October 15

Buenos Noches!

Here we are again to have a chat :)

Today was a really fun day for me.  All we did all day was dig a sewer and collecting tank.  What makes it fun is that this is such a great group of people to work with!  We laughed a lot and got very dirty doing our work.  We also carried water buckets and buckets of cement to the house so that cement could be made and poured into the rocks we had put in the foundation trenches.  It probably sound like just a lot of work but at the end of the day it feels so good to have worked so hard and accomplished so much.  As I said before, the Habitat goal is safe, decent, simple housing for all people.
Miriam, the host family mother for whom we are building the house,  has been preparing us fantastic lunches every day.  It's always much more than I can eat and they server you your plate but it is delicious.  Today was chicken, a thigh quarter and potato salad.  If the family can cook, Habitat pays them to cook our meals and also gives them enough to cook for their own family too.

We break for snacks twice a day.  They give us things like various cookies, peanut, crackers etc.  I really like peanuts so that's what I have been having.  Well.........................................today one of my co-workers was standing next to me eating peanuts too.  He turned to me and said  "have you gotten any worms in your peanut?"  I thought he was kidding but he wasn't!!!!  He took some peanuts from his hand and noticed he had a live worm in his hand too.  We actually think that it probably fell from the tree we were standing under but just in case I am NOT eating any more peanuts.

There are several types of animals around in the yards like pigs, chickens, cows, horses and lots of dogs and cats. Today, while we were eating lunch we had some excitement.   We had noticed a new cat milling around from one of the neighbors.  All of a sudden! they got into a fight under the table where we were all sitting.   I was so surprised I nearly fell over and my co-worker did the same.  I didn't get any scratches but my co-worker did, on her ankle.  It seems like a small thing to us and it would be at home but here it is a big thing. These animals are not vaccinated and they live in an environment that would make our animals sick.  Also, as you probably all know,  when cats are threatened or frightened their scratch can carry "Cat Fever".  So...I stayed with the group and my Co-Leader and our driver had to leave and take Liz to town to the Hospital.  They cleaned the small scratches and put her on antibiotics and covered it.  Interestingly, they asked her if she had a rabies shot??? She is fine but when you are in these third world countries you need to be very careful and also it is a rule of Habitat that if the skin is broken you must seek medical attention, to some degree,  for that person.

Tomorrow's work schedule says we will finish the septic tank and the cesspool.  We will have a brigade and carry bricks, water, sand, iron bars and cement.  We will prepare and carry mortar.
Lastly, we will be leveling with common brick.  WOW!  I think I better get ready to call it a night.

I hope all is well with each of you and we will chat again tomorrow night.


Adios
Linda :)