Today we began the real work in Duc Lan Village, building homes for families that we’ve already fallen in love with. We divided into separate work groups, each of which will see one house through to completion. A pleasant bike ride through the countryside began the day, putting everyone at their respective work site to join the construction crew already at work.

The whole day was an immersive lesson in construction techniques, but also in communication, as the workers speak almost no English. Everyone did a great job of embracing this challenge and worked as hard as they could, not only physically but also mentally, to overcome barriers, and all the job sites made visible progress in just this one day. The other major challenge was finishing the food that the families and our local hosts kept offering! A day working in the tropical sun does not pass without long shade breaks and naps, even for the locals, so we stayed comfortable in between stints of exertion.

From here on, we will let students post on the blog to share their unique experiences. We will also include photos that speak for themselves, showing the progress of these homes as we add a little every day.

– Vi & Jesse