Yep - WE DID IT!!

That's right, we did it! We built the house in 5 1/2 days, with no time to spare before Canda came home at 3:30pm on Thursday......! We literally worked right up to the final moment - when we started at 6am in the morning on that final day #6, we didn't have the kitchen installed, no electricity to the rooms, and no doors or windows. We worked till 11pm on Wednesday, Day #5 - painting in the "dark." Following Fred, Steve, and David while they put up the siding - we followed with rollers and brushes, using headlamps to light the way. Inside, Tim was trying to get us power, but limited to one light bulb. Beside him was Flavio and Shauna, trying to cut the inside paneling with shared power from the neighbors house - cutting with the light of flashlights and REI headlamps. (most of the cuts ar straight :)) In the next room was Steff and Sharon putting the bunkbeds together, using a flashlight to light the way....everyone had a job to do. We were shuttling food back to the workers, music from Julie's Ipod keeping the mood upbeat! Jake yelling "I see a drip!" Outside in the dark, an ever-present crowd was watching this chaos. Sometimes they came closer to the house, to get a peek inside, but ran the risk of getting run over by one of the scurrying workers - determined to get the job done. We had highschoolers and parents digging postholes in the dark (I didn't know this until the photos came out later). Our Nicaraguan counterparts were filling ditches, moving scaffolding, and helping Tim with the electrical work. Across the street Girardo was working around the clock to build our windows and tables in time for installation on Thursday. EVERYONE was working! Day #4 (Wednesday) the roof was installed and the tile laid. In the bodgea we were priming all the siding, the paneling, and the bunkbeds. The design team went to the market again to pick out the color of paint we would paint the house, buy more furniture and cloth to make the curtains for the rooms. They came back with a Clock that James hung in the tree outside - it would become our countdown clock. 36 hours to go! A constant stream of kids were busy working to make a new drainage system for the grey water. And our THIRD generator went down.....But the real story was the crazy job of installing a 30' concrete power pole. This wasn't part of the plan, but became part of the ever crazy story of "adapting and overcoming." Scott and Tim finally figured out a way to extend and erect this power pole, at the right height as to not endanger traffic on the highway, and not kill everyone else while they installed this huge pole with a backhoe and chains. (and ropes tied to my truck, people, and trees.) It was truly a "show" worth the price of a ticket.....but, we now had power!! At 10:30am on Thursday morning, Day #6, I gathered everyone around in the front yard. We had 3 hours to go till we had to be finished. As I looked out at the 40-50 faces I could tell everyone was tired. But I could also tell that they still had 3 solid hours in them, and the determination to get this job done in the time needed. I had a moment to thank them all for their hard work and positive attitude during the week, we were quite an awesome team! We still had windows and doors to install, a kitchen to construct, paneling to buy, and finishing touches to "touch." I asked them to dig deep, keep the faith, and do this for Canda. The faces lit up, the smiles got bigger, and off they went to finish the task they were here to do - and they did it! At 3:30pm Dona Canda arrived to a crowd of a couple hundred friends from the community. She was a rock star, complete with new cool purple shades to rival Bono. A "human shield" covered her view of the house, and as she approached she was able to see her sparkling new house.....absolutely NO resemblance of her old shack. She really didn't know what to do, so she did the thing she does best.....she hugged and kissed. As the crowd parted, the volunteer team awaited her in the front yard, tears flowing and smiles shining. As the family walked into the clean new house, she looked at every detail, every picture hung, every chair in its place, every bed made. The kids couldn't believe their names were actually painted on the bunk beds! As she entered her kitchen, her eyes got watery and her face beamed. A kitchen with cement floors, a roof, running water, and an entrance where she didn't have to go out into the rain. More hugs and kisses. She really couldn't believe it all. She even had a shower, a first for the family - and they all took turns turning it on and off, and on and off....almost expecting it to stop working. Then it was the kids turn. They flew up into their special bunk beds and dove into the specially monogrammed toy bags that James brought down for them. As people stared in from the windows, the kids pulled out more toys than they knew what to do with! They kept running back and forth between rooms to show each other what THEY got, and to compare the "loot count." It was like Christmas morning, but for a family who had never experienced Christmas ever before. Pure happiness and joy. Dona Canda just stood there with a big grin on her face, her eyes darting around taking in the new view. We let the throngs of curious neighbors come through the house as a formal house warming. Tears and hugs abounding for everyone. Everyone was in awe of this beautiful house and so happy that their wonderful friend had a fresh new place to live. Local volunteers beamed with pride of their work, showing their own parents what they had done all week. Everyone wanted their photo taken with Canda - everyone wanted to record this moment, this week, this event in time. The atmosphere was electric, full of congratulatory hugs for all the workers and tears of joy from all Canda's family and friends. A job well done by all. A historic moment. Before we left Empalme on Friday, we returned in the morning and found the house in immaculate shape. The yard raked and the new flowers already watered. The new floors mopped probably for the 100th time. She told us she woke up in the night and walked around the house, with the lights on - to make sure it wasn't a dream. Samuel got on his knees to pray and thank God for this new house. She slept in her first "mattress bed" and woke up to sling her feet to the first real tile floor in her entire life. It wasn't a dream, it was real. Miracles do happen and people are good. She knows that many people from around the world contributed to this miracle - we thank you. We did good. Thanks, The group......