Measure Twice

Our sanitation system is like a living creature. It eats, it drinks, it breathes oxygen, and it eliminates. Today our creature was on the operating table due for a kidney transplant. The old bad tank was cut lose and pulled out with much help from our Ghanian friends.

Everything was going well until the pump we were using (vital to the system) got a pebble stuck in it.

While Caleb J. and Bryant worked on that I texted a list of supplies we still need to Araba who is the Hospitality Manger here but also acts as our logistics liaison and general fixer on this project. With my order of missing plumbing parts sent to her I then got back to helping with the tank.

I measured twice to make sure the depth of hole was correct. With concrete blocks placed for support we moved the big green kidney... er... tank into position.

When the tank thudded heavily into place my joy quickly changed to bewilderment as I saw that the inlet was clearly five or six inches too high! Apparently when I had measured the depth I had used the pipe on the WRONG side of the tank. Amidst begrudging grunts and repeated apologies from me we hefted the tank back out, removed the blocks, dug down, and replaced the blocks again.

...And it was still too high. Somehow in the communication of the desired depth we had only removed two of the six inches needed. Dutifully we removed the tank a third time.

While this was going on Caleb J. and Bryant had been able to fix the pump by shaking it vigorously and turning it off an on. Caleb asked that I mention this was successful only by God's help. One more thing we are thanking him for on this trip.

Since it was towards the end of the day we told everyone they could go home and the three of us (with the kind help of a Patrick.. one of the kids here at Village of Hope) removed the blocks and dug down a second time and replaced the blocks again.

Because the crew had left we had to wait till later in the evening to put it back in the pit. After supper as walked back to put the tank in the ground and saw a big herd of young boys traipsing down the path towards us in the dark to help lower the tank yet again. Yes, it was at the correct height this time!

At the end of the day I gave an update to Araba on our progress. Here is her response:

This is an amazing group of people to work with and even if we measure the wrong thing twice they are still willing to encourage and bring a helping hand. I look forward to what good (and maybe humbling) challenges and successes tomorrow will bring us.