Encore de la Paix

Guardian angels

Posted on March 17, 2016

It’s not just the school. It’s living with and sharing time and stories with our co-workers and village residents. It’s even back exercises as Mary demonstrates to one man who owns a small bar in the center of the village. He had complained about back problems to us so she wanted to show him a couple of stretching exercises she does every day. And where best to show him? Right on the counter!

Given the amount of lifting and standing on ladders and digging, we’re all doing back exercises. And our new best friend goes by the name of Motrin.

There’s a prequel though. Mary had one evening forgotten her back-pack with her camera and passport in it. He had found it and set it aside and returned it early the next morning.

Two people have lost their phones. But they were found on the side of the road. Terri’s phone slipped out of her back-pack as we were walking back one day. A little bit later Drew was walking back and spotted it on the side of the road. Then Floriant who drives us around lost his and as he was driving he noticed something on the side of the road.

And there’s even real guardians, two elderly women who live across the street from the school and keep our tools and materials under their roof and watchful eye.

Everyone has a phone here and when the electricity comes on in the evening for a couple of hours, the sockets are full of phone charging. It’s the most noticeable change over the past 40 years.

The school advances. We have closed off the top part of the windows with wood planks (lots of sawing) and the water catchment terrace has started. That cement apron will prevent further erosion of the foundation. Over in Doumandzou the slab for one of the latrines has been poured and the second one is to be poured this week.

Three weeks in and we look to be in good shape for completion on time.