Tuesday Night

We're back at the house with Monica and Melanie, using their internet connection to send back a quick word on our progress.

Once again we were blessed with a very safe day despite doing some very dangerous work in less than pristine conditions. We now have two trusses built and up and pretty well supported - with only 7 more to go. However we started with the largest (over 50 foot) and most difficult which took a day and a half to construct and errect. The second only took a half a day to erect and brace - and this with yet another impending storm on the horizon.

Hoisting and securing the trusses was quite a feat given the size of them and the nominal level of construction experience amongst those of the crew. We were all more than a little stressed - yet once again, your prayers came through not only in success but in maintaining our cool in tough spots. Integrating local help who insist on lending a hand - despite not being able to hear when someone yells "STOP!", or "PUSH NOW" was nerve wracking at times.

We are looking forward to getting the rest of the trusses up in the next two days and hopefully getting some tin on top of it. That's probably wishful thinking and our prayer is simply to get done what we can get done as safely as possible - and leave the rest to the locals (who are adept at putting tin on roofs).

Our main contact here, Martin, leaves today to go back to the states. With him goes our best source of easy transportation for all of us at once and so we're feeling a bit stranded, but given the amount of work we have to do and the fact that we're now well stocked with bottled water (went through about 16 gallons in half a day between all of us - not counting lunch and breakfast breaks) it's shouldn't be a big deal.

As the girls and a few of the locals lead a praise time here tonight (they're prepping for a Christmas concert) the balance of the crew are here with them trying to stay awake and some of us actually looking forward to the cold shower that awaits us back in our dorms.

Look for an update tomorrow...