Blog entry

Friday--July 3, 2009 (evening)  Just a brief update for you worried moms out there...  Dustin woke up at 11 am feeling fine and completely over his stomach situation... We are putting it down to the very spicy sauce he dumped on his chicken yesterday, perhaps exacerbated by nerves.  He had a half-plate of spaghetti for lunch and helped with construction all afternoon, so he's great, and everyone else is still healthy.

The construction went well, though the methods were slow compared to our American way of doing things (just hire a backhoe and be done with it!).  All kept a good attitude though.  We completed the footings for the foundation (I think anyway...I no hables construction language) for what will be a dining hall for the orphanage.  All I know is it involved a lot of shoveling sand and carrying rocks and water and a cement mixer.  Some people brought candy for any kids who might come to watch; when we returned after lunch the kid crowd had mushroomed and they seemed to have all learned one English word: "Cann-dy?"  Once we convinced them we hadn't brought more, they settled in to pass the time as they could.  The guys took time out to throw a frisbee with them, or swing them around by the arms; the girls loved on them and some even let them fix their hair.  Pastor Paul gave rides in a wheelbarrow.  All the jobs were physically demanding, but we tried to pace ourselves and stuck to it.

We cleaned up and had an interesting dinner served again by the gracious ladies at the church (and the cutest little boy)--it was some sort of twice-baked potato stuffed with black olives, meat, and boiled egg.  They did provide ketchup.

The guest house is situated next to a very nice square.  There are some colorful flowers and trees around the park, and a soccer/basketball court and volleyball court.  After dinner some of the guys played b-ball, while others hung out and watched for the churro man.  A few got a taste last night of these cinnamon-sweet pastries offered for cheap by the moving street vendor (kind of like the "ice cream man," he comes around every night about the same time apparently).  I think they are hooked.  We had our debriefing time on the roof of the house, and it was a treat to sing praise songs together under the open sky (I am surprised how much I miss music already with no stereos or Ipods--although our bus driver blared some weird 80s/Spanish rock station all the way to and from the construction site.  I also have to note here the funny expressions people make when they see our crazy bus pass by, blaring 80s music and even louder talking and laughing, packed to the gills with Americanos waving and smiling out the windows.)

There are two other teams staying at the guest house with us now.  The youth have been having fun comparing accents with the group from Canada (and flirting with the girls).  We will all work construction tomorrow morning, then split up for afternoon activities.  Our afternoon will be our only visit to the garbage dump, where we will hand out fruit and other useful items and just generally try to show graciousness and the love of Christ.  We will need prayer for physical endurance in the morning, and for spiritual sensitivity in the afternoon.  Remember us!