Building A Chapel

All continues well here. Still learning my new ministries. Working to learn several different programs for accounting and setting up an office. The plan is that I will work out of the back room in the Catholic school library. Looking forward to having work closer as now it is a 45 minute walk each way and “fun” in the 95 plus degree heat in the afternoon. The eight Catechism classes that I was teaching are over now during the school vacation. Religious education classes are due to start again in August, so now I have more free time for learning accounting work.

One of my other new challenges is helping with groups that come for two weeks to do charitable work. A great group came from a Catholic University and spent all their time here to build a new chapel. The work was hard physically. I helped with the ditch digging and knocking down the old chapel partial walls with a sledgehammer. The group also dug a huge, deep hole for a latrine. The local construction workers were very enjoyable to work with. The young cement mixer kept us all laughing.

I, being the eldest and most out of shape of all the workers, asked for only ¾ full buckets of cement to carry. Every time I asked for less in the bucket he would put in another shovel full to fill it up. He did this with everyone as he laughed. Needless to say, I was pretty sore after the first week. The chapel is now finished and the community has a monthly Mass or Eucharistic celebration now in their community. 

There are two other groups scheduled to come in the next few months so that should be fun (and include lots of hard work).