Mi Casa es Tu Casa

I guess I’ll start this story from back in August when I travelled down to Panama to build our house. Destination: Catrigandí, a 30 minute walk towards Colombia from Piriatí, the reservation where I lived while serving with Peace Corps. It was slightly intentional and mostly fortuitous that we came into possesion of a 1/2 acre lot nextdoor to a local pastor that I had worked with previously. I mulled and doodled my way into a house design, and my dear friend, Matt Rhody, got most of the materials on site: lumber, rebar, rock, and sand. Everything had to be carried in the last 100 yards on shoulder because the road washed out. An unexpected blessing showed up in the form of Steve Bliss from Dead Wheat International Foundation. He picked me up at the airport, took me on a shopping spree, and then taxied us towards the homesite in Catrigandí. When faced with the prospect of toting cement, and anxious to lend his expertise and get the foundation squared off, Steve opted to employ his truck, really more of a snorkeled tank, to drive 1/2 mile up the river and into my backyard. I am grateful for this and for the generous help given by friends Drew Lebowitz and Bryce Chapman as well as my neighbors Isnel, Justo, Jorge, Samuel, Esteban, and Marcial… and of course the talented cook, Edalia. Even the kids helped out. Awesome neighbors. It was 25 days, 12 to 14 hours apiece, to go from nothing to getting the roof on. You’re welcome to come stay, but if you can hold off for another month, it’ll have a floor and walls… and maybe a hammock.[slideshow]