Monday-Day One Worksite

Today was an amazing work day.  We went to the first house (Carlos & Rosa's Home) and the entire team moved walls and assembled the top half of the home.  It was really a huge team effort.  It was so exciting for the families involved, we even had additional family come out and help with lifting the walls.  Then a small group went to finish laying blocks on the second home (Vena's home with her husband and three children).

So nice to see the families helping us especially any women as it's not customary for Guatemalan women to work manual labor but to be the homemakers and raise the children.  

Here is a quick listing of all the pictures you'll see today:

1.  The first picture show the team getting ready to lift the first wall and carry it through this narrow passage and up onto the cinder blocks.

2.  The next four pictures shows the team members drilling holes for the rebar or holding the wall in place until it was all put together.  It took all ten of us and various Guatemalan workers.

3. Then you'll see the picture of Carlos & Rosa with their extended family enjoying watching the walls go up on their new home.  This is a very strong Christian family who are so greatful for the blessings God is giving them.   

4. Carlitos (a grandchild) was so excited to get coloring pages that he was singing and talking to himself.  They had to drag him away to eat his lunch.

5.  Here we are reading in English and Spanish to Suzanna and Carlitos.  He was getting a big kick out of the whole story.  

6. Samantha and Carly learned how to make tortillas by hand.  I have grown up with homemade tortills so I thought I'd just take pictures.

7. Nellie was being read stories at her worksite by Jaime and Kevin (10 & 7 Year olds).  

8.  Here you see Nellie working alongside the children and mom who enjoyed helping mix concrete and lay blocks as they assemble their new home.  They were so excited to tell their father when he came home from work that they helped build their new home!

Tomorrow we look forward to seeing the floor poured (by hand) for one home and possibly paint and put the doors in place.  We'll also be moving all the walls we built at the first house over to the second house just down the street.  Thankfully everyone drank water and no injuries today!  We survived a very hard day and we are so thankful for all we were able to accomplish today.  Time for bed now to rest for another day in the sun.

Cindy Dube

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