Today we got our hands dirty. Very dirty.
In order to put in the formwork for the foundation today, we first had to remove the layer of mud and muck at the bottom of our pit. It was a dirty job that took lots of shoveling, but between removing the muck and adding a layer of gravel and sand, we were able to create a solid enough surface for our formwork to go on.
Most of the second half of the day went into laying the formwork and the rebar grid inside it. Luckily, our local friends from yesterday were able to show us a few methods for speeding up our process. A highlight for our team today was again learning from them, showing them what we want to do, and relying on their experience in how to do it.
For example, once the rebar grid was ready to be tied together, the two of them demonstrated how they typically tie rebar. While we didn't move as quickly as they did, our team was able to work together to get the most of the first section done. We'll be spending tomorrow morning finishing up our work to prepare for our first concrete pour. More local workers will becoming to help with the pour, which will free up our team to get ahead in other areas and make up for lost time.
Today had its struggles, but looking at where the worksite started in the morning versus where it ended, we made a lot of encouraging progress.
Here are some ways you can pray for us:
Effective communication in working with a team of locals tomorrow afternoon
That the rain stays away until the pour is complete
Good health and energy levels as the hot week continues
Here are some areas of thanksgiving:
There have only been drizzles so far that have posed no threat to our project
Our team is mostly on schedule, and our local help will keep us on track tomorrow
MC3, the church group mentioned yesterday, looked for opportunities to fill our water bottles and care for us throughout the day
That's all for today! Thank you to everyone who has reached out with encouraging messages. Those have been shared with the team and have been greatly appreciated!