An exciting new multipurpose building for Conferences, Bible Training, Community School for poor children, guest rooms, and more as the Lord
guides and provides.
Please check back often for updates
Future site of Calvary Center
There is a sand pit about 5 miles away, loading
and unloading is all manual labor.
Kasempa, ZAMBIA
Calvary Center of Kasempa
Home of upcoming Local Pastor's Conference
Click on pictures below to enlarge to full size view
Sunday June 18, brush fire stops then goes around
building site. All building materials are safe. Thank
God !
Lawrence (lead bricklayer) ,Frankie,Chris, and Bridget
It's a 4 hour drive to get the roofing lumber.
Wendy, James, Chris, Bridget, Ron, Fred,Frankie, & big Chris
Our new Christian Library in the background
Fred modeling color coordinated workwear
We cut to order . . Ron at the bandsaw
Electric comes and goes here, so we have to
alternate between a transformer and a generator.
Water has also shut off several times. These
are just a few of the challenges of working in
a semi-developed area.
Only week 5 of the project and so much is done !
Thanks for all the prayers !!!
Bricks are made locally with clay soil and burned to harden in a pyramid shaped kiln
No heavy machinery available. Tons of soil, cement, and sand moved by hand.
When shopping for the cement, we "happened" to
find a truck loaded with the amount we needed ready to unload. Thank You for your prayers !!!
Blue skies , low humidity and 80 degree weather is normal
Our truck hauls around supplies and even doubles as a workbench sometimes. But, a bad water pump limits trips short ones around town.
Many truckloads of "burned bricks"
Homemade tool to tamp the foundation soil
The brush fires destroyed a nearby home, leaving this single mom and her four children with nothing. An
anonymous donor enabled us to buy needed items for them, especially blankets. This time of year it dips
down between 30 - 40 degrees at night. We also had the opportunity to share the Gospel with her.
Lintels above the doors and windows are in place.
The problem this morning (again) is water. There has been low pressure or no pressure several times per week during the project. Keep praying for us.
The roof going up. . . It's bolted together instead of
going up as one unit, since a crane is not available.
Saturday morning ... June 24th . . . almost ready for roofing panels . . . there is a shortage of roofing panels,
in the region, but we were able to find the amount we needed and have them delivered yesterday. Thank God
Local church leader receives an
invitation to the conference along with a Bible. He has been hoping to get a Bible since 2002. A kind donor helped us buy 25 local language Bibles to give to needy Pastors and church leaders.
This is what the typical local church looks like here,
mud brick and straw roof, along with a dirt floor.
The average Sunday morning collection comes to
only 2 US dollars. Pastors typically have no formal training or Bible study resources. But, even with
their struggles, they serve God faithfully and joyfully.
Today (Wednesday afternoon) we welcomed
Brian , Mike, and Carlos from CC Philly. To
the right is Tembo their driver.
The Conference is an amazing success !!!! Pastors and church leaders have come from as far as
30 miles away, by bicycle and walking, to attend. They have such a great hunger for God's Word. They
have already sat for hours, taking notes, paying close attention to all that is taught, and asking questions.
Thank you all for praying. God has surely answered !!!
. .
We had several question & answers sessions
On Sunday afternoon, some of the Mission Team
spent time with the orphans being helped by
Lumba Christian Ministries. Here Carlos is teaching them a new song.
We gave many of the children
shoes, soap, and backpacks for
school. Mediya is thrilled with
her new pink boots !
Brian with Noels and his elderly grandparents.
Noels recently received sponsorship.
It's VERY early Monday morning and the Mission
Team is on their way back to Lusaka (capital city).
It won't be long before they are home again. We
already miss them.
The work continues . . .The bricklayers are now cement coating the inside walls. The tank is a hot water heater, known here as a "geyser". A view of the outside porch area. Here a porch is called a "veranda". The septic pit was all hand dug with farming hoes. The top layer of soil is particularly hard, since we are in the dry season. Half the year it rains often and the other half is dry.
The men cement plastering the
main room.
We've been wanting a watchdog
for awhile . . . today this little guy
came to live with us. He's only four weeks old. We named him
Isidingo, which means "the need"
Final floor surfacing involves 3 steps: Spreading a slightly damp cement mixture evenly , wetting and smoothing the surface, then keeping it under an inch of water for about five days.
While waiting for the floor to dry, we are busy getting a Christian Library ready for it's
grand opening on Monday July 24th. Most local Pastors have no Bible study resources.
The new Logos Christian Library will offer them over 1000 books, and many tapes, CDs,
and MP3s. . . including Pastor Joe's verse-by-verse MP3 set.
The library opened as scheduled ! One local Pastor has even volunteered to be a
librarian. There was much joy and appreciation, as Pastors sat and studied.
The men working on the porch area
The sun's rays are pretty strong here,
especially coming off of a white surface.
Ron had to wear sunglasses and lots
of sunblock as he painted today.
Window glass and burglar bars being installed.
Mukwa door closeup (pronounced "mook-wah").
It's a very hard and heavy wood, ideal for strong exterior doors. We will varnish them to maintain the natural beauty.
Paint has really brightened things up. Soon the
sign painting and color trim work will begin.
Glass panes have all been installed, as well
as all the burglar bars and latches.
Our new outdoor BBQ grill . . .yeah !!!
Kitchen Door
Kitchen is painted and most of electrical done. We made lamp shades from locally made baskets..
Another style of basket, converted to a
lampshade
Our new front light
The bathrooms are taking shape.
All electric now complete . . . praise God !
Fridge is working . . .kitchen sick is being installed.
Drain pipes being installed
Roof supports being installed
A rainbow over the Calvary Center
The first brick made for the septic system,
only 427 more to go !
The septic soak-away being dug.
Enjoying Christmas with our orphans
and staff in the Calvary Center.
Mixing cement,sand,and stones for
septic system bricks
All I want for Christmas is a septic tank !
Septic after back fill and cement plastering
The soak away tank
Guest bathroom coming together
Welding reinforcing bars for septic lids
Finally making the lids !
Guest bathroom tiled.
Second bathroom also tiled.
Lids now have to completely dry ( not easy
during rainy season ! )
Almost finished painting the guest bathroom
The rains stop long enough to paint the front
of the buildiing.
Beds for orphans were made from leftover
wood from Calvary Center project.
We're so glad to have Fred and Chris back to help us !!!!
One of our guestrooms . . . finally painted, decorated, and ready.
A third guest room being added on the porch
The new guest room nearing completion
The new guestroom bathroom
When we are not hosting missions groups,
visiting helpers, etc. . . .we will be using
Calvary Center guest rooms to generate income to cover the expenses of our upcoming Radio Station & School of Ministry, and more.
New plumbing now tied into existing lines.
An outside tap added
All water connections now working and
tub enclosure done. Just tub tiles to do.
Guestrooms received floor paint.
New guest room, complete wih bathroom, almost done. Here these kind of rooms are called "self-contained"
