Working Hard

We got off to a late start today due to a puncture in the bus tire. That happened during yesterday’s trip to Sulaco, but thankfully didn’t flatten until after our return to Esquias.

We enjoyed a nice rain last night. The accompanying lightning and thunder cut the trip to the park a bit short, but we definitely enjoyed the rain and the coolness it brought. Everyone agreed that last night’s sleep was better.

Now, picture a gravel road in Iowa and you need to dig through it with a pick-ax and shovel. That was what our group had to do today. It was a daunting challenge to keep digging through such hard material, and even a bit depressing when we’d check the distance covered, which didn’t seem much. However, we celebrated when the group got to move down the road and start in another spot. It was a small victory, but we appreciated it nonetheless.

Originally, we had planned to pour a cement floor for a poor family in Esquias. Julio & Carlos suggested that we choose a very poor family in El Picacho instead. So a family with 6 children will be getting 2 rooms of concrete floor during our mission trip. Today chaperones and students worked in shifts on trench digging. Others worked on the cement floor. We plan to give everyone a chance to make cement by hand because it’s a unique experience. The forms have been laid for the flooring and a little base cement is in place. Our team will pour the bedroom floor tomorrow and then do another little room for the same family.

Today’s lunch consisted of pescado (fresh fish fried with the heads on), fried plantains, red cabbage and vinegar, and tortillas. It is a time-consuming meal to eat because the fish is extremely bony. Everyone said they tasted it; not all ate the whole fish. It took our cook almost 3 hours to fry our fish in a single frying pan on her wood stove.

After lunch we returned to work. Everyone worked a little slower, but we are very proud of everyone. The students are working hard and not complaining about the work. You parents should be quite proud of your children. They are participating well, working hard, listening to us, and pitching in. A small group of them even fixed the gutter in the compound with string and a stretched out piece of clothes hanger. They are turning into true Hondurans. I’ll have to post the picture so you can see their fix-it job.

I’m sitting at the table now, waiting to eat supper (cena). We’re eating fried chicken, rice, and vegetables. Oh yes, there are always tortillas, and my favorite, watermelon (sandia). Gotta eat. Later.

Rachelle carries dirt out of the house getting a cement floor

Joe & Chad work at scraping the dirt out of the bedroom.

Bryce & Conor carry wet cement for the new floor.

Gehlen Mission Honduras at work with villagers

Mick & Conor with their Honduran buddy.

Ross shows off his lunch.

The boys carry 90 lb. bags of cement down the mountain.

Dave & Don do some digging,