Support the team financially by sending a check to...
Americans For African Adoptions
All donations are tax deductible through AFAA as a 501(c)3
Lexington Address:
4625 Hickory Creek Drive, Lexington, KY 40515
Monday, December 9, 2013
100 Sponsors @ $40 per month changes lives
What can $40 get you in America?
It can pay for the movies for two people along with popcorn and drinks
It can pay a babysitter for my 4 kids for 4 hours
It can buy me a new tool, that I think I have to have
It can buy a new toy for one of my children that already have 100 other toys to play with
What can $40 do for an orphanage in Liberia?
It can help pay one of 9 staff members (The average salary for the workers is $100 per month)
It can help pay for food for 13 children (Typically cost around $1500 per month to feed)
It can help pay the special needs therapist or teacher (Each teacher is paid $125 per month)
It can help pay the rent ($500 per month)
Are you one of 100 sponsors that will take up the cause of the fatherless (Isaiah 1:17) and make a difference?
Since 2001, the orphanage in Liberia has been funded by adoptive families through Americans for African Adoptions. In 2009, the door for adoptions of healthy children closed and the funding stopped. From 2009 to now the orphanage funding has been sparse. Donations are given at inconsistent times, staff aren't able to be paid some months, and each month the orphanage must consider the option of closing for good.
100 sponsors at $40 per month changes lives!
There are 3 ways to give...
1. You can give online at paypal.com and send your donation to amfaa@aol.com
2. You can choose to have it automatically withdrawn from your bank account. You only need the address of AFAA and their name.
3. You can send a donation at any time by mailing it directly to Americans for African Adoptions- 8910 Timberwood Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46234-1952
It can pay for the movies for two people along with popcorn and drinks
It can pay a babysitter for my 4 kids for 4 hours
It can buy me a new tool, that I think I have to have
It can buy a new toy for one of my children that already have 100 other toys to play with
What can $40 do for an orphanage in Liberia?
It can help pay one of 9 staff members (The average salary for the workers is $100 per month)
It can help pay for food for 13 children (Typically cost around $1500 per month to feed)
It can help pay the special needs therapist or teacher (Each teacher is paid $125 per month)
It can help pay the rent ($500 per month)
Are you one of 100 sponsors that will take up the cause of the fatherless (Isaiah 1:17) and make a difference?
Since 2001, the orphanage in Liberia has been funded by adoptive families through Americans for African Adoptions. In 2009, the door for adoptions of healthy children closed and the funding stopped. From 2009 to now the orphanage funding has been sparse. Donations are given at inconsistent times, staff aren't able to be paid some months, and each month the orphanage must consider the option of closing for good.
100 sponsors at $40 per month changes lives!
There are 3 ways to give...
1. You can give online at paypal.com and send your donation to amfaa@aol.com
2. You can choose to have it automatically withdrawn from your bank account. You only need the address of AFAA and their name.
3. You can send a donation at any time by mailing it directly to Americans for African Adoptions- 8910 Timberwood Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46234-1952
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
AFAA Mission- Day 6- Our Final Day... so we thought...
It was day that no one really wanted to come so fast. We had all fallen in love with the children and the workers. We had built new friendships. We had come to call the orphanage home, but at last it was time to say goodbye. While the team packed and finished up a few odds and ends projects I used the morning to pay each of the workers privately. Some of the harder, more trustworthy workers we asked for their contact information while the others we simply thanked them for working so hard. We made a deal with one of the men to come back and keep doing general construction for a trade of new battery powered tools. While we finished up with these things though the construction crew outside had already taken off the main gate and had busted a large hole through the side wall to prepare for the gates reinstallation. They first had to discuss a large pineapple tree that was in the middle of the way and the main electrical challenges, but they soon figured a way around both of these problems. No words can express the pain of saying goodbye. For some of the team members it was a simple pat on the back while others it was nearly torture as they had formed a genuine relationship with the children at the AFAA house. For these team members they knew that as they left that final time their hearts would in some way remain with these precious children. For me it was harder than I had hoped to say goodbye. With my two beautiful adopted children at home that had once lived in this home I now understood the hope and hopelessness that many of these children were facing. They just wanted to go home and since this was the third time I had seen some of them I wanted that for them as well more than I could ever express to them. When the time came to walk through the broken walls of the new gate location to head out many tears filled the eyes of the team and the workers. What we had experienced in a short week could never be explained, but it was time to make our way home.
Our first stop was at Karen's apartment. We would each take a hot shower and relax in the comfort of a couch for the first time in a week. After nearly 2 hours of being at Karen's we made our way to the Royal Hotel for some pizza. By the time our pizza had arrived we knew that the time for getting to the airport was drawing very close, but we had planned to make one more quick stop for shopping. Several team members had hoped to get certain items and because of the demand of the projects and never leaving the orphanage they hadn't had a chance to buy anything from the local sellers. We left the Royal quickly, but unfortunately took much more time than expected to drive downtown to the embassy before heading to the airport. Since I had been through the airport for departure two different times I knew that it was a small place and would not take as long to get through security as an American airport. What I didn't calculate was that instead of 45 minutes to drive to the airport we instead took 75 minutes! When we arrived at the airport for our departure it was 5:05 PM. It was then we learned that the ticketing office closes at 5 PM! No exceptions! Our flight didn't leave for another hour and 25 minutes but the longer we waited to talk to Delta reps the more evident it became that we weren't getting on the plane. Throughout the ordeal the team remained in great spirits, but you could tell we felt defeated. We had said our goodbyes and we were ready to head home. However, we learned later that God was not ready for us to head home.
On our way back to town we made the decision not to stay at the AFAA house. All of us had showered and were in much need of a good night's rest. We chose instead to stay at a hotel. At first we went to the Royal, but they did not have room. They sent us to The Great Wall hotel owned by a Chinese family and assured us they would give us a good rate on our rooms. Since much of the team had left the house, my uncle Dennis had decided to stay and work on a few other projects and to clean up in different areas. Myself, Adam, and Jeff returned to the orphanage for the night while the remainder of the team stayed at the hotel. That night we all slept peacefully, but the next morning would bring the greatest surprise of the trip. At the hotel the team was eating breakfast and was informed of the cost per room. They were also informed that the hotel does not accept visas and that it would only be accepted in cash. Together the team gathered a little money and told the clerk what they had. They were then met by the owner's son in a more than generous way. Throughout the night they had learned that we were a Christian mission team doing God's work at an orphanage. They had decided that they would not charge us anything for the room the night before. They then also invited us to a private room to tell us their story. A year ago their father who owned the hotel had been murdered. Since they were Christians and he was hindu they prayed for God to forgive him and give him another chance to be with their family for eternity. Over the past year they had been very discouraged and wanted to sell the business. They had asked God specifically to send them encouragement when all of a sudden a Christian mission team from America walks in their door looking for a place to stay. In that moment tears filled the eyes of everyone in the room. We then prayed together in English and Chinese and sang a song of praise to our great and powerful God. Then, we left the hotel and headed for the airport! We weren't going to miss our flights again!!!
It was day that no one really wanted to come so fast. We had all fallen in love with the children and the workers. We had built new friendships. We had come to call the orphanage home, but at last it was time to say goodbye. While the team packed and finished up a few odds and ends projects I used the morning to pay each of the workers privately. Some of the harder, more trustworthy workers we asked for their contact information while the others we simply thanked them for working so hard. We made a deal with one of the men to come back and keep doing general construction for a trade of new battery powered tools. While we finished up with these things though the construction crew outside had already taken off the main gate and had busted a large hole through the side wall to prepare for the gates reinstallation. They first had to discuss a large pineapple tree that was in the middle of the way and the main electrical challenges, but they soon figured a way around both of these problems. No words can express the pain of saying goodbye. For some of the team members it was a simple pat on the back while others it was nearly torture as they had formed a genuine relationship with the children at the AFAA house. For these team members they knew that as they left that final time their hearts would in some way remain with these precious children. For me it was harder than I had hoped to say goodbye. With my two beautiful adopted children at home that had once lived in this home I now understood the hope and hopelessness that many of these children were facing. They just wanted to go home and since this was the third time I had seen some of them I wanted that for them as well more than I could ever express to them. When the time came to walk through the broken walls of the new gate location to head out many tears filled the eyes of the team and the workers. What we had experienced in a short week could never be explained, but it was time to make our way home.
Our first stop was at Karen's apartment. We would each take a hot shower and relax in the comfort of a couch for the first time in a week. After nearly 2 hours of being at Karen's we made our way to the Royal Hotel for some pizza. By the time our pizza had arrived we knew that the time for getting to the airport was drawing very close, but we had planned to make one more quick stop for shopping. Several team members had hoped to get certain items and because of the demand of the projects and never leaving the orphanage they hadn't had a chance to buy anything from the local sellers. We left the Royal quickly, but unfortunately took much more time than expected to drive downtown to the embassy before heading to the airport. Since I had been through the airport for departure two different times I knew that it was a small place and would not take as long to get through security as an American airport. What I didn't calculate was that instead of 45 minutes to drive to the airport we instead took 75 minutes! When we arrived at the airport for our departure it was 5:05 PM. It was then we learned that the ticketing office closes at 5 PM! No exceptions! Our flight didn't leave for another hour and 25 minutes but the longer we waited to talk to Delta reps the more evident it became that we weren't getting on the plane. Throughout the ordeal the team remained in great spirits, but you could tell we felt defeated. We had said our goodbyes and we were ready to head home. However, we learned later that God was not ready for us to head home.
On our way back to town we made the decision not to stay at the AFAA house. All of us had showered and were in much need of a good night's rest. We chose instead to stay at a hotel. At first we went to the Royal, but they did not have room. They sent us to The Great Wall hotel owned by a Chinese family and assured us they would give us a good rate on our rooms. Since much of the team had left the house, my uncle Dennis had decided to stay and work on a few other projects and to clean up in different areas. Myself, Adam, and Jeff returned to the orphanage for the night while the remainder of the team stayed at the hotel. That night we all slept peacefully, but the next morning would bring the greatest surprise of the trip. At the hotel the team was eating breakfast and was informed of the cost per room. They were also informed that the hotel does not accept visas and that it would only be accepted in cash. Together the team gathered a little money and told the clerk what they had. They were then met by the owner's son in a more than generous way. Throughout the night they had learned that we were a Christian mission team doing God's work at an orphanage. They had decided that they would not charge us anything for the room the night before. They then also invited us to a private room to tell us their story. A year ago their father who owned the hotel had been murdered. Since they were Christians and he was hindu they prayed for God to forgive him and give him another chance to be with their family for eternity. Over the past year they had been very discouraged and wanted to sell the business. They had asked God specifically to send them encouragement when all of a sudden a Christian mission team from America walks in their door looking for a place to stay. In that moment tears filled the eyes of everyone in the room. We then prayed together in English and Chinese and sang a song of praise to our great and powerful God. Then, we left the hotel and headed for the airport! We weren't going to miss our flights again!!!
AFAA Mission Day 5-
Since we knew that today was our final workday and that the projects we were working on had to be finished today the team was up and ready to work a little earlier. I was a little slower in waking up though, but again it didn't matter as the team was focused on meeting the deadlines. It seemed that today was definitely a feeling of completion for the team and the projects and you could see each team member begin to relax a little and enjoy the people around them even more as each team would finish their tasks. By the end of the day the kitchen cabinets had been cleaned, painted, and new doors had been put on with solid hinges. The electrical panel was completely wired, concreted in, and a switch had already been installed to go from the city power to the generator power. Ceiling fans would be installed in the children's rooms and kitchen. The septic tank cover would be built and slid into place. The playground swings were put on and a flagpole flying the Liberian and American flags was installed while the children played around the workers. Since the wall had been repainted and the children had been having school out in the middle of the yard the past couple days we asked for special permission to allow the children to paint their artwork on the walls of the house. A few of the older children are very, very good artists and several team members were given their drawings to take home with them! The roof on the outbuilding would quickly be removed and replaced to match the rest of the house. The wire meshing would be replaced over ALL the windows to not only protect from mosquitoes at night but also to keep burglars from breaking into the house. In the backyard a new clothesline was built for the children's clothes and secured with strong footers and boards. A new concrete slab was installed on the back porch to secure the generator, and the entire front yard had been cleaned and raked. The other climbing structures were moved to the new play area, and two new soccer goals were built by the very skilled craftsman from Liberia. At the end of the night the two ladies from our team had gone shopping for some supplies to host a birthday party for 4 of the girls at the orphanage. When it was time we were all invited inside to blow up balloons, and prepare the area for the party. I had a chance to catch up with some of my daughter Marie's family that had come to visit before joining the rest of the residents (team and children) for "cake", ice cream, presents, singing, and pin the sticker on "Brandon!" What a great night and great final time to play with the kids in the evening before we headed home the next day. Also, that day our friend Karen had stopped by. She offered for our team to stop by her apartment for showers and rest before our long flight home. By the end of the night I don't anyone was ready for bed or ready to talk about leaving the next day. A couple team members were still "under the weather" and we prayed that the final day would bring them great healing with a clean shower and delicious meal American style. Most of the team stayed up late that night though playing games and celebrating together. In the morning we would finish up a few extra projects, clean up, pack up, pay all the workers, and head out for our final time around 11 AM. I couldn't believe it was already time to head home and even more I couldn't believe the work that God had allowed us to do for His children! The check for the new projects didn't come that day though and we would have to wait and see what would happen the last day in Liberia.
Since we knew that today was our final workday and that the projects we were working on had to be finished today the team was up and ready to work a little earlier. I was a little slower in waking up though, but again it didn't matter as the team was focused on meeting the deadlines. It seemed that today was definitely a feeling of completion for the team and the projects and you could see each team member begin to relax a little and enjoy the people around them even more as each team would finish their tasks. By the end of the day the kitchen cabinets had been cleaned, painted, and new doors had been put on with solid hinges. The electrical panel was completely wired, concreted in, and a switch had already been installed to go from the city power to the generator power. Ceiling fans would be installed in the children's rooms and kitchen. The septic tank cover would be built and slid into place. The playground swings were put on and a flagpole flying the Liberian and American flags was installed while the children played around the workers. Since the wall had been repainted and the children had been having school out in the middle of the yard the past couple days we asked for special permission to allow the children to paint their artwork on the walls of the house. A few of the older children are very, very good artists and several team members were given their drawings to take home with them! The roof on the outbuilding would quickly be removed and replaced to match the rest of the house. The wire meshing would be replaced over ALL the windows to not only protect from mosquitoes at night but also to keep burglars from breaking into the house. In the backyard a new clothesline was built for the children's clothes and secured with strong footers and boards. A new concrete slab was installed on the back porch to secure the generator, and the entire front yard had been cleaned and raked. The other climbing structures were moved to the new play area, and two new soccer goals were built by the very skilled craftsman from Liberia. At the end of the night the two ladies from our team had gone shopping for some supplies to host a birthday party for 4 of the girls at the orphanage. When it was time we were all invited inside to blow up balloons, and prepare the area for the party. I had a chance to catch up with some of my daughter Marie's family that had come to visit before joining the rest of the residents (team and children) for "cake", ice cream, presents, singing, and pin the sticker on "Brandon!" What a great night and great final time to play with the kids in the evening before we headed home the next day. Also, that day our friend Karen had stopped by. She offered for our team to stop by her apartment for showers and rest before our long flight home. By the end of the night I don't anyone was ready for bed or ready to talk about leaving the next day. A couple team members were still "under the weather" and we prayed that the final day would bring them great healing with a clean shower and delicious meal American style. Most of the team stayed up late that night though playing games and celebrating together. In the morning we would finish up a few extra projects, clean up, pack up, pay all the workers, and head out for our final time around 11 AM. I couldn't believe it was already time to head home and even more I couldn't believe the work that God had allowed us to do for His children! The check for the new projects didn't come that day though and we would have to wait and see what would happen the last day in Liberia.
AFAA Mission Day 4-
The team was slowing down on the getting up part and for some the lack of sleep was starting to takes it toll. A couple team members needed a little extra time to rest, but that didn't slow the work or the workers down from the mission in front of them. Again the Liberian work crews began to arrive very early in the morning in hopes to beat the heat of the day with roofing. Today would bring the completion of the main roof, much of the electrical could be finished, the septic would be dug out and repaired, and the playground was going to take shape. The wire mesh on the windows was beginning to be replaced. A few shelves were built to store tools on, and the kitchen was going to get a much needed cleaning and painting. Throughout the day the team worked extremely hard in each of their tasks. Relationships among team members were really starting to take shape and everyone enjoyed taking a break from time to time to play with the kids. The more the team "gelled" together the more they accomplished. My main job continued throughout the day of making sure the team had all the supplies they needed and making many trips to the stores for tools, equipment, supplies, and a LOT of water!! We even decided to throw in a little surprise and bring back ice cream for the entire crew. Spoons and forks were given to each individual to take one large bite. This treat seemed to be a pleasant surprise and bring a little touch of home to the team. The Liberians thought it was funny how much sugar we consumed and figured out quickly why most of us were not in the best physical shape. ;) Tuesday was again another very challenging day and the team began to plan for future projects that could take place if we had more money and resources. That night we talked to Cheryl about the ideas and she went to work from there on getting us more money. Later that night we learned that the money had been promised and by the end of the next day we would have the money in hand to get the jobs done. It was determined that the walls of the orphanage compound did not need to be replaced, but if possible the gate could be moved to the side away from the quickly draining roadway to provide a safer, easier access for the workers and car that had been shipped at the end of the summer. Since the money was coming we asked for a quote of the projects remaining from the Liberian workers. Another decision that was made was through the generosity of a team member to replace the roof of the cooks outbuilding. By the end of the day we now had lights to the main kitchen and hallways along with new outlets throughout the house, the bathrooms were operational again as the septic project was complete, the kitchen had been painted and cleaned, the wall had almost entirely been painted, the main roof was finished, main water was going into the house, and the best part was that the playground was functional for kids. At the end of the day we invited the kids to play on it for the first time to see how it all worked out for them. What we didn't expect was that the most favorite part of the playground was by far jumping from high landings into the sand below. It really didn't matter how high the jump was or how old the child was that was jumping because they LOVED it! To watch the children with cerebral palsy swing in the toddler swings and the other children chasing each other around brought a much needed excitement to the team! While they played and played though my brother Bill was hard at work trying to figure out the electrical issues he was experiencing. He knew that the next day was our final work day and there were a ton of things to accomplish still on the electrical side. That night after devotions, prayer, and some games Bill and I headed to the Royal Hotel at 11:30 to get a few calls, texts, and emails out to his friend that was an electrician for some wisdom. When we had gotten the answers we needed we headed back to the house read to tackle the challenge the final work day! Tomorrow would bring the completion of many projects before we prepared to head home!
The team was slowing down on the getting up part and for some the lack of sleep was starting to takes it toll. A couple team members needed a little extra time to rest, but that didn't slow the work or the workers down from the mission in front of them. Again the Liberian work crews began to arrive very early in the morning in hopes to beat the heat of the day with roofing. Today would bring the completion of the main roof, much of the electrical could be finished, the septic would be dug out and repaired, and the playground was going to take shape. The wire mesh on the windows was beginning to be replaced. A few shelves were built to store tools on, and the kitchen was going to get a much needed cleaning and painting. Throughout the day the team worked extremely hard in each of their tasks. Relationships among team members were really starting to take shape and everyone enjoyed taking a break from time to time to play with the kids. The more the team "gelled" together the more they accomplished. My main job continued throughout the day of making sure the team had all the supplies they needed and making many trips to the stores for tools, equipment, supplies, and a LOT of water!! We even decided to throw in a little surprise and bring back ice cream for the entire crew. Spoons and forks were given to each individual to take one large bite. This treat seemed to be a pleasant surprise and bring a little touch of home to the team. The Liberians thought it was funny how much sugar we consumed and figured out quickly why most of us were not in the best physical shape. ;) Tuesday was again another very challenging day and the team began to plan for future projects that could take place if we had more money and resources. That night we talked to Cheryl about the ideas and she went to work from there on getting us more money. Later that night we learned that the money had been promised and by the end of the next day we would have the money in hand to get the jobs done. It was determined that the walls of the orphanage compound did not need to be replaced, but if possible the gate could be moved to the side away from the quickly draining roadway to provide a safer, easier access for the workers and car that had been shipped at the end of the summer. Since the money was coming we asked for a quote of the projects remaining from the Liberian workers. Another decision that was made was through the generosity of a team member to replace the roof of the cooks outbuilding. By the end of the day we now had lights to the main kitchen and hallways along with new outlets throughout the house, the bathrooms were operational again as the septic project was complete, the kitchen had been painted and cleaned, the wall had almost entirely been painted, the main roof was finished, main water was going into the house, and the best part was that the playground was functional for kids. At the end of the day we invited the kids to play on it for the first time to see how it all worked out for them. What we didn't expect was that the most favorite part of the playground was by far jumping from high landings into the sand below. It really didn't matter how high the jump was or how old the child was that was jumping because they LOVED it! To watch the children with cerebral palsy swing in the toddler swings and the other children chasing each other around brought a much needed excitement to the team! While they played and played though my brother Bill was hard at work trying to figure out the electrical issues he was experiencing. He knew that the next day was our final work day and there were a ton of things to accomplish still on the electrical side. That night after devotions, prayer, and some games Bill and I headed to the Royal Hotel at 11:30 to get a few calls, texts, and emails out to his friend that was an electrician for some wisdom. When we had gotten the answers we needed we headed back to the house read to tackle the challenge the final work day! Tomorrow would bring the completion of many projects before we prepared to head home!
AFAA Mission Day 3-
Monday didn't start with the same special singing we heard on Day 1, but that didn't take away from the energy and focus of the team. In the morning everyone knew their roles and the workers had showed up ready to get involved. The roofing crew was quickly at work again and again the children were quarantined into their room for the day as roofing materials were thrown down or accidentally fell through the ceiling tiles inside. The electrical team was ready to finish pulling and installing wire to the final parts of the house. The playground team had begun digging holes and building footers in the sand to keep the structure from sinking deeper. The interior team was busy working on the chairs, tables, and fixing many things in the kitchen. The septic/plumbing team experienced the teams first big challenge when we discovered why the sewage had been backing up into the yard for many years. Because of the broken pipes the sand and dirt had flowed freely into the tank filling it full of sand and dirt. This would need to be dug out before we could continue. We also soon discovered there were more broken septic pipes and another full tank. After we had this tank cleaned out and the new pipes were put in place we had to have some very heated discussions about who was going to dig out the old septic tank by shovel and how much they were going to get paid. The workers from the business that had done very little to really clean out the septic tanks wanted us to pay them another amount of money on the side to do the job that two workers had already done half of. In the end we chose to go with the two workers that had already worked so hard. We agreed to pay them $50 each for digging out the hole. They would come on Tuesday and finish the job. To close out the second work day the team was again treated to a cold pop and lots and lots of water. The team refused to stop until the sun had gone down for the night leaving the workers in the dark. By the end of day 2 many new things were starting to happen. The first great thing was that several of the team members had actually gotten one of the girls, Lawrena, into the stander. It was so beautiful to see her be angled in more of an upright position for the first time in her already long life. Instead of looking up at the ceiling all day every day she could now look around and see the work that was going on. At first she didn't like it, but when she realized the benefits of being upward she started to smile. The posts for the playground had been set. Many of the electrical outlets had been installed along with the new breaker box. Two oscillating fans had been purchased to lower the heat through the night and for the first time on our trip we now had lights in the dining area! My dad had become very focused on redoing some plumbing and trying to get the main water into the house so the cooks didn't have to go outside anymore to get water. The roof was now 2/3 of the way complete. The walls had been scraped around the house and two workers were doing their best to get it white washed before the end of the week. When it was time to shut down for the day the team was still partially energized so we stayed up and played with the kids for a little while longer. Around 10 PM we closed the night with devotions, prayer, and a song with the kids. Then it was time for bed! Some of the team continued to stay up (now that we had some lights in the house) and play some cards while the others journaled or went to bed. Work Day 3 would be another intense day with so many things remaining!
Monday didn't start with the same special singing we heard on Day 1, but that didn't take away from the energy and focus of the team. In the morning everyone knew their roles and the workers had showed up ready to get involved. The roofing crew was quickly at work again and again the children were quarantined into their room for the day as roofing materials were thrown down or accidentally fell through the ceiling tiles inside. The electrical team was ready to finish pulling and installing wire to the final parts of the house. The playground team had begun digging holes and building footers in the sand to keep the structure from sinking deeper. The interior team was busy working on the chairs, tables, and fixing many things in the kitchen. The septic/plumbing team experienced the teams first big challenge when we discovered why the sewage had been backing up into the yard for many years. Because of the broken pipes the sand and dirt had flowed freely into the tank filling it full of sand and dirt. This would need to be dug out before we could continue. We also soon discovered there were more broken septic pipes and another full tank. After we had this tank cleaned out and the new pipes were put in place we had to have some very heated discussions about who was going to dig out the old septic tank by shovel and how much they were going to get paid. The workers from the business that had done very little to really clean out the septic tanks wanted us to pay them another amount of money on the side to do the job that two workers had already done half of. In the end we chose to go with the two workers that had already worked so hard. We agreed to pay them $50 each for digging out the hole. They would come on Tuesday and finish the job. To close out the second work day the team was again treated to a cold pop and lots and lots of water. The team refused to stop until the sun had gone down for the night leaving the workers in the dark. By the end of day 2 many new things were starting to happen. The first great thing was that several of the team members had actually gotten one of the girls, Lawrena, into the stander. It was so beautiful to see her be angled in more of an upright position for the first time in her already long life. Instead of looking up at the ceiling all day every day she could now look around and see the work that was going on. At first she didn't like it, but when she realized the benefits of being upward she started to smile. The posts for the playground had been set. Many of the electrical outlets had been installed along with the new breaker box. Two oscillating fans had been purchased to lower the heat through the night and for the first time on our trip we now had lights in the dining area! My dad had become very focused on redoing some plumbing and trying to get the main water into the house so the cooks didn't have to go outside anymore to get water. The roof was now 2/3 of the way complete. The walls had been scraped around the house and two workers were doing their best to get it white washed before the end of the week. When it was time to shut down for the day the team was still partially energized so we stayed up and played with the kids for a little while longer. Around 10 PM we closed the night with devotions, prayer, and a song with the kids. Then it was time for bed! Some of the team continued to stay up (now that we had some lights in the house) and play some cards while the others journaled or went to bed. Work Day 3 would be another intense day with so many things remaining!
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