Work-Site Photos 2:

The second concrete pour was slightly different to the first. For a start we were making the (sloped) floor of the future church building, a fact that influenced the entire process. Instead of having a concrete truck come like the first time, we mixed the concrete by hand on the road. In Chile you can only do this after three in the afternoon so you don't interrupt traffic. We couldn't help but reflect that if we did this in Australia we'd probably get fined! We started our work day at five pm so that men who worked during the day could help out too. We thought that a small concrete mixer would be brought, but we must have misunderstood as the work was all manual. That first day we counted eighteen people on the work site, so us girls didn't do anything but watch.

Courtesy of Madd.

They had two 'maestros' come in to level the slab out. They looked like brothers. And yes, there is only one in this photo!

Some of the men are losing weight. I can't imagine why...

Spectators.

  Because it was the first day we were still sorting a system out, which took time...

Us girls gave up when the sun went down and walked back home, but Dad didn't finish until sometime after ten pm. That was OK though, as we weren't working the next day until five again. It gave us the next morning free to spend with Swinde before she headed toward Concepcion.

On the second day Madd and Beth walked over on the off chance they could exercise more than their eye muscles, but the little girls stayed at home. They were surprised to find that only the regulars were there, and were soon helping mix the first batch of concrete. Over the evening more and more people came, but unlike the first day we almost all had things to do. One group went to get another load of sand, (which they had to convince us was the right substance as it's black) and room had to be made for a truckload of 1 inch-thick plie-wood, which we also unloaded. We unloaded them in pairs, making comical mistakes as we learnt how to carry the sheets on their sides the 'easy' way. No, it truly is the easy way once you know how! A real feeling of camaraderie developed as we worked; it was a joy to be a part of the group. Gloaming crept up amid burbles of laughter, and joking, and when darkness fell a couple of floodlights winked into life. It didn't feel like we'd been working close on five hours when we finished!

Taken by Madd's i-pod.

The completed slab.