Gringos Go to Work

This morning we woke up and ate a delicious breakfast at 7:00. Then we left for our second work day with the families. We split into two separate groups and were working across the street from each other. As soon as we entered the home we could tell that these people lived very humbly. They have dirt floors and tin roofs, and we ended up mixing cement on the floors. Despite this, the mother of the household made sure we were as comfortable as possible and even brought out a beautiful cloth for us just to set our backpacks on. They were so generous with the little that they have. When we sat down to eat, they took out all of the stools in their house just to make sure we had a place to sit. Before we started to work, the members of the families introduced themselves to us and we all prayed together. The work went a lot faster today than it did the first day because we knew what we were doing. We got a lot more used to working with the tools in order to build the latrines and smokeless stoves. The kids were very shy at first and seemed a little reluctant to interact with us. However, after some time we were talking and playing with them. They were so curious to know everything about us and were so eager to help us with whatever task we were doing. They were asking about where we were from, who was in our family and if we had any pets, and it was fun to be able to carry on a conversation in Spanish with them. Once snack time came around we ate Oreos and Pringles and ended up giving most of the snacks away to the kids. After that we got back to working on the stoves and latrines. We became really good at helping each other and working as a team. It was very fun and we were constantly laughing and joking as we worked. We finished our work a half an hour early and were able to clean up their house very well. We played soccer with the kids outside and made the most of our time together. When all the work was complete, we made a dedication to the family and exchanged words of thanks and appreciation. When we got home we all took showers immediately, and a shower has never felt so good. Later that day we went shopping in the local shops by the lake and on the street. We ended up shopping for way too long and we worried we would be late for dinner. We all sprinted down the streets to our hotel and were surprised when we were the first ones there. For dinner we had hamburgers and fries which was a surprise for all of us because we usually try foods we have never had before. After dinner we got together to reflect on the day and write in our journals. One of our group leaders Juan made sure we remembered this Bible verse before we all went to bed. 

                         

                                 Proverbs 3:5-6

                                          Trust in the Lord with all your heart 

                                          Lean not on your own understanding

                                          Always acknowledge him and He will guide your path

Tomorrow is our last full work day, followed by a half day of work on Wednesday, and a celebration with all of the families we worked with.  Time is going to quickly.  We hope work is always this much fun.

Love and miss everyone at home! We LOVE getting comments on the blog, thank you so much for all your support, we appreciate it!!

Love, Maeve and Claire