Day Four

Today began with no rain and the sun ready at full blast. (a.k.a. It was hot.) But we began the day ready to do great work. Our team gathered early in the morning four our devotional which was all about trusting each other and really working to do our best. While we did have a few people not feeling well, we pressed on and went to the work sites shortly after breakfast.

The construction team (Sandi, Terry, David, Pam, and Brad) began work early in the morning helping the team of men from Honduras by cutting and tying rebar. They also worked to clear and dig the footings that go around the foundation of the house in order to begin laying the molds for the concrete.

The education team (Mary, Ken, Walter, and myself) headed to the school at Nueve de Julio. After we figured out where we were supposed to be, we each taught 30-40 minutes to four different groups of students on a rotation basis. Today´s lesson was Palm Sunday and the students also did arts and crafts, recreation, and learned a bit of English. There were approximately 200 students in the four classes. One class had about 70 students in it..talk about a teaching challenge.

Lunch brought with it its own excitement. John, with the help of Lisa and two local ladies, prepared a fantastic feast for the teams of people who were working on and with our teams. Bryon had spent the morning working in the clinic and coordinating getting medical supplies to the portable clinic which is to happen on Tuesday. During lunch in El Pino, we saw the kids from last Saturday and feed them what was left of our lunches. What a sight to behold. Then it was time to get back to work.

The afternoon brought with it lots of heat and a canceled school. So, the education team decided to go back to the school and play games out in the field with which ever kids showed up. We play various games with the local kids (5-22) for several hours. The construction team (joined by John and Lisa) spent the afternoon mixing and pouring concrete. (They even let me take part in some of the mixing toward the end of the day.)

After the hard day, we returned to shower and get ready for dinner. This was the first time our team had really been together since Saturday morning and it was so much fun to hang out with everyone and really relax. To finish off the evening, we gathered as a team to debrief the day and were surprised by Pastor Carlos who arrived to simply check on us and our progress.

All in all it was a fantastic day. A day that made me personally rethink how I teach and better ways to educate children in such a short time. I feel like I did my best for today, but tomorrow I can do better. Likewise, it helped me remember why we are here and that sometimes showing God´s love is as simple as a smile or a hug. Till next time, love and do not fear......
--Harvey Oaxaca