Buckets and sore muscles

Oh how Americans take things for granted... Today was the day we poured the foundation on the mission house. However, Haitian foundation and American foundation are very different because in Haiti everything is done by hand. Some of the Haitian men mixed and shoveled concrete while a few of them and us created a long assembly line. All day long we passed heavy buckets to one another. We will never take another concrete truck for granted! Little did we know, buckets after buckets were tearing our hands, stomachs, legs, and forearms up. As we all settled down for lunch we inspected our wounds. Even though they were bad, they were easily forgotten when lunch arrived. We were treated to the best chicken wings imaginable, along with french fries, fried plantains, and a spicy onion, pepper mix. The second half of the day went smoothly. The boys did incredible, working like true Haitians while the girls mastered the art of bucket throwing. As the clock neared four, we finished our work with only a small corner of foundation left. Stepping back and looking at how much has been done, it was evident that we could not have done that without God. Even though we were hurting and tired, the smiles were stuck on our faces. The team got home and began the washing process. Quickly it became apparent that the cement, well, was cemented to us. The team was treated to another delicious meal, and a special treat because today was chloe's birthday! The night ended with team meeting and contagious laughter. It seems like we never cease to have fun together.