Mid August to October 2010

With the departure of our teams and volunteers, the camp was definitely quieter and more lonely.  It was strange to wake up in the morning and not have to do my “cook-a-doodle-doo” to wake anybody up.  It was nice in a way but we definitely missed everyone, especially their friendship and all their help.  Progress continued but not at the pace that it was when everyone was here.  It seemed that these months passed in a whirl of early mornings, late evenings, and one day just blending into other.  Somedays we felt overwhelmed with all that needed doing  and others it felt like we were just treading water to keep our heads above water (hence the late updates) and yet God gave us the strength needed for each day.
One of the main projects that I tackled during this time was the water pump situation. The well at the orphanage ran dry and we had to put up a 1000litre tank up at the main well. I then had to build a metal structure for it and with the locals help, laid all the pipes from the well to the orphanage and the garden (approx 300 meters). 
 
During this time Charles’ new house was completed up to roof height which he as very happy about.  When he took the job as our local foreman/manager/security, it was the beginning of rainy season so there wasn’t enough time to build him, his wife, and four young kids a bigger place than the small 3 x 3meter hut that was there from our previous employee.   Needless to say, after 9 or so months in cramped quarters they were all very excited to see this new “mansion” going up.
  When the local builders  completed that we got them to lay the foundation for a new larger chicken coupe as well.  At the same time, I was able to get our carport bricked in to serve as a more secure workspace that could be locked when we are gone.  
An exciting new addition to the landscape of the orphanage is a nice big garden. The orphanage committee, house mothers, children and I worked hard to clear the land (trying out the new tractor), erecting a fence, planting a nursery, and then transplanting the small plants to their proper rows.  While we will still have to buy vegetables for the house until these are able to be harvested everyone is quite excited about the possibilities that the new garden brings, not only in the variety of vegetables that they can plan and harvest but also for the opportunity to teach the kids another important village life skill.