The last day of digging is complete. We’ve completed all 6 of the holes for the footers, and the Carolina crew’s really deep hole is complete as well. It’s funny going into the day this morning, we are all tired and sore. The tools all weigh an extra 20 lbs. You fight off the fatigue and get through the morning. You fight off the post-lunch lethargy. Then it all kind of hits you at once, and you realize you are running out of time, and you find this renewed energy, and you dig like there is gold at the bottom of the holes.
We finished up the footer holes before the other hole was complete, so we went over to it and started digging more. Luis even told us that the hole was complete, but you have a sense of ownership and pride tied to the hole so we kept digging. We eventually were pulled away from digging, and we helped break down the clinic. Then it was time to head home. All the digging was complete for the March 2013 campaign. Bruce and I did go to the hardware store today, and found some tools we are going to need for next year already.
There was an Anita and Harold sighting today. They showed up in the community and had dinner with us tonight. Always great to see both of them.
Tomorrow is our last day in the community. It will be a tough morning. You get really used to being around the children and the adults, and tomorrow you have to say goodbye. I always find it amazing how you can build a quick bond with folks….especially when you can’t even speak to each other. All of us have picked out children we want to take home with us. We made a new friend in Lester over the last couple of days. He is a recent Industrial Engineering grad that is trying to learn English. He has spent the last two days a good distance from his home, digging holes with complete strangers so he can practice his English. The whole first day, he hardly said a word. We got him warmed up today and he spoke with us a lot more today….might have been because it was his birthday. Happy Birthday Lester.
-James