Jim chimes in...

(Note from Shawn - These are Jim's reflections on the day, but I had to post it from my account since Jim hasn't signed up as a blogger yet)

Jim says:

What Jerry Said...

Well we had one heck of a dasayuno, and as usual a great drive to Pencuyut. Jerry and Amy were with me, and we stopped and experienced the local sold waste management facility - wild dogs, vultures, and dense smoke. Not an ordinary experience. That was followed by domestic turkeys crossing the road. They weren’t the kind that we have in Pennsylvania. They were a lot skinnier, and white. All that before we even got to the church.

Once there, it was time to add chlorine to the “raw” water storage tank, aqua cruda tanque. That’s necessary because of local regulations. Once we got that and other tasks underway, we decided to check out where the water comes from. Turns out they have a well, and it is considered a municipal system. A couple of the local boys took me, Jerry & Tod there. There were normal fixtures for a municipal well - pressure gages, valves, etc. The fun really began when the local boy shook the power cable, and said, “iguana”. I said, “iguana - donde es iguana?” And he points to the well. Turns out the iguana was down in the well - and it hissed. Shake the power cables, the iguana hisses. He got a little upset we were disturbing him. Now this is the water supply for the entire town.

We looked around a little more, and inside the water system area, there were avocado and orange trees. I stepped on an avocado, and Tod says, “Hey, you made guacamole!” The local boys carried a few back, and I think we had them for lunch.

Once back and after wondering what the iguana has been doing in the water, I had some piping work to do, but lunch was ready. Another incredible meal homemade by the local ladies. Their dresses are so beautiful, white with exquisite embroidery. The meal included habeneros, and I was stupid enough to try one. After everyone made fun of the sweat coming off my face, we got back to work.

(Photo added by Shawn for illustrative purposes.)

We were missing parts for the raw water system, so Freddie and I headed to the local hardware store, which was a much different experience than going to Lowes. First off, it was a family hardware store, and everybody was there - dad, mom, and all the kids. Not surprisingly, they thought I was a tourist. Now how many tourists go shopping for piping hardware, I don’t know. But I explained (via Freddie) what was happening and they were into it. Parts in hand, we departed, and this time went down the right way on the one way street. We stopped along the way for some small lemons growing along the road.

Back at the church, Nemias and I finished the piping, and then they let me put my name in the freshly laid concrete. We then moved onto the first part of the treatment system, and when we checked the piping we only had a few minor leaks. The small lemons in some cool water were very refreshing for our water break. I taught my friend Don Andreas, an older man of the community, to fist pump, and we now call him “Switch Man”, as he helped me flip a switch when I needed power.

I can’t wait to worship tomorrow. This has been such an amazing experience.

Jim