I made it back in very good spirit and a little under the weather.
What I had done on this trip wasn't very hard again mentally, just
physical. The first 2 days I painted 2 basketball courts, white lines to mark
everything on the blacktop.
The next day I did a little painting in the entrance of their main
conference building and sanctuary. The rest of the week I did spackling in the
sanctuary of corners that needed rebuilt and nicks and dings in the walls.
The following week I had rope climbing duty, cargo nets and swing duty
with the kids. It rained the whole week so that didn't amount to much. Since
day one of the second week was such a loss I did remodeling in a house there
when it rained. I hard spackled an entire house, kitchen, dinning living,
entrance and bathroom, all but one room. Only 90 minutes till the hard spackle
turns as hard as a cinder block. The homes are made of 6 inch square hard
baked ceramic blocks, covered with cement. All electrical gets bonded on that
and than everything is hard spackled to make the wall entirely flush. My first
coat was at a lot of places over an inch and a quarter thick. Second coats
were thinner and corners were done one side at a time. One guy mixed the hard
spackle in a 2 and a half gallon bucket. Friday, the last day I did third coat
where needed, finished the corners and door ways.
I have been invited back again to do an entire house after the outside
structure and roof are in place. This house like the one I just worked on will
house long term missionaries. I will also be allowed to live in town entirely
with the nationals, which I consider great if you really want to get to know
the people.
The work was hard on the body. I did manage to gain a little weight.
They do like deserts over there and the supply and variety was almost endless.
After supper every night I was invited out for more deserts and ice cream. all
in all, I ate as hard as I worked.
All of this was in support of the Christian children's camp held all
summer. It is also a campus of the Bible College there for the purpose of
teaching missionaries to make disciples for Jesus Christ Our Lord. It was a
honor to have just a tiny part in this work.
....................bob
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