Campus Plan Layout

LTA has received the updated campus plan by Froylan Alvarado with Alvarado and Associates.  After reviewing the initial plan, a playground area was added outside of the courtyard next to the Arts Building.  Also the Auditorium and Arts Building have been combined into one large building in the new plans.  Other changes include multiple buildings in the maintenance area.

As the picture is being painted, the focus continues to be the initial building which will be multifunctional until the other buildings are completed.  The initial building is imperative for the campus to grow.  We thank you for your continued prayers and support to see this picture painted from canvas to reality! 

Initial Campus Proposal

Saturday, February 4^th, Froylan Alvarado with Alvarado and Associates (Architecture Firm) presented the initial LTA campus plan.  This rendering includes Pre-K through Standard VI (US Eighth Grade).  With this being the first proposal, we are seeking individuals to review and give suggestions for improvement prior to meeting with Froylan this next week.  If you have any thoughts or suggestions please email: 

LTA.MAILUS@GMAIL.COM

Our God is Able

Preparation of the Living Tree Academy campus continues. 

Recently representatives met with Froylan Alvarado, architect of Belize City, to invigorate the plans for the first building which will provide several vital and central functions for the campus.  Considering the cost of building materials, the addition of a second story will be the most cost-effective design.  Froylan and his associates are also gratuitously doing the site rendering for the entire campus to “paint the picture”, as he stated.  We are very excited to work with an architect in whom the Spirit of God dwells.  Just to give you an idea of his workmanship, the following is a quote from his signature line of email:  “Architecture is a vision from the heart that becomes a reality.”

Two of the other current objectives continue to be building site preparations and further improvement of the road to the property for large equipment to pass which is needed to bring in materials for the construction to begin.  As we view other building sites, we realize the preparation work ahead on both aspects that needs to be completed before the building can actually take place.  One day at a time.

Early morning with the pump

Continuing Site Preparation

Sunrise of the Road and Work Ahead

Once Froylan and associates are finished with the rendering of the entire campus, we will share the vision of LTA on a canvas so together we can be clear and concerned of the focus and see it come to pass.   Thank you for your continued prayers and support.  Our God is able.

Heart of Service

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of [living] water,

that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither;

and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3)

This past summer several volunteers who had time off for summer break came from the States to help LTA on the property.  Most recently volunteers have come from local Belizeans who have seen the need for a school as well as the vision for LTA. 

Last Sunday a Belizean who has befriended all the previous volunteers of LTA constrained to help us on the property on his day off.  With his expertise in construction, property management, and landscaping, he was willing to do whatever work was needed.  During the course of the day, he made two separate trips to the property and supplied his own materials needed to complete the requested work. 

Today the first yellow coconut was planted on the property after reading Psalm 1 and praying with volunteers and workers.  One worker said, “It’s the first ‘Living Tree Academy tree’ on the property.”  Unlike green coconut trees, yellow coconuts can be harder to find on the island.  (We have been told yellow coconut trees don’t attract bugs like the green coconuts.)  One of our volunteers (who occasionally works with us) discovered a yellow coconut tree that was available to transplant and move to the LTA property.  With the help with others, he dug out the tree, transported it to the property, built a retaining box out of cinder blocks, and planted the tree with much care knowing that this tree will help supply coconuts to students and staff in the future.  “We plant and water but God gives the increase,” he said. 

We believe this heart of love and service which has been demonstrated over the past 6 months will be reflected on the Living Tree Academy campus for years to come.

Building for the Future

Preparations for the construction of the Living Tree Academy campus continued to surge ahead. Currently, several members of the LTA Board of Directors are in Belize to update plans for the first building, accommodate building site preparations, and further improve the road to the property.

The first building will provide several vital and central functions for the campus, and design plans are being modified to best accommodate those purposes. Considering the cost of building materials, the addition of a second story will be the most cost-effective design. The fact that the foundation as originally planned has already been approved for additional stories makes the new plans even more advantageous. The second story of the building will be designed to house educators and other workers of LTA.

In order to accommodate construction materials for the larger building, the building site needs to be expanded to cover more square footage. Plans are already in place for these preparations to the site, and workers will execute these changes within the next 30 days.

Before construction materials can be brought onto the building site, the road to the property needs to be further developed, as well. Being on an island with limited resources, the work on this road has so far progressed to the point of allowing only travel by golf cart. Now the road will be widened and improved to support the trucks and heavy equipment needed to bring in materials and begin construction.

We will continue to update you as the work progresses on the construction of the Living Tree Academy campus. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Together we are building for the future.

Site for building materials when construction begins

Corner of building site - stakes represent where the building will be located (2 shown)

 

 

Adding fill to the building site from the LTA trailer (rebuilt and donated parts)

Headed down our road from the property (worker has LTA shirt on)

Children at Play

This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

(Our verse of the day while in Belize)

Still rainy season, the picture above was recently taken.  What a joy to see a rainbow on the property and to understand the promise behind that rainbow.   The updates will not be as frequent for the next few weeks, however work slowly continues on the property. 

Cisterns on the island are overflowing with an abundance of water these days that a few months ago were dry.  We look forward to the day that our cistern is built and utilized by students, staff and volunteers.

The rest of the pictures are a great inspiration to see children at play on the campus (even in the mud right now).  Keep the vision of an amazingly beautiful campus with the students having the same smile and enjoyment for learning on their faces as you see here.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support to see this a living reality.

Cistern Plans and Pics

Plans for the cistern have been completed.  Our draftsman updated seven pages to our building plans for the cistern.  Meanwhile it has been raining continually for the past several days.  If the cistern was complete already, we would probably have a full cistern!   

Water is very costly on the island during dry season therefore building a cistern is cost effective in the long run.  On a side note, San Pedro had little to no rain for several months during dry season.

Two building sites have been very helpful for our understanding of cisterns and construction in general.  Below are some of the pictures from those sites to help you see what we will be experiencing in the near future when the building begins.   Notice the amount of plywood, rebar and concrete that goes into the work.

Site One with rain water during construction

Site One with lots of rebar

Site Two - rain water has been drained

Site Two

Site Two - building materials (gravel and sand)

 

Barge and Trucks

We met with a barge company yesterday to learn more about materials being purchased for building.  Wanting to be good stewards of the funds being allocated for building, we have been diligent to understand the cost of materials, how things are built in Belize and how contractors work on the island.

The barge company informed us that effective September 1st, large trucks such as dump trucks, are no longer allowed to pass over the bridge to the north side of the island.  We have not had any materials delivered on site for a while therefore we were unaware of this change.  Because of this change, all materials delivered north of the bridge currently have to be barged.  The barge company suggested that we purchase materials from Belize City for quality and cost purposes when we are ready to start the process.  The meeting was very informative and helpful.

 

Pizza Challenge - Next Section Complete

Workers were promised a pizza when the next section of the property was filled with mud. (The mud hardens so that we can walk and drive across the property.)   

Working diligently for a few weeks on this section, this week was an exceptional week of accomplishment for the property.  We anticipated this section would be finished by the end of the week but everyone pitched in to see it completed today. The property's horizon continues to broaden. 

Last week - section being filled on the left

Beginning of week - spreading the mud

Half way finished

One corner left in the section to fill

Section filled on the right - pizza on the way!

Building Site Preparation Continues and Plans for a Water Cistern

The mud operation continues as we fill the property in preparation for the building site.  A new wheel barrel was also purchased to gain more ground.  Another section of the first acre should be completed by the end of week.

Meanwhile we have been observing other building sites and learning about pilings, casting concrete, water cisterns, etc.  Being on the lagoon side and a significant distance from the main road, water will be an issue as we begin building.  This thought provoking concern brought our attention to the need for more water once the first building is complete.  Originally we planned to have two water tanks on site for the first building and adding a water cistern to the next buildings.  However with the need for water and cost of transport as a couple of reasons, we have decided to add a cistern to the first building.  Our Belizean draftsman is working out two new additional sheets to our original building plan to add this feature.  Updated plans should be ready within a week.

Waving from afar

Gaining new ground

Using the new wheel barrel

 

Recycle and Treating Bodega

Skeptical of the the uses of burnt (used) motor oil, locals told us that it would preserve the bodega.  Paint is expensive and mechanics will give you burnt motor oil to use (or sell it for a very reasonable price depending if you are a local Belizean or known in town).  It acts almost like a varnish or stain keeping the rain from bowing and destroying the handy-work of our bodega as well as keeping termites away.  With several locals supporting the idea, we decided to go for it. 

To our surprise it turned out to be a beautiful finish like a rich, dark stain in the States.  We left it to dry and will see the results in the next couple of days but so far, so good!

On an island many things are a commodity that we would discard in the States.  Although there is no "recycling center" many things are recycled just like our burnt motor oil.

Before Oil

Work in Progress

Oiled and Complete

Trash Day and High Tide from Hurricane Irene

We heard through the grape vine that trash was being picked up north of the bridge on Saturday.  (Normally people have to figure out trash pickup on their own.)  This was a special campaign to help clean up the community therefore large items such as stoves, refrigerators, etc were also picked up.  

We arrived to the property Saturday morning to clean up the side of our road where a small casita was taken down weeks ago.  Needless to say the volunteer began the campaign right at the edge of our road.  The wooden boards were collected and put in a hole and buried (things are done differently on an island) right next to our road.  Across the street a pile of old rusty equipment was collected by a dump truck and taken away.  Trash all over the road and surrounding area were collected and taken to town to be compacted.  

trash pickup

picking up trash bags and large metal items

Wood being buried next to our road

On a side note, we watched the water rise higher than ever as the volunteers picked up trash down the road.  Workers continue to make progress with moving mud to build a stable (dry) foundation.  We are definitely seeing the progress where the mud has been placed.  Please pray for the water to go down so work can continue as planned.  When the water dries up the mud will become firm (almost like concrete) and we will have a smooth foundation to built upon.

Building a bridge with mud/lodo

Dry land in the back by the building site and bodega/storage shed

Licensure Received

The Town Board approved the LTA building plans on August 10th.  Since that time we have been waiting to receive our licensure (building permit).  Every week we visited the Town Hall to see if we could pick up our permit.  After 2 weeks the mayor and Board reduced the fee to receive our license by 50%.  We are very thankful for their support.

Yesterday we picked up the letter of approval, paid for the permit, and received the building permit sign.  (Every building site posts a similar sign on the Island.)  As soon as the building begins our sign will be posted on site as well.

Thank you for all your prayers and continued support!

Bodega Complete

The bodega (storage shed) was completed Wednesday.  We are thankful for all the volunteers and workers who diligently put forth great effort to see this finished.

Built with only hand tools such as a hand saw, screw driver, level and a square, this bodega had no power tools used on it.  The property currently has no electricity run to it therefore the challenges were greater than our American hands were used to but with determination, it was a success!