We had a busy January with teams coming to help achieve our vision here on the grounds at Coram Deo. The first team that came was led by my cousing Jeff Bultje and Nathan Wiersma. Before their arrival the guys did some ground preparation and moved the sand pile from our last project away from the front wall.
They also used their muscles and rolled these large boulders from the front of the yard to the back section of the yard.
We are trying to maximize the use of the yard. This front yard will support our last school shelter that needs to be built. We got Ysmaille and his workers to weld the shelter supports and frame so that everything would be ready for the team's arrival.
Jeff and Nathan spent the night at the airport and arrived in Port-au-Prince on the first morning flight. We spent the first day buying the wood and tin materials and getting the guys to cement the supports in place.
Jeff made sure that the steel support frames were placed correctly.
It didn't take too long for the supports to be cemented and bolted in place.
Nathan has good balance atop the wall supports :)
Jeff made sure everything was level.
The next morning Jeff and
Nathan were on a mission to get the school shelter built in one day!
The roof framing is beginning!
Ysmaille and his workers continued with their welding while Jeff, Nathan and Pastor Pierre started putting the frame together.
This was the first time we had 2 clinics going on at once plus a building project. Jim Hambrick of Until The Whole World Know brought over a medical team. Our whole house was a clinic that day! Ed Amos did his dental clinic that day as well. Here Jeff and Nathan are meeting one of the visitors.
The metal work and the framing went together well.
We ended up making this last school shelter wider than the others, making use of the empty space along the front wall.
It was fun watching the building and the clinics going on at the same time!
It sure does help having skilled tradesman leading the building teams :)
Jeff and Nathan rapidly laid the 2x4's in place.
Here are a few of Ysmailles' workers cutting and measuring the steel that is used for the shelter wall frames.
The morning was spent constructing the wood frame for the roof.
Jeff made sure the measurements were correct.
Sony came by to lend a hand.
Pastor Pierre had 2 roles that morning. Being a carpenter and also evangelizing! Here he is heading back to the work area after speaking with the patients awaiting to see a doctor.
The metal wall frames are almost finished.
Here is Pastor Pierre starting to lay the tin. The tin work was done in the afternoon.
Jeff is checking the metal frame to make sure they are the correct measurements for the plywood walls.
A view from a distance of all the workers involved in building the school shelter.
Pastor Pierre is blessed with a lot of energy. He is a hard worker.
Because the shelter is wider the workers had to make a couple of adjustments.
A view of the roof frame.
A team-work photo! Pastor Pierre, Sony and Nathan. The roof is almost done!
