On Monday, after arriving at the hotel and dropping off our luggage, we set out for San Sa Ho school.

It was important for us to get to the site to renew relationships we had established last year when we installed computers for them.

The leaders and some of the teachers there remembered some of us from a cold night of coffee and conversation last year. They wanted to take us drinking last year, but we tried to explain that drunkenness is against our faith. They took that at our word, but seemed skeptical.

We were thrilled to find that the computers we had installed were still working well and that they had opened great doors. The educators were able to mass produce tests and homework whereas before they had to write every sheet by hand. Also they kept up with grades and organized other things with the office software we installed.

Most importantly, the students were able to see and work on a computer and have practical experience using software. Prior to this, they were shown pictures of keyboards, screens and disks. Explanation was then given as to what these pictures were, how they worked and why. Obviously, pictures of computers and moving a mouse are drastic quality of education improvements.

After the welcome ceremony where introductions and re-introductions were made, we got to work helping to lay down concrete. The workers were finishing the courtyard and after lunch we helped them with the road from the “main” road to the school. There isn’t really anything “main” or “primary” about that road, since where we are is a very rural place.

The road that we are now paving is a dirt road that gets very muddy in the rain and concreting it will be a great improvement for them. It is also uphill.

We weren’t trusted to mix or spread the concrete. I suppose that’s considered skilled labor. Our job was to haul sand, rocks and bags of concrete to the top of the hill. All afternoon long. This is what we will do all week.

That would be frustrating as well as exhausting, but the gratitude expressed to us for our partnership makes it all worth while. This is not a “good” assignment for the teachers or staff, but our partnership has increased the quality of education tremendously and the moral has gone through the roof. We are constantly being engaged in conversation and they are helping us do dirty work in their nice clothes. The appreciation is evident everywhere.

We are taking the UV Filtration system out today, but someone else will likely install it as it is complex. It will be the first clean drinking water the children raised in this community will ever have had.

As a token of our thanks, the staff wanted to take us out to celebrate again. They wanted to take us to “Hot Pot” and if that seems scary to those reading back home, let me assure you that it is more so here.

Let me also affirm that it lived up to its expectations. That story next.

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