Happy Thanksgiving! Several months ago we made some new friends (Americans - yay!! From the South - double yay!!) There are two single gals and two families with several kids that are as fun to be with as they are cute. So for those of us missing nieces and nephews and just the "feel" of family in general, we really enjoy spending time with them. Here's our second Thanksgiving in Sri Lanka... Clockwise from Lana (pink shirt), Chris, Tucker, Jared, Adam, Mindy

Clockwise from Wesley (solid blue shirt), Donielle, Debbie, Steven, Charlotte, Sanjeeva

The kids' table emptied rather quickly (they move fast!)... only Erin was left by the time I made it there with my camera.

Another reason I love my husband (he believes that women who cook, don't clean up).

And then we watched football -- the Colts/Patriots game.

(In the next several pictures, follow the red fireman helmet.)
Brooke & Steven
Brooke & Stephen
Brooke & Lana

Brooke cheering for the Colts. (Brooke, where's your helmet?)

Brooke & Tucker

Brooke

Wrestling...

Jessica, Brooke, Caleb, Daniel


Katelyn & Allie

Daniel

Mindy & Charlotte

Wesley (with Wyatt) and Steven (with Erin)

Erin

Brooke & Erin introduce Chris to their finger puppets.

Chris watching the game (with finger puppets).

The highlight of the evening was whenever the Colts scored, and Chris and the girls would hold their palms up in the air with the finger puppets waving overhead. The girls looked a little nervous at first as to whether or not the finger puppets liked being treated in such a manner, but eventually decided it was fun.

After watching the game, it was time to play. Daniel dug out his football uniform (AKA: he ran to his bedroom, put on his bicycle helmet and crammed stuffed animals into his shirt as football pads).

Then (of course), time for playdough.
Erin, Daniel, Wyatt

Jared's infamous cheesecake.

Well...I would like to apologize for taking so long to write an update. I have a long list of excuses...but I will spare you those and get down to the nitty gritty.

We just finished up a fiscal quarter and at the end of the quarter, the SW office (the one I oversee) had finished 84 houses with 50 under construction. We started 2 community facilities and finished one of those (it was a small remodel). We missed our housing goal by about 2 houses...not bad. But we missed our community facilities projection by at least two (we have 8...so missing it by two is bad).

Heading into the last quarter...and the last quarter that I will be in Sri Lanka...we are looking to have the last 50 houses complete and all the remaining community facilities started. That is a tall order, especially since it has been raining every other day for the last month. But, I have confidence in our staff...we should be able to get the project where it needs to be.

The overall project. By the end of 2007, we will have completed over 250 houses. Which is over half of the housing target. The Southwest office will be overseeing community facility projects into April or May of next year. The East coast office will have to handle the remaining 250 houses. That will be a lot of work, but I think they will manage. They can build about 60-70 houses per quarter...so that puts them right at the mark.

Prayer request...(1) no more rain! We have two community centers slated to start in two weeks, one to start in three weeks, and one to start in four weeks...(2) pray that this really happens. I have to have these projects started before I can come home! We hired a second engineer a few weeks back...(3) pray he works out.

This is a project consisting of 10 houses. The land was provided by the government and then we provided the construction of the houses. As you can see it is on the side of hill so extensive work had to be done with excavating, retaining walls, and drainage systems.

The above house is part of the same project shown in the first picture. This is the "model" house, finished first so that we can determine color schemes, finishing touches, etc. Those who who will be living in the houses chose the color.

This house is part of the owner driven program. Some people were not permitted to move back to their original property (like the houses in the first two pictures, it's called a donor driven house). This beneficiary was allowed to build back on his original land, we gave him 5 installments to build his house. He did everything from choosing the design to building the house.

The above picture is one of our community facility projects. Whoever built this hall for tsunami victims did a terrible job on it. The roof was about to collapse and it was unfinished. We tore off the roof, put in a lintel level (re bar in concrete beam that supports the weight of the roof above the windows and doors), built the wall back up, put on a brand new roof, refinished the floor, finished the class room, installed iron windows and door, new steps, wired it for electricity, and painted it.

The same community mentioned above still does not having running water to their houses yet (government's responsibility). They requested a bathing well, which we provided. Equipped with his and her bathing sides and an intertube just in case someone happens to fall in (below).