Ending the work phase

Yesterday, Thursday, was taken up with placing metal roofing and re-bar on top to hold the cement which would be added.
Here is the finished product at the end of a long day of cutting and welding.

Then began the long process of piecing together the old roofing materials and cutting the reinforcing bars, and wiring them together

Finally it was all ready for the cement: today's job.

Meanwhile, there were lots of children still around.  Alice was doing a heroic job of herding cats and teaching them English.

Of course, not all was work for the kids--especially since Michael brought jump ropes and balls and frisbees.  Here in the street, our friend Fredy, who also drives the van for us, has been teaching the children how he made money with a wooden top when he was a child--throwing it and picking it up spinning and tossing it against coins, to try to bump them out of a circle.

this picture is to prove that I, your photographer and blogger, am still actually here.  The little girl whom I asked if I could read to her, turns out to be 9 years old and reads an Amelia Bedelia book to me in Spanish.

So here is the deal about cement on the second floor.  First you haul it up in sufficient quantities, throw several bags of cement on top, and stones, and mix.

Then after it is mixed, you make a well in the middle to fill with several buckets of water

then you mix and mix and pour a little water on top until the consistency is approved by Armando.

Then it is loading it in buckets or wheelbarrow and tossing it on top of the metal deck.  Until it is complete:

We met an interesting man who lives in Goshen Indiana who is back for a couple of months to get his papers in order.  Here with Tim and Michael and me.

Things are winding down and it was time for a photo with Tim and Michael and Fredy and Gustavo, the senior warden at the church who was able to get a day off to come and work with us

Alice also was saying good-bye to her children friends

And finally Gustavo thanked us on behalf of the parish and introduced Ricardo whom, he said, had worked some magic which had taken him a whole year to realize, and we were presented with coffee cups whose writing with our names and pictures of the church only appeared when filled with something hot!