4th Down and .40 to go

Well, we've built up the land with 4 completed lifts of material. We are planning on two more thinner lifts of 20cm each to arrive at our final height (hence 40 centimeters or .4 meters more). For the remainder of this phase the fill has been concentrated only under the building, making the process faster requiring only 3 days to truck in the material. On Saturday the test results were great, so the end of this phase is in sight! 
  It is pretty neat to stand on this platea and look over at the raised highway and notice that you are looking down now at the pavement. 
  So hopefully two weeks will bring this phase to a completion and let the CAT dealer have three machines back. I cannot emphasize how amazing the people at IMCA (the CAT dealer in the DR) have been - these machines have been provided at no cost to us. They do not want this publicly announced, but I feel you all - the people who have helped this project financially become a reality - should know of the generosity of a company here in the DR. They simply express time after time how happy they are to help us see this project through. Very Very generous.
  We also have a side project underway - the latrine that will serve all of the workers here for the next two years. As it turn out, this project has morphed into being the construction of one of the two septic tanks the clinic will need. So, we are now killing two birds with one stone! Thanks to Pablo's suggestion the first chamber on the large septic tank will be built and serve as the latrine during construction and then become part of the septic system - a great idea after encountering some soil-stability issues! Nothing like a problem to help the overall project become more efficient! Will post some pics later - we've been digging away at this 11 meter long hole in the ground!

And some pictures of the awesome equipment from IMCA/CAT and our builder/engineer Eduard ...


They arrived early January - 

and we are almost done needing them!

Vibrating Compactor

Dozer and Loader

Eduard (our Engineer/Builder) enjoying the test results.

Enjoy this holy week - my good friend Nicole pointed out an interesting cultural difference - The reasons/events behind our Easter and Christmas holidays are not celebrated on just two dates, the Dominicans prefer looking at these events as things that should be celebrated daily. 

 Me gusta.

4th Lift underway

  The trucks are back and we are building up the foundation material. We are now concentrating just under the building, so we will be using less material and the process should go faster. 
  Over the weekend I managed to get the lagoon cleaned out - removing the silt that had built up on the bottom. So we will be filling this area with the "rocks" from the sandstone fill we are using instead of just stockpiling them like we have done until now.
  I've been out of water at my rental home for a few days, it finally came back on this morning! Makes you appreciate something taken for granted back home. I'm glad to have the Guest House as a backup shower!

 Below is a video of what has been going on out at the jobsite.

The first part shows the testing equipment being used to verify that the fill is properly compacted - glad to report we got an A on the test!

And, it finally actually rained Friday afternoon - the FIRST rain since I've been here (the 1st of January). There have definitely been more clouds in the afternoon skies especially over the mountains and East and West of here, but just the one rain so far. A little rain would be great for our compaction process.

Moments

Have you ever been working on something you think is just the greatest thing and you hope you aren't delusional or a little overly-optimistic about it?

I have had several encounters with people these last few weeks that have confirmed our efforts here in the DR are worthy and anything but delusional! 

Here are a few examples: 

1) Trying to acquire/rent/purchase a wrench to repair a bulldozer from a tractor repair place...
   Hi, I need a 1-3/16" wrench, do you have one I could buy?
     - first reaction: "Sorry, looked everywhere, don't have that size to sell".
  Could I borrow or rent from you?
     - No, the workers will need the tools for their jobs ...
  Hmmm, I am working out at the new Clinica Cristiana  and ..
      - second reaction: "La Clinica?! Yes, let me have my workers find one for you to use, no charge!" Confirmation

2) At the end of the day I had parked next to the large canal beside the jobsite. A farmer was at the canal washing up to end his day, saw me and came over speaking spanish and smiling. What I could make out with my limited spanish but very clearly with his expressions was his excitement that the Clinic is being built. It was a neat encounter from a very random fellow. Confirmation

3) We got the new sign set along the road, were working on getting some concrete in the holes to hold the legs when a motorcyclist stopped on the highway beside us. He looked up, looked at us, gave a positive fist pump and said how happy he was with the project - and ended saying God be with you. Confirmation.

4,5,6...) I could go on. From the hardware store, workers at the jobsite, the police at the road stop and many other times and places there is an appreciation in this community and region for what this small clinic has done the past 25 years. Imagine what lays ahead.

We are building a building. 

It is just a building. 

But within this building people will devote themselves to serving others, and help make those people's lives better. 

Pretty neat, and abundantly confirmed.

We are back to Work!

The "3 day" road improvement thru the nearby barrio is still not done, so after stopping our work last Friday, Saturday and Sunday we also did not work Monday - Thursday because of this road project. A meeting with the community leaders Wednesday evening led to an agreement allowing our trucks to pass thru town empty. So this required an alternate road for the trucks to use coming back from the mine loaded with the fill. 

This road was decided upon and Thursday was spent improving it for trucks - filling areas, cutting trees, etc.

 Friday we resumed trucking in the fill and that process is continuing today - although yesterday evening a truck broke down on this narrow road which caused a delay until mid-morning today. Because this is thru serious farming areas, I am holding my breath that no cows, mules or horses will be harmed in the trucking of the fill .... ;)
  
Watch the video below to get a feel for the jobsite - 

Thanks for your prayers and support of both me and the project in general!

coming soon - 

take a trip thru the countryside on our new route from the mine!

more scenic views and less dust (well, kinda)!

Anticipation ....

 We are waiting to continue the Fill/Compaction process at the property until the surface treatment of the road thru the barrio of Barranca is finished. They said it would take three days starting last Friday ....  welcome to the DR. 

In the meantime, the dozer and loader are accumulating a huge amount of fill, so when we can start running trucks again, the amount of fill available will not be a problem. I am thinking maybe Thursday is a realistic day to resume. 

Below are some pictures at the Mine over the last few weeks. Hard to see in these, but we've made quite a dent in the earth.

 February 16th

March 4th

March 7th

March 10th

And Looking down from above ...

February 16th

March 2nd

March 10th 

And a few random pictures ...

A week with my Church Family

Fill/Compaction has been on hold Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We are respecting a request from the Barranca Barrio who asked that no trucks use the road these three days while the road is surface-treated (by the way, as of yesterday afternoon - ain't no way the whole road will be done by Sunday afternoon...). So if we get a green light Monday the trucks will resume hauling fill material from the mine and we will complete this third lift in a day or two. 

  What a fun week having my Church Family here - it went by WAY too fast!
After the team left for Santo Domingo Friday morning it suddenly got very quiet around here, and I was bummed. 
  Sure was great having so many good friends here, fun to catch up and visit. They got a lot accomplished as well!

  Being here I have really come to appreciate the sacrifice team members make to come down. They are paying to fly and stay in the DR and most are using their limited vacation days to do so. We all treasure vacation time, so to spend a week of it here is a very meaningful thing to do. I have to point out McClendon Pruette using one of her only two weeks of vacation - how many youngsters would do this? She definitely has a gold star by her name :). 
  As I have said previously, a benefit of living here is being among a very special group of people - a very spiritually full group of people. The young members of the SRI staff here are just terrific people.
   And at the same time, it is also wonderful to sit and visit with the almost 1,000 team members who are devoting their time and money to serve here in the DR. 
  Wow, I am surrounded by people serving others - just what we as the Body of Christ are all supposed to be doing daily in our lives. 
  As my great friend Nicole would say ... Blessed. 


Here are some pics from the week ...

Local Traffic on the road to the mine ...

Looking Northeast from the Mine - toward the Clinic Site and San Juan

Outfielders - Holden and friend

These guys have stopped by our lagoon - not sure what they are called ...

Beautiful sunset at the end of the day
 - the grade stakes await their burial 

and thats an out at 1st!

Brittany helping out 

Thats Dan as catcher and a Dominican future MLB player ...

Not Just Civil Engineering!

Concentrating and Working Hard!

RRRRandy!

Tim, David and George atop the container

Earlier in the week - not much of a stockpile ...

We have a nice stockpile of Fill - Ready to back to hauling Monday!

Enjoy your week, please keep the project and everyone here in your thoughts and prayers.

Bulldozer repairs and friends from home

It has been an extra special week having the crew from Roanoke here. The Second Presbyterian team arrived in San Juan Sunday and has been hard at work and even a little play. 

Susan is hoping to steal second base ...

A rowdy crowd attended the softball game!

  

















There are two surgeons here doing various procedures from improving a sagging eye (the result from an accident) to general surgeries on gall bladders, etc.


  The construction crew is building a warehouse for us to use during construction as a secure storage area. Once the building is under construction we will need this area, so it is great to be getting it built. 


  


We also hope to have an "Iwo Jima" style sign-raising tomorrow morning and get the large signs that Ed & Torri Armentrout  (members at 2nd Pres and owners of Budget Signs in Roanoke) donated to the project. 

Over at the construction area, trucks are hauling in more fill continuing the fill and compaction phase. This will be the third lift or layer of material on the complete site. The trees and vegetation along the highway are being removed so that the area can be cleaned up and turned into a "garden" area with nice plantings.

      

The broken part - missing the left leaf needed
to hold the large pin sticking out.

  Last week we had quite an ordeal with a broken part on the D6 bulldozer. The part is a u-shaped bracket that holds the "ripper" attachment on the machine. This "ripper" is dragged down in the ground to loosen the soil so it can be pushed into a pile. Without this part, we could not stockpile the fill material leaving us unable to continue the fill/compaction process. Thru some amazing efforts and timing the Roanoke team was able to deliver it here on Sunday. 

The broken part I took off last Friday. It is missing the
left leaf needed to hold a large 2" diameter pin.

If we knew where the part was it could have been welded back on, we searched but have no idea where it is. The CAT dealer in Santo Domingo did not have the part and said they would need to have a part shipped from the States, requiring 7 days to get here. What other options could we consider?

The new part in place.

Phone calls to Carter Machinery in Salem, VA and my friend Joe Miller resulted in CAT locating a replacement part in York, PA and having it shipped overnight to Salem so Joe could take it to the church and get it packed in a duffle bag (by the way it weighed about 50 pounds). A long-time friend of Joe's (Lee Sutphin with Carter) was extremely helpful getting this coordinated - and not only did they help us get the part quickly, it was done with at charge. 

View of the back of the bulldozer showing the two brackets
that hold the "ripper" attachment to the machine.

 A group of us headed out to the mine after lunch Sunday and installed the part however a very hard-to-find wrench was needed to tighten the bolts (no room for a socket and an adjustable wrench offered no help). I had visited many stores and repair shops over the weekend to no avail. 

Frank trying everything possible to get
the bolts as tight as he can get them!

Frank found one Monday morning, we borrowed it and successfully got the bolts tightened up - Monday morning the machine was back in business. We can now check off "bulldozer maintenance" on our bucket lists. 

Thank you Carter Machinery for your amazing customer service and generosity.

Back at Work - notice the "Ripper" on the back.

I never know what tomorrow will bring, it is sure to be an adventure and challenge. Worth every minute.