Update from the jobsite- day three

I seem to be having some technical difficulty uploading photos from my camera, so those will have to wait until I get home. But in the meantime, here's a brief update from the first three days on the job.

This year has been quite a different experience on the job site. Last year the building was still in it's beginning stages, and we spent the first few days moving materials rather than actually putting them on the building. And because it was in the early stages, we didn't see alot of the future homeowners. Many people aren't aware that Habitat offers a "hand up", not a "hand out". These families receive a no-interest loan, and part of the requirement is to put in at least 750 labor hours. So this time around, we have had the opportunity to work with many of them. I've become especially attached to one of them- Sebastian. He is deaf, and uses sign language. I've taken a few classes in American Sign Language, and still remember some of my signs. Sign language is not universal, but some of the signs are the same. I managed to convey that to Sebastian, and we've had alot of fun this week. He is one of the hardest working people there, and so grateful to Habitat, and to us.

So what are we doing this week you ask? Well I shall tell you. We have two main jobs this week- building interior walls with concrete blocks, and laying cement floors downstairs. I must admit I am having some trouble finding my niche. I quickly discovered on Monday that laying blocks is not one of my strong suits. Handing me a level is like asking me to solve an Algebra equation. It simply ain't happening. I don't have the skills for precision work. I tried, but it was taking more time to correct my mistakes, so I decided to go downstairs. My biggest frustration is that the local people definitely haven't bought into the whole "equal opportunity" thing. There are some things women don't do. And one of them is laying concrete floors. I helped shovel the concrete all day yesterday, but that was the extent. Which is fine, I was happy to have something to do. Today however they didn't really need a shoveler, so I spent most of my day adrift. Which of course is also frustrating.
But tomorrow is another day.

We've spent the last couple nights in the center square of Gliwice. I love this place. There are many outside cafes surrounding the square, and I could spend hours taking in the people. O'm even getting a better grasp on the language. I can almost count to ten!

I'm glad that I am here. I feel like I am part of something important, and for that I am thankful and very blessed to have this opportunity. But at the same time, I am very anxious to be back.

More tomorrow- hopefully after a slightly more productive day.