We had another great day at the worksite today. All 11 of our team members were back to work, nearly all of us at full speed. There was some rain this morning, but it did not delay us in getting to work. We had our morning prayer by Rico, one of our masons, and Alex helped lead us in devotion. He discussed Mark 12:28- the two most important commandments...Love the Lord your God with all your heart...and love your neighbor as yourself. It put us in the right spirit to start the day.
It's amazing to see how quickly the houses have been coming along this week. As they say, the houses get built with or without us, and it's tough to determine if we slow the process down or not (my guess is yes...) The bricks continue to get higher, the septic holes keep getting deeper, and there are endless piles of sand and dirt to move from one location to another.
A little bit about the houses... Most of the houses are duplexes, and there are occasional single houses. The houses are 450 sq. ft, each with 4 rooms. There are 2 bedrooms and one large room divided by a half-wall. The front is usually a living area, and the back a kitchen area. However, many neighbors run small business out of their homes- a hair salon, and office store, gifts, etc. One woman has a washer in her back room. All of the houses have electricity and running water. There is a back porch that has a 3-basin sink- used for dishes, laundry, etc. There is a small bathroom off the back porch that has a shower stall and toilet. Each house has it's own septic system, which is where a lot of the hole digging comes into play. The septic system has three parts- a septic tank, a sink water run-off, and a cistern of sorts. All of these holes are dug by hand, and often large tree roots or rocks are encountered. This can make it tricky. Each house costs $7,000 to build from start to finish, including labor and materials.
We worked just a half day today and enjoyed the afternoon of cultural exchange. After lunch, a Salvadoran crepe of sorts, filled with chicken and vegetables, we played futbol with the masons. They are so good! There is a large futbol field close to the worksite that we can walk to. They mix up the gringos with the Salvadorans, and it is a little confusing as to who's on who's team. And the field is huge. Most of us had some good field time. Laurie brought her shin guards (good intimidation factor), Tag played in his soccer sandals, and Kevin defended the goal with his steel-toed boots. Al was our dark horse- he ran that ball down the field. It was a great release of energy.
After our futbol game, we returned to the community center. There was a traditional Mayan quartet that played for us. A lot of the music is South American inspired. There were multiple flutes, guitar and drums. They taught us how to dance, too. After the music, the neighborhood children took turns swinging at the pinata. They are pros! During that time, two neighborhood women were making us traditional Salvadoran cuisine- pupusas (cornmeal patties filled with beans and cheeses), pastelito (an empanada-like goodness filled with vegetables) and lechepoleada, a warm rice pudding with cinnamon. Our favorite phrase has been, "Comme se dice 'Yum' en espanol?", which means, "How do you say 'Yum' in Spanish?" The answer, "Yum." Bueno.
After our workday we returned to the hotel for the evening. Some of us splurged for a massage. Lesson for those of you getting a massage in El Salvador- they use lots of oil. I literally slipped on the floor when I stood up.
We had a great team meeting on the rooftop deck tonight. Al and Mel led us in our devotions, discussing hospitality- how we give and how we accept; and culture- differences and likeness. We had a great discussion on how we can bring that home with us, share it with all of you, and invite you to join us on our next trip.
"Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:1-3
Buenos noches, amigos.
No comments:
Post a Comment