Projects

I have been working on several projects as the wall is being constructed. I typically tell Henry what I want to see, and then Henry makes sure that it happens. I thought that I would share briefly about each project that I have going on right now, besides the wall.

Retaining Wall

A few weeks ago as I was sitting on top of the water tower looking at the orphanage, I saw that the property lines have left us with one area in particular that is an odd shaped area. As the wall is being built, I am noticing more and more... There is a gap between the house and the wall that makes a nice triangular shape, in which I thought to make a retaining wall. If I could backfill and plant grass, this could turn out to be a very nice place to be. It is shaded much of the time, and being between the house and the wall, is not a thoroughfare for foot traffic. I recruited two of the boys at the orphanage, Bony and Walter to help me build it. We have dug the line for a foundation, poured it, and using only broken bricks; constructed it. We placed whole bricks on top of the short wall to give a nice appearance when the dirt is brought up to that level. When I tell workers to use broken bricks they look at me like I am crazy. Joe and I started to tell them this a long time ago, because we purchased each brick. when they are careless, they break a brick, that costs us 100 shillings. You don't have to have only whole bricks to build a good wall. When I told Walter and Bony that I wanted them to use only broken bricks, they just started doing it without question. Then I started telling Walter; “Do you ever notice that in this world there are people that are rejected because they are disabled? When you are walking you see many of them. They are turned down because they have a deformity. They are lame, blind, or can not speak well. How many times in the bible did God choose to use someone who was imperfect? He decided to use people that would have a difficult time performing a task, because everyone around will see that this person is great; having no reason for their success other than God. This is how I want you to treat this wall. Choose only the bricks that the masons reject.” Walter looked at me and said, “Thank you for the lesson.” 

Now that the wall is finished, the task is backfilling. 

The Clothes Lines

As I mentioned previously, I removed the barbed wire fences that were the clothes lines for the children and mums. I had Henry fabricate some new poles for me so that I can give some of the clothes line space back. The poles are very weak, but I am hoping that they will accomplish what I need them to do. I have set the two outside poles to have an aggressive lean so that it will compensate the tension in the wires when the clothing is hanging on them. I have strung the new lines and now I am just waiting for satisfaction when I see the clothes hanging, although, because of the weakness of the poles, I think I will need to tie the two end poles into the ground with some kind of anchor.

Tank and City Water Faucet

Some time ago, Henry came in the morning with something he wanted to show me. He had in his hands two bags, and a tile scribe with which to cut tile. He pulled open the bag and revealed white tile. He told me that he wanted to do the orphanage a service and place tile where the children and the mums get their water. He said he wanted to provide the materials and his services at his own cost because he believes in Christ and knows that when you do things for God, he will take care of you. That seems to be what he says every time he does something out of his own pocket, and its true. God will care for you; whether it is comfortable, or painful. He used the help of Walter and Bonny; breaking the surface of the pad which is there currently. They re-leveled the pad and placed a layer of cement, then mortar to smooth out the surface. He will place the tile later today. 

Tree re-location

Well, I don't know that our mango tree is going to make it. I was so excited that it would work, but i am afraid that the roots got chopped too drastically. It did bring me some joy when we moved it, but either way... the tree had to move. So wheter it lived or died, it could not remain where it was. We did what we could to keep it going, but the African hoe is just to efficient. 

Grass Planting

I started to transplant grass, and everyone kept telling me that it is too dry. I keep telling them, “All you have to do is water it every now and then. There is a supply of water, it is only a matter of getting the water to keep it growing. Once the grass takes hold in the ground, it is only a matter of time before the grass starts going everywhere, because the wet season is starting to move in. In places around the orphanage where we have backfilled from the erosion, I have tried to plant grass in locations that will limit the flow of dirt. For example, around corners, or where the washouts funnel between two houses. The other day, a young man came to me and asked if he could plant some grass. I told him if he wanted to work, he needs to speak to Henry. He told me that he does not need to be paid, he wanted to simply do the work. This young man is the same young man, who a month ago was working for me when we had a nice conversation about serving the community. I said to him, “So you are going to work all day doing this grass planting, and then come to me and ask me if I cant help you and give you some money, even though I told you that I can not hire you unless you go through Henry.” He said, “No, I only want to do this to serve this orphanage. I promise I will not ask for money.” So he took after my example and started to place grass in some of the areas that were back-filled. 

Last night during our bible study the topic was about placing memorials. The example was of Joshua when they crossed the Jordan and placed the 12 stones on the riverbank when they entered into the promised land. That brought us to memorials of our lives. Our tomb stones represent our lives for everyone that comes after us. Usually a life is summarized into a short sentence, etched in stone, and then left to the elements for a slow chemical and mechanical decomposition. Generations that pass by will look at the stone and wonder what this person was like, having only the few words on which to base a lifetime. The question was asked, “What do we want written on our stones?” I heard many responses. Some said things like, “Servant of God”, or “She went to the Nations”. I had a hard time because so many things that are written on gravestones are in reality, self-serving. Do I want my life to bring me glory, or to bring God glory? if it is for me, then yeah, I can pat myself on the back and say how Godly I was, or how much God loved me. What can you place on your gravestone that is a testimony to your life, and gives glory to God?