The slab, Nates slow recovery, packing for Honduras

The slab for the shop is done. It was a much longer process than I had anticipated. The crew did not finish until about 7 pm. The forms and rebar were in place a little before 12 pm but the concrete did not arrive until just before I got home at 4:30. The plant in Decatur had unexpectedly shut down so the truck was dispatched from Weatherford – almost an hour away. All the concrete was hauled from the county road where the truck had to park with a buggy that could move about a ¼ yard at a time. But even with the more drawn out process it took a little less than an hour to get all the concrete in place. With the concrete being poured over old blacktop it took longer to set than Gregg had anticipated and the final work with the power trowel came late in the evening. It was worth the wait on my part. I know Gregg and his crew were a little disappointed to be held up so long; but I am certain it is not the first time that that has happened. He told me as we waited for the concrete to set that he pays his crews by the day rather than by the hour because there are so many variables in completing a job, regardless of the size of the job. Some days are short. Some days are long. It all balances out.

Nate helped me get the grounding rod driven for the electric service to the shop. The electric company requires the eight-foot rod to be driven fully into the ground. I had been doing it a little at a time because the sledge hammer wears out my shoulder. Using the eight-pound sledge one handed, because the rod has to be held in order to steady it between blows with the sledge hammer, takes a toll on my right shoulder. I can do about forty strokes before I have to rest. I can do that about three times before I have to move on to something else. Nate could use both hands while I held the rod. He and I together drove it the last three feet into the ground in about ten minutes. I will make the final hookups tomorrow evening.

Nate is slowly recovering from whatever respiratory infection he has. We have been praying for a quick recovery because he and the family will be leaving for Honduras Saturday. To the best of his recollection he believes the whole issue started with a visit to a friend who has a cat. Nate is allergic to cats. Although they have spent time with this friend before, this time he must have been a little more sensitive to the allergens. No one can be sure what determines the strength of response to an allergic reaction, but something really caused this one to be dramatic. Sufficient enough to cause Nate to go to Urgent Care to get help. I am not sure if he is taking any of the prescribed meds, but he is recovering; just in time.

Cori is getting everything ready for travel. This trip is a little different. Since the travel will be international, there are passports, shot records, visa paperwork, plane tickets, proper baggage, etc. that all need to be gathered to ensure there are fewer obstacles to entry into Honduras and reentry into the United States. They have everything in order. They just have to make sure they have everything with them when they leave for Houston Saturday morning. Clothing, personal items and the like are almost incidental in a trip like this. When dealing with governmental entities, paperwork is paramount – everything else can be purchased at the destination country if needed.

This trip will give the children a chance to see the ministry; to see how and where they will be living for the foreseeable future. There is no better way to let them visualize what lies ahead than to give them a week in situ. My biggest prayer is that they will each discover at least one food item that they will willingly eat.