You wouldn't believe how fast things are moving on the building structure.
We've got all the trusses in place over the past couple days and today the sheeting went on the roof. Tomorrow the mortar will fly as we point the interior brick walls.
Over the past couple days we have also been refurbishing the chalk boards in the classrooms that have gotten to the point of being almost unusable. They are pretty important since they don't have fancy text books and most everything has to be written on the board. The boards are mostly plastered areas on the concrete wall and painted as black boards. So, there has been patching and sanding, washing and priming going on. Hopefully that will be done in the next couple days.
As the work progresses, the play also continues. (See photo below of Grant. If you can figure out what game that is, good luck.) While Grant was busy playing games, people like Megan (see photo) were making short work of some roof truss braces. Pretty much the rest of the crew stood in awe as smoke bellowed from her saw. But, being a Home Depot employee, she has pretty much schooled the entire crew on construction technique. ;)
Finally it was determined that we would acquire the shelving for the library so Cristi, Grant, Timothy, Lawrence and myself loaded up and headed for town.
It was quickly determined that prefabricated shelving is really expensive in Malawi so we headed to the roadside where you can buy sugar cane, furniture, chickens, caskets, hot dogs, and sunglasses among a plethora of other things. As we formulated our shelf plan, I sketched it out better than a preschooler and we got some bids. From grass hut to hut we went until we found the price and quality we needed. We gave the guy a partial payment and Timothy's cell phone number to call us when the first shelf was done.
Sure enough, about 30 minutes later, that nice man called us to tell us he would need more money to build the shelves than originally planned. So, we went back, retrieved the Kwacha (money) and set out again.
We went by a grocery store for some staples and I decided to get some candy. I ended up with a bag of little dead dried salty minnows. (they still had their eyes open) I didn't want anyone to be jealous so I got enough to share with the team. So far Grant and Cristi ate some with me... I hope I don't run out of them too soon.
While I was buying dead fish, Grant was bargaining for a bicycle. We figure since the fuel crisis is so bad, and we've seen up to 5 Malawians on a bicycle... well, we'll at least have options. His bicycle even has a light and a horn, but not very good brakes. I guess that is what the horn is for.
With the dead fish and bicycle in the van, we find ourselves then standing in a sweaty saw mill behind the muslim district bargaining for them to cut lumber for us to build shelves.
I don't have the patience to describe the ordeal after digging through piles of lumber to find enough, straight enough and satisfactory for the shelves. We end up standing there as five of the nicest guys in the world discuss how they are going to cut it for us AS THEY AGREED because they don't have a power saw at THE SAW MILL. Nothing really happens fast in this country, its on Africa time, so we determine we need to haul the lumber and cut it ourselves. :)
Eight bucks or so will get you a guy in a truck off the street to haul a bunch of lumber home for you which is what ended up happening so we could get back out to the villages to pick up the team for supper.
Today was Malawian Independence Day so the rest if the team ate lunch in the village where they got to see some type of dancing celebration. I missed it. I was busy buying dead fish and Fanta orange soda. Im not sure which one was more of a cultural experience... its just a good thing Im not the jealous type.
The night ended with supper together and a few games of Catch Phrase again. Im not sure how my team lost... Im thinking Mikayla might have rigged it.
Everyone is happy, healthy and in high spirits. At points the reality is overwhelming for a few but it is all good and its a positive experience.
Its been a long day, so I'm calling it a night. Its so obvious that God is with us... he continues to make everything fall into place, I don't have a single worry in the world.
Thank you for all your prayers and everyone is loving your comments and messages, its like getting letters from home when you are at camp. -Come to think of it, I only went to camp once and nobody wrote me, so... somebody owes me.-
Goodnight... the dogs are barking already, I have to power-nap before the chickens come out.
Remember to have that conversation with God, he's always listening...
We've got all the trusses in place over the past couple days and today the sheeting went on the roof. Tomorrow the mortar will fly as we point the interior brick walls.
Over the past couple days we have also been refurbishing the chalk boards in the classrooms that have gotten to the point of being almost unusable. They are pretty important since they don't have fancy text books and most everything has to be written on the board. The boards are mostly plastered areas on the concrete wall and painted as black boards. So, there has been patching and sanding, washing and priming going on. Hopefully that will be done in the next couple days.
As the work progresses, the play also continues. (See photo below of Grant. If you can figure out what game that is, good luck.) While Grant was busy playing games, people like Megan (see photo) were making short work of some roof truss braces. Pretty much the rest of the crew stood in awe as smoke bellowed from her saw. But, being a Home Depot employee, she has pretty much schooled the entire crew on construction technique. ;)
Finally it was determined that we would acquire the shelving for the library so Cristi, Grant, Timothy, Lawrence and myself loaded up and headed for town.
It was quickly determined that prefabricated shelving is really expensive in Malawi so we headed to the roadside where you can buy sugar cane, furniture, chickens, caskets, hot dogs, and sunglasses among a plethora of other things. As we formulated our shelf plan, I sketched it out better than a preschooler and we got some bids. From grass hut to hut we went until we found the price and quality we needed. We gave the guy a partial payment and Timothy's cell phone number to call us when the first shelf was done.
Sure enough, about 30 minutes later, that nice man called us to tell us he would need more money to build the shelves than originally planned. So, we went back, retrieved the Kwacha (money) and set out again.
We went by a grocery store for some staples and I decided to get some candy. I ended up with a bag of little dead dried salty minnows. (they still had their eyes open) I didn't want anyone to be jealous so I got enough to share with the team. So far Grant and Cristi ate some with me... I hope I don't run out of them too soon.
While I was buying dead fish, Grant was bargaining for a bicycle. We figure since the fuel crisis is so bad, and we've seen up to 5 Malawians on a bicycle... well, we'll at least have options. His bicycle even has a light and a horn, but not very good brakes. I guess that is what the horn is for.
With the dead fish and bicycle in the van, we find ourselves then standing in a sweaty saw mill behind the muslim district bargaining for them to cut lumber for us to build shelves.
I don't have the patience to describe the ordeal after digging through piles of lumber to find enough, straight enough and satisfactory for the shelves. We end up standing there as five of the nicest guys in the world discuss how they are going to cut it for us AS THEY AGREED because they don't have a power saw at THE SAW MILL. Nothing really happens fast in this country, its on Africa time, so we determine we need to haul the lumber and cut it ourselves. :)
Eight bucks or so will get you a guy in a truck off the street to haul a bunch of lumber home for you which is what ended up happening so we could get back out to the villages to pick up the team for supper.
Today was Malawian Independence Day so the rest if the team ate lunch in the village where they got to see some type of dancing celebration. I missed it. I was busy buying dead fish and Fanta orange soda. Im not sure which one was more of a cultural experience... its just a good thing Im not the jealous type.
The night ended with supper together and a few games of Catch Phrase again. Im not sure how my team lost... Im thinking Mikayla might have rigged it.
Everyone is happy, healthy and in high spirits. At points the reality is overwhelming for a few but it is all good and its a positive experience.
Its been a long day, so I'm calling it a night. Its so obvious that God is with us... he continues to make everything fall into place, I don't have a single worry in the world.
Thank you for all your prayers and everyone is loving your comments and messages, its like getting letters from home when you are at camp. -Come to think of it, I only went to camp once and nobody wrote me, so... somebody owes me.-
Goodnight... the dogs are barking already, I have to power-nap before the chickens come out.
Remember to have that conversation with God, he's always listening...
