"Our house, in the middle of the street! Our house!"

The weather turned and we've had two beautiful days to build! And build we did! Friday morning we arrived on site eager and bubbling with excitement to finally begin this project. Brick lines were formed (aka people standing an arms length away from each other throwing bricks as an efficient way to move them), mixing of duggar began (2 parts sand, 1 part cement and lots of water = heavy, messy cement-like mix to adhere the bricks!), and various other tasks around the site - including being jungle gyms for the many gathered children. My friend Lizaan (a current student at the University of Stellenbosch) and I took the task of painting the door and window frames with linseed oil to ensure that they last for generations.

Brick by brick the house began to form and soon our lonely cement slab had four walls and some windows set in! We built 8 bricks high and then called it a day as it had to dry before we could build more on top. There are so many children here and they love playing with us, observing our building and running rampant as children do.

We arrived back at Nerina and dashed to the showers wiping away a good six hours of sweat and laughter from the build site. Dinner that evening was served in downtown Stellenbosch at Arizona Spur which reminded me of a mix between TGIFriday's and Denny's. I enjoyed a hamburger and chocolate milkshake almost just like home, South African style definitely adds their own unique tastes and spices! Exhausted from the day we turned in early.

Saturday morning came too soon and we were back at the site passing bricks again, mixing duggar and filling in holes in the bricks for a finished shine. The builders are South Africans that live in the township and are so skilled and fast! The walls were soon finished and all windows and door set, we began bending and setting the hoopbines (metal rod-like things to help support the tresses) in the top when time ran out. All in all, it's a fabulous feeling to step back, shake the dust from our gloves and see the makings of this beautiful house. Our home owner, Zaminlonghusi (sp?), was able to join us because he wasn't working. The joy and twinkling in his eyes was enough to change anyones world and put a smile on your face. You could tell with every shovelful his future was changing, his heavy shoulders lifting with the growing hope of a new beginning.

It is also amazing to be hosted by the woman around our house - they cook for us and sustain us as we build away. And each day there's a tea time! Greatest thing ever, the US so badly needs tea time it's not even funny. They've made us faetcoks (fat cakes) which are similar to doughnuts, but not quite as sweet and homemade bread with jam which is just delicious (and instant coffee is a huge hit over here, I'm not gonna lie, I really appreciate our ground coffee variety back home!!) The lunches are even better: Friday was this amazing curry-like sauce (not as spicy) over rice with chicken and pumpkin. Honestly melted in my mouth, the foreign flavors dancing and filling our souls with renewed energy. Saturday they made this traditional corn and bean dish, but the corn was different than U.S. corn - it reminded me of the texture of chickpeas mixed in with different types of beans and some kind of sauce and a chicken sausage. YUM, I tell ya what, YUM! So - our bellies always full of South African treats and our eyes swimming with the people, cultures, experiences, beauty. It's overwhelming and amazing all at once that I have to pause sometimes and look at the soil my feet stand on and say, "I'm in South Africa! I'm on an entirely different continent!"

Back at Nerina and after dinner, we proceeded to hold a make-shift Talent Show with our house groups, I ended up singing "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night with Lizaan and Pierre. A night full of laughter.

Today is our "rest" day which means we're trying to accomplish all of our schoolwork along with some time to hang out with new South African friends and explore Stellenbosch. Things are great, life is amazing and abundant. Hope all is the same wherever you are.