HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE SO TIRED?

WHEN EMOTIONS RUN HIGH . . . . .

Weaving bamboo is hard work! Fingers get pressed, nails broken, knuckles chipped, wearing gloves make it all hard to manage, the saw fights back, then finally, a small piece of bamboo less than an inch wide fits over & under over & under vertical supports. Our team created bamboo walls for the house followed by two days (more tomorrow) of plastering over our bamboo woven frames. Lots of carrying on, of course, by one another about which weaves hugged mud best. Then we start the painting.

Our schedule is tough: up before 6, breakfast, bumpy dusty bus ride about 45 minutes to the site, work, lunch, work, bus home, and 2 days in a row, evening events that lasted until nearly 10pm. Some folks were feeling poorly from very hot sun, unusual food, or exhaustion. Sometimes we all get a bit testy or just stop working for a few minutes. Yesterday was my turn when I took a quick 30 minute nap on a softly woven and much used straw mat near the house. Folks were apparently talking and working around me, but I must have been tired enough to sleep. While I slept, a Kiwi fellow sat under a tree for a while. Then, somehow, we both felt revitalized and started plastering again.

And, I am among new friends from around the world, all pulling together for a single purpose. The homeless families we will house work along side of us. They were required to complete at least 500 hours for their homes. Some exceed it with help of family members. Our family has three teenage children. I notice that the 13-year-old was like any other thirteen year old, standing in a slumped position leaning to the side with a “do I have to be here” look on his face. He was probably glad to leave for school. When we needed rags to catch dripping paint, I donated an extra shirt I had worn during the morning to be cut up into useful sized pieces. Just then the 73 year-old grandmother who is getting the house next door to the one I am building, came up to me, pulled on the front of the shirt I was wearing gesturing with scissors. She laughed heartily to think I would give up the shirt off my back right then and there!

How does it make me feel? First of all, I feel peculiar as we are all dressed in old clothes with no make up, sweating buckets in the hot, humid day. Secondly, I feel honored to work all day everyday for a week & make life so new for at least one family. What is the percentage of a week out of my life to help? Very small indeed. If I had my financial calculator, i would figure it out for certain. 

Friday is our last work day. Our team spent an extra hour today to try & finish the prep work for painting. We expect to start a bit earlier tomorrow to try & complete as much as we can. It is an arduous task.  After lunch we have a celebration in a nearby  park that includes a visit from the President of Nepal.

Then we travel back to our new little homes to dedicate them. We were asked to bring a small gift for the family. I have a small sand painting made by a Native American in the desert of southwest USA. Others brought flashlights (the power goes out here at least 1-2 times each day), pencils, towels, or other useful items.

I am told that the President has never been to western Nepal region before. No one is sure of the logistics or if we will see/meet him. This is a very BIG deal as until recently, Nepal had a king. There was a terribly murder of the king and his family in 2000 which has brought strife to the country since then. So, electing a President is a new experience for this diverse people.---

Speaking of a new experience, I will try sleep in a bit. Every morning when the rooster's crow begins, I wish I could add a couple more sleepy hours.