A Race Against the Rain
Juan has been working hard to put up the second story of the hostel in Cachora and get the roof on before the heavy rains. Fortunately he has lots of help. 5-8 people a day are showing up from Cachora and villages along the trail to help provide labor. They know his project is going to benefit them, so they want to show their support. They each work for one or two days before heading back to their own responsibilities, but always promise to return and help again in a week or two. Earlier this week, Juan and 12 other men hiked an hour each direction in the mountains to collect timbers for the roof. They collected 80 timbers in the rain, slipping and sliding on the muddy, steep hillsides. They hope to have the roof completed by this weekend. Even his mother has been cooking and selling food and drink to try to raise money to help. Each day his crew might change, but the community is showing enormous support because, like us, they believe in Juan.