Here's the story ... of a lovely lady... who was bringing up 4 orphaned children and living in horrible conditions. Jesus to the rescue. An American church group built this cinder brick house in one week last summer. Well, technically the foundation was already poured and the roof was put on after the team had returned home. Nevertheless impressive.
Mimosa was so very excited that the day to paint the interior and exterior of her home had arrived and warmly greeted Julia the missionary overseeing the project.
Side of the house with the 'bathroom' window open. The 'bathroom' was a 6x6 square room. Four walls. That's it. No tub, No toilet, No sink, no plumbing, no running water. I asked how they went to the potty... the family usually has a bucket in that room for that purpose.
Same side of the house, bathroom and living room windows are open. See the trench - break in the grass and the line up to the window? That is where the family runs a line to get electricity from their neighbor
True dat!
We enter to assess the situation. Cinder block walls making the home dark and drab.
Mimosa had moved all their possessions either outside or to the middle of the rooms.
Pastor Thwala painting the primer on a bedroom wall. Corner had already been cut.
We had a team of 6 paining, here they are in the living room.
Pastor pouring me more paint; the walls were drinking up the paint. Those huge buckets were very heavy to pour from.
I love painting, always have.
Great fun, talking with this team from American and getting to know them as we worked.
Serving the Lord with paint brushes
Deaconess Katelyn Heitt joined the fun and braved a ladder.
Smile
The paint dried quickly and we were onto the second coat: CREAM.
Whistle while you work.
This hallway leads to the small bathroom and 3 small bedrooms.
The next day when we arrived all the fruniture was put back into its place. Hard to tell that the walls are a beautiful cream color but 100% better than the gray walls of yesterday.
Open floor plan... living & kitchen in one small area.
Nothing much in each bedroom besides the bed. Concrete floors.
Broke my heart that there wasn't any toys for the children. Concrete floors.
What DON'T you see? Light fixture.
What DON'T you see? A light switch.
Living room is one love seat.
On to the exterior. This is the front of the house with the living room window.
Living room window on left, only door and two bedroom windows on right.
Bedroom windows.
Mimosa washing her dishes outside - no running water in the house. I went up the hill to fetch water for her from the 'tap' which was a gallon milk jug cut to funnel the water which was kinda dripping down. Rather heavy carrying that 5 gallon bucket and I was coming down the hill. When I got back to the house Pastor Thwala was cracking up and said that I went to the wrong place for water and that Mimosa had gone to get water. I see her coming UP the hill with a 10 gallon bucket of water ON HER HEAD!!!!
From Grey cinder block to white primer to beautiful cream.
Bathroom and living room side of the house - see the line for the electricity.
Washed out brushes.
Washed out paint trays.
Two days of enjoyable work to show the love of Jesus.
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