Post No 2

A lot of progress has been made since the last post. Most of the time has been spent helping to dig holes for the column foundations and then setting them in concrete. Building the retaining wall and steps at the front going up into the chapel and pouring the floor slab. All the concrete is mixed by hand nothing is done with machines really as it costs too much and mannual labour is so cheap. Jon Jerram and myself have been getting stuck in with the work getting throughly covered with red earth which gets everywhere. We have built up a good friendship with many of the men enjoying Feney fruit with them, which is a huge green boulder of a fruit roughly the size of 3 footballs, so plenty to share around. It has a sap that is so sticky you need oil or 30mins brick laying to wash it off.

The roofer delieverd the poles yesterday which was good though they seem to be a odd/random choice of sizes and lengths! The event of this week though was definatly being asked for my first bribe. Two smartly dressed men drove up one day explaining they were from the local goverment and would stop the building unless we gave them an approved plan, which having not been told that any sort of regulations existed was a little worryinjg. Then he said I had 3 options, 1 the approved plans, 2 details, areas etc and a set amount of money and the plans later or 3 a man to man chat where i gave him a little money for them to say all was fine and the plans were in. We went for the second one eventually once we varified that was ok too. They probably only came along after hearing sdome white men were building something and so they might get some money out of them! 

Jerram is leaving tomorrow and Jon on monday after helping to set the chapel's construction in the right direction. We are really enjoying spending time with our lively hosts Rev Solomon and Diana and Phillip and Frances. It has been pretty tricky at times communicating with various tradesmen but it has so far been a great experience and fairly stress free. We ordered the internal and external carpentry work yesterday and work on the roof begins today.

I chose the verse to be carved on one of the entrance doors is 2 corinthians 4vs7; ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

welaba!