Not long after we posted the blog last night the power went out and stayed out until late in the afternoon on Thursday. There is an emergency generator for the Kitchen and Comedor, but not for Casa Grande. So, our morning routine was a little different.
Today was our day to do projects off the Ranch. Half of us went to the home of Franklin, a former Ranch employee who is now working for another ministry that sometimes houses its mission teams at the Ranch. Our job was to do a concrete floor in an open-air portion of their son Jermis' home. The area will eventually be another enclosed room. The family has a nice large garden with red beans, squash, corn, bananas, avocados, plantains, coffee and rotating crops. They also have chickens for eggs and food.
We mixed the concrete by hand on the ground that they had already prepared to receive the floor. It was a big job made more difficult by the fact that we are at about 5,000 above sea level. But we had lots of help. Two of the Ranch kids came along to assist us and Franklin and Jermis also did a lot of the work. Also, Martin drove the front-end loader to and from the Ranch multiple times to bring the sand, gravel and cement that we needed. Naturally, as soon as the floor was complete a rooster walked across it and left his footprints.
The other half of our team delivered water filters at the homes of three people. They met all of the people at a local church and instructed them on how to use and clean the filters. Then they went to the homes and set up the filters. Everyone was very appreciative of the filters. They provide a significant health benefit as well as saving money. If maintained well, the filters will last ten years.
As it was with the medical team last week, the filters provided an object lesson about Jesus being the living water in our lives. Also, the dirty water represents the sin in our lives and the filter represents Jesus purifying us by dying on the cross to pay for our sins.
The water filter team finished their work before noon and met up with the concrete floor team. Once we finished the floor and the clean up of the tools was done we all sat together and ate the lunch that the Ranch provided. We donated the extra food to the family and they were very appreciative. In fact, they were very thankful for all the blessings God provided today. Before we left, we prayed with them and then we headed the short distance back to the Ranch.
After recuperating from the day's heavy labors, Martin and Tom decided to test out how to move the letters for the Rancho Ebenezer sign. They used the front-end loader to haul the first three letters to the base of the hill and then carried them up in the wooden drawers that were used for the formwork. To their delight, the letters were strong and easy enough to walk up the hill to the sign's location. Of course, for now the sign says RAN, but that will change tomorrow morning.
The Water Filter Team
The Concrete Project for Jermis, Natalia and Mateo
Interesting Blue Beetles
Silliness at the Ranch
