Romel’s entry – Life-affirming

Despite the recent turn of events at some stages of PolyHouse, today was success in the midst of uncertainty!  The second day of PolyHouse saw numerous achievements by all teams.  The framing to the new addition was put up.  The garage had its electrical work put in by contractors and volunteers.  The garden beds were built and installed in each of their respective locations.  The area behind the shed in the backyard was cleared out to make way for tilling and leveling of the soil.  The driveway had its last “key” stone put into place.  All of these achievements make fitting the puzzle that is PolyHouse extremely exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.  And while all of these physical achievements show terrific progress towards completing our end goal, I find this project rewarding in itself because I get to work alongside some of the greatest team members, contractors, and volunteers.  The camaraderie between everyone on this project is phenomenal, and should be cherished well beyond the limits of this quarter-long class.  Just by walking around and looking at all the different projects going on at the house I saw members from the logistics, finance, interior, landscaping, and construction team working alongside one another.  There is not one moment that individuals on the project are not doing anything.  Everyone has taken an oath to see this project through, and because of this we all have developed an emotional attachment to the family’s needs.

I also find that the struggle to overcome certain components and aspects of PolyHouse is overpowered by the perseverance of team members to find those donators, contractors, and volunteers that can help us complete the job.  I like to think that this project, with all its ups and downs, is a life-affirming lesson for each and every one of us.  We take the good with the bad and utilize our limited time to perform our tasks to the best of our abilities.  And while of course time and pressure can create some remarkable results, it is the dedication and effort that will create a truly gratifying conclusion.

Romel Peñaflor Auza