I think this might've been my favorite day - it's hard to choose that, I guess, but this day was amazing on many levels.
We went to my favorite work site - Backyard School in San Bartolomé Milpas Altas, where we've been working at for the past (now) three years, where we helped to lay a foundation. I couldn't believe my eyes - every time I go back they've done more work, and it was so beautiful I couldn't help but just look at it for a while - Juan finished the designs on the ceilings, the inside was painted white, they had bronze chandeliers and electricity, and a couple of the windows had beautifully designed bronze metalwork. This year, we were working on the second floor. It is going to be a three-story building - Juan showed us the plans! It's so exciting and incredible what is happening there for that community. Besides Juan being there (wearing Kyle's hat that Kyle had given to Kenanin the first year!), so was his son-in-law and brother-in-law. They were laying the block - we brought the blocks down the path and up to the second story and took the sand up in buckets by pulling it up on rope and then we sifted it (a lot of sand!), bent some rebar, mixed cement, etc. I started out sifting sand with Miranda, with Sarah dumping it in for us. We had three sifting stations, so it definitely helped the sifting go faster! I pretty much did that all morning until some of them left to get lunches packed to bring back. Hugo came along with us again, too, which made things more fun on occasion.
Things slowed down a little when the lunch crew left, so some of them were taking a break downstairs, and I went down for something and saw Nic playing with Juan's little 2-year-old granddaughter, playing peek-around-a-column and chasing her - it was the most adorable thing. Just then Juan's wife came down the path - she saw me and gave me a hug. Not too long after, the lunch crew returned and we ate, as well as fed Juan and the other workers. After we finished eating, Juan's sister-in-law, who originally had the vision for the Backyard School, told us the history of how God brought her ministry from a meeting in a park to what it is now. It was so incredible how God is working among their families to meet practical and spiritual needs in San Bartolomé.
After that, who should show up but Kenanin! That made Kyle's day. :) A little after he left to do homework, Jefferson arrived! He came upstairs to see us all and he gave us all (who he knew from previous years) hugs. I was wondering if Madelin was there, so I asked him, and he said, "Yeah, she's here, she was looking for you." My heart melted a little bit. So I went to find her, and she gave me a hug and handed me a necklace that must've been hers. I asked her "Para mi?" and she nodded. So I put it on and said "muchos gracias!" Later I asked her just to be sure that it was a gift/for forever (Miranda gave me the words), and she said sí. I felt kind of bad that she would give me something that's probably pretty rare for her to get many of, so I made a mental note to buy her something in Antigua. It was nice to see her and hang out with her, and Katelin as well. A bunch of ladies from the town and their kids started to come to school/for a service and the place was packed! Soon after that we left. Madelin stood attached to me until I literally had to start walking up the path. Being there was very fulfilling.
Back at the compound we all got showers (yay!) and went to San Martín for supper, which is a pretty nice restaurant by the new grocery store País. I got a chicken ceasar salad sandwich, which was soooooo yummy, but really big! The food there is really good. And they also bring these really long, hard bread-stick-type-things that are very yummy. Kristen and I were across from Peg, whom we affectionately and officially all nicknamed "Pegasaurus" at the work site.
Back at the compound we did a very short worship, practiced another skit, and that was mainly that.
We went to my favorite work site - Backyard School in San Bartolomé Milpas Altas, where we've been working at for the past (now) three years, where we helped to lay a foundation. I couldn't believe my eyes - every time I go back they've done more work, and it was so beautiful I couldn't help but just look at it for a while - Juan finished the designs on the ceilings, the inside was painted white, they had bronze chandeliers and electricity, and a couple of the windows had beautifully designed bronze metalwork. This year, we were working on the second floor. It is going to be a three-story building - Juan showed us the plans! It's so exciting and incredible what is happening there for that community. Besides Juan being there (wearing Kyle's hat that Kyle had given to Kenanin the first year!), so was his son-in-law and brother-in-law. They were laying the block - we brought the blocks down the path and up to the second story and took the sand up in buckets by pulling it up on rope and then we sifted it (a lot of sand!), bent some rebar, mixed cement, etc. I started out sifting sand with Miranda, with Sarah dumping it in for us. We had three sifting stations, so it definitely helped the sifting go faster! I pretty much did that all morning until some of them left to get lunches packed to bring back. Hugo came along with us again, too, which made things more fun on occasion.
A bunch of the youth and adults already at work sifting sand up on the roof
The inside of the school
The inside of the school - it's so beautiful!
Hugo making a strange face - as he did in all of our pictures (courtesy of Kristen)
Juan, his son-in-law, and his brother-in-law
The front of the school - it's so beautiful!!!
Things slowed down a little when the lunch crew left, so some of them were taking a break downstairs, and I went down for something and saw Nic playing with Juan's little 2-year-old granddaughter, playing peek-around-a-column and chasing her - it was the most adorable thing. Just then Juan's wife came down the path - she saw me and gave me a hug. Not too long after, the lunch crew returned and we ate, as well as fed Juan and the other workers. After we finished eating, Juan's sister-in-law, who originally had the vision for the Backyard School, told us the history of how God brought her ministry from a meeting in a park to what it is now. It was so incredible how God is working among their families to meet practical and spiritual needs in San Bartolomé.
The beginning of the presentation (courtesy of Kristen)
After that, who should show up but Kenanin! That made Kyle's day. :) A little after he left to do homework, Jefferson arrived! He came upstairs to see us all and he gave us all (who he knew from previous years) hugs. I was wondering if Madelin was there, so I asked him, and he said, "Yeah, she's here, she was looking for you." My heart melted a little bit. So I went to find her, and she gave me a hug and handed me a necklace that must've been hers. I asked her "Para mi?" and she nodded. So I put it on and said "muchos gracias!" Later I asked her just to be sure that it was a gift/for forever (Miranda gave me the words), and she said sí. I felt kind of bad that she would give me something that's probably pretty rare for her to get many of, so I made a mental note to buy her something in Antigua. It was nice to see her and hang out with her, and Katelin as well. A bunch of ladies from the town and their kids started to come to school/for a service and the place was packed! Soon after that we left. Madelin stood attached to me until I literally had to start walking up the path. Being there was very fulfilling.
Kenanin and Kyle
Me and Madalin
Madelin and Jefferson
Madelin and Katalin
Back at the compound we all got showers (yay!) and went to San Martín for supper, which is a pretty nice restaurant by the new grocery store País. I got a chicken ceasar salad sandwich, which was soooooo yummy, but really big! The food there is really good. And they also bring these really long, hard bread-stick-type-things that are very yummy. Kristen and I were across from Peg, whom we affectionately and officially all nicknamed "Pegasaurus" at the work site.
"Pegasaurus" and I with Pam photobombing
"Grandpa" and Kristen
Back at the compound we did a very short worship, practiced another skit, and that was mainly that.
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