El Salvador: Day 4

Today we got all the leveling done at our (Jody’s team’s) house, so I had an opportunity to help the mason level all the string lines and help him do the squaring up of the house. He had done the whole 3-4-5, which means on the square it was 30 inches one way, 60 inches another way, and 90 inches across on the triangle. He used a level that was a hose with water in it. He would put the one end of the level on the spot that he had marked, and then he would move it up and down until all the water quit moving, and that meant it was level. Tomorrow morning, we will start digging footings, and we hope to get the footings done tomorrow. We also hope to get rebars done on Thursday and maybe pour concrete on Friday. I am one of those people that likes to get something done or have something to show. When we walk away from this site, hopefully the family can feel that we have something to show for what we got done. Sure, leveling the ground and all that is important, but seeing concrete laying on the ground or in footings makes us feel like we have accomplished something this week. The whole key, though, is the way people interact with the families and kids of El Salvador. You know, the kids playing soccer and the girls playing with leaves with the kids and just enjoying the moment. We get caught up in the thought that we’ve got to get a bunch done instead of creating relationships that will last forever. I hope we can continue to do both this week. 

Gary