Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Latrines and sinks for dummies


Not to speak for the other member(s) of our group with extensive construction experience, but today we attended bathroom construction 101.  If a natural disaster ever occurs in Vienna, rest assured that we could install new stoves, outhouses, and sinks for you!  

Building on our experience learning to install clean-burning stoves, three work team headed out for latrine and sink duty.  Despite the incredible heat and tons of dust, we had a lot of fun learning from Lucio.   Later in the afternoon, Sam even had time to take a little ride to get refreshments for the group. 



Back at Espirtu Santo, the business skills training class ended with the participants pitching their business plans to the board of directors of a "bank."  Everyone seemed to learn a lot and were proud to graduate with a certification of accomplishment.  


As always, our teens were so wonderful playing with the kids as their parents attended the class.  Every day, I feel a lump of pride in my throat watching the incredible love flowing between our kids and the children we are meeting.  Here are some of the places we saw God today: 

  • In the care the kids showed for Sophie who is sick
  • In the children in the vacation Bible school
  • In the compassion shown in the installation of the stove, in saving so many trees with a simple act of kindness
  • In Lynne and her willingness to go an a wild goose chase to try to procure a donation of rehydration salts for our medical mission later this week
  • In the sense of blessing for all we have upon learning that the medical clinic that we helped build gets used by the “rich” because it costs $2 per visit
  • In the incredible natural beauty we saw up in the mountains
  • In the lack of language barriers when sharing laughter and recognizing how certain jokes cross cultures
  • In knowing that we are helping people through the business skills classes and seeing the people feel proud of themselves
  • In Dave and his deep concern about keeping various parts of the trip moving forward and all of us safe

4 comments:

  1. Hope Sophie feeling better today. Love from home. Thanks for the daily e-journal. D

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  2. Sophie's much better! She ate a good breakfast, and is back to her lovely, lively self!

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  3. Thanks so much Libby. Beautiful service for John L. just now. You were all with us in spirit. D

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