I got shook down today!

Today is already Friday.  Boy has this week gone by fast.  No issues with the "Marriott" this time.  No bug stories, no spiders, rats, tarantulas, etc. We do have one guy who seems to be an accident waiting to happen.  The first day of work, he was walking by a window opening just as someone was putting a large piece of wood form through the window opening.  He got nailed right in the bridge of his nose. The second day, he and another girl were stacking block and his finger got in the way of the block and it got smashed.  We were thinking it might be broken, but then, what can you really do for a finger?  We decided nothing, so that is what we did; nothing.  Later that day, he was told to be careful of the barbed wire around an area.  He said no problem, he can get under it and then he got his hand caught in it.  Must be a man ( and someone's child) because he doesn't listen either…

The team is getting pretty discouraged because today is the last work day and they aren't getting as much done as they had hoped.  No team ever does.  There is always something else to be done.  But they are working very hard and are getting a lot done so they should be very proud of themselves.  Yesterday they did get to go back to the place they worked last year and got to see some of the children they had bonded with.  That was a blessing for both the kids and the team members.  The pastor's daughter, who Betty had REALLY bonded with wasn't there and Betty was VERY disappointed that she didn't get to see her.  Today, the pastor had someone bring them all the way down on a motorcycle just so his daughter could see Betty.  boy was Betty surprised when she looked up from jumping rope and saw her standing there.  There were many tears and it was emotional for the two of them.  The time spent together was way too short, but a blessing none the less.

I got shook down for extortion today.  Let me explain.  There is a large parrot here named Loraina. She is VERY loud and is permitted the run of the "Mariott."  Normally she stays in a tree close by.  Today, while I was cooking in the kitchen, I hear Lorain's voice.  I turned around and she is standing on the ground by my feet.  Behind her is one of the two cats that live here.  The cat meows at me to give her some food. Loraina puffs up her feathers and makes a noise and I swear she said, "you heard the cat, give her what she wants."  I tried reasoning with the bird.  I explained that I don't give cats people food.  Loraina looked at me and opened her mouth ever so slowly and made a different sound.  This time, she said, "If you like your toes (I was in flip flops), you'd better give the cat what she wants." So I walk ever so slowly around the bird to the refrigerator to get the cat some cheese.  The entire time, the bird keeps her body between me and the cat.  At NO TIME did the bird allow me to get close to the cat.  I put the cheese on the floor by the bird.  The bird eyes me and then makes a sound at the cat and then the cat goes around the bird to the cheese.  It was amazing and so funny!  Of course, Tom had the camera so I didn't get a picture.  The bird and cat stayed with me in the kitchen for at least 20 minutes. I like all ten of my toes so I kept giving the cat food.  The owner walked by and glanced in my direction and kept walking.  He backed up and looked back in the kitchen at me, the cat and the cat's henchman.  The owner said, "ah, no."  He walks quickly away and gets a stick and comes back for the bird.  The bird walks over to the stick and I swear he looked back over his shoulder at me and smiled.  The owner told the cat to come on and the cat followed him out.  The owner told me the bird is the cat's security guard.  And with that, they were all gone.  I haven't seen the bird since. I'm not sure if the owner put her in "time out" or what.

Today is the last work day.  The team is very busy pouring the floor of the church and working on placing the last bond beam for the placement of the roof.  They have worked really hard and all will be coming back with some serious sun tans (and peeling for those who won't use sunscreen).