A course is a course of course of course! Aug 14th, 2014

We were surprised and excited again today to arrive at the site and see 4 more courses of brick had been laid and 6 men doing a great job. By the end of the day, I think there at least 10 more courses across the back and sides leaving the front to finish.  The 5 boys are choosing their bedrooms.

We were intrigued and in awe at the scaffolding that was set up and the minor amount of wood used to stand on would have made OSHA tremble.

 Again, the girls set to preparing lunch for everyone and I bribed the children to finishing moving the brick pile.  They figured out that an assembly line was most efficient and so we set about to make move the last of the piles.

  It didn’t take long for Dann to realize that John was carrying 4 at a time in a stack.  Not to be outdone, he piled 5, and John playfully responded with 6. I doubt John is anything but tired.  Dann on the other hand has a few more aches and pains as a result of the earlier challenge. 

The final brick found its pile nearer the house and biscuits (cookies) were distributed to everyone.  I am shameless in any place on the globe when it comes to making a child smile.  Everyone pitched in to move the last of the rocks to the interior flooring area and boys took turns wielding a sledge hammer to break them up.  Unbelievable what these kids are willing and capable of.  

Once that was completed it really came down to the brick laying and the men had it covered and there were no extra trowels or room on the tree trunk scaffolds for us anyway. They may have planned it that way.  Though rough in their construction, the engineering aspect of these support platforms were really creative and effective.

Yoweri mixing cement

 Cement continued to be mixed as needed with water retrieved from about 3 blocks away.  Most of the day was spent playing with our group of children and talking with our own kids and house mom from Chayah.

Dann taught the game of Ninja and I taught them a few songs.  

 We make “flutes” from hollow branches and talked about family life.  We also had some one-on-one time with our boys today and a pretty in depth conversation with Janet about their own perceptions of black and white skin.  The Western world and our idea of Jesus’s appearance through print has done a number on both Janet and the kids.  Nothing will be able to keep us from trying to clear some of that up in a family meeting before we leave.

We visited with our grandmother, Ruth,who at 77 can no longer dig in a garden and has no source of income, so food is always an issue for the 6 of them.  She has been raising them for 2 years since her daughter passed away from illness.  At this point if something happens to her, the oldest boy Peter would be able to manage the family.  So dreadfully common in Kakira, is a family headed by a child.  But when there is no one, no relative to be found, no body able or willing to take them in...taking over the head of the family is often the only option.

An additional truck load of sand arrived mid afternoon and ice cream man did not disappoint, showing up to serve 26 flavored ice cones.  

Though we have enjoyed our 2 days in this area, we have other things to accomplish while we are here.  They will work tomorrow while we are meeting with some Compassion children here at the hotel and we have promised the crew a bonus if everything is completed on Saturday when we arrive.  They have said we are pushing them very hard, but I’m not sure if our ideas of a full day’s work is the same as theirs.

We arrived back at the hotel, showered, had dinner and met another ministry director in this area along with getting some pretty great information about building and met a trusted attorney that can possibly help with property purchase and setting up an NGO.

It was another full day and I am exhausted…My doctor would be so proud of all the weight bearing exercise I have experienced carrying rock, bricks, cement and my sorry exhausted self back up two flights stairs each night.  We are filled to the brim with joy and amazement…to God be the glory.  

Night all.