Weeks 5-6

You can really see the progress now as the worksite is beginning to transform from a field of dirt into a living neighborhood.  We've laid the foundations for all 24 houses and have completed the full exteriors on the first 10.  The families are spending more time at the site enjoying walking around and discussing where they'll put the furniture and who will sleep where.  Listening to these conversations has taught me that apparently economic standing is not a factor in determining the likelihood a wife will tell her husband to move the couch back to where she first wanted it...  At full strength we're a work team of over 50 people moving dirt, mixing concrete, and building walls.  And, seemingly overnight, "winter" transitioned to summer so we've had cloudless 100+ degree days that even the locals admit is unusually hot.

I promised the team I'd shave off the ugly goatee you see in these pics when the water comes back on in Sincelejo (or the rain returns) so I'm hoping for power in town for the sake of everyone involved.  Originally the goatee was supposed to add a tough "don't mug me" side to my otherwise agreeable disposition but everyone says I smile too much for that to really work.  So instead it adds a gross "I badly need a shower" side.

Many of you have written that it pains you to see the pics of the workers swinging pick-axes in bare feet, so I'm happy to tell you that I'm working on some kind of "performance bonus" with help from friends in the states.  My friend Peter organized a boot/shoe donation party at Tony Nik's in San Francisco - clearly the most creative excuse I've heard yet to get everyone to come meet him at a bar.  Nonetheless the end result is that with Peter and friends' help we'll soon have all the workers in boots/shoes.

Thanks to everyone for your continued support - in many fashions - and please click here to see pics from the past couple of weeks at the worksite.

-dave