depressing update :-(

Not a fun update to do today.

MAYBE they will have the steel up by the middle of next week; Brian was hoping to have it done already. He said they would have been better off if he would not have had the guys do anything after he left. They basically threw the rafters up there-they weren't straight, they weren't spaced right, they've had to fix pretty much everything. Plus, it has been windy, so not good weather for putting up steel.
Putting up the stringers and plywood on the ceiling isn't going to be much fun either-some pieces have to be cut, some have to have shims...not real good.
He also found out he put one of the drains in the bathroom on the wrong side for the tub, so he'll have to cut the floor out and fix that. He said it was a good thing he pushed the walls out in the bathroom-the shower/tub is just going to slide in with an inch or two to spare.
Some of the plaster on a few on the rooms is flecking off. The one batch of building sand they were given to use wasn't very good. The outside looks great, but there is some on the inside that will have to be patched in before we can paint.
Brian is really bummed that it took so long for the container to get to the school so we didn't have time to get more guys to go over with him. He would have especially loved to have had someone he could hand off all the plumbing too.
They are also going to need to wire in some lights as once the roof is up, it'll be pretty dark in the house! They have plywood over most of the windows now, as there are things in the rooms (to keep them safe).

Brian wasn't feeling too hot yesterday. As we talked we figured it was probably the cooked cabbage and the real baked beans (some of which were a little firm). I tried to make some "real" beans once and didn't get them quite done, which lead to a family of bloated, gassy, stomach-achy people, which is pretty much how Brian felt. Plus there is just getting used to eating like that again and he said he felt that way a little this summer at the beginning too.

Everyone has been working hard-most days working by 6 am and not quitting until after 7 pm. The ladies bring the food up to our house so they don't have to walk down.
Brian has been sleeping under the stars in our house to keep an eye on things after dark.

I just keep reminding Brian all we need is the roof on and running water. We can finish up the rest when we get there. Sure it would be nice if the flooring was all done and the painting and everything else, but we can do that when we get there. We are just at the point where we need to get there!

The bum of all this is that there were things he wanted to try to do in town (get his Zambian driver's license, pick up some things for the house, check on some things for Gospelink...) but he is probably not going to get to do any of that because he just can't leave the guys at the house to work alone; he's gotta be there to be sure things are done correctly.
I do think they are going to go fill up the propane tanks though-then they could hook up the fridge and have cold water up there to drink for Wendell. He's getting pretty tired of the warm bottled water!

Today they are at the Solii Fall Festival. It is the gift-giving time for the chief, Oonda OOnda (spelled phonetically-when written, it looks nothing like that!). Henry thought Brian may even end up sitting with the chief, or getting gifts from him...was to be very interesting anyway. We knew he needed to go, but a whole work day was lost-it's an hour drive there and hour back. When I called at 9 pm Zambia time, they were still gone. So Brian will do some work tomorrow, and Witness will probably come help.
Witness is 7Th Day Adventist, so he was having his Sabbath today and said he would be glad to work. He is there bright and early each morning, and has a couple mile walk to get there. He seems eager to learn more, and gets a long well with Wendell. He eats with the guys at the house-sort of. He'll get food after everyone else does, then sits off a bit. Again, it's that culture of respect/honor, and for lack of a better work, position. He knows he is the employee, so culture there would say he doesn't eat with the boss, even if asked. I know Brian has said Lucy's brother/cousin/whatever Joe would never eat with them either, no matter how many times Henry told him to.

So, not the best of news this time, but God is still faithful! All that He wants to get accomplished will. What's that proverb about man planning his own way, but God directs his path?