The sun-scorched shack was composed of tin panels and 2x4s nailed together. Inside a bed, a bath of water and a dresser sat on a dirt floor. A calendar from the local Pulperia with a Bible verse from the Gospel of John was the only decoration on the wall. This is where Estella had been living and raising her children.
Our job this month was to build up a new block house around the existing shack. Estella's job this month was to cook us three meals a day with her sister, Antonia, who was receiving a new roof from our group. They woke up early and gave us good fuel for breakfast and packed us a lunch. We would take the box truck for the hour-long ride in the open air to Leon, where they lived and work straight through noon. After enjoying their hamburgers, we'd work till 4, come back home, shower off the dirt and eat dinner.
At first, progress was quick. We dug trenches the first day and laid a foundation the next. We built the support beams and placed seven of them straight up in the 16-by-22-foot trenches. Then, for the following two weeks, we laid block day by day.
We worked tirelessly but unfortunately, our time ran out. But it was still wonderful to see how much progress we made in three weeks of work, and we took comfort in the fact that there will be another group there in two weeks to finish our work.
As we prepared as a squad to say so long to Central America, we decided to take a few days at the beach. So we met at the Surfing Turtle Lodge, a reclusive, solar-powered hostel where we pitched our tents right along the beach. It was a beautiful few days of rest, relaxation and reflection.
And then we said so long to our teams …
More to come.
