Christmas Morning in Panama

I got home from Congreso General on Sunday afternoon and fought a losing battle to clean my house, do laundry, eat dinner, bathe, call my family, and prep for the next day. Less than 5 hours of sleep, underscored by blaring accordion music, after a long day in the sweltering heat sitting on benches results in something that feels like a hangover, although no alcohol was involved. (Making it even worse.) I went to sleep Sunday night as soon as I could, which might have been mid conversation with my parents.

‘Djabawera! Djabawera!’

I heard someone calling me from outside my house and I groaned a response that was something like ‘Que?’ mixed with ‘Mehh…’

‘Djabawera, I am going to bathe then I am going to come back so we can talk!’

I looked at my clock. 5:37AM. Mehh. I rolled over and told myself to get up in 5 minutes. 20 minutes later, Victor was back, with 2 other guys, waiting for me on my porch. I hurriedly rolled out of bed and tried to wrangle my hair while putting on a paruma. They asked if I had been sleeping, and I replied, ‘No Djabas, I was dancing.’ They looked at me confused. Sometimes sarcasm just doesn’t translate. I sighed. ‘Yes, Djabas, I was sleeping. It’s not time to get up yet. What’s up?’

‘But Djabawera, the materials are coming today. We have to be prepared!’

Thus went the next 3 hours of my morning, fielding questions about when we would be going to get the materials, what boats and motors we’d use, and what we’d be hauling first. I told everyone 100 times I would ring the bell when I got a phone call from the truck saying that he was on his way.

When I rang the bell, I knew I would get at least 5 workers, probably even at least 10. I immediately had 19. Men from aged 12 to age 70- something (he forgot). Even a few women would eventually show up as our numbers grew to 36. Every family in the project was represented by at least one person.

Irat, a twenty something guy whose family I couldn’t place, was working too. When I asked him which family he was working for he replied, ‘No, no, I just wanted to help out.’

Ramiro saw that we only had one little canoe, and even though we didn’t have any gas to give him, donated his own canoe to the cause. He said, ‘I’m sorry it is such a little canoe, but evey little bit helps. We’ll get done faster this way.’

While waiting at the port an old man from another community asked about the latrine project and scoffed, calling it a waste of time and money. My guys were super defensive and angry, arguing back about how important latrines are for their health and the health of their families, and about how it is important for everyone to have a latrine, not just themselves.

Sergio, who is way behind on work hours and won’t get a latrine for awhile, told me he bought an extra light bulb so that someday when we get electricity and his latrine is built, his kids can use it at night safely.

September 23^rd Santa Claus brought Playona 450 concrete blocks, 40 bags of cement, 190 bags of gravel, 120 bags of sand, and the hope of a better, healthier future.

Thank you to all the elves who donated and brought this project to life.