Digging in to the work

Thursday June 18, Phyllis Machledt wrote:

The plan today is to mix and pour the cement at the church into the forms we made yesterday.  We’ll be at Mt. Osborn all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  However, the cultural program which had been planned has been switched to Sunday.

Breakfast at the church arrived a little late, but for the coffee drinkers in our group, there was an ample supply.  They served eggs and sausages, plantains and fried breadfruit as well as fresh pineapple.
Mize, Sean, Matt and Elijah did the devotions for the pre-school, telling the story of Noah and the significance of the rainbow.  They had also prepared a craft but because of all the work going on, the teachers decided to do it back at the school which is next door.

To Americans used to cement mixers filling the forms, the whole process was very different.  The local workers began mixing the sand, small stones and cement in a big circle in front of the church door on the parking area.  Once it was sufficiently mixed with water, we started the bucket brigade.  Buckets had to be hand carried and passed along the line a hill, up stairs and up a ladder to be poured in the forms.  The buckets were heavy and it was hard, messy work, but luckily with everyone working the first part was done in one and a half hours.  Then we had to stop to make more wooden forms for other beams.  The local men, especially brother Lewis, were definitely the experts!  None of us, with the exception of Bob and Mize, had done any construction quite like this.  However, we were good, cheap labor.

Meanwhile the ladies of the church were cooking and preparing lunch and dinner for us – curried chicken and escavitch (snapper) and ackee. After a full day of work moving cement, the team came back to the hotel, tired but feeling good about the progress we made on the building.  Our only casualty was Opal’s sprained ankle (she is recovering).  However, when she was injured, we called for help in the bucket bridge.  Three women from the church stepped forward to help and worked with as for the afternoon. There was an incredible feeling of accomplishment not only from the actual amount of concrete we moved but also from the cooperation with the people of Mt. Osborn.
Would that the whole world could find a way to work together with mutual respect and with God’s love.

Phyllis Machledt