Something Bigger than Ourselves

Monday, 2-18-2013

"Each of us is carving a stone, erecting a column, or cutting a piece of stained glass in the construction of something much bigger than ourselves."  Adrinne Clarkson

Construction plans are rolled out after breakfast…the drawings have been professionally drafted by a Cuban architect and now have an approved permit for construction.  To construct the new 2-story wing, the old 1-story wing must be demolished. To accomplish this, the shared wall on the property line must also come down and a temporary fence will have to be installed between the properties. We exchange ideas on how to minimize facility down time during construction without significantly increasing the project duration.

The pastoral home on the same property will need to be protected from what promises to be significant construction dust and debris. We examine and discuss the  existing electrical service and water supply. The plans indicate that the existing electrical service from the street is too small and will need to be increased in size. From here looking forward the project looks challenging, but a successful project means a community meals outreach program and added classrooms and offices.

Park in the town center of Santa Clara 

We then head out to explore the capital city of the province.  After one-hour ride in a ´52 Mercury to Santa Clara, we stop near the center of town to explore on foot. We blend in with the mixture of European, Canadian, and South American tourists. With a population of about 300,000 people, Santa Clara has a vibrant downtown area with many stores and shops.

Theatre facing the park

In and out of several stores we check on the availability and prices of construction, household goods, and re-lated materials. The good news is that more items of different types appear to be available in the stores today than in the past…the challenge is that many items are not available and those that are available today may no longer be around when one is ready to buy.  Despite an average household income of about $20 USD per month, prices on most items are higher than comparable prices in the U.S.

Back in Remedios we are getting ready for dinner. Pastor Alexis cooks pargo, a great-tasting fish found in Cuba, al "carbon"   It is during this time of the evening that lights typically flicker and buzz  so we take electrical voltage and current readings.   As power usage in the vicinity increases, the voltage value drops…the 215 volt measurement taken earlier in the day has dropped to less than 200 volts. We discuss at length what this could mean for the project without cooperation from the electrical service company. We decide to dig into this further tomorrow and pray for better news.  ~ Rick