Mexico Day Three

Well, day two didn't start out quite as stellar as day one, but even with some minor technical difficulties we made great progress. The issue that has arisen is that we don't have anyone who is professional at any one thing, but rather many people who are familiar enough with everything after given some instruction. Our Mexican carpenter, Ricardo, is a great guy and is helping us in every way he can. But, because we have so many questions, it is difficult for him to keep up and not let other things fall a bit behind. That being said, he is very graceful to us and helped us all along the way.

The main accomplishments of the day were:

Painting the many pieces of wood that went around the trim of the house - the painting crew was busy all day with either touch ups or new jobs and colors to make the house look pretty.

Roofing - we finished framing the roof (this was part of the technical difficulties at times) and also laid down the sheets - this required quite a bit of cutting from our cutting duo of Ashley and Paul. They were pros today in skilfully measuring and cutting all day. We've also got the tar down which will be extra protection against the rain. Tomorrow we'll finish the roof by putting the shingles on.

Electricity - the electrical wiring was also quite difficult without anyone proficient at it other than Ricardo. We drilled holes in order to get the wiring in, set up the outlet boxes throughout the house, and put the wiring in so it's ready for installation tomorrow. Hard to imagine that people are not used to having reliable electricity in their house!

Drywall - drywall is one thing Chris McCormick is a pro at - he's made sure to be a key player in setting up the drywall each year so this year he really took the lead in getting the team ready. The ceiling is almost entirely done, and that is the most difficult part. Tomorrow by lunch all the drywall will be up and hopefully we'll be doing the mud as well.

We are really connecting well with our family. The little 3 year old, Angel, is an absolute treat to be around. He is constantly playing good guy/bad guy with us, shooting at us with his left-over sheeting gun Paul made for him. Along with him, Remedios is still helping in everything she can - from painting to carrying anything we need help with. This will truly be a house she helped build. The 14 year old girl, Gloria, has to work all day because of the financial situation of the family. She came home just before we left and just lit up at the progress being made for her new home. Just imagine the pressure a 14 year old must feel providing for the family like this! It's tough enough to have to be in high school but to carry the weight of providing for a family.... hard for me to think about.

Thank you for praying for us and taking the interest in the updates. I look forward to reflecting on my day and thinking about how God is working in us as we are working on this house. Tomorrow is referred to as "hump day" around here - getting over the hump and being ready for the end of the week. It can be the most difficult day to work and to keep a positive attitude towards one another. So we need your prayers still! Until next time...