Work Day Five - January 28

The last day of work. Talk about bittersweat.

Our team had worked hard. We were tired, hot, out of steam, ... just plain beat. But still, there was a determination to do as much work as possible.

It is for the children, for the babies. The fence is for their safety, their security.

So, despite all, we worked.  We worked.

Our goal this week was to go the distance, all the way to where the fence would meet the fence around the boy's home that we built in 2008. We didn't get the actual wire fence that far. But, we did plant the fence upright posts, and sections that entire distance. And for that, we were quite pleased.

Today was a good day, a great final day of work. 

We knew our routines, our jobs and our positions. And we went at it, once again early in the morning. But, things in Nicaragua don't always go as planned. The electiricty went off ... which actually happens quite often here. You just get used to it and roll with it.

With no power our grinders and welders in the bodega were shut down. We could no longer form additional fence posts nor sections. And in the field, one of our two generators went out. Then we ran out of concrete. Slowly, all around the work project, our progress came to a halt. So, all we could do was sit down.  We did.

Eventually the power came back, we were able to repair the generator, and we got other bags of cement delivered. That enabled us to finish out the day.

Despite these drawbacks, there was so much going on. For example, all the workers were here at the orphanage getting paid. The cooks get paid $5 per week ... or, one dollar per day for cooking three meals per day for all the children, orphans and team members.  How much do you make per day at your job? Think about it ....

And the children were outside all day with a local minister singing praise to God and learning Bible stories.

Plus, the orphan teen boys worked with us all day, as they have been all week, on the fence.

Finally, there was the annual game between the Nic orphan boys and the Gringo Geezers ...!