HCS 4

We traveled up the road yesterday to the re-nutrition center. Chris and Tim met us and welcomed the team to the facility. We were given another insight into the tremendous need in Nicaragua for efforts to save these children. These children are the future of this country. The efforts we as Americans bring today, albeit seemingly small, are catalysts for change which will make a difference for the future of Nicaragua.

The day proved extremely productive. Each member of our team packed one extra suitcase (our own personal one and a second one for supplies) with supplies for the center. Several of the team members spent the day unpacking and stocking the supplies. They also had opportunity to help the staff with the care and feeding of the 30 children presently living at the center.

The center is currently understaffed, so the team spent the day doing many projects which the staff are unable to accomplish: cleaning toys, arts and craft with the children, playing with them on the playground and interacting with the children on a one-to-one level.

Another group of us worked outside, split between clean-up projects and grading/leveling work.

The clean-up team cut brush, branches and grass. But the most fun part of the cleaning up was removing fallen mangoes from the roof of the facility. The roof is corrugated metal and not tremendously supported with beams. Team member Jonathon deftly negotiated the narrow support beams while he swept the roof to clear it of partially fermented mangoes. As you may be able to imagine, the smell was pretty bad. And the flies were horrible. But Jon and the rest of us maintained our attitudes by having a little fun with the fermented mangoes...they splat really nicely!

The center is installing a new water storage tank. The electricity is turned off here every day and during that time, there is no water available, save that which is kept in storage tanks. Our church is buying a new 2,500 gallon storage tank for the center. Our project for the day was prepare the site for the installation of the new tank.

We first had to clear and begin to level the site. For tools we had two shovels, a hoe and a level. If you've ever done grading projects, you understand the challenge here. We used a cut branch with a mark on it for our grade level gauge.

Once the site was "leveled", arrangements were made to deliver the bricks we plan to use as the base. These bricks are challenging to work with. The bricks measure 24x20x8 and are very heavy. We covered the leveled area with sand and when we thought we had a spot ready for a brick, two guys would lay a brick in place....usually only to find that it wasn't yet level. We'd pick it up again and re-work the area and then lay it in place.

The leveling of the bricks is critical to the success of this project. We calculate the tank, when full, will weigh somewhere over 10,000 lbs!

It was a very tiring day's work, but by 4:30, we had the bricks all in place and we are now ready for delivery of the water tank on Wednesday.

As we prepared the tank site yesterday, my thoughts were of a cornerstone. For our project, it was critical that the first block we laid was completely level. All the rest would measure up to that stone. Just as Christ is the cornerstone of the church and the standard we use to measure our service in His name.

We talked in the evening with Gary and Trish (see the Partners in Christ website http://www.partnersinchrist.info/) the house masters for the home we are staying in. Gary spoke of their call to Nicaragua. It was a situation that became so obvious that this was where they were called to be, that there really was no other choice for them.

They spoke of challenges and frustrations, but joy immeasureable in seeing changes in people's lives and future of this country.