We arrived in Sao Sebastian at about 8:00.

After breakfast, we went up onto the top deck for worship and devotions, learned some songs, words and phrases in Portuguese.

Cesar, Mark, Ron, John and Michael, disembarked from the boat to go to the Mission House to work on their new Chicken Coop or “Palácio das Galinhas”. The posts and frame had already been set by the previous team. We are to add the trusses, siding and chicken wire and anything that we can get finished.

We went back to the boat for lunch.

While here, we have met Santana, Nete, Elizabete, Valmir and Cesar, who came with us from the boat. The mission house is very nice! Nete has been very helpful with our Portuguese. She does know some English and she has let us borrow her Ingles – Portuguese Book.

Friday afternoon, we started putting on siding and placing the trusses onto the back pitch. Brazil does take “siestas” after lunch until about 2:30 to 3:00, so you sleep. We also built them two saw horses to help in cutting the wood. We worked until about 5:30. Back trusses are on and the front and part of the back siding are on.

Breakfasts, lunches and suppers have been “Muito Bom”.

Breakfast at 7:00.

Once finished with breakfast, work begins. We continued siding and trusses. Cesar has been working with us every day. We usually work until about 11:30 and then break for lunch and then siesta.

Work begins around 2:30 – 3:00. More siding and Mark and Cesar start putting the tin roof onto the back section of the chicken house. John is nailing on siding and Ron and Michael are supplying everything to them.

We had Pizza for supper!!!!! Santana and Elizabete made four pizzas. They were very good. Brazilian pizza has hard boiled eggs tomato, onion and green peppers.

Up at 6:15; breakfast at 7:00.

We did work this Sunday morning. They have church services in the evening. Work continued on the siding and the roof. We worked until lunch and then were finished for the day. Lunch was: Baked Chicken, mashed potatoes, rice, salad, beans and fruit juice or cola.

We went to church at 7:00 to the Igreja de Cristo no Uatumã (Church of Christ of Uatumã). We sang several praise songs while standing for all, prayers and scripture readings. One song we did know, “Holy Spirit, You Are Welcome Here”. Communion was served. We may not have understood all of the words or knew the scriptures, but we had the Lord’s Supper in common. Once we returned home from church, Santana and Elizabete had supper ready for us. “Muito Bom!”

Up after 6:00; Ron is my “Muito” Reliable Alarm Clock! 

Santana calls us for breakfast at 7:00 as usual: Fruit, bread, ham and cheese, fried bananas, sweet rolls and juice. Almost forgot coffee…….always two cups! 

Once breakfast is finished, it is off to the Chicken Palace. We continue to work on the siding and roof. It is progressing very well. It is very rewarding to be able to help on this project so that they can provide fresh eggs daily. Before you know it, it is lunch time and then siesta. For lunch our main course was fish and steak and gravy. By the end of the day, the siding was finished and the roof was finished.

Once again, breakfast was very good: Rolls, ham and cheese, fried bananas, fruit, juice, coffee and a chocolate cake!!!!!!!!

This morning’s task is to begin laying bricks. They are “red clay bricks”. Although, our first project was to make the door, while Santana went to purchase bricks and cement and have them delivered. The first row is placed on its side to form the footer and then a second layer is placed upright to form a wall to meet the chicken wire. Cesar started laying them open end out, but Santana did not want that. “It will let snakes in!” We took our orders and started laying them with the closed side out….. By the time we had lunch, siesta and back to work, the footer was finished by the end of the day. Cesar and Mark laid bricks; while John, Ron and Michael made sure to have cement, bricks and water at hand. John also set the brick ties “two hammered-crossed nails” at each post.

Valmir is also working on a sign for over the door of the Chicken Coop!!!!!!!!!

For lunch this day we had: baked fish, and it was “three whole fish!” It was good. We also had, beans, rice and salad. For supper, by popular demand, we had Pizza. Santana made “6”. Very Good! For desert, Elizabete, made another Flan. Yummy, Yummy!

Today we want to get the brick wall laid. We get our first batch of cement mixed and we are off. By lunch, we are half-way around the coop.

The rest of team arrived at the mission house in the morning. They were able to finish a little early. It was good to see Shay and Shallyn.  We kept laying bricks and they went to work in the greenhouse.

We stayed at the house for lunch and had lasagna. The others went back to the boat for lunch and siesta.

We started back to work at 2:00, when the team returned from the boat, we had a short “unveiling” of the sign that Valmir made. We place it over the door.

It reads: “Palácia das Galinhas” | “Chicken Palace”

Valmir did a wonderful job on the sign. 

By late afternoon, we started the chicken wire and were able to complete it! The “Chicken Palace” looks very good and with God’s Blessing, we were able to get a lot of work completed on it. It will be a great addition to the mission and it has certainly been a pleasure and blessing to be a part of this great work for Christ.