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.