Daily Reports for This Week

Saturday, June 12:

The UT/ID team was hosted for breakfast at Mom’s Place by Happy Valley School in appreciation for their work here.

A Saturday morning hike into the National Park planned by Peter Hruza, UT/ID, and some of the Mennonite and CRWRC volunteers was cancelled due to inclement weather. Peter and David Porter, UT/ID decided to take a shorter hike from the village of Vatia. But, after the hike they decided that the weather wasn’t so bad and they would undertake the longer (6 mi. +/-) National Park trail. None of the rest of us was aware of their decision. Leaving about 11 p.m. they encountered misting rain and extremely muddy, slippery trail conditions. After falling more than once and Peter losing his glasses and camera, they came to a trail junction about four hours into their hike. When they called for advice about which fork to take we realized what they were doing and that they could not reach the end of the trail before darkness descended. We contacted the National Park and a Ranger called them and advised them how to take a different trail back to Vitia. I picked them up in the village just before dark, tired, dirty, but in good spirits. With any luck this story will become greatly embellished with each retelling and will become the stuff of which legends are made.

Sunday, June 13:

Van gave a presentation at Faliniu Baptist Church about his conversion from Mormonism.

After church the team, Pastor Elise, Fola and family enjoyed lunch at Sadie’s by the Sea.

The UT/ID team left Sunday night and the TN team arrived.

Monday, June 14:

Pastor Elise provided his orientation on American Samoan history, religion and culture to the TN team. Mable Snyder from MDS and Trudy Smits from CRWRC joined us for breakfast and the orientation. I continued the orientation along with a tour of part of the island and site visits to a couple of potential job sites. We stopped at the MDS site in Asili to see their project and made plans to help them with a slab pour on Wednesday.

The homeowner at Amaluia does not yet have his septic permit so the TN team will begin work on the Aiava Gutu house in Masefau. We made a site visit there this afternoon, discussed the project, made pictures and verified/corrected measurements. The team plans to begin work Tuesday morning.

Tuesday, June 15

The TN team spent the day at Masefau building an interior block wall at the Aiava Gutu house. They also knocked down a wood frame wall that will be replaced with block, and electrician Earl Creasey stripped out all the old wiring, receptacles, and lights in preparation for all new wiring. The work is hot and strenuous, but is proceeding at a good pace.

We went by Blue Sky cellular to advise them that we want to take 3 phones off the calling plan and use them only with calling cards. Terry will need to send an email to Blue Sky requesting the change. Loretta sent the draft email to Terry for him to forward to Blue Sky. The change will take effect at the end of June.

Pastor Elise cashed the TN team’s check for rent and gave us our half so the petty cash fund is again in good shape.

I met briefly with the CRWRC construction supervisor who is showing a little more interest in working together with other teams. We decided that we would leave the option open and see how schedules and work develops to provide the opportunity for cooperative work.

We have been advised of a conference call with FEMA and the mainland agency heads Thursday morning, 6/17, at 0900 AS time.

Loretta and I are looking forward to Randy and Ronda’s arrival Thursday night and with mixed feelings about our departure Sunday evening, 6/20.

Ed Greene

IC, AS

Wayne Hubbard, Don Owen, Don Rhoades and Bryan Collins, TNDR, build a new wall in the Aiava Gutu house which was heavily damaged by the tsunami. Masefau, AS.

Don Owen and Wayne Hubbard, TN, mix mortar in Masefau, AS. The sand, coarsely crushed black basalt, is not the same sand used on the mainland. It must be screened before mixing with cement, and it absorbs more water than mainland sand.