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Venezuelan Team of Ten Update... |
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Day Three ~ Monday, April 7 Rise and shine between 5-5:30 am. The bus would pick us up at 6:30 and it would be off to The Farm for our first day of
work. Dale dropped off some pastries and juice around 5:45 am. He would not be riding on the bus with us because he had to pick up 2 ladies (Marilis and Ismary) who would be preparing our midday meals on The Farm.
It was this first morning when we discovered that the gas stove did not work. That meant there would be no hot water for the packets of oatmeal we had brought from the States. Clever Vern, knowing that the hot water
tank generated some exceptionally hot water, took his breakfast bowl into the shower to get the hot water needed for his oatmeal. By the following morning we had figured out how to use the coffee machine to produce
the needed hot water first, then to brew the coffee. Keep in mind, our first visit to The Farm, yesterday, was a social visit, an opportunity for introductions. We really didn't observe what type of work we would
be doing. Well, here it is Monday morning, and our bus dropped us off at The Farm. We each had our own personal bag of bug spray, sunscreen, gloves, water bottles, band-aids, and various medications if we happened
to get bitten, stung, and so on. Dale had already arrived with the 2 ladies, and the farmhouse kitchen was quite active, beginning preparations for the Noon meal..
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Our first day assignments included: painting a second farm house about a quarter mile from the main house, weed-whacking around the construction site where a huge church is being
built, and planting about a dozen bamboo trees. Most of us were on the painting detail (Carol, Debbie, Joanne, Isabelle, Lynn, Vern, Olga, and Dino). Assisting the painters were Maximo and Wilmer.
Maximo, 21 years old, is one of the 5 farm employees. Wilmer is a contracted laborer whose primary work has been putting up fencing. Pictures of the farm house had been taken prior to the painting. It
didn't take long for the vibrant blue paint
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to transform the farm house into a "new home." Debbie and Carol were real go-getters when it came to painting. They were brushing and rolling with great zeal. Joanne and
Isabelle took on the task of painting the bathroom, and the green paint they were applying was really thick and gooey. Lynn started off the morning cleaning up large quantities of trash from the yard. Vern
and Dino, because of their height, used the step ladder and extendo-poles to paint the higher exterior walls. For the really high stuff, we could always rely on Maximo, who surely got quite a kick out of
watching a crew of eight change the appearance of this farm house. |
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The weed-whacking crew included Erik, Luis, and Scott. The Farm had 3 gas-powered weed-whackers when we arrived on scene. By the end of the week, there was only ONE weed-whacker still
working. Remember, we're just a little North of the Equator and vegetation keeps on growing and growing. In other words, a weed-whacker gets quite a workout. The church has been under construction for awhile now. As
money comes in, more concrete blocks can be purchased. The "Team of Ten" brought $2,000 cash as a love offering from Ascension with specific intentions that it be used to purchase the remaining concrete blocks
needed to complete the church's walls. So, the weed-whacking around the church was to prepare for the concrete blocks.
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In Florida, it would be no big deal to plant a dozen bamboo trees, correct? Well, in Venezuela, in the dry season, digging a dozen holes is a really huge deal. Digging a
hole even just 6 inches deep could take up to 10 minutes. You can't just step on the shovel to dig the hole or you would break your foot. Hole digging is more like "chipping" away at the hard dirt. Even
tough Erik grew some blisters from his hole chipping. But by the end of the day, the young bamboo forest had been planted. Bamboo wood is valuable and it may become an important crop for The Farm. Bamboo
grows so fast compared to other woods, and it is strong enough to use in construction jobs. |
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By Noon, our entire Team was more than ready for a lunch break. And what great meals we were served each day on The Farm. Today we were treated to exquisite tasting chicken. It
was a brilliant way for us to experience native Venezuelan dining. Even though the cooks spoke very little English, it wasn't hard for them to understand that we enjoyed their efforts in the kitchen.
It was on this first workday that Dale shared his vision for the church being built on The Farm. The sanctuary portion of the church under construction is not much smaller than Ascension's sanctuary. The
roof is not nearly as high
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as Ascension's, but the floor area is comparable. Right now, some of the concrete block walls have been started. The roof is only one-quarter complete. There is much to do to make the church
into a usable building. As money comes in, progress can be made. Attached to both sides of the sanctuary will be several rooms that can double as classrooms or dormitory rooms. In the future, when mission groups
visit The Farm, they may be able to stay right on The Farm and save about 2-3 hours of bus commuting time each day. Dale pictures the church also being the hub for retreats. In addition to the classrooms and
dormitory rooms, he envisions a large kitchen and shower facilities at the back of the church. The potential is there. The dream will be realized with time and funds.
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By 3:30 pm our bus had arrived at The Farm, and we climbed aboard. Some of our fingernails were still blue from the paint, but it was a pleasant ride back up to Caripe, and we
were looking forward to the 10 degree drop in temperature. Back in Caripe, we once again congregated in Dale and Sandy's home for our dinner of Strawberries and Crème over Waffles. Debbie took on much
of the waffle making. There were only 2 waffle machines, so we took turns eating. Strawberries and Crème must be a popular treat in Caripe. We passed at least 2 restaurants that featured Strawberries and
Crème on their signs.
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Go to Day Four... |
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