Kingdom Hall 7

I wasn't able to update the blog for a while, it's a long pitiful tale of a broken laptop and a stolen phone.  Ben found me a way to muddle through today so here are a few highlights of the past couple of weeks.

This is Sompto trying to take over from Vasile.  

Laying the new floor.

 It's always fascinating watching other people work. 

Didn't they do a great job?  

We spent all day making concrete for the floor, it was such hard work!!  I noticed what a colourful bunch we made.

Of course this work couldn't happen without the wonderful sisters who cook for us every day, and a special thank you to their little daughters who help out too.

We've been painting the outside of the Hall.  We use these spray machines which flick concrete mixed with paint onto the wall.  Not as easy as it looks.  But Ben did a great job (of course!!)

 Father and son working together.  Ben was putting old corrugated iron sheets to protect the new roof form the flicker paint.  Terry was supporting it with a long stick.

Our good friend Toye, when he's not laying blocks he's a vet.

I've been learning how to lay kerb stones.  It really is incredible that we've had over 100 people working together with only about 6 of them with building skills.  The training has been amazing, especially since most of the skilled builders don't speak English.  We had an example of that today when I was working with a sister and we discovered we had a hole in our wheelbarrow and the wet concrete kept falling out.  Vasile (from Romania) came to help tilt the barrow so that the concrete would be away from the hole.  He asked us to get "something" for the barrow to stand on so we found a broken block and brought it to him.  He said "That's not a something, that's a nothing, get me another something".  Hahaha, I'm always enchanted by the way foreigners speak English and even more by Vasile who expects us to understand what he wants us to do!! Actually he's doing a great job, it really isn't easy for him and this is the first time he's been in charge of a site.  Big round of applause for Vasile!!!  

 It's one thing to lay in a straight line but it's quite another to go round a corner.  Anna and I were very proud of this one.

THEN we discovered something even more difficult.  Lay blocks down a slope then lay them on the other side so that all the blocks are on the same angle and the same height AND the same distance apart.  You can see why I was so happy with encouragement from Terry and Anna and I were dancing when we managed to lay them just right.

The letters were made to make the Kingdom Hall sign (must be nearly finished now!)
We couldn't resist playing with them first.

On the building the wooden letters were used as stencils.  They were nailed to the wall then flicker painted over and then removed.  It's a nice effect.

Vasile putting the sign up.

Terry and I laying a path.

 We've been working in temperatures from 32 to 37 degrees  (89.5 to 98.5) (but in the full sun so we're MUCH hotter than that) so sometimes we get a little tired. 

Only Dom could get comfy in a wheelbarrow!!

 Finally I was allowed to play with the flicker paint machine.  This was the first section of wall that I did.  It's around the back of the Hall and will eventually be covered with bougainvillia (beautiful climbing plant) but I was proud of it anyway.