Day 3 - A Working Day

James 1:3  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

This morning we were up and ready to go by 8am as we promised to be at the church by 8:30.  There was quite a bit of work to do, setting up tables and chairs and bringing out the sewing machines and supplies.  We set 4 machines to a table (2 on each side) with an extension cord and power bar in the centre.  This has worked well in other places.  Most of the 12 machines were donated.  It was good to have the power bars.  Sometimes we need to go out and purchase a few items like these at the last minute.  We have a contingency fund for that. Once everything was set up, the guys headed out to get some odd jobs around the compound done.  They were going to paint the chapel as well.

At Iglesia Tabernaculo Oasis de Esperanza, we started with a circle group for everyone.  Pastor Norori opened in prayer and thanked us for coming.  Sharon shared the vision of the team, Dolores spoke on the sewing projects, Joanella explained about the weaving looms and I spoke on the crochet projects. In all, we expressed that their future projects are as wide as their dreams!

We expected 15-18 women and 23 arrived with a few coming afterwards (totalling 27)!  With only 12 machines, it was good that we had other options.  There were a few men interested in the weaving as well.  For the crocheting, I started out with 5 interested ladies.  Also, the Pastor’s wife, Sofia, as well as the Pastor himself both knew how to crochet.  Sofia and I spoke of the limits of patterns and she said that some could be purchased at the market but were mostly in English.  Since I go down to the US every spring,  I said I could source out some pattern books in Spanish.

And so our day of projects began.  Lots of instruction up front and then everyone got hands on experience.  The morning flew by!  As lunch approached, I was asked if I wanted to come back after lunch.  This surprised me as the plan had been to only be at the church in the mornings, getting the projects off the ground and they would work on their own in the afternoons.  During the afternoons we were scheduled to go to barrios to deliver food and clothing.

Since the first day is usually the hardest, plus the extra time it takes to get set up, it made sense for some of us to come back.  Also, the barrio scheduled for this afternoon is the smallest and there were extra hands to help with that.  So I simply asked my students if they would like me to come back or if they would prefer to work on their own.  They asked that I come back, so I agreed willingly.

So home for a quick lunch and re-organizing a bit and a visit with Mauricio and family and......we were back!  The sewers continued to work on their strip quilts which is the introductory project.  By the end of the day, I had 2 dedicated students who worked hard to learn chaining, single crochet and double crochet and pattern stitches and were very serious about it.  At the end of the day, I congratulated them on their accomplishments and that I hoped to see them a manana.

Home for supper of pork, rice and beans and mixed vegetables and fresh pineapple for dessert.  Have I mentioned what a fabulous chef and cook we have in  We sat and chatted about the next few days and other things while we waited for the van to return.  Allan, Jessie and Paula had gone to pick up food for the next two barrios.  They returned about 7pm.  It was all hands helping to unload the van, set up our routine circle and start filling bags.  About 71 bags!  We were so busy, no one remembered to take a picture.  The tables were laden with beans, rice, brown sugar, corn flour, oil, porridge and toilet paper.  Luckily, Marta had done more laundry with the pillowcase bags for us.

Well, we are done now.  Some have gone for showers, some to chat for awhile and Kurt, Sharon and I to write our nightly notes.

Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers.