The weather permitted us to be outside, so we started the day by painting the slacks of wood for the benches. We laid down the tarp and wood on the basketball court. This instantly caught the attention of the children who were eager to participate. Once we started painting, the children followed us around and insisted on helping us paint. Our reluctance was short lived as we surrendered our brushes and watched as the kids painted the slacks with diligence. They were excited to be part of a project that they were proud of.
We were also able to set up the volleyball court for the teachers and staff. Before long we were engaged in a highly competitive game of volleyball. The children joined in as we laughed and struggled to get the hang of the game. It was a funny, especially as the kids tried to kick or head-butt the ball; Elizabeth appropriately reminded the children this was not football. I'm still not sure if it stuck or not.
The staff hosted lunch for us which included meat a patty, chicken, a delicious spread, potatoes, bread and Coca Cola (befitting for us Atlantans) as an expression of gratitude for the team. It was a copious amount of food, making it very hard to finish. Our favorite part was being able to eat with the children-this was our first time sharing a meal together. It felt like a family gathering filled with laughter and joy.
Then the men got back to work and some of the boys helped put the wood slacks on the metal stands. I could hear their laughter from across the field as our men taught the boys how to hammer the nails. I think the kids may have enjoyed the projects more than we did. I think to them it didn't matter what they were doing as long as they were engaging with us.
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