Getting to the job site later than has become my custom these past weeks, I was encouraged to see what had been accomplished this morning. Ervis has earned the respect of the crew and is able to step into the role of lieutenant whenever the need arises. Even more important than that was the harmony of the work environment; five men working along, getting along, enjoying the physically demanding and repetitive tasks of site preparation. There aren’t any grumblers on this job.
One of the young men from the church who visits from time to time came by on his motorcycle. Ali carries a brick of ice-cream in a cooler on the back of his green Yamaha. For 10 Lek you can enjoy a banana-flavored scoop of real, homemade akullore. Ali offered, so after a quick tutorial I took his motor for a ride over a few blocks of packed earth road. I have never driven a motorcycle before. I get it. Ali started selling ice cream off the back of a motorcycle 5 summers ago, when he was 12 years old.
Tomorrow I will have a walk-through of the job site with the Plagenhoefs. They haven’t seen the grounds for a few weeks and I am eager to hear their feedback. Maybe one day you will come here and see the first church building in the history of Fushekruje.
albaniacalling 