Wednesday December 10th
It has been a quite hilarious day but a lot has been accomplished. It
began with breakfast, followed by going to Cefa hostel where the trailer was
parked up ready for unloading because of all the aid we could not all fit in
the minibus without a struggle so Mary, Hilary and Sonia decided to walk and
decided my estimated 10-20 minute walk was more like 30 minutes but a lovely
walk none the less on a bright frosty morning. (They did refuse the offer to
come back and fetch them).
The unloading was done quickly with Dan and another man transporting
heavy boxes in wheelbarrows, and the other receiving trusts arranging for the
boxes to be piled up in various areas for collection. (It was good to see
everyone again). It was complete in under 3 hours so very very much quicker
than it took to load.
Sadly a box containing TCP had got broken and as well as being very wet
and dripping also wetting boxes nearby (it must have been several large
broken bottles from the amount of mess!!) it really smelt of the stuff! One of
the Romanians was quite worried as to what it was when he got it over his
hands, but we could reassure him of course.
Immediately the unloading was complete the first Christmas shoebox
distribution took place at Ateas Kindergarten right on the Hungarian border
a tiny little school, then back to Cefa to distribute in the school. While this
was happening a couple of us had a business meeting with Nicu from P2P to
discuss the future. As Nicu is off to various places with various sponsors it
had to be today. A very satisfactory meeting. This meeting took place over
lunch.
By the time we got back the others had had their lunch and gone off to
The rest of us drank tea and talked to Rody Stroie in the hostel as she
prepared the evening meal. WE also went to see the home for pensioners which is
half built. We are thrilled it is so very much better than new had dared
imagine it should be done by Easter and ready to take in the first pensioners
very exciting and encouraging. The electrics are done mainly downstairs and
now they start the plumbing or plumbering as they call it.
WE had a meal altogether and then crammed into the minibus to get back to
the hotel although we had emptied out all the shoeboxes we brought over in it
from Jersey it was filled up with stuff for the visit and distribution tomorrow
with FI so even fuller than when we started!
It is the last night Ian and Chris are with us it will be a much
quieter group once they are gone I think. They leave tomorrow morning to be
back in St Malo for Saturday lunchtime for Bertha the lorry to go on the cargo
boat.