That's the way LOVE goes: Mexico mission-The Work

Let's just say, on this mission trip, I used muscles I haven't used in a LONG time. I have helped my Dad on the farm over the years, I lift Mila's manual wheelchair daily. I carry leggy Mila here there and everywhere. None of this compared to the lifting I did in a weeks time in Mexico.

Jared had told us there was concrete to pour. Somewhere in my mind I though it would be a small job, or play a small part in our week's work. Instead, we poured concrete almost every day. Sometimes, we poured concrete twice a day! I think I could now tell you the mixture in my sleep--three (buckets of) rock, three (buckets of) sand, one (half bag of) concrete, one bucket of water. Dump and repeat. While the guys did the lifting of the buckets and carrying the wheelbarrows, the girls shoveled rocks and sand into the buckets and had them ready each time a new batch was made. On top of mixing and pouring concrete, we dug dirt out of a hillside to put into low spot on the playing field, we tied re bar, painted, and worked with kiddos on English.

Start of day 3 concrete

A determined helper

Taking a break between pours

Long day of pouring concrete

Just one of two sand piles we filled buckets from.

The work was tough. Looking at a pile of sand and a pile of rocks, one thinks to herself "no biggie". Well, after countless buckets, it is a biggie. Advil was my good friend during the week. Thankfully Jesse commented as he shoved the buckets into the pile of sand (and filled the bucket part way), "I know what it's like to be a bucket filler". This guy, big muscles and all, who made picking up a filled 5 gallon bucket look like rocks were marshmallows, validated my work.

There was time to spend with the kids each day, but there was lots of work to be done as well. Truth be told, I loved spending time with the kids, but the work was very rewarding. A team of twelve extra people arrive. Heck, if I was on staff at the orphanage, I'd make us work too. Twelve extra people make a huge difference! We poured over 10,000 pounds of concrete!! Seven different slabs. We became a well oiled Ohio machine. Looking over our work at the end of the week was very rewarding. Knowing we made a small dent in the work that is still to be done was gratifying. With sore muscles at the end of the day, I wish we could have done more in a weeks time.