The Lord Is Our Strength
Today was very special to our team, because we are beginning to see the "final product" of our 4 days of work so far. Our work on the grade school playground moved forward in dramatic ways: 1) the concrete from yesterday was dry, so we could remove the forms and landscape the border; 2) we built the teeter totter; 3) we moved and spread large piles of sand and gravel uniformly around the surface; and 4) we assembled the volleyball and basketball hardware.
Shovel, Spread, and Shovel Some More...
It seemed like everyone took their turn with a shovel and a rake today. With big piles of extra sand and gravel to "spread around", we really got a workout! The pictures below say it all.
You'll be able to see the full results of our efforts in the 2 panoramas embedded at the bottom of this page.
Let's Show These Kids Something Called a "Teeter Totter"!
On Saturday we put in a metal pole structure for what was to become 4 teeter totters on the playground, and today we got the opportunity to finish the job. Since there are very few of these anywhere on the entire island, the kids didn't know what to think.
The work was hard, involving everything from drilling holes for bolts, to welding, to digging deep holes in the rocky ground for the tires, but the end result was worth it! Just take a look at these kids playing below. They were having a total blast. We can just imagine what they're going to do with the volleyball and basketball courts.
Brian arrived later in the day with the new basketball hoop. The hoop is really nice, but let's just say it came with the requirement: "assembly required". It was a group effort, but we got it built, and stored safely inside where it can be mounted when the concrete footing is dry. The neighborhood kids gathered around to lend moral support.
Check Out Our Progress Below in These 2 Embedded Panoramas
Here is a new feature of the blog: the top photo is an arial view of today's end-of-day worksite. You can take your mouse, click, and "drag" left or right, to "spin" the photo in a complete circle! Try it!
Arial View above, give it a "spin"...
View from Playground Yard...
What can we say to our friends, family, co-workers, fellow church members, and anyone else reading this blog? First and foremost -- God is good. We are growing in our faith and thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to serve Him. We are truly having a blast with one another, as the 14 us, from 5 different churches, with all different ages, backgrounds, and life experience, grow to become real friends -- brothers and sisters in Christ. It is humbling and we are so happy.
In service to our Lord,
