Stop, look, and listen

Sometimes I wonder why I have expectations on how a day is going to be...they rarely end that way.

I went up to the clinic today to move a few things, talk to Oscar about a few things, sit in on a meeting, see how the fence is coming...that was supposed to be it. I should have known better.

The wall is coming along nicely. This picture might provide a slightly better vantage point of what we are working towards (taken from the mission house door), and should accomplish in a week or so. There will be more grunt work being done this week still that will not show up in a picture of the wall being done. Here you can see the pre-fab concrete wall going up even more...and Jorge welding in place a mesh fence...for protection from someone falling off more so than to protect from someone climbing up (that part will come in when the serpentine wire goes up there)



Fernando got the job of painting the sides of the container with asphalt. As you can imagine, this is an easy, trouble free, and clean job.


The fire is necessary to heat the asphalt to keep it soft enough to apply like paint.





When you are working construction and there are four of you...and your wives, daughters, girlfriends, nieces, aunts, or other female relatives do not bring you lunch...you order Chinese food here. Complete with the requisite tortillas of course. Here you can see Nahum greatly enjoying his food via the tortilla utensil. And of course why drink water when Coke is available...cut a few old bottles in half and you have glasses for everyone. Complete with old box as dining room table.



As it turns out...I had to wait for Valerie...who as typical for her was supposed to leave at noon to rest and ensure her longer term longevity but stayed almost two hours late to see a patient, and somehow continue working. So while I patiently waited, I chatted with the guys while they ate. There really is not time here to discuss Jorge’s take on different nationalities and his take on their strengths/weaknesses...it was...oddly entertaining.



The meeting that Laurie called to discuss the future of the milk project and possibly branching out into other neighborhoods was great...especially to see so many volunteers and people like Marlen and Amanda who can not help on a regular basis but want to give input and help where they can be there. From just a few years ago where one person handled everything to see a deeper reach into the children’s lives for a greater impact for Christ...pretty cool stuff.




And then of course...just standing there, boom, Valerie finds more to do as she so often does...taking time to talk to Doña Albertina and help her in a way only Valerie seems to be able to do.

Just a normal day. And that is just what I saw when I did not have my blinders on doing my own thing.