This is the building the church members were meeting in originally.
It was well ventilated, but not in particularly good repair.
Luke is admiring the inside. Right behind me is a large termite mound. (Built-in pulpit?)
We're in the process of pouring the pad that will form the basis of the footings. The weeds around the perimeter are actually a sorghum field. The lady who planted them was a bit unsure at first that this new structure springing up in her field was worth the loss of her ripe sorghum!
One large problem we encountered was getting enough gravel for the concrete slab. The church members donated many hours of labor crushing large stones into small ones. This particular gentleman whom everyone called Mzee (pronounced "Muzay," a respectful Swahili title for a wise old man) came faithfully every day with his small hammer to break stones for a few hours. He told me that he had prayed for a church for a long time and was just happy to be able to actually see it happen. For my part, I was honored to work along side such an awesome guy.
Is that a thumb-splint on your right hand?
ReplyDeleteLooks incredible! I can't wait to see / hear more from you personally!
On second look, maybe a wrist-brace?
ReplyDeleteOur actions and words are like pebbles tossed in a pond- they ripple. And their influence touches many.
ReplyDeleteWow! Did you spend a lot of time crushing stones?
ReplyDeleteWrist-brace. No, fortunately I only did that for a day and a half. But it was enough to give me a great deal of respect for the people that crushed the rest of our stones!
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting pictures up. It makes your descriptions come alive. You must have a new appreciation for the stone masons who made Solomon's temple by hand.
ReplyDeleteMzee inspires me! What a wonderful lesson in perseverance and the importance of small things! And Homemade gravel! I'm sure you have valuable insight into the phrase "God is a strong foundation" :)
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