We're moving ahead

OK. So we found out that Pere Daniel’s building isn’t ready. So what do our guys do? They all throw themselves into doing the install at Frantzou’s building while Rick and Darenda went to Pere Daniel’s to see if it was as behind schedule as we’d heard. The result was that Frantzou’s system was pretty much complete by the end of the day – what a crack team we have!!!

Rick and Darenda found that, indeed, the building at Pere Daniel’s orphanage was not ready. Pere Daniel gets money in dribbles and drabbles, and he had spent some of the money for health emergencies and food for the kids. Can’t really argue with those priorities, but the fact remains that we are out of here on Monday. Pere Daniel assured us the building would be ready to go by Friday.

Today there have been further developments. Frantzou’s system is fed by a cistern filled by water from an intermittent city source. When they were ready for a test run the cistern hadn’t been filled because the city water source was not operating. So our crack team headed for Pere Daniel’s. The building is looking closer to being ready so they did all the work they could installing the system on the board that was not yet mounted in the building plus a lot of the wiring and it shouldn’t take long to finish up. What a team!

In the meantime, Betsy and I have been doing health/hygiene education at both sites. On Wednesday we arrived at about 11:30 am and began teaching the group at Frantzou’s site at 2:30 pm. We were amazed to find 24 people waiting to learn what we had to teach. In spite of the language barrier, the group was really engaged and participating. We were a little overwhelmed by the numbers and having to work at a private house in a small space, but it all worked out. Our first session today was 9 am at Pere Daniel’s with a group of 8 guys and 1 woman. They were also a thoroughly engaged group. Then in the afternoon we did another session at Frantzou’s with the big group – which grew by 4 or 5more people who showed up for the first time!

So in spite of the challenges, we think we are on schedule to finish both systems in time! God is good, all the time!

Reflecting on the challenges of the trip, Meg Kelly’s observation sent us all into gales of giggles. Her comment: “Bower Hill ain’t for sissies!” Is this fodder for a new Communications Committee ad?

Next post will (I hope) be pictures.