CAUTION CONSTRUCTION ZONE CAUTION CONSTRUCTION ZONE

Work has begun. Emile, our contractor, and his crew have been hard at work through the Christmas holidays and into the New Year!

Here the men are digging the trenches for the foundation walls. These trenches average 26 deep and are dug in very hard, dry ground. The bottom is then filled with river sand which is quite fine and easier to be tamped down to form the footings for the building. These trenches are dug beneath each wall. Afterwards, theyll backfill between the foundation walls and pour the cement for the floors. In the background is the shower facility adjacent to Agnes home, (green building) and the washrooms for the school. Agnes school would be behind us in this picture. The next step is to make the 1,500 cement blocks for the foundation walls. These blocks are 9 high by 6 wide by 18 long and weigh approximately 50 lbs.

Here, the men mix the cement, sand, and water for the blocks. The water is brought in 50 gallon drums from the river on a cart. The blocks then take at least three days to dry in the sun.

Some of Agnes children watch as men mix the course cement for the footings. Agnes home can be seen in the background along with her greenhouse and water tower. The construction project would be to our right in this picture and Agnes school, across the field behind us. Currently the men are working on preparing the blocks for the walls. These are slightly thinner and lighter weighing only 40 lbs. But theyll need almost 4,000 of these for the walls and gable ends of the building. In addition, the carpenters are preparing the wooden window and door frames that will be put in place as the walls go up. This work will begin once the foundation is complete. Our fundraising has been very successful through the month of December. Thanks to Bethel Pentecostal Church and its Singing Christmas Tree, to date, weve raised over $45,000 CAD, and $24,000 CAD has already been transferred directly to Agnes account in Ghana to pay the laboures and to purchase materials. My goal is to ensure sufficient funds are always available for Agnes, so that we do not experience any work stoppages and we complete this facility on time. On behalf of Agnes and all the children, thank you to each of you for your support to ensure this important work continues. Stay tuned for more reports! Gary Shaver