Will's Update (Tullahoma) PT. 3

During days 3 & 4, we were able to work at the site for the house.

Day 3 was !!!BRUTAL!!! We were all stoked in the morning to finally go out and try to complete as much of the work as we possibly could. When we arrived at the worksite it became really hot. The ground was all broken up and the footers were dug for the foundation so all we had to do was pour the footers. Easy right???? NOPE. We had to mix our own concrete....without mixers. When you mix concrete down here you have to sift sand, pile it up in an isolated part of the worksite, dump concrete mix on it, then water, and then you start mixing it on the ground by shovel. That seems like it takes forever because as you mix it you have to prevent the pile of mud from losing any water. Once the concrete is mixed you take it by the bucket full and pour it in the ground. Once the bottom layer is poured, you have to take rocks and place them by hand on the concrete in two rows. After you finish the laying down of the rock, you have to pour another layer of concrete.

Halfway through the day of work Alejandro (one of the men overseeing our work) and Tim brought another load of blocks for us to unload. It was Tim and I along with some of the bigger youth and by the time we had unloaded all of the blocks we were all drained. None of us could work anymore. I went to the tent that we all had set up for breaks and I drank the most water I ever had in one sitting. I looked over and Tim was sitting on top of the blocks with a towel over his head slumped over, the youth were just all over the place sitting on the ground, and the rest of the group was pretty much like us. They were either sitting or moving real slow trying to mix more concrete. Everybody was physically drained. Eventually, Bob and Andy decided we all had to leave.

Day 4 was practically the same. We arrived eager and excited to work, then left completely drained and exhausted. For part of the workday, most of the women went to an even poorer part of the area and evangelized. After they returned and worked for the rest of the day we were once again all drained. I went to the tent and realized we were out of water so Joyce had me run to a pulperia and purchase another 5 gallon bottle of water. At the end of the day we had half of the bottle left so Joyce told me to return it to the pulperia owner so that she could use the water. I returned, gave her the water, and as soon as I left God laid it on my heart to talk to her about Christ. I returned with Bob and it turned out that she and her entire family were Christians. Whenever I have seen her after, she calls me brother! Pretty cool huh!?

Part 4 will be next.

Thank you all!