HAITI - January 9 - Construction Team

The construction team hit the ground running today on our first day of construction. We divided into three teams: compound wall, septic and house foundation; everyone found their tools and supplies and started work. We had some initial problems with water for mixing concrete and mortar, but they were soon resolved. The wall team started laying block on the front left side, and despite a very un-level base wall and a lot of debate with the Haitian onlookers on the best way to do things, steadily laid out the first course of blocks. They did four courses today.

Meanwhile the septic team was busy digging out a foot of the old soil behind the house, which is unsuitable for septic drainage, and put it into the foundation of the house to support the slab that will be poured there. While they were doing that, the house foundation team formed up the 12 posts needed to support the slab with wood forms and cut and wired the four-rebar posts. They were actually able to mix and pour all twelve posts today, as well as laying a lot of blocks to get the walls up to the four block level where the slab will be. They accomplished all of this in only one day, instead of the two we planned on.

The ladies joined us in the afternoon after spending the morning doing VBS with the kids, and literally dug right in.

We learned that Wanda Cox had a lot of experience with concrete so we made her foreman!

Some of the ladies got a bunch of the local kids that were always around watching us and sang Christian songs to them . Even the Haitian workers and onlookers stopped to watch and listen to them.

God really has been with us on this trip and now we may have a new neighborhood ministry that will bear fruit in the future. We can't wait to see what He will be doing tomorrow!