining water to get my toothbrush clean.
Buying bottled water is an item in our personal budget for living in Kenya since it is a daily necessity. In 6 months we are planning to move to Kenya, Lord willing. We are going to need assistance to maintain our daily necessities such as water. If you’re led to help, you can donate specifically for this purpose by clicking here and choosing “missionary support” from the allocation drop-down list.
As always, we thank you for your prayerful consideration.