Just about ready to begin Drain Lines!

A beautiful view high atop the mountains

We've made it.

We are finally to the point where you will start seeing walls going up soon. You will hear me cheer when we begin this significant phase ...  !

First we will begin the process of installing drain pipes - we have a limited space to run them and achieve a proper slope so this will need to be done carefully. Once we have a good start on this we will start block work. 

I always feel I must stress that our #1 concern is that all work is done efficiently, at the lowest cost we can negotiate, and with the best prices on materials. If we spend extra time assuring that this happens, time will just have to wait. The precious money we have received from so many amazing, supportive and wonderful organizations, families and individuals is being spent as frugally as possible.

Sorry for the length of this video, but I spent time bringing you up to date on the entire site, probably in too much detail ...

Thanks for your continuing support and prayers. God's amazing timing continues to be at work here as we make slow but steady progress.

Here are a few pictures:

A sad day, our Skid Steer went back to its home in Santo Domingo.

A Dominican house

and you have to appreciate the sunsets here ...

Fill & Compaction of Platea almost done

We are close to completing this labor-intensive phase. 16 columns will be formed and poured, then we can finish this fill and compaction. 

Here is a video showing what things look like:

The next steps will be:
1) installing drain lines in this material which will require digging ditches with the proper slope for good drainage in the pipes. 
2) start laying block walls!

Happy Easter!

46,150 square feet

Yep, It is a big building, just ask the guys having to spread and compact this huge expanse!

We are continuing to fill and compact, a slow labor-intensive process.

 The team from Roanoke worked on the south wall prepping the grade beam for more block to be laid!

It was really great to have some of our church family here, the medical folks did their typical amazing work helping those in need. We had a very nice communion service Wednesday night at Prince of Peace.  

Thanks for your prayers and support for the project and for the almost 1,000 people who spend hard earned money and devote a week out of their lives to serve others here in the San Juan region.

As each has received a gift,
use it to serve one another,
as good stewards of God's varied grace
1 Peter 4:10

Next Phase has Started - Fill and Compacting the Platea

Site as of Feb 12th

We have started the process of filling and then compacting the platea. This will be a tedious phase and require a lot of manual labor and shovel work. Each room will need to be filled and then compacted 3 times in order to properly compact the fill because this is what the floor slab will eventually rest on.

A heavy rain left over an inch of water

  The amazing volunteer teams have made great progress on the south security wall - this will be very helpful for jobsite security in the short term and property security in the future. 

The south wall is moving along!

Saw a guy using this wheelbarrow - one stable wheelbarrow!

Lifetime Guarantee - WILL NOT TIP OVER!

As always, thank you for your support and prayers. Many challenges remain but good progress is being made. 

Block is in place, columns being formed and poured.

We are done laying 2 courses of block, 

next will be columns.

who needs a pickup Truck?!

video below:

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Update and Nature's Bath Shop

The construction is coming along well and going faster that scheduled.

And wanted to show you something different, but pretty neat - natures Dominican scrub sponge, found in your local field ...

God provides what we need, sometimes we need to spend the time to explore where it is and appreciate all that is provided ....

B L O C K !!!

A momentous day = Block is being laid.

Please see video BELOW :)

Also, volunteer teams are here knocking 

out an amazing amount of work!

(update a little later on them!)