"Twelve Volt Man"

I'm giving Todd full credit for the title of the post this week.

Andy writes:

Ok well, I'm not able to do regular emails today, we could not
get to our regular email place because of the strike. They have
closed off the city of Abymes and Point a Pitre because of the
strike, and electricity has been on and off throughout the week.
Luckily we knew about turning off the water beforehand and were
able to take reserves. The Collings aren't letting the
missionaries out into the cities after dark becuase of mobs,
but sometimes we have to just to go home after dark.
Unfortunately,this is all I can send right now because we dont
have credit atthis place we found. Pray for this strike to
end...its kindaof fun for the missionaries, but a bunch of the
members homes and stores have been broken into, so pray for it
to stop. I'm good though, all is fine. Next week's letter will
be better.

avec amour,
Andy

A little bit about the strike:

Sixth day of strikes in Guadeloupe against high cost of living
Article published on the 2009-01-26 Latest update 2009-01-26 12:10 TU

A meeting is set for Monday afternoon between protesters and
the government of the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe
after six days of a general strike that has shut down the
island’s tourism sector, closed schools and petrol stations.
Strikers are demanding a reduction in the cost of living,
including cuts in prices and taxes.
The strike was organised Tuesday by the Komité kont
pwofitasyon (Anti-profiteering Committee) an umbrella
group that brings together trade unions, political groups
and several Creole cultural groups.
The Committee is demanding that the cost of primary goods
be lowered and that a litre of petrol be reduced by 50 euro
cents. They also want salaries to be raised by 200 euros
and rents to be frozen.
Protesters have been blocking roads since Tuesday. Five
hundred people blocked the Pointe-à-Pitre airport Thursday.
The strike is taking its toll on the tourism industry just
as the high season is starting. Cruise ship operators have
started turning ships away from the island.
Thousands gathered in the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre
Saturday – 8,000 according to the LKP, 25,000 according to
the police.