Day 3 - Digging in

Day 3 had us up early with a breakfast of fried plantains, yogurt, fresh made omelets, cereal, pancakes, fruit, and sausages. Little did we know that we would need all that energy for the work ahead of us. There was lots of rain the night before so it had us wondering what the job site would look like. Arriving on site at Cristo Rei we met the crew who would be doing masonry work on the walls of the church while we dug out the dirt floor. Using pick axes and shovels we dug out load after load of dirt, while the other half of our work crew hauled the wheel barrows full of dirt away. We did this for about an hour and a half before being instructed to take a water break.

After a little yogurt it was back to the pick axes and shovels. Many of the masons were either bending rebar, making concrete, or putting blocks in place to form the sanctuary walls. The language barrier was pretty severe so it took considerable effort to find ways to be of help but that didn't stop a few from trying. With each swing of the ax or filled shovel full of dirt we were building relationships slowly side by side with our Salvadoran brothers and sisters. One older lady named Miriam came in with a wheel barrow and didn't stop even after we left. The rain held off until a little after noon which was perfect for our lunch break. Then it seemed as if the heavens opened up and unloaded tons of water on the work site. Many took advantage of the extra free time to either take naps, play games, or buy some jewelry from a couple of young ladies that rode the bus 3 hours round trip this morning just to sell us a few dollars worth of hand made crafts.

Once there was a break in the rain it was back to the dirt... well now it was mud actually. Which, wouldn't you know it, is a little bit heavier. The team didn't let up and plowed through until we took another break for gatorade and chocolate covered cookies! After about another hour we called it a day and headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up.

During devotions we reflected on the amazing work ethic of the masons who only get paid $8 a day. We shared about the amazing example our Habitat for Humanity leaders have set for us by digging and hauling dirt all day long right beside us. Many of us told stories of how difficult it was to communicate with the masons but how both they and us seemed to try really hard through hand gestures to reach an understanding. The group agreed that we have many things to be thankful for and that our complaints back home, when it comes to work, are pretty lame. In fact our whole understanding of suffering is changing the more we interact and observe the people here. The day closed with us being both exhausted and inspired. Now we are looking forward to getting the rest our bodies need to see Christ in each other again tomorrow.