Playground!

Yes, the playground equipment arrived, and never have we seen joy like we observed when the cement was dry and the children were allowed to play on it.  The sound of joy is real--I don't know that there has ever been heard a prolonged sound of pure happiness as we heard that first day. The children have never really played like children in that way as they did that first hour or two. What would it be worth to have a bottle of that kind of joy to bathe in once in a while.  

It was a hard week, leading up to the installation.  The contractor and his  workers had not showed up all week, and Thursday was the day the play equipment was coming.  The ground was completely churned up, with no sand, only our red, clay dirt.  It had rained on Wednesday night so there were lakes everywhere.  It was discouraging--understatement!  We went over to our nearby village and talked to the Punjaet (local mayor) and shared our problem.  Pretty soon a group of about 15 men showed up with their primitive tools and several loads of sand, and began the process of smoothing about a half acre of ground.  By the time the playground people arrived the land was not perfect, but was ready enough for the installation to begin.  The workers from the equipment company spent the night Thursday night, and finally completed the job of getting each of the pieces painted and cemented into place late day Friday.  It was ready for play on Sunday afternoon.

The rest is shown in the pictures and engraved in my memory in sound!