Future Light 2014 Infrastructure Projects Well Under Way

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Today is Sunday and a day for church service and rest at Future Light. However this week 'free time' in the afternoon will consist of getting back to the project and mixing concrete. Ted and I spent the morning catching up on correspondence and relaxing after a few very busy days and when we arrived at FL the crew was already hard at work. We helped with a few batches of concrete but also played with the kids that afternoon.



We also had some great conversations with Ita and Goin despite their limited english language skills and my non existent Burmese. They brought us a little more up to date on their life here at Future light and some recent additions to the home. There are now two new boys at FL. Both had been dropped off at the door step when they were just a few days old. They are now three months (Nehemiah) and seven months (Peter) of age. The picture in the blog is Ita's cousin who spends most of her time looking after the two little ones. The seven month old Peter is not here today as he got sick last night and they took him into the Mao Tau clinic (about 5 Km away) by motorbike. It turns out he has pneumonia so they kept him overnight at the clinic. It is just amazing to me that these new additions are so readily accepted into the family as if they were always meant to be there.





Just a little background about Ita and Goin. The met as students in Rangoon when they were in their early twenties. Goin is from the Rangoon area while Ita is from the Chin hill tribe people in northern Burma bordering India about 1500 Kms to the north west. Goin recalled his first meeting with Ita's family shortly after they met. It was a three day journey by various modes of public transportation until they got to near her home and the remaining 20 Kms on foot along on a narrow trail in the mountains through the jungle. Goin said that her family had not even seen an automobile when he first met them. Apparently there are now some motor bikes in the area but it is still a very remote area of Myanmar.





Some of the older children who I met during my first two trips to FL have now moved on to high school where they board during the week and come back to FL on weekends. Others have graduated and are now on their own earning a living in a trade. One of the labourers that Goin has hired for this year's project is in fact one of the older boys I met during my first trip here in 2010. He is now married and lives in Maesot with his wife.



Tomorrow is our last day at Future Light. There will be many loose ends to tie up to make sure we can complete everything we have planned.

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Photos

New addition to Future Light
This is 'Nehemiah' the youngest member of the family at Future Light. He was left at the doorstep when he was just a few days old.

40 new chairs for the classroom
Another necessity. Many of the old chairs were chipped and broken. We managed to get them all into our vehicle as well as a new portable table.

Hanging out at the bicycle repair shop
Ted decided to get all of the broken down bicycles at Future Light fixed.