Day one construction

Yesterday was our first day of building. Our group is divided into 2 houses. Houses 18 & 19. When all 350 volunteers arrived in the small village of Oudong yesterday we were greeted with a fanfare meant for a king. "it felt like we were about to start the Olympic games" said Nicole. There were traditional drummers in the start, with traditional dancers dressed like monkeys, an ox cart just like the one on the logo filled with fruits and veggies which led the procession. Then all the kids from the local element school lined the streets and sang a welcome song. When we got to the end the homeowners were there to feet us with garlands. Finally we entered the dinning tent area where they officially kicked off the build. Then numbering around 400 with homeowners, skilled masons, workers, volunteers, translators, and staff we got to work. The organization of this was so smooth. We built 10 layers and put in windows on our house in one day. Breaks were organized as well as lunch and the efficiency of the build as a whole was incredible. Our house had Americans, Koreans, Cambodians and one Mexican ( that would be Chuy) all working together smoothly and efficiently without language. As I worked in a team of three with two young korean girls I thought of Millard Fuller and Koinonia Farms and wondered if they ever imagined there idea would grow to this.