back in action

I mentioned in my ‘odds and ends’ blog that people are constantly coming and going, but there is a big group of folks that come and go at the same time. Since I came in early this hitch, I came in just before one of the big crew changes. It was nice because I got to spend time with folks that I don’t usually get to work/socialize with, but now we are in catch-up mode getting all the new folks that came in up to speed with what’s happening.

This is the first week since I’ve been back that we have our full workforce back in action. The nationals that work for our sub-contractor take holidays very seriously. We have basically had a skeleton crew here since the 21st of December. I don’t think there’s such a thing as ‘calling in sick’ it’s more just plain not showing up around here. The Christmas and New Year season is all about family, and work does not get in the way of this sacred time. It’s kind of refreshing that the local companies acknowledge that family truly does always come first – but also incredibly frustrating for us crazy Americans that want to see progress. The good news is that we finally finished up another major milestone in construction – our 2nd road crossing. This time, thankfully, I don’t have any embarrassing stories to share about sending pictures of myself out to all of Malongo :)

Acabaco (finished)!

Every Sunday our small team gets together for a safety meeting that is mostly centered around getting to know one another. Usually, one person shares a ‘diversity moment’ that can be anything from past experiences, to family photos, to what they ate for lunch yesterday – just anything to help us get closer as a team. Last Sunday, one of my construction managers shared his experience climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and it was absolutely incredible. He shared pictures and talked us through the entire 7-day journey, which took about a year to plan. Sooooo who wants to tackle Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2015 – followed by a little R+R in Zanzibar?? (I’ve may have already started doing a little research….)

I was pretty bummed at the beginning of the week because I am missing my FAVORITE week of the year back home – MusicFest 2014 in Steamboat, Colorado. My first trip was in 2010, and I decided then that I would never miss a year. It’s just a really great week of good snow, good music and good people (good beer too, it’s sponsored by #SHINER) Anyways, some of my favorite people were in attendance and eased my pain by sending me pictures, videos, and insults (thanks Bru) – it’s almost like I was there…

I’m going to ask for some prayers from everyone this week. On December 4th our civil/structural engineer, Don, that supports my project from Houston had an accident at his home and suffered a traumatic head injury. Don underwent emergency surgery and was unconscious for a few days. He has since been moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center, but is unable to move the right side of his body and has very limited speech. The good news is that he is able to recognize people who visit him. I’ve spent quite some time with Don since I joined the project in June. We spent a week together working in Italy last summer and he also visited Malongo for 2 weeks during my September hitch. Don is originally from Korea and served as an engineer in the military before coming to the states to complete his doctorate at The University of Texas at Austin or THE University (as my Pa likes to refer to it). To say that Don is a nice man is an understatement. He is one of those people that truly wants to know you, and when you talk he hangs on every word (this could be due to the language barrier – but still super endearing). He has a wife and two teenage girls in Houston that need our prayers for a full recovery!

15 days down, 16 to go! xoxo