The Elements of House Building

First, you make walls by putting bricks on top of each other. (This is "Mae Farese's" new home where she and her blind daughter will live. Mae Farese has only one leg and depends on crutches to get around. She is on the mission's "Orphan/Widow Mercy Program").

In the background is Mae Farece's current home. It got a new thatched roof last year but the basic structure was showing signs of strain (aka: the mud walls were falling apart). Funds came in for a proper home for her and she is so thrilled to get a strong house!

But her hut wasn't the only thing having trouble. Mae Farese recently had a nasty wound on her only leg and this left her fairly immobilized. Here, Simon does the daily home visit and dressing for her using a bag of Normal Saline for cleansing, which the Prairie team brought. This "hi-tech" procedure drew curious onlookers every day. Once the dressing is finished, it's prayer time then goodbyes are said until the following day. I'm happy to say that as of yesterday, one week after her daily visits, Mae Farese is finally able to stand and walk again on her leg.




In the above photos, pastors and local area leaders visit the mission's training center which is currently under construction. Just as Mae Farese's new home already has a dweller who is anxiously awaiting the completion of the new building, this training center has people who are anxiously awaiting its completion as well. Anxious, but patient.

In the meantime, pastors and monitors who attend the Intensive Seminars sleep in tents, study under the trees in the campsite, and eat under the clear blue sky.

But bricks are only a part of what house building is all about. People, and in this case pastors/monitors, churches, and the communities they serve, have other needs too.



Here, monitors receive matching funds for orphan programs that we have a long-standing relationship with.

As well as training manuals for church leaders who these monitors provide training for,


...and Bibles, and an herbal (Artemisinin) tea for the initial treatment of malaria symptoms (with further instructions to seek medical attention ASAP, of course).


plus materials for the women's literacy classes (being handed out here by Alta).

And speaking of houses and building and such, most of the classes this year were conducted on the veranda of our house, which is currently under construction! It sure beat sitting under those trees, and there's nothing better than making use of a structure as soon as possible :)





Certificate ceremony after the week-long intensive seminar.

And while classes were being held on the veranda and in the guest room, tiling carried on in our bedroom. As quietly as possible, of course, so as not to disturb those trying to concentrate on their studies.

In closing let me not forget the bug/reptile portion which always comes at the end.

While picking my way through the rocks in the yard to take photos of the monitors and their certificates, I came upon these reptilian fellows. I'm guessing these rocks, in our future yard, have been their homes for quite awhile then?


Hmmm. Interesting neighbours, no?

Oh, don't worry (those of you with plans to visit us once we're in the house). They're in the yard, sillies...not the GUEST ROOM!