Buckets, Cement, Sand, and Hair

Today was our first day with the whole group at the school.  With 16 of us on site, it became apparent that we needed some more buckets.  Let me back up a bit.  Our task was to move a truck load of sand from the courtyard of the school using buckets and a pulley system up to the second floor of the main building, where the local workers are building some much needed larger classrooms for the teachers and students.  We started the day with 5 buckets, but two were being used for some mortar work on the roof, so we were down to 3.  I (Mr. Tomlin) had the chance to go with our host to the local villiage to purchase 4 more buckets in order keep everyone working.  The trip invovled flagging down public transportation, and then fitting into a packed bus designed for folks much smaller than I, trying to figure out the price of 4 buckets in broken Spanish/English, and do the same in reverse whilst holding 4 buckets.  An interesting trip that taught me to appreciate stop signs.

Back at the school, now with 7 buckets, the work picked up and the group got into a rythym with some filling buckets with sand, others attaching hauling the sand up with the rope and pulley, and others yet grabbing the full buckets and bringing it to the designated areas on the second floor where it will be used to make cement.  That job was finished before lunch.  

The ladies at the school prepare lunch for the students each day, which we also get to partake in.  Today the menu consisted of Corn and Pepper rice, slow stewed chicken, and Tomato and Cucumber chopped salad.  We eat well here.

Much of the afternoon was spent interacting with the students of the school.  Some played baseball, some tried to sort out names and learned some Spanish, while others discovered the intriquing fascination that young Dominican girls have with long blond hair.  One classroom resembled a salon at the mall as several of the young students put some intricate braids into hair of some of our team members.

To cap the afternoon off, we were treated to a tour of the neighbourhood, which the children were excitied to join us on.  One English word that each little child knew was "lift", and hearing this meant the you were about to have, at least one, youngster leap onto your back and/or shoulders for a ride as we toured the village.  

There is so much work that needs to be done at this one school and so much that we have taken for granted.  Pray for us each day, but also pray for the work of the teachers at this school and for the students there.