Week Review - Preparing for Concrete Work

This week has been packed with action.  We haven’t made it back to the Town Hall to pay for our licensure to build.  Once the licensure is complete we can begin the piling work for the foundation.  For the past couple of weeks several contractors, masons and workers have approached us for building.  We are still trying to understand the concrete work and to make the best decision possible for laying the foundation.  We do know we have to have the funds and workers available all at the same time in order to cast the concrete work.  (Below is a picture of how workers diligently work together to get this accomplished for another job site.)

The bodega (storage shed) continues to be built on the property.  Everyone assisted “Bob the builder” at varying times including the newest volunteers who just arrived a few days ago.  The teamwork was spectacular!  Completion of the bodega is near; we now have walls.

Closing up the week, volunteers and staff enjoyed snorkeling after a week of hard work.  Thank you volunteers and staff for your hearts to serve!

Wall, Delivery, Approval, Bodega

Wednesday, August 10th, we saw many things accomplished.  First, workers diligently finished building a wall of harvested sticks to keep the lodo (mud) on the property.  

Secondly, we had materials delivered at the end of the road for the building of a bodega (storage shed).  By experience, we knew the road would not be able to hold the weight of the truck.  Regardless the driver decided to try anyway; the truck got stuck!  Struggling to get the truck out for several minutes, we saw the heart of the Belizeans as workers from across the street quickly came to assist our volunteers when they heard the spinning of tires.

After a few loads back and forth from the main road to the property, we were able to successfully stack the materials at the building site.  In the process, our Belizean draftsman called and informed us that the building plans for the school building had been approved!  We now have to pay to get our license then the building for the schoolroom can begin! This building will serve many functions until the campus is completed.

By late morning we started on the bodega (storage shed); by early afternoon the framing for the floor was squared up, and the flooring was almost complete. 

 

We ended the day with a word study of the Bible with our fellow Belizean brother.  What a day!

Receiving Building Plans and Delivering to the Town Board

Tuesday, August 9^th LTA building plans were submitted to the Town Board in amazing time. 

Our Belizean draftsman waited all day and instructed us that the updated building plans would arrive from Belize City at 1pm via Tropic Air.  In addition, the Town Board meeting was moved up to 2pm instead of the regular scheduled time of 4:30pm.  We arrived at the cargo pickup only to find out the plans had not arrived at 1pm.  Although they were in the system to be delivered in San Pedro, they would not arrive until 3pm.  With this news we wondered if the plans would have to be submitted the following week but spoke not a word.  Never the less, we moved forward calling the Belizean draftsman to give him an update.  He made a call to the Town Board and found out that due to the chairman’s schedule, the meeting had been postponed until 3:30pm.  We still had the ability to get the plans in on time for this week!

The plans arrived on the 3pm flight.  With great haste we drove over to the San Pedro clinic to meet up with the Health Inspector.  She needed to sign the plans prior to the meeting although she would participate in the upcoming Town Meeting.  God’s timing was amazing.  We knocked on the door only to find it locked and no one available.  Getting ready to call her, we turned around to see her walking down the opposite hall way.  She willingly checked out the plans and gave her stamp of approval.

We then proceeded to the Town Hall turning in our application and plans.  By the grace of God we had all the other necessary paperwork including the deed, sight plan, and receipt for the application fee.  The building inspector accepted our application even though it was suppose to be turned in by noon.  The Belizean draftsman joined the Town Meeting.  We were told we would hear the results within a couple of days.  

Signing the application and waiting for the meeting

Picking up the building plans at the airport

Health inspector stamping approval

Health inspector checking out the plans

Teamwork moving sticks

Yesterday workers and volunteers picked up harvested sticks to make a barrier along the side of the property.  These diligent efforts should save us time and money in the future regarding fill. 

Working as a team by way of a human chain line, the sticks were moved onto the truck where they were dropped at the beginning of our road. 

When the workers arrived to the road, a load of core (gravel) had been misdelivered blocking the ability to take the sticks to their destination.  Although it slowed our progress for the morning, this mishap was to our advantage as the contractor left some of the core behind after moving to the proper location.  We received at least 20 buckets of core to help patch up the road (which is much needed).

Everyday is a day of believing!

Construction Go Ahead

With the closing of July comes a great achievement for Living Tree Academy: the 60’x40’ section of property has been filled!

This accomplishment comes in perfect time. Volunteers met again August 1st with the Belizean draftsman in order to finalize blueprint plans and will meet with members of the Town Council soon. LTA members showed the drawings to the Chairman of the Council who gave some input and also gave the go ahead to start construction on the concrete pilings. These pilings can take from 2 to 3 weeks to cure and will lay the groundwork for a firm foundation.

Progress continues as God supplies and His people take believing action on His Word!

God's Word - Property - Plans

Yesterday was an exciting day learning more about the book of Acts from God’s Word, working on the property (which included fixing a wheel barrow), receiving the almost finalized building plans from the Belizean draftsman and having a fellowship by the sea.

The property  continues to be filled and built up. Not only did we fill the 60’x40’ area with mud today, but sand as well. There was a bit of an opportunity when the wheel barrow supports snapped from all the weight of the mud. Thankfully God provides and our volunteers are very skilled at fixing things. With the donation from a Belizean resort of a piece of 2”x2” wood and some nuts and bolts from the local hardware store, the precious wheel barrow was back in working order!

The Belizean draftsman stopped by yesterday in order to deliver the blueprints for the future (very near future) building plans. The next step will be presenting the architecture plans along with an application to the Town Board.

As if the day couldn’t get any better, we all witnessed a comet shoot across the sky and land in the Caribbean as we read God’s Word by the sea. Our God is an awesome God!

Lights, Camera, Action

A recent tropical storm near Mexico has caused some illustrious lightning storms to take place nightly over the Caribbean Sea. One of our volunteers was able to capture the glorious sight with his camera.