Mark writes:

It is 7:25 here in the jungle, and we are all tired.Today we put up a lot of steel. I have never picked up and hauled so much steel by hand. God has protected us from injury, these beams and post are flat heavy. But we are getting it done and pretty fast. We have taken more of the x-ray building down than planned because of the type of crane we are using. You who have been here before understand that you don't just have access to tools and material like we have in the states or even other countries like Thailand and Costa Rica.

Today was hot again so we were wet most of the day, drank a lot of water, tighten bolts and carried or hoisted purlins and girts into place. Jonathon put up the x bracing in the roof on the part we have finished. As a team we are getting along well and getting to know each other. It has been good to work along side Jason Kalb and the men that came with him. He has a purpose and a schedule he wants to keep so we are working longer hours than we did last year but the result is that we are getting a lot more done.

One thing that is very different from last year is that we are working down at the hospital. Seeing these sick folks and injuries all of the time. They watch us most of the day.
The hospital is fuller than I remember it last year and most of all the buildings have patients in them.

From Dave Greene:

It was party cloudy and very hot here today - probably our hottest day yet. However, we did get a lot of work done in spite of the heat. At one point, no one was helping with the setting of the purlings (steel joists in the upper roof) so I climbed up there and pulled one end up with the help of one guy and a rope. Little did I know that they would expect me to walk the main rafter beam, pushing these purlings along in front of me. The beam is 5 inches wide and I was about 30 feet off of the ground! I'm not sure if the sweat that was pouring off of me was from the heat or the height! The best part is, I survived!
We have the steel frame work about half done - just a hair under half way. There are nine major columns (that support the roof of the building) and we have 6 of those set. There are nine other columns that are about half as tall that are for the floor of the second level and we have six of those done as well. Then we have steel beams that run between each of the nine major columns - there are 10 of those. We have six of those 10 done. We have one have of the roof joists (purlings) in place and have started some of the cross bracing.

The sun was so hot today, that sitting on the beams was almost too much. If you did not have gloves on, you would not have been able to hold your hand on them, especially the galvanized steel which is quite shinny. We worked later than normal and the sun was setting as I walked to the pool. Yes there is a pool. Not great by California standards, but it feels so amazing after a hot day! I just have to get in the pool each night to cool down and relax a little before dinner.

I have been getting to know a couple of the Malians that work with us. (Malians, as in from Mali) Anyway, today I was teaching Abrahim how to count to 10 in English and he was helping me review my French counting. (Thanks Charlotte) We are also teaching each other short phrases, like greetings and the names of tools that we are using. These guys are all Muslim and are hard workers. The Gabonese do not seem to do much in the way of work. Not sure why or how they live. The wives seem to work very hard. Maybe they are the main bread winners!