Day 3, ants in the pants! Fire ants!

Today started off just like any other day, we all met for breakfast, and then wore our Thrivent Builds shirts and posed for a typical group photo! FUN!



We then jumped on the bus to go to the area that the houses are being built through Habitat called the Gethsemane project.  Basically we pulled off the highway into a typical rural neighborhood.  There are curbs on the roads, but the roads are mud and stone.  If I was on vacation, and happened to make a wrong turn down this road, I would have immediately turned around and went back the other way.  But because of the reason why we are here, to help, we went further into the neighborhood. 

We were dropped off at a new community center where we met the local families that will purchase and live in the Habitat houses that we are building there, four families in total.  The community that we were in, is using the community center for school for younger children, like a pre school to prepare the kids for the regular school, amongst other things.  We were also able to meet members from the community co-op council.  They are using their skills to create jewelry, package coffee, and quilting, to create items to sell, and help their families and communities.

 These are a few of the children that are in the school using the community center.

 

After a brief background of the community and what the locals are working on, we went to the jobsites to do some work.  We have a larger group this year, and we were able to split up into two separate groups, to work on two separate houses.

 

To give you an idea of what we are building, the next pictures can give you an idea of what type of building we are working on.  They are cinderblock houses that consist of a main room, with 2 separate rooms attached to it.  There is a patio on the back, and a bathroom as well.  The total size would be about 10 feet by 15 feet.

 

Most of the work today consisted of getting some sand sifted to use in making the cement for putting up the cinder block walls.  LOTS of digging.  We have to clear some of the land on one of the properties, and digging a hole about 6 feet deep for a septic tank.  It was a lot of use of the shovel today.

The first activity I did today was to clear some logs and random debris from the back of one of the properties.  Within 5 minutes of actual work, I found an anthill.  I quickly moved away from the anthill, so as not to upset the colony.  Well it turns out, they were upset and found my boots.  They then made it up my boot to just over my socks, where they proceeded to bite me.  These bites ended up burning for about 20 minutes or so each.  When the burning bites started getting up my thigh, I started hitting my legs.  The local masons saw this and started laughing at me...but then they told me to start jumping up and down...it didn't really help at all.  But I did end up killing them all, and the rest of the day went well, jut really hot.

Sifting gravel to get sand to mix concrete

 

Flory's Flowers

Setting the cinder blocks for the home

 

 

 

 This following picture is where one of the families that will get the opportunity to move into the new house that we are currently building.  This is one of the best pictures that captures the lifestyle that so many people live in.  Notice in the front yard the pen that is built for the homeowner's baby to play in.  I run out of words to explain what this is really like.

Seeing more about the community that is very typical for most locals to live in, it really gives us all a deeper appreciation for what we all have.  It also gives us a better sense of how we are truly helping this area, the country, and the people here.