Today is the first day BACK to work. Students were arriving at breakfast a little later than yesterday and spirits weren't as enthusiastic, but still pumped. Breakfast was wonderful again (burritos with a different filling) and the coffee was fresh which earned smiles on the face of the sleepy students. Off to the work site for day two of building. A very critical day.
Up went the second half (feet 5-9) of the rebar. Lots of rebar!! Thank goodness for work gloves! My hands want to high five the Home Depot guy who recommended the ones I bought. Fantastic to be outside, working w/ my handing and laughing all throughout this adventure. An unknown, yet incredible adventure.
Let's see, so what did I do today? Well, I stood on Mexican grade scaffolding and put blocks five through nine down for the church building. I stood on a tall ladder and leveled up a building and used a power saw (ps I'm glad this blog is analog and published once I'm home so my mom doesn't know I was on a sketchy scaffold balancing big foam blocks ha) Everyone was working hard all day and I didn't hear a single complaint. Students got back into the swing of helping out, and so much was accomplished.
Many of you may (or may not) know I'm a very goal oriented person. Whatever I do, I have a goal in mind. This trip is no exception. I wanted to come on this trip and not only see God's work being done (and be a part of it) I wanted to stretch myself and put myself out there. You also may (or may not) know I'm a pretty big introvert. Meaning I "recharge" when I'm alone. The biggest misconception about introverts it that we hate being around more than a few people. FALSE! I enjoy it and am good at doing the large public speaking gigs but I also need my "me time". I say all of that to say this, I've been stretched and tested here and am learning so much about myself in the process. I make a point to talk to random students throughout the day and try to get to know something unique about them. It would be so easy to just stick to who I knew, but this is a goal for the week and I'm sticking to it.
Another lesson I'm learning this week is how to keep my irritation levels with others low and trying to accept them for who God has created them to be. I'm rooming with the staff and faculty women which includes the wife of one of PLNU's Board of Trustees. Her name is Donna and Donna is older and dances to her own tune in her head. At least twice a day since on the bus Sunday, Donna has asked me where I'm from, what year in school I am and tells me how her and her husband have built homes all over the world and how her grand daughter is a freshman at Loma. Every night I tell her the same answers and go "oh wow you've traveled a lot!" and tell her I know her granddaughter because I was her admissions counselor last year. Regardless, the questions/stories come up again. Oh well. Her passion and desire to help on the work site (even though she's in the way a lot) is something to admire at her age. She doesn't hear (or listen) to people well so it seems like she's just dancing away to her own tine, which (if you know me) is incredibly irritating, BUT It's a major lesson for me. When coworkers or friends drive me up the wall, I need to try and swallow my irritation with them and move on. Wow, that was real hard to write down. Ha! I guess because I know how horribly hard that will be in my everyday life...
Tomorrow is a new day and I need to wash this day off in a hot shower. Goodnight!!
Cantré de tu amor por siempré!
Until next time...
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