building into the future

3/11/2018

2018 is starting with finishing one construction project that was almost a half decade in the making (the Milk Project building) and working on several continuing projects in different phases of development.

To show the Milk Project building finished is hard because there is just so much more space, and more than one level even to show (four different levels total.)

Here you can see the lowest level, closest to the clinic, of the play area. Up from there is the storage for food and supplies, and potentially a future classroom, along with bathroom and cleaning area. The main level has most of the operating area...main entrance, kitchen, bathrooms, sewing room, computer room, library, and classrooms.

The upper level is serving its purpose very well right now of keeping the main level nice and cool even in warm days. It is impressive. That upper level is very basic right now, since we are not sure how it will be needed in the future. However, we have already been able to put it to use with extra game space for the kids, and as well hosting the entire mission activity we had in late February, when the board of directors was here. There is no electricity or any finishing features installed here yet, but that is according to plan (and our budget.) But the big wide open space is a good set up for the time being for such meetings, which was a nice bonus!

Speaking of the Milk Project, plans are proceeding with the expansion in Sampedrana. There has been a lot of talking about how to best proceed with the execution and selecting the children involved (the Church is wanting more than 50% to be children not from the body itself) and while forming rules, time, menus and such still come together, construction has begun, putting the kitchen above the current Sunday school rooms. Thanks to Swiss Cove Christian Church we have the funds to get the kitchen fully built out and mostly equipped as well.

We took advantage of a group from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church to spur on a few other construction initiatives as well...first being getting the mission house remodel in Tegucigalpa under way now that the Milk Project building is finished. First was eliminating pretty much everything that was in the old first floor, as you can see here. We have actual plans for this floor and the entire new building when it will be completed.

Those plans include these columns which will be formed in the current parking area, and long story short...the building will be one building with one entrance when this is done, not two separate floors if you will. It will be much more spacious upstairs, and downstairs accommodate 22 people on double bunks. Why the columns and how all this will work? More to come on this as we can make progress, but we are not expecting to finish this (money being the factor slowing things) until hopefully June 2019.

We also took a big step adding on to the farm home in Cantaranas, as we hope this building will get a more permanent long term resident, especially as we hope to expand planting fruit trees here soon, along with pastor Jonathan expanding the use of the main farm land. The added room we hope will allow for an inside bathroom and kitchen.

Aside from us doing construction, there is also plenty of road work going on outside the clinic campus. We are anticipating the main entrance being closed for hopefully under three months total, but that remains to be seen. They are installing all the main future sewer lines, and then...supposedly (we are still in disbelief) will be paving the road all the way from above the clinic down to the bus stop. If it all comes together in the time they are promising...it will be a huge, huge change for the neighborhood.

What else is going on with construction?

-Cantaranas wall continues, mostly with groups, but some the Church totally by themselves. Hoping that can be finished by the end of 2018?

-Need yet to build a farm house in Sampedrana for a long term family to live there and keep an eye on things

-Road work in Sampedrana will be a big financial need and physical requirement to be done this year.

-We are told funds are on the way to put in the Church floor and windows for Las Botijas, which will be huge for that burgeoning body there (more to come soon on that)

-Several smaller projects around the clinic campus, and potentially partnering with ICCC Tegucigalpa (next door) on some bathrooms they are working on for their Sunday school areas.

So...2018, not slowing us down any! Please join in prayer with us to make strides on all these projects...safely, and with the needed funding to make it all happen.

Interested in contributing to the cause? If any blog post would seemingly be ripe for a PayPal link, this would seem to be it!

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