Lachiguiri Update on Construction

It rained again steady all last night but we woke to sunshine. Our first class of Interpreting the Bible starts Monday night. Will we be ready? As I write there is a crew installing the cross beams for the bamboo. Nothing ever goes as planned. I ordered a certain length of bamboo but the small pickup that was to bring it to Lachiguiri couldn’t hold the length I asked for so they brought them six feet short. We had to improvise but that meant we had to cut four more trees. Thin but extra long. How was I to know I had to be a contractor to be a missionary? My experience as an interior decorator years ago is paying off to a degree.

This brings me back to the property I have tried to buy next door. My neighbors have changed their mind about selling. A couple of things have happened to change their minds. One they accepted Jesus as their Savior and now they like being my neighbor so they want to stay nearby. Second the guy who lived above them that caused their problem to begin with no longer is a problem. He used to throw rocks on their metal roof to scare them, but he also became a Christian so he no longer throws rocks. So what is the solution? No no, don’t think that. We know that isn’t the answer.

I have been doing some investigation looking for alternatives. We did purchase some vacant land behind my house. It is only 30 feet by sixty and straight up the mountain. We flattened about thirty by twenty-five for the garden which serves also as a classroom. That is what they are working on now. We still can build some on the back.

First the purpose we needed for the new property was to take one of the buildings on Wilbur’s property and convert it into the studio. Meanwhile we are using a very small room on the first floor of my house which is about nine feet by fourteen. Also I wanted to covert one of the areas at the neighbors into sleeping quarters for short term missionaries or others who come to work with us. Also they have a kitchen that would be adequate to prepare food for students and guests. It still would have been necessary to remodel to suit our needs.

Building from scratch will cost us more in the long run but we can build to our needs. The mission property on the first level is about five meters wider that the house now standing on it. To extend this area we must first level this area all by hand. It will take about three guys several days to dig it out. Then we will need to build a retaining wall up to the top of the first floor. We didn’t do that with the other rooms and they are always musty like a basement and papers etc mildew badly. We can build a room that will be 15 ft by 18 ft. We will transfer the studio to this area. Sound proofing it will be easier. We will need to add a small bathroom also for guest to use.

From the presnt small studio we can use the foam and just transfer it to the new area. Then we can again use the old studio for our resource library for materials for the mission. Like Bibles, commentaries, children’s material, camping gear etc. Then our main room below we can put two twin beds which can serve also for couches and make the office area cleaner. Later we can construct a couple of other bedrooms above the studio. I still have to think what to do about a kitchen for groups. I have ideas but they will have to wait. This still leaves a problem for parking especially when we have groups come in.

Pray for wisdom in all the decisions we need to make.