Friday was a pretty great day. Funny how you just start getting into your groove, and then you have to leave. I can't say that I was particularly enjoying putting up the interior walls, but it was getting easier once we got the hang of it. I still avoided that level at all costs. I was working with a small group that became known as "The Phun Team". We had alot of type A personalities on this trip. And there's nothing wrong with that but they can be... a little intense. I was much happier working with the relaxed group. 19 different personalities is one of the great things about these trips. And sometimes 19 different personalities is also one of the worst things about these trips. But it all worked out, and we really got alot done. I think our team set one of the records for being the most productive. That's not the reason why we're there obviously, but yet it's rewarding to know that were able to get so much done. Getting these people into their homes is what our motivation is, and if this overachieving, type A personality group can help make that happen sooner... then that's just icing on top of the cake.
Our cement floor team was awesome though. They got every room in the downstairs flats done. At one point they told Damian, our site supervisor, that there were only three bags of cement left. His eyes bugged out of his head, he exclaimed "Oh Mein Gott!" and whipped out his cell phone and started quickly calling for more cement. The truck arrived later that afternoon, much to his relief.
Damian is amazing. He and his family will be living in one of the downstairs flats. He has been working as the site supervisor on the last three buildings. He's applied for a home in each one of them, but it took until this year before they made the list. During that time, his daughter was diagnosed with some kind of glandular cancer. She's now in remission. Damian is not only responsible for overseeing the construction of these buildings, but he's responsible for the training of the unemployed workers. These men are learning the construction trade. So they can only do one thing, and then they have to be trained on the next task. On top of that, Damian is also responsible for the influx of volunteers from all over the world. And us volunteers are by no means professionals, so we all have to be shown things. Add the language barrier into the mix and I'm surprised the man still has hair on his head.
Saturday was only a half day of working, and much more laid back. "The Phun Team" was finishing our last wall. We would have finished it completely, except we realized that we hadn't cut out a block for the overhead door beam. So we had to take some blocks down and do that. Oh well- we almost did it!
Then we had a BBQ with the families that had been working with us all week. A group of little kids from the other buildings came over and we had a blast playing with them. They found a friend in Russell, who is an overgrown kid himself.
The gratitude from these families is what touches me the most. I know that volunteering isn't a huge part of their culture, and they don't really understand why we come so far to help people that we don't know. But heart language is universal even when verbal language is not, and some things don't need to be translated- like hugs and smiles and tears. And that's why we keep coming.
I wasn't having the best time earlier this week- I think that was pretty evident. But as the week went on and I got to know these wonderful people, I stopped dwelling on myself. Amazing how your attitude changes. I'm thankful for this amazing opportunity to do something beyond myself.
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