 Every day our dream comes closer to reality as we close out the major portions of the construction on the building. Here is our progress to this point:
- Tile - All the inside tile is complete with the exception of the dining room, the kitchen and the tile on the porches. It will probably take one more week to finish the porch areas.
- Stucco - the exterior stucco is done and the guys are just working on touch-up on the inside and the columns on the outside of the house.
- Ceilings - the framing on the first floor is done. We may have another crew do the second floor ceiling next week.
 Attic - the "third floor" attic area has been floored and we have put a water tank up there to provide backup water and pressure to the house.- Iron work - the bars and gates are done and are being painted and will be installed next week. We also built theft-proof brackets for the air conditioner units. We cannot put the windows in until the window bars are installed.
- Front veranda - this is almost complete. The roof will go on this on Saturday and the fascia and soffit on Monday.
- Electrical - the second floor electrical conduits have been cleared (we had several with concrete in them) and wired. We will begin connecting the branch circuits next week.
 Painting - most of the upstairs rooms have been painted, although some touchup will be needed. We will do the exterior painting after the inside is totally complete.
The youth from Zion Baptist Church are coming over on Saturday to help us with painting and other details with the building. We want them to feel that they are a part of what is happening here and take ownership in the ministry here.
 We have made a lot of changes along the way. One is to increase the size of the meeting room and computer room by 40% and the other was to build the cafe area on the front of the house, complete with a large veranda.
Our goal with the cafe is to create a place where people from the community can come in and have a cup of coffee and a pastry and just visit and relax. There are plenty of dumpy bars here in Bluefields, but nothing like this that we know of. We are going to try to make nice tables and chairs out of iron. Our welder and his helper are simply amazing and quite reasonable.
We wll be spending the holidays here, so pray for Kim. It is very different for her being away fr om family and friends during the holiday season.
We will be coming back to Dallas during the last two weeks of January. We will be laying out our needs and plans for the future.
One of our immediate financial needs is to purchase textbooks and supplies for the upcoming classes starting February 1st. We also want to develop a small amount of ongoing support for some of our student leaders.
Long term, we need to begin developing a base of monthly support for our living expenses. We have spent a large part of our savings on this construction, building a facility that is equal to the vision that God has placed on our hearts.
 The people here are such an inspiration to us because we see how God provides for them in their poverty, and it encourages us that he cares for us as well.
This picture is of a young boy selling home made peppermints, two for a cordoba (5 cents).
Young children are often send out by the parents to sell products or to simply beg for money. In some cases, they are punished if they do not earn enough money. It really tugs at your heart.
On one other subject . . . please pray for our truck electrician. He is the guy on the right in this picture. Everyone tells us he is the best one in Bluefields . . . when he is not borracho (totally drunk). 
He started working on the truck Thursday, but we had to send him home after lunch because he came back completely blitzed. He continued Friday and will hopefully complete the work on Saturday.
Fortunately, he is not a mean drunk. The guy is quite a character and very likeable. We have invited him to come join us for coffee in the cafe and he said he will come and bring his wife. It will be much better for him that those bars he goes to, that is for sure.
Thank you for your prayers and your financial support. Thank you for sending emails and pictures so that we feel like we are not totally isolated from you all.
God bless you,
Tim and Kim |
