Football and Cinderblocks

Today was a day of cement.  Lots of concrete and even more cinderblocks.

Surina and Claudia worked hard in the morning.

Many of our group did not head into classrooms but spent the morning working. We continued the project relating to the new classrooms on the second floor - mixing concrete, laying cinderblocks, installing outlets, patching cement, and more.

A pre-game photo op.

Just before lunch, we met the 6th grade students in an epic battle on the soccer field. Despite our teens' valiant efforts, we lost 0-1. Everyone had a great time, but found themselves tired, thirst, and ready for lunch.

Grant caught some air.

The afternoon brought the battle of the cinderblocks. We had to haul them from the compound where the older students gather in the afternoons for tutoring to the school. This entailed quite a bit of distance that was uneven, rocky, and a challenge for our kids to get all the 200+ bricks moved and a few hundred pounds of rocks for concrete mixing.

Finally the projects were completed and we were able to head back to the retreat center to clean up (which was much needed between the game and the hard work in the afternoon). Dinner again proved to be absolutely enticing.

We just finished our evening reflection which centered on a passage from 1 Corinthians and discussing what strengths and weaknesses we have discovered in ourselves this week. Now everyone is relaxing a bit, but little do they know that an early bed time is going to be enforced (except Maria as she is reading this over my shoulder as I type).