Finally In Our New Building!

We're finally back! I apologize for the delay of two months. We were able to get the second-floor roof poured the last week of March. However, it was not a problem-free event! The concrete company called and asked if they could send the trucks at 8:00 p.m. (It was getting dark here around 6:30.) They explained that due to the Easter holidays they could only do it at night unless we wanted to wait a week. When they arrived and started to pour the roof we discovered that our architect had underestimated the amount of concrete needed by a third! Praise the Lord that everything was able to be worked out and we finished pouring the roof by about 12:30 a.m.

The finished roof for the second floor. The hole on the left is the stairway to the third floor. The black tank is for water.

Touching up the front of the church.

The door is in place and Julio can once again sleep at home!

The auditorium begins to take shape!

The second floor is ready to be divided into classrooms.

The men from church working together to place the classroom divisions.

The walls and floor are still unfinished, but we are able to use the second floor for classrooms.

Getting the auditorium ready for our first service.

This picture was taken during our first service (April 25th) in the new building. The banner that two of our deacons are holding was used to record the offerings given towards building the first floor. We began this banner in January of 2009 and had the bricks colored in a little less than a year later. God answered our prayers concerning the financial needs for the construction above what we ever expected!

A time of fellowship and refreshments after our first evening service.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and your gifts to help us with the building for
El Manantial Baptist Church.
Pray that God will help us to be faithful to Him.

Almost Ready To Do The Second Floor Roof!

This week we got most of the roof up for the second floor. We used a different type of roof on this floor. The smaller concrete beams were ordered and brought to the site. After they were placed, the bricks were fitted into the space between the beams. Lord willing, we will pour the roof this Thursday. Please pray the remaining jobs will be completed to meet that time-table!

Julio Lima from church is in charge of the second floor. Where would we be without him?!

I no longer worry about anyone climbing around. They do worry about me. If I had a dollar every time one of the men said, "Be careful Pastor!" we could probably build the third floor!

Getting ready to move the small beams up for the roof.

The roofing bricks begin to go into place.

For those construction men who want to see exactly how this fits together!

The auditorium looking towards the future platform.

From where the platform will be looking towards the street.

Saturday we treated the men from both the first and second floor crews to a chicken dinner! They're eating on the second floor! Can you believe that???

Beams For The Second Floor

Our four workers for the second floor spent this week forming the beams or "vigas" and framing them in preparation for pouring more cement and preparing to get the second-floor roof in place. Most of the pictures this week seemed pretty much the same.

On the first floor the crew began to get the cement on the walls to cover the brick. Due to their working on the first floor without any windows, I could only get a few pictures of that progress. A lot was done and we're looking forward to the start of a new week tomorrow!

The first beam begins to take shape!

Tying the wires together. Becky is not supervising;
it only looks that way.

Beams are getting framed in towards the end of the week.

The posts will hold the beams up as the cement dries. That takes about 15 days before they can be removed.

As you can tell, "Safety first!" is not the motto here in Peru!

This was the front of the church at the beginning of the week.

The view on Friday.

Getting the coat of cement on the roof.

Framing And Pouring Columns

This last week saw the columns framed up and poured on the second floor. There was a lot of work involved in this process and a LOT of cement to mix, carry and pour!

Julio finishes laying the brick by the stairway.

Framing the columns involved some acrobatic techniques on the outside of the building!

Getting ready to pour cement into the frame.

This was how ALL the cement was mixed.

The front of the church at the end of the week.