Construction Projects

Hey All,

I am slowly, oh so slowly posting more aspects about my trip. It's only taken 7 months to do. When the team wasn't in the jungle, we stayed at the Terrells' house in San Cristobal. Nathan has been building a third story onto his home for awhile. They summer teams that come and stay with them live downstairs in an apartment and he and Julie and their girls live upstairs in a small 2 bedroom house. The addition will include more bedrooms and living space which will be a huge help.

There were several projects we worked on while in San Cris. There was a painting team consisting of some of the girls. The living room needed painting so our team bought the paint and the girls painted it over a couple of days.

Another project was to scrape some putty (I don't know another word for it) off the downstairs windows and to reputty them. Hannah was in charge of that project. I had the priviledge of working on the roof with the guys. Construction in MX is very different from in the States (not that I have experience with either but from what the guys said, it is different). My job was cutting wires and bending them for the guys to use to tie walls together. I eventually learned to do that, too.

Another project we worked on was hanging the garage door. That took all afternoon! Nathan, Jacob, Amy K. and I worked on that. It was a very interesting afternoon to say the least complete with lizards and dead scorpions. Nathan sent me to get a door stretcher for him and Jacob to use. I went and looked in the toolshop for it but couldn't find it so he told me to go ask Julie what it was. I went up to the house and asked her and she was like "Oh Abby, those guys are so mean. There is no such thing as a door stretcher..." Well, how was I supposed to know! :)

The girls hung a sign to keep people (and dogs) out of the living room



The painting team: Katie, Amy C., Amy K., and Rachel


Cutting wires for tying walls together


Me and Jacob in what will be the hallway.


Hanging walls was challenging sometimes especially figuring out how to fit them and cut them correctly for corners and the furnaces and closets.


Me tying walls together. Christopher, the team leader, didn't let me do too many outside walls for fear I would fall.


Pete, the electrician of the group trying to figure out how to wire the place with no instructions.


Hanging the garage door, a very dirty job for sure!


The guys got sick of working I guess and decided to goof off instead :)


I had never worked construction projects before and it was very fun learning to do things. What a blessing for us to be able to help the Terrells! Just a fact for everyone: When you are overseas, don't expect things to work like they do in America. Maybe we do have a better way of doing things, but the nationals have their own way of doing things, too. Construction might be delayed ovver and over for various reasons. God sure does teach patience! Blessings to you all!