First Week

Wendy and I have had a busy week of training meeting with Welfare Services leaders from New Zealand and with our local leaders.  We have felt overwhelmed at times, well most of the time.  We spent the first two days getting up at 4am (not on the time change yet) then going to the office till 4pm, home and in bed by 6-7pm and waking up at 4am.  It is getting better.  We spent Wednesday out at a project we will work on till completion, and it was exciting to go see the efforts of the village people as well as the welfare services in action.  Thursday we spent most of the day working through all the active projects as well as 17 new projects for us to consider.  It will take some meetings, investigation of costs and consideration for needs to make the final decisions but right now our plate is flowing over with work to do.  We have containers of desks, chairs and books coming for 4 schools that we will deliver as well as many water and school book projects being requested.  There are many other types of requests and it is humbling to both see the needs and also to be involved in making decisions regarding the help that is needed. 

Wendy entertaining some of the children in a village we visited for a clean drinking water project.

trenches taking the water up to a storage tank in the village

Village workers taking a break in the hot sun from hard work

village men and family from other villages helping clear the trees and dig the trench.  ROOTS

These guys sure know how to work and be happy.  They were singing and happy to take a break for a picture.