February may be the shortest month, but it has been slammed full of construction teams eager to work on the new Revolution clinic construction. Four teams came during four separate weeks with volunteers hailing from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, and even California!

A combined team from Indiana and Illinois kicked off the month with the largest construction team to work on the clinic to date. They had OVER TWENTY volunteers working throughout the week, and they set the bar high for groups to come (yes, that IS a challenge to all future groups!) In 4 short days this group made a kitchen structure to be used to serve food for future construction crews. They made three picnic tables to go under an eating shelter, which they also built. They cut holes for a door and windows into the shipping container that will be converted into office space. They also made a frame and mounted the “SRI and ACPSI REVOLUTION Project” sign to said frame. This will serve as great advertisement for the project, informing all who pass by what will be coming soon to the San Juan area. And that’s not even everything the team did. They managed to find time to dig some holes and footer for the clinic perimeter wall. Not too shabby, huh?

Enjoying a meal (and the shade) under the new dining shelter

Following that “superteam” came a group compiled of teams from Archbold and Bryan, Ohio,  Fort Wayne, Indiana, and  Adrian, Michigan. This group was able to paint the kitchen structure that was made the previous week. They stained the picnic tables as well. This group also spent much of the week in holes, digging with all their might. Some of them had to be drug out at the end of the day! Their efforts were rewarded by being able to pour the first section of footer for the perimeter wall.

The first section of footer is poured!

 

The last two teams came in two separate weeks, both from Spartanburg, South Carolina. These groups had servant hearts and did a little bit of everything, including laying the first block on the perimeter wall! They actually got a few sections of wall up to the finishing height of 12 lines. They did a lot of work on the shipping container office space. They assembled and installed stairs and a platform for the entry of the office. They also made two desks and a drafting table. One creative team member welded a new “sand sifter” that was built to last and easier to use than the previous one. Needless to say this group also did their fair share of digging holes and footer, but they did it proudly. The team’s leader, Don, even got to play around with the Caterpillar skid steer to aid with the digging process.

The first block of the perimeter wall Everybody pitching in laying block

 

In this particular post I won’t go into detail about the clinic construction from the Dominican side, because SRI Project Construction Manager Ken Potter does such a great job doing so on his blog HERE! He explains the fill and compacting process that will be going on for the next couple of weeks.

Whew! I feel exhausted just recalling all that was done in those four weeks! And to think there’s another 4 week stretch of construction teams to come at the end of February and beginning of March. If you aren’t currently scheduled to make a trip this year, but would like to, please contact myself at jbucher@solidrockinternational.org, or contact the SRI office at 419-956-4077. Come serve and be a part in the REVOLUTION!

The Great Wall’s progress to date