Life being what it is, there are times when you look up (or down) and wonder about the course of events that led to this moment. I experienced one of those moments yesterday afternoon when I noticed that portions of my legs and feet were a kind dull, grayish green color. I proceeded to try and dust this off and noticed that it was rather sticky and not inclined to release its grip on either my leg hair or my skin. I then deduced that I had created an ingenious mixture of sweat, sunscreen, and wet concrete which resulted in this aforementioned effect on the skin. The attempt to wash said substance off with water only proved difficult and resulted in more hair being removed from my legs than the mix releasing it's grip.
The magic of soap, alcohol based hand sanitizer, and time eventually led to most of this stuff coming off, but what is much more exciting is the reason why I had concrete on my legs to begin with. Ever since I came to Aparri for the first time in May of 2011, the school has been involved in a construction project for a new main building that includes an auditorium type room, class rooms, offices, a library, etc. Yesterday we poured the last major structural portion of the building that we already occupy a part of; I expect it to be complete relatively soon. Using two drum mixers and about 50 pairs of hands that included construction workers for the project, faculty and staff like myself, and most of the male students; we poured what I conservatively estimate to be 40 cubic yards of concrete one bucket at a time. It was nice to get out and work a little under the sun. It was even nicer to see that 3rd floor get poured.
In addition to this project the school is also constructing a new boys dorm. This was sorely needed. At present they are still laying foundations for this project, this is also exciting to see. The project should be completed soon enough that boys will live there later this school year.
With all of this stuff happening the campus is changing quite a bit; seeing the improvement of the school's facilities is enjoyable. Of course the goal is to be able to accommodate more students and to do so in more pleasant environs. The girls are a little jealous (and very crowded), but I'm sure that they will get their new dorm at some point.
Mid-terms were last week, which only proves the old adage about the habits of time. I imagine this is going to be another school year which will have come and gone before I know it. There is some natural regret in that realization but I think it also proves you've been doing your job. If I hope nothing else about my time here, I will always hope that I was able to fulfill the role of teacher of the Word.
We have our Deeper Life Week coming up, please pray for the students. It is a week where we try to focus them on spiritual things for an entire week and it can be a life altering week for the students. There are a lot of fun things that also happen during this week. Please just pray that it goes well.
Regards, friends; and God bless.
Nick
