Here comes home #22...

Last week we hosted Ritchie & Decca Singletary and their friend Barry Cook from Dothan, AL. The first four days of the week Decca worked in the aids department of our public hospital. 'Public' means that the care is almost free, but it also means that the hospital has very little of what a normal hospital has. Supplies are almost non-existent and because of low or no pay the services are very limited, as well.

Meanwhile Ritchie, Barry, Will, and myself busied our selves trying not to get stuck in the mud as we raised house #22 from the foundation to the roof. It was a tough week...trudging through the mud and getting soaked by the rain everyday didn't help, but these guys were determined to build a house and they didn't allow the weather to stop them. By week's end Decca was shoveling right alongside the rest of us and the house did get built. In the process Ritchie, Barry, & Decca made many new friends and impressed the entire village with their 'can-do' attitude! Thanks team Alabama!!!

This scaffolding only holds guys Ritchie's size!

Barry readies his 'cement volcano'!

Ritchie makes sure there's no air pockets in our cement header!

Now the fun part...Barry's volcano is ready for mixing!

The finished product, ready for the family!

Tomorrow I'll get a close up of the house and a picture with the family in front of the house. I can tell you now they are thanking God for a blessing they never thought possible. Never does such hard work feel so good as when you're giving a family a new start on life!