March Along, It's Coming Together!

The morning of Day Four dawns!  

Sleep quality?  Surprisingly good.  

For the first time this trip I was in a large room with just about everybody else.  The reason I chose church classrooms the previous two overnights was due to the old (and true) adage:  The loudest one to snore is always the first to fall asleep.  I’ve experienced this on men’s retreats and other group getaways in the past so the lack of peaceful sleep was one of my larger concerns for this journey.  

Yet last night the combination of being very tired and a white noise app on my iPhone combined to give me the rest I desired.  

Again I’m among the first to rise.  (There are but a few naturally early risers in this gang and this has a Newtonian effect later today.  More about that later.)   Coffee and breakfast go well.  

Then it’s everyone forming yet another bucket brigade and we get the pickup and trailer loaded with tools, accessories and lunches.  

A short drive to the job site and it’s time to resume construction!  The concrete has cured to the point we can walk on it (carefully) and everyone gets to the task of fastening the frame together.  

A short while later many folks get to work on installing the wall sheathing.  Afterward, it’s chicken wire time!  

I learn some new skills this day, not the least of which is the art of nailing in chicken wire (it serves as a base for the stucco).  It is very important to stretch it tight.  And tight means very very tight!  As Jason told us, if you get it pulled onto the nail with little effort, then it’s not tight enough.  

In the meantime some others are working inside cramming in the insulation.  And a third bunch is assembling the roof.  We’ve got it going!!

Workday is nearing an end and we’re prepared to drywall and stucco this casa tomorrow.  

Back to the church, again following a stopover at Oxxo.  Another very good supper and after cleanup then it’s back to the evening shower routine.  

Devotion time is rich, with some people sharing and all of us practicing our song (en espanol) we will perform at the dedication.  

Bedtime, but that doesn’t equate to rest and sleep for a lot of these young folks.  Lights out comes and goes yet all of us still bear audio witness to laughing, cutting up, talking and the like.  

Finally our youth pastor has had enough.  Kellie (with the loudest voice she can muster) tells all in earshot she will count down from ten, and during the count all are welcome to make whatever noises we wish, then when she’s done everyone is to quiet down.  

It works.