Today was to be our first day of building the church in the town on the sand-dune, Loma de Corbina. There are two cell groups of 25 people each that meet every week. The church is going to be constructed on the edge of town where the volleyball court is currently located. Our first task was to go through the leveled off sand picking out big rocks or other pieces of debris. We only had one shovel to use. For about 20 minutes we all stood around talking about how much easier it would be to have a bunch of rakes or more shovels, or even a big machine to finish the task quickly. Finally we just started working by hand picking out the pieces of rock and trash. It occurred to me that in many cultures they would not stand around talking about how they couldn’t work because they did not have the tools, but they would have just started working with what they had right away. We were almost handicapped with feelings that we did not have the adequate tools for the job. The work was not hard, but the sun was very hot, so we quickly drained our water bottles. Before we finished up a group came with shovels and a rake from the community, so we were able to work a little more efficiently. The next step in the construction was to knock out the wall on the government built staircase to allow an entrance to the church. A sledgehammer was used to pound away an opening in the wall.
The heat was really starting to get to me and my stomach was starting to rumble with signs of a traveler’s illness. I knew I had to use a bathroom, but I thought back to the little girl that relieved herself behind a sheet of tin. Indoor plumbing does not exist in this town. One of the ladies from the church walked through the town with me knocking on doors asking if I could use the bathroom. She asked about 6 people before we stopped at a little store. The owner agreed to allow me to use her restroom so I walked through the store through the living quarters and into a very narrow hallway. The toilet was a small pipe in the ground with a phone book for toilet paper. Luckily I have started to carry my own toilet paper everywhere I go. I thanked the lady profusely then headed back to the group.
In the afternoon we walked around inviting people to come to a gathering at 4:00 where we would be serving pudding. People were very willing to open their doors to us and many promised to come. Often an elementary aged child would open the door and explain that the mother was at work. Many of the homes house single mother families. The children go to school during the day, but return home before the mother completes work in the afternoon. At 4:00 the service was held where the church is going to be constructed; many women and children attended. World Racer’s led some songs then members of the church talked and prayed. Then it was pudding time. The pudding was more like pie filling or hair gel; it was very slimy and sticky. I think it was the flavor of black corn with cinnamon added and it was a deep purple color. I’m not such a big fan, but the kids loved it.
The site of the new church:
Typical Lomo Houses:
