December 13 Floor Poured in Duplex Side 2

The cement truck came again today -- this time to pour the rest of the first floor of the duplex.

Cenemt truck backs down to the duplex to deliver the last load.

Just 2 years ago this road was a foot path in the forest.

January 2011 Ron exploring the property with our architect friend Mark Post who drew up the plans for the hostel and duplex.

Looking back from the duplex toward that road, you see the men carting cement by the wheelbarrel full from the cement truck up the ramp to the 1st floor of the duplex.  This was the final load.

1st floor as seen from the first floor -- notice UBAC Hostel top left

And did you ever wonder what it looked like below this level?  Well, a forest of supports holding up the floor (or ceiling, as it is below)

It feels like a rainforest underneath the floor they're pouring -- water dripping between the boards amongst the support trees.

On the way out, back to school, I saw Emmanuel.  He used to work as our day guard at the house we now live in.  But he is a mason who has helped build other structures in the missionary community.  So we decided his talents were better put to use on the construction projects.

Emmanuel working on rebar supports

Take one last look from the door in the wall to RFIS.  See the man in the red shirt?  That's about where I was standing when I took the pics of the floor being poured... if that helps with perspective.

Pouring the first floor 2nd 1/2 of the duplex

Praising God for progress so far.  Praying it will be done and ready for us to move in before June 2013.

6 Dec. Preparing More Floor

Yesterday was picture day at RFIS.  We went to a grassy area of the campus with nice tree background.

Lining students up for an all school picture

While I waited for my turn at individual pictures, I made a quick trip through the door in the wall to check out the progress on the duplex.

The floor to the 2nd side of the duplex is being prepared.

All those sticks on the right will be used to support the ceiling (floor)

Nov. 27 - Moving On Without the 4th Container

It has come to our attention that none of the 3 empty shipping containers we've paid for is going to be delivered.  It seems they've been sold again and are not coming.  SO, we move on and continue construction without that 4th container for the ground floor.

A wall goes up instead of the 4th container, completing the ground level of the duplex.

Lower level as seen from the bottom of the (temporary) ramp

Container would have been on the left side of this space.  Now it'll be a concrete store room.

Stairway from the lower level - storage containers and laundry (in space between containers), and the upper level - living areas



The construction workers making supports out of rebar



Nov. 19 Duplex Walls - 1 Side

While waiting (in vain) for the 4th container to arrive, it was decided to start building the walls on the one side of the duplex that has a floor poured.

Walls to one side of the duplex going up, even while the base of the 2nd side is not yet in place.

Stairs going from the containers on ground level to the 1st floor veranda of the duplex

Inside the living room, looking through the kitchen/dining room, through the 2nd side of the duplex (which isn't there yet) to the stairs leading to the door in the wall -- through that door is RFIS property.









The 2nd side of the duplex will go in the space to the right of the ramp (taken from the kitchen of the 1st side).

Looking up the ramp at the 1st side of the duplex - 2nd side still lacking 4th container for a base.

One last look before we go through the door (green door to the left) back to RFIS.  It'll be much easier to get to the duplex after these stairs are completed!

Nov. 9 First Floor Duplex Poured

We paid for the concrete and the concrete pump to deliver -- but the pump is not working, so we reverted to the old fashioned way... sort of.  At least the concrete was delivered in a truck, which is still amazing to see in Africa.  And to get the concrete up to the first floor, above the storage containers, a special reamp was constructed.

Cement truck at the base of the ramp

First floor with ramp





bottom left corner - concrete pad to go between the 3rd and (still absent) 4th containers

Base of the walls going in after the floor was poured

At this point we can put up the walls on one side of the duplex, but without the 4th shipping container to put at the base, we won't be able to go much further in a couple weeks.  Pray for that 4th container to arrive soon!

Prayers Needed

Construction on the duplex has been one obstacle after another. 
The work started at the same time as the hostel.  But lately we're blocked by
1. need for the 4th container that will make up the base of the building.
2. even without the 4th container, we can start pouring the floor.  Concrete has been ordered - and there's not much more the masons can do before the floor is poured.

Please pray with us for a container to be delivered soon
And for the concrete to be delivered soon.

Thank you!

October Hostel Tour

October 11-20 we hosted Byron Amundsen from the Covenant office in Chicago.  While he was here to discuss safety and security of our mission staff in Cameroon (having already visited Covenant missionaries in Congo and CAR), we took him on a tour of UBAC and the duplex construction.

Byron and Ron stand at the entrance gate and look over the hostels

From this spot, they can see both the CMF (Baptist) and UBAC Hostels.

UBAC Hostel left, CMF Hostel right as seen from entrance gate.

Inside through the front door, we met Dan & Karen, the hostel parents this year. 

Karen, Ron, Byron and Dan chat in the dining/living room, at the base of the stairs to the students' rooms.

A look around the living room reveals that the UBAC banner has been placed in its new home.  This is the only souvenir of the original UBAC (Ubangui Academy) in Karawa, Congo.

To the right of the couch and chairs we step out to the veranda where breakfast is served and where Aunt Karen's prayer chair resides.

Then we took Byron on a quick tour of the student dorm floors.  In the hallway between bedrooms there is a nice place for linens and laundry baskets - just outside the bathroom door.

Linens and laundrybaskets in the hallway between bedrooms on each floor.

On the bottom floor we find in the recreation room, a ping pong table and lots of laundry being ironed, folded, and placed in the numbered cubbies for hostel residents to pick up after school.

Exiting from this bottom floor, we look through the windows of the Stoker apartment.  And then see the landscaping being done outside their porch.  Can you just imagine the flowers and plants that will one day be growing here?

Stoker's apartment - porch (left), wall to RFIS property (right) landscaping in between

Duplex Construction as of October 20

Still waiting for the 4th container to arrive.  Meanwhile, the workers continue to work at preparation for the floor to be poured on the 1st level, including the veranda in front of the containers.

This week we had a visit from Byron Amundsen from the Covenant mission office in Chicago.  He got the full tour of RFIS, UBAC and the new duplex construction.

Ron and Byron look over the duplex construction

UBAC Duplex Construction Begins in September

(Aug. 2012)  3 of 4 containers making up the base of the duplex

Now that the Hostel is complete, the next part of the project is a duplex for Covenant or Free Church staff of RFIS.  The plans were also made by Mark Post at Post Associates (and member of our home church in Grand Rapids).  Ron made some modifications -- like changing it to metric measurements, and adding a lower level of 4 shipping containers for storage.  There is space between the containers for laundry, workshop, or whatever the duplex residents choose.

So in September, regardless of the fact that we didn't yet have all 4 containers which make up the lower level, construction began.  Here's what it looked like then.

(August 2012) Future site of the staff duplex (as seen from a gate in the wall to RFIS

Retaining wall behind, veranda before, floor above.  At the bottom of the picture there is space for the 4th container.

The workers are preparing the floor to be poured above the top of the containers.  They are also making shelves to go inside the storage containers. 

We are praying that the 4th container will be delivered soon   We have paid for 2 since January 2012.  Lacking those, we paid for a 3rd one which we're also waiting for.  The problem is transport.  Pray that ONE of the 3 paid for will arrive so the floor can be poured.

View of the back of the hostel (as seen from just up from the duplex.

Aug. 3 Ready for Students to Arrive!

The weekend of August 3-5 the hostel had to be ready for students to arrive... school started August 8.

Drive up to this side of the stairway to unload your luggage

Climb the stairs to this "welcome" sight on the front porch.

Entrez through this beautiful front door (there is a screen door here now too).

Just inside the door, put your backpack in your cubbie (guest restroom on the other side of that door)

Continue on in to the living room

Ah, but first, the dining table is to your right.  What's this?  Someon's in the kitchen...

...baking cookies! 
Dorm Dad Dan says - it functions: food comes out of the kitchen, but it can use some improvements.
(the kitchen, not the food)

Dorm Parents' room - nearly done.  Curtains are to be added soon.

One of the bedrooms is set up for visiting parents to stay in.

I refrained from photographing student rooms, respecting their privacy!
But I did take pictures in one of the kids bathrooms!  There's one on each floor.  Two toilets, 2 shower stalls, and 2 sinks in each of them.

Standing between the toilet stalls (left) and the shower stalls (right) notice the new cup and towel racks.

Showers with new curtains hung!

Dan and Karen Carlson are amazing - getting this hostel ready to receive students, ironing out the glitches in power and water systems, and Karen spent much of the past week or 2 in new staff orientation at RFIS in preparation to teach Bible class!  Bon courage, ashia, yika mpiko!

Oh look, while we've been on tour, the cookies came out of the oven - bon appetit!

First batch of cookies baked in the new hostel (I think)