Moving Stone & Sand

Today was one of those days that felt less productive than it actually was. Yesterday, five stone cutters set to work on the gray and black stone. Today, we started our day moving stone into color and size specific piles. This is one of those tasks that is hard work and helpful in the long run, but doesn't get stone laid immediately. A few of our crew then spent the rest of the day moving sand to make more mortar. Most of us spent our day sorting stone and setting it out to be laid. While this didn't raise the level of our building significantly, it did set us up for an easier day tomorrow.

After lunch, we came out to discover storm clouds gathering. Lightening was striking on all sides and we could hear the rain coming. I think we may have each moved a single rock before Adam announced that the rain would be here in five minutes. He was perfectly accurate! And the rain that came was a serious downpour – it lasted over an hour and a half! This didn't leave us with much more time to work outside before darkness fell. We did our best to be productive in that time, but unfortunately didn't get as much done as we would have liked.

On a more positive note, In Step added another child to their ranks today. We were able to meet this precious little boy after dinner this evening. I am constantly in awe of the love and care that all these children receive here. When I am tired and sore at the end of the day, the kids here remind me how important our work is for everyone here. Whenever we pass by the kids, we hear our names called and see lots of little hands waving to us. I'm not sure I've ever felt more appreciated for working hard – or felt more purpose-filled in doing manual labor.

Katie