Yesterday, we began our first full day of work projects, and all of the crews really hit the ground running. Our medical team saw an amazing 120 patients, and the donation center was booming. The floor crews are already ahead of schedule, and they will probably finish early and change into Stove Teams by Thursday AM. And the VBS crew had a smooth opening to their children's worship, and the kids there were so excited to be a part of that experience. But today, I want to tell you about the Stove Crews.
I know I have mentioned this project in the past email blasts and the blog, too. But I cannot even begin to explain how incredible these stoves are. Most of the family homes here have the traditional wood fire stoves in their houses. The stoves burn with an open fire underneath, with a brick structure on top of it. When they cook, their homes fill with smoke, and they all suffer from upper respiratory ailments.
So then comes this amazing mission project. We have purchased these stoves for the families who have been determined by the town to be "most in need." They are so incredible. They start with 10 cinder blocks, arranged in a rectangle shape, 2 blocks high. The blocks are arranged so that there is an open side on either side of the rectangle on both layers (I assume for air flow). Then there are these special pieces, also blocks of different materials, that are arranged, very much like a puzzle, and within 30 minutes or less, we are filling the inside of the structure with sand, which will help to radiate the heat. Add a sort of "cook top," and it is ready to vent. We climb up onto the stove and trace a circle around where the pipe will go. We use a hammer and a cutting tool to cut out the circle. We cover the stove pipe with chicken wire, and bend the ridge of the wire to protect little hands from burning. We place the vent pipe through the open hole, place a "sombrero" on top to keep the rain out, and we are ready to light the stove. The family comes in, and they, together light their stove for the first time. It takes 2 sticks of wood and a small stick of kindling. MUCH less than what they are used to. Within minutes, the stovetop begins to radiate heat, and we prepare to cook a meal together: American Hot Dogs. They love those. We give each family a new skillet to cook with and offer a prayer of thanksgiving.
I wish you could see the look on their faces when they look at the stove for the first time, and they can't believe how quickly the surface heats, and most importantly, how the smoke streams out of the stove pipe instead of their home. It is amazing. This stove will be lit in the evening for the mother to make her tortillas, and the warmth of the stove will gently warm the house throughout the night. With a little poking and rekindling, they will be able to boil water in the AM within a short time. Most importantly, this stove will save the woman of the house 2 days each week from gathering wood.
We feel so blessed to be a part of this mission, and to have such a job placed before us. We are so glad that you are coming along with us on this adventure!
No comments:
Post a Comment