Thunder and water parks
Trip Start
Oct 16, 2009
1
9
12
Trip End
Oct 25, 2009
Santa Ana, Santa Ana, El Salvador
Thursday, October 22, 2009
We also talked about how our stereotypes about 'different people' have all been completely shattered. They are smart, literate, gifted, and so very devout. This morning, one of one of our masons led the devotion. Here's this little man who knows about three English words, and he told the story about Jonah and how he tried to run from God. As you probably recall, he was finally swallowed by the fish and figured out that he better make tracks for Nineveh. How many times do we look at what God has so obviously put before us to do, and say, 'Nope, not today" or "not me"?
It was another scorcher day on the work site, and the seven new housing units we're working on are really taking shape now. We saw clouds and heard thunder, but it never rained. There's been about a million tons of dirt, sand, gravel, and rock shoveled and hauled from one point to another. Today, some of us got to paint the interiors with a primer called "cal" that sort of seals the surface of the block and prepares it for paint. It's getting close, but we probably won't see any of the units we've been constructing be finished. I learned today that one of the assistant masons who was hired by the local Habitat affiliate is educated as a technology expert, but he can find no work. He and his family live in a Habitat house in the village, and he's now earning $7 a day for his work.
DeCarlo, one of the partner dads of the unit we've been working on, had all sorts of questions (in Spanish) about where exactly we lived in the US. He knew more geography than we did! We are also seeing that many families are single moms and kids because dad's in the US or elsewhere making a living, or Dad was a victim of the civil war here.
We knocked off early today and made our way into the mountains where a waterpark had a hot spring pool. We did not hesitate to change out of our dusty, painted, hot, sweaty clothes and into swimsuits. That was a great stop. We loved every minute of it.
Tomorrow, we will work at the site until noon, have another party with the locals, and head to San Salvador to spend the weekend on R & R. This has been such a life changing experience for us. Everyone has some sort of revelation throughout the day. What a team we have become! Here I'm today's blogger, and words are failing to convey the cohesiveness of the group, the togetherness, the fun.
On to another day...thanks for reading!
Grace Rossman
Comments
Vaya con Dios
I will be praying for you all today. I always find this to be the most difficult day of the week. I am sure many tears will be shed. Tears of love and thankfulness. Tears of sadness and realization. I pray that God is with you and the community today as you say your goodbyes.
Vaya con Dios,
Natalie
Re: Vaya con Dios
Hey there, How are ya? Thanks for following the blog. We should do this when we all return to Guatemala in April.
I am planning a good session tonight for everyone. Wish you were here!
Rusty