We said good-bye to Doreen, Lindsey, Gary and Sue, last night so today we were missing them as we went through the day. Like usual, this was a day of many different types of activities in and around the Mil Palmeras/SAM Compound:
Early start with social construction finishing crew: Eric, Bob and Jerry took off around 9 am to complete the house that was worked on for the blind person over the week-end. They were reassembling a wall that they had taken down over the week-end when they move this house back into vertical position again. They can back around noon hot and sweaty from a busy morning of cutting and refitting the boards on the wall.
Gwen and Bonnie went through the medical supplies that they had to prepare for our out reach to Bella Vista over the next two days. We will be flying out in a small mission airplane, landing in the river beside this village of 200 people. So the weight we carry with us is very important, so they figured out a bag for the first flight and then the rest of the supplies for the second or third flight (we will need 4 flights to get us all there, including the local Peruvian missionary going out from Mil Palmeras to work in this small village)
Katrina and Ashlee were busy in the "book room" at the school that they have on the SAM compound. They were sorting with Amy Listra (another Mil Palmeras church planter from SAM) through what textbooks they have for each subject and in each grade for this small school for their children.
Rick, Phil, Jeremy and Jerry were busy helping the hired folks complete the concrete floor of the "cafeteria" area just off the covered basketball court that Mil Palmeras calls home. This covered little addition of 30 by 30 feet will provide some area for them to meet and eat informally before or after the service and will provide a wider variety of ways their structure can be used. Yes, we mixed by hand 33 wheel barrows full of sand and rooks with the concrete and wheeled it over to the folks laying the last quarter section of the floor. Yes, we are happy that task is over with, but realize we will probably be mixing more concrete on Thurs and Fri for a side walk that they are trying to put around their structure for when it rains they will not have to walk in mud!
After lunch, the tasks changed to going to the bank with Julio (took 3 hours!), sanding down benches that Mil Palmeras uses for part of their seating (yes, by hand only!), helping Christian Listra do little plumbing and tear out a wall in his house on the SAM compound; doing our wash and more book room and library work. By 5 pm, it is starting to get dark and we need to start getting bug spray on so the mosquitoes don't eat us alive.
Supper was at a local restaurant down town that we walked to from our hotel and had some "American" food: hamburgers, ham and cheese sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, fried chicken, etc. The food we have been eating all along has been truly outstanding and unique, so it was interesting to see us struggling to figure out what we wanted for supper since we had american options!
Tomorrow, we have four flights to Belle Vista: 7:00, 9:30, 12:00 and 2:30. It will be a very interesting and different experience again, and we really don't know what we are getting into! All we have heard is that they have some nasty bugs that light to bite like "no-seeums": should be interesting! We will truly be in the jungle in this location: no electricity or running water I believe. Sleeping on small air mattresses (swimming pool style). We travel back on Wednesday, so I will not be communicating with you on Tuesday night since we will be gone that evening.
Doreen, Lindsay, Gary and Sue should be arriving back into Lancaster about noon time tomorrow, but I am sure they will be beat since they fly through the night tonight. Please pray for them and during our times of flying over the next couple days.
I have started to post some pictures on Facebook so you can link to them through this link below and do not need to be a facebook member to see them:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=230905&id=525772322&l=c7689f62c1
Thanks for your prayers!
Hey Phil this is Ron Hilliard. As you can tell I found your blog and loved hearing about what is happening. Thanks so much for allowing me to join your mission team for a few days. And thanks for allowing Rebecca to also be a part of your group. The hospitality from you all was a real blessing to me. You all remain in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteRon,
ReplyDeleteIt was a prividge to get to know your daughter and you during our time together. She is a special young lady which I know you know already. And I am sure you are missing her and counting the days until she returns!
May God continue to show Rebecca what is her next step with Him as she faithfully walks with Him!
Phil