As you've heard, our team is now together. The guys got in earlier than expected (how can our plane be 15 minutes late and theirs be half an hour early for the same 4 hour flight?) We stashed one of them in each of our rooms to shower and rest, so the original six males here have been awake since before 4:00 am. While Dan, Steve, and Drew rest this morning, the eight from group A are at work at the CMC... trying to make it look like we've accomplished a lot this week. There is a full crew of the nationals labor working today; for the common laborer work is when you can get it. We'll be knocking off at noon to meet the three newcomers for lunch, then bring them to the worksite for an orientation tour.

Paint on the outside of the building is mostly complete - emphasis on "mostly". This is a big building with lots of nooks and crannies, so when you think a wall is complete you find more yet to paint. And while our crew of mostly Hindu national painters are much faster than us, they pretty much work on the principle of "if you can't see it, I'm not gonna paint it".

Inside, so far we've painted nothing - not a drop. The electrical crew is still chiseling trenches across the masonry walls upstairs, and in the process of patching the same downstairs. But none of the patching has the smooth masonry finish coat, and with the dust and debris everywhere no painting can be done on the interior. Shiny new ceramic tile is being installed in the "Gents" restroom upstairs; all the rough plumbing is in but the rooms look far from ready for tile. We've been told that when we return from our trip to the south next week all will be done and painted. My experience tells me this will be completed in India time, so I have no doubt it will be done - but only when it's done.

I asked Rev. David about building permits for all this construction and he said "not necessary!". Since this is repair work, no permits or government inspections are required; only for new construction is that needed. Imagine, completely rewiring an 18,000 (+/- ?) sq ft commercial building, all in 240 volt, structural modifications necessary, most labor unskilled, and no permits. It seems back home you can't even change a roll of toilet paper without some government agency wanting a permit issued and paid for. Maybe India in some ways is far more advanced and civilized than we think!